Birth of Christ Activities for Kids

The nativity scene depicts the birth of Jesus Christ.

Christmas evokes thoughts of jingle bells, snow-covered hills and presents under the tree. Christian families may worry that the reason for the season, the birth of Christ, may get lost in the celebration of Santa Claus and gift giving. To remind children about Christ's significance at Christmas, some families instruct children to read the Bible. A fun alternative to reading is creating activities that teach the story Christ's birth.

Creating the Nativity

An interactive way to teach children about the birth of Jesus Christ is to create a nativity scene in your home. Many Christian homes have store-bought nativity scenes portraying the baby Jesus in a manger surrounded by Mary, Joseph, wise men and farm animals. Using construction paper, a shoe box and crayons, help children create their own nativity scene while teaching them the significance of each part of the scene. While cutting out paper and drawing the scene, casually tell the story of Christ's birth.

Happy Birthday, Jesus

Since Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, throw a birthday party for Jesus in your home, reminding children that the holiday is about Christ, not Santa Claus. Prepare a festive birthday cake and teach the story of Christ's birth during the party. Invite children to make a birthday card for Jesus, telling him what they're grateful for.

Create an Advent Calendar

Create an Advent calendar marking the first day of December through Christmas Day.
Create the calendar by marking each day of Advent with a nativity symbol. Gather the family around the calendar to discuss each Christmas symbol. For example, one day can be marked with each of the three wise men. Each day can be a lesson on the wise men's significance and their individual gifts to Christ.

Sing the Nativity Story

Your children are probably singing about the birth of Christ without realizing it. "Silent Night," "Joy to the World," and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" are songs about Christ's birth. Sing these songs with your children and ask the children to listen to the words of the song to understand their meaning.

References

• Northumberland Grid for Learning: Nativity Scene
• First School: Nativity Craft
• Apples 4 the Teacher: Nativity Crafts
• Bethany Roberts: Jesus is the Reason for the Season