Classroom Christmas Crafts and Activities

Classroom Christmas Crafts

Christmas! What an exciting time in a children’s ministry classroom! Students may come to your classroom that have never darkened your door before. As a teacher, you have the privilege to tell the most precious story on earth – the story that God himself stuffed the divine presence of His Son into human form so the Son could lead the world back to God.

All right, so you’ve told the same story year after year. The kids could tell you the story. How can you drive home the magnitude of what God did for us on that Christmas night so long ago without your kids yawning, interrupting you to tell you about the latest toy they want or without your students bouncing off the walls from too many candy canes and too many shopping trips?

Make the story fresh. As St. Francis of Assisi once said, “Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.” What other ways can you tell the Christmas story? You can use skits, music, crafts, snacks, games; service projects; anything that reinforces the message of Christ coming to this earth.

Beware! It’s so easy to choose activities that celebrate Christmas in a general way, that fall into the trap of the secular symbols of Christmas. As a children’s ministry worker, you want to be different. You want your message to stand out in stark contrast to what the students are getting elsewhere. Choose crafts and other activities that present the biblical message in a strong and compelling way.

Recently, I’ve been looking for a craft that emphasizes the Nativity. I found some great possibilities on the Internet. Check out these websites for Nativity craft projects for kids.

www.daniellesplace.com (a great website for all kinds of bible crafts)
www.teacherhelp.org
www.christiancrafters.com
www.dltk-holidays.com (A wonderful felt board nativity set here. I think I will use this activity for my group.)
www.familyfun.com (This is a secular site but I often find ideas here that I can adapt for my bible lessons.)

Next week, I’ll share some service projects for kids to do at Christmas.