The Sunday after Christmas kids want to talk about their stuff. They always run up to me and start pouring out their list of new belongings. To redirect this, I’ve made some time in children’s church to talk about Christmas gifts and return thanks for God’s blessing. Here’s how it works.
Have the children sit in a large circle for a “game time.”
- Use a simple object, like a wrapped Christmas box, to indicate the one-and-only person allowed to talk. This is key to maintaining order and keeping everyone on task listening to one another.
- Pass the object around the group, each child gets to answer. For the first round, “Name one (only one) item your recieved for Christmas”
- After the round is complete and each child has spoken – offer a simple prayer thanking God for the blessings of parents, friends, and grandparents who gave then the gifts.
- For the second round, each child can answer this question. “Name one (and only one) item you gave away at Christmas.” In our group their were a few children who said they gave no presents, we told them to simply smile their best smile and pass along the object.
- After the second round, lead the children in a prayer thanking God again for his blessings and the ability to give gifts to other people.
If the class discipline and time allow, you can continue with more rounds talking about food, relatives they got to see, places they were able to travel, etc.
I hope this idea helps your ministry. We welcome your feedback if you try this children’s church game or have done something similar. Simply leave a comment below.