Nativity

NATIVITY OF OUR LORD (CHRISTMAS)

 

Objectives:

  1. Children should be able to identify Christmas as Jesus’s birthday.
  2. Children should know that Nativity means “birthday”.
  3. Children should be able to tell the story of the Nativity and identify the figures in the icon.
  4. Children should be able to repeat the greeting: “Christ is born! Glorify Him!”

 

Possible Lesson Plan:

  1. Open with prayer.

 

  1. Read the story of Christmas in the Beginner’s Bible, pages 271-281, the Children’s Bible Reader, pages 168-170, or the Read with Me Bible, pages 256-265. You can supplement with the Golden Children’s Bible, pages 351-352. Review the story with the children with the icon, having them identify the people, animals, and star and what each did in the story. If you want, print the puzzle icon on cardstock, either large for classroom use or smaller for a take-home and add each piece as you tell the story. 

 

  1. Feed the Elephant True/False Questions:

                                                True                                         False

            Jesus was born in a stable.                              Jesus was born in a palace.

            Mary was Jesus’s mother.                               Elizabeth was Jesus’s mother.

            Joseph was Mary’s husband.                          John was Mary’s husband.

            Angels appeared to the shepherds.                 Goats appeared to the shepherds.

            Christmas is Jesus’s birthday.                         Christmas is Mary’s birthday.

            Nativity means birthday.                                Nativity means play day.

 

  1. Bring in a crèche from home. Have children identify each item and place it in the scene as they retell the story. Be sure to leave the 3 kings out for now. Use it to decorate the classroom for the next 40 days.

 

  1. Practice the greeting: Christ is born! Glorify Him!” Go around the circle until each child can say each half of the greeting.

 

  1. Make an Angel/Sheep mobile. Copy enough angels and sheep for each child to have 4 of each. Cut out and decorate sheep with cotton “wool” and angels with glitter glue. Make a small hole in each and tie a short length of string. Then tie to a coat hanger with angels suspended over sheep. Use a tiny piece of tape to keep the angels from sliding down the hanger.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mobiles really not your "think" or hangers in short supply? Then print the manger scene  and the palm trees on cardstock. Cut them out with the slits. Children can color. Then use the slits to insert the palm trees and the entire scene will stand up!

  1. Close with prayer.