The following are 12 Christmas devotionals and activities to use throughout the Christmas season. Each devotional is on a different topic and is between 15 and 30 minutes long (activities may take longer depending on your children’s skill level). These devotionals are stand-alone and do not need to be done in any specific order. You can work your way through them numerically or select the topic that would be best suited for your audience. Enjoy! And Merry Christmas!
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Devotional #1: Why We Celebrate Christmas
Ask the children why they think we celebrate Christmas.
Watch “The Christmas Story.”
Read “What Christmas Is All About.”
Listen to “What Makes Christmas?”
Create this “Mini Nativity Book.” (You will need: 1 printout for each child; colored pencils, crayons, or markers; scissors; glue or stapler/staples.)
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Devotional #2: The Birth of Jesus
Read “Tiny Bible Treasures: Jesus Is Born.” Or you can watch the animation of it here: “Jesus Is Born.”
Watch “Oh, What a Special Night!”
Read “Little Donkey.” (Optional activity: Print out and use as coloring pages for the children to color.)
Memorize Luke 2:11. To help with memorizing this, you can have the kids draw a Christmas picture and then write this verse on it and post somewhere they can see throughout the Christmas season.
Read “Baby Jesus in the Hay.”
Create a “Merry Christmas Diorama.” (You will need: Printout on cardstock, scissors, and glue.)
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Devotional #3: Jesus’ Gift of Love to Us
Read “The Greatest Gift.”
Take turns praising Jesus for something that is special to you about Christmas (e.g., I am thankful to spend extra time with family and friends at Christmas).
Watch “Christmas Means Love.” You can also download the song from here.
Read “A Christmas Gift of Love.”
Memorize John 3:16. Read this article for an explanation of this verse.
Pray this prayer: “Celebrating Christmas.” (Optional activity: Print out the coloring page on the second page for the children to color.)
Create a “Stained Glass Nativity Ornament.” (You will need: Colored tissue paper, scissors, glue, paintbrush, brown paint, popsicle sticks [regular and mini], twine, black cardstock, and contact paper.)
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Devotional #4: Gifts for Jesus
Watch “All Must Draw Near.”
Read “Gifts That Make Me Glad.”
Talk about some of the gifts you would like to give Jesus this Christmas and how you want to do this.
Read and do the activity from “A Stocking for Jesus.” (You will need a stocking, a “Jesus” label to place on the stocking, strips of paper to write on, and pens or pencils.)
Listen to “What Can I Give Him?”
Create “My Christmas Giving Wheel” or a “Give to Jesus--Calendar.” (You will need: Printouts, colored pencils or crayons, scissors or craft knife, paper fastener.)
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Devotional #5: Show Others Jesus This Christmas
Read “Light Up the World at Christmas.”
Talk about ways that you can show Jesus to others this Christmas. Ask the kids if the ways a person is an example to others needs to be showy or important, or if He appreciates the small, caring ways you show your love for others just as much.
Watch “What Would Christmas Be Without Love?”
Discuss how sometimes it takes a little more effort to show others kindness and love. Talk about how Christmas is the perfect time of year to give the gift of love and friendship to others. Ask the kids to think about someone they know who could use a little extra kindness and friendship this Christmas.
Read “A Bright and Shining Star.”
Watch “I’ll Shine.” (You can also listen to the audio of this song, while working on your craft.)
Create “Easy-to-Make Christmas Star Decorations.” (You will need: Printable template; scissors; colored pencils, markers, or crayons; string; tape or glue.)
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Devotional #6: Celebrating Jesus’ Love for Us
Read “A Celebration of Jesus’ Love for Me.”
Watch “Cherub Wings: The Christmas Story.”
Praise and thank Jesus for coming to earth for us and for how it was such a blessing for each of us. Take turns thanking Jesus for His gift (e.g., “Jesus, thank You for coming to earth so we could get to know Your love” or “I’m happy You were born so that I could learn more about God.”)
Memorize 1 John 4:9.
Watch “When Jesus Was Born.”
Create a “Beaded Snowflake” or a “Q-Tip Snowflake Ornament.” (For the “Beaded Snowflake” you will need: Pipe cleaners, colorful beads, scissors. For the “Q-Tip Snowflake” you will need: Q-tips, silver glitter, glue, scissors, blue paper, silver pipe cleaners.)
