Waiting and Watching
Group Activities

Sermon Title: "Waiting and Watching"

Scripture Reading: Luke 21:25-36

SIGNS OF CHRISTMAS:

This will be a little "ice breaker" for the children and will provide alot of giggles to begin class time. When the teacher has the children all spread out in a designated area, the children will be told that THEY are going to be the SIGNS of Christmas. When the teacher says to be a Christmas BELL, the children will all try to sway like a ringing bell and make bell sounds, or form a Christmas tree, (together, or each child with their arms pointed up and hands clasping; form a star altogether (lines of children from a center location); sing a Christmas song, etc, depending on the teacher's ideas and desires!

OVER AND UNDER:

Divide the class into teams with the teams forming a line. Provide Christmas "props" for each team such as a jingle bell, some Christmas garland, or a tree topper. Tell the children to pass one item from the front of the team to the last child on the team, passing the item OVER the first child, and UNDER between the legs of the second child, over the head of the next child and continue until the first item is passed to the last child. The last player will run to the front of their line and pass the next Christmas item OVER and UNDER, until all 4 or 5 of the Christmas items have been passed. The team that finishes first will sit down until all the teams have had a chance to complete their game.

CHRISTMAS TREE SIGNS:

The children will cut out a large green construction paper tree (a triangle shape is fine). The teacher will hand out several colors of cut out balls to tape to the Christmas tree with words from today's Bible reading. (Sun, Moon, Stars, Earth, Sea, Waves, Son, Cloud, Power, Glory) The children will glue or tape the balls onto the Christmas tree on the classroom door. Green ribbon or yarn can be taped to the door for additional decoration, if desired. The children could also add a little glitter to the Christmas tree "signs" balls as well.

BIBLE VERSE MOBILE:

Provide children with supplies to draw and cut out various shapes such as moon, sun, stars, and clouds and decorate them with glitter, cotton balls, and markers. They make a Bible verse mobile by hanging the shapes they have cut and decorated from a clothes hanger.

NATIVITY FINGER PUPPETS:

Let the children make a finger puppet using felt for the body (just hot glue around the edges to glue two pieces of felt together), use markers to make the eyes, (or small craft eyes) and yarn for the hair etc. Children can use their finger puppets to tell each other that Christmas is coming.

CHRISTMAS MINI BOOKLET:

The children can be given some red and green pieces of construction paper and Christmas stickers to stick onto each page of their booklet to show that Christmas is coming, or that JESUS is coming.

CHRISTMAS SONGS:

The teacher can start a Christmas song for a few words and see if the class can finish the song, or the words of the first line, etc.

CHRISTMAS STARS:

The teacher can have stars cut out and let the children color the stars and put some glitter glue around the edges. Each child can be told one thing to write on their star about signs that JESUS is coming again. Hang the stars from the classroom ceiling or tape to the wall for the Christmas season!

SING A SONG:

COME, THOU LONG-EXPECTED JESUS or some other Christmas song that the children would enjoy!

SHARE A SNACK:

Christmas STAR cookies that the children can frost and sprinkles and colored sugar and then ENJOY!!

Song: "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus"

Words and Music (pdf)

MP3 Piano accompaniment Track (right click to save to your computer)