What's In A Name?
Group Activities

Sermon Title: "Jesus Is Coming to Town"

Scripture Reading: Matthew 1:18-25

CEREAL SCRAMBLE:

Provide small cups and paper plates and some alphabet cereal. Each child will be given some cereal in their small cups. The teacher will have words from today's Bible lesson written on the chalk board or a poster board. Tell the children to use the cereal to spell a word on their paper plate. When the time is up, the children will carefully pass their plate to the next person and each child will read the word that was written on their classmate's plate. Continue as time allows and then children can snack on their cereal.

JESUS IS COMING TO TOWN SHOUTING:

Before class, the teacher will make up many slips of paper in red and green colors and write JICTT and hide the slips of paper around a designated area. When the game starts, the children will run to get a slip of green or red paper and shout out JESUS IS COMING TO TOWN. After shouting, the child will begin looking for another slip of paper and will continue shouting every time they find a paper with JICTT!

LIGHTS AND BELLS PREPARATION:

Let children hang some Christmas lights and cut out and glitter some bells (that children prepare), on the classroom door and large cut out letters for JESUS IS COMING TO TOWN! Children can add glitter to the bells and cut out letters to decorate.

STAR STICKS:

Let children cut out and color a STAR. Encourage children to write an important word from today's Bible lesson on each point of the star. (Children can take turns reading all the words on the points of their stars to retell our Bible story today). Tape the star to a craft stick and let children march around a designated area singing JESUS IS COMING TO TOWN!

CROSS ORNAMENT:

Give children supplies to trace and cut out a cross. Provide stickers and glitter, markers and sequins, to decorate their cross ornament. Hang the cross by a green, red or gold ribbon (if available), and hang on the classroom Christmas tree. Encourage children to write THANK YOU JESUS FOR YOUR GREAT LOVE, or other words on the cross from today's lesson.

CANDLE LIGHT:

Provide each child with an empty toilet paper roll, construction paper to cover the roll. After writing today's lesson Bible verse or prayer on the constuction paper, the children can place around the toilet paper roll and glue a yellow flame to the top of the roll. Children can then take a small paper plate and some molding clay or play dough to set the candle "roll" on the clay for the base of the candle.

GIFT HUNT:

Draw and cut out small gift pictures. Write one word from our Bible verse today on each gift and tape the gift pictures around a designated area. Children will HUNT for the gifts and then bring the little picture "gifts" back to a poster board that is decorated like a gift with a ribbon wrapped around it. The children till tape their little Bible verse gifts in the correct order to then recite the Bible verse together. Recite the verse several times and each time the verse is repeated, the children will say, JESUS IS COMING TO TOWN!!!

SONG CARD:

Give each child a piece of their choice of construction paper color. Provide a copy of the JESUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN for children to tape or blue to their construction paper. Fold the paper in half and stand on the table. Encourage children to take their song card home and sing with the family.

SING A SONG:

JESUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN or any other Christmas Carol that children would choose to sing.

GIFT SNACKS

: Option 1 - Teacher can give each child a small gift box to unwrap that will have snacks inside. Option 2 - Teacher can have one big gift box for children to choose a snack from inside the box.

Song: "What You Gonna Call Your Pretty Little Baby?" - Black Spiritual

- Vocal part and text

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This song is in the public domain and may be downloaded andreproduced for religious or educational use by churches, schools, homeschoolers, and other non-profit organizations.