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Devotional #7: Give to Others This Christmas
Read “3 Things I Can Give This Christmas.”
Watch “The Time Shop.”
Talk about why giving others your time is important. (Some examples might be: Giving your time to others shows that you care, it’s a way that you show your love, you build memories from the time you share that live on in your hearts, etc.)
Read “The Christmas Kite.”
Discuss what you might do in a situation like Thomas’s. Do you think it was easy for Thomas to lose his kite and then see it with someone else? Why do you think Thomas might not tell the other boy that the kite had been his before?
Read “Christmas Superheroes.”
Create the “Three Wise Men Craft.” (You will need: Paint sticks or large popsicle sticks, paints and paintbrushes, colored paper, brown foam, black permanent marker. Other optional materials: glitter, sequins, scraps of material, stickers.)
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Devotional #8: Spread the Joy of Christmas
Read “Spread the Joy of Christmas.”
Pick one of the suggestions in this article that you would like to do today: (1) lend a hand, (2) be thoughtful, (3) give to others, (4) show appreciation, (5) show kindness, (6) think about others, (7) express your love. Then talk about how you could spread Christmas joy to someone else.
Watch “No One Should Be Alone at Christmas.”
Think about someone you know (even if not in person) who may be feeling lonely or sad this Christmas, and then come up with something you could do to make it a special time for them. Some ideas could be: making a Christmas card for that person, baking Christmas cookies to take in a care package, spending time with the person playing games or watching Christmas movies together. Remember that giving someone your time and love can be one of the most precious ways to spread joy at Christmas.
Read “Spreading Joy at Christmas.”
Play “Christmas Bingo” with your family and friends. (You will want to prepare this game beforehand so it’s ready to play.)
Color “A Child Is Born” while listening to Christmas songs from Christmas Beat.
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Devotional #9: Try Something New at Christmas
Read “3 Things I Can Be This Christmas.”
Brainstorm ways that you could be positive, courageous, or adaptable this Christmas.
Listen and read along to “Carina and the Christmas Play.”
Ask the children if there is anything new that they are going to be doing this Christmas season. If they are nervous or uncertain about something they are going to be a part of, discuss ways that they can build confidence.
Read and pray “A Christmas Prayer.”
Create “Paper Strip Christmas Ornaments.” (You will need: A variety of colored/patterned/textured cardstock; paper cutter or scissors and ruler; paper fasteners; single hole puncher; string.)
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Devotional #10: Everyone Has Something to Give at Christmas
Listen and read along to “As Little Ones.”
Ask the children if they ever feel like they are too young or small to really do anything important for someone else at Christmas. Talk about some ways you can still give to someone no matter how small you are.
Read “The Christmas Tree.”
Watch “Believe in Christmas.”
Talk about how the girl in this video went out of her way to do something special for the older man in order to help him find joy at Christmas. Even though at first, he didn’t seem interested, because she kept trying, she eventually helped to bring him and others happiness. Discuss something someone did for you or others that made Christmas special. You can also talk about things you did for others that made you feel happy and good inside. Explain that when you give to others, even if you think it’s something small or not seemingly so important, it can bring joy to others and to you too.
Read “The Little Drummer Boy.” You can listen to the song here.
Create “Embossed Metal Ornaments” (this activity requires kids using permanent markers) or “Easy Angel Pipe Cleaner Ornaments.” (For the “Embossed Metal Ornaments” you will need: Heavy duty foil, dull pencils, sheet of foam or felt, colorful permanent pens or markers, ribbon or string. For the “Angel Pipe Cleaner Ornaments” you will need: 12-inch sparkly pipe cleaners, string, scissors.)
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Devotional #11: When the Unexpected Happens at Christmas
Read “The Best Christmas Ever.”
Talk about how important it is to look for the good in a difficult situation.
Watch “The Gift of Christmas.”
Discuss how sometimes the best-laid Christmas plans don’t always turn out as we want. In “The Gift of Christmas” both people were trying to do something special for the person they loved, only it didn’t turn out quite as planned. Explain how this story showed that it was the thought that counted because it showed the other person’s actions were motivated out of love and care for the other person.
Color “On Christmas Night” while listening to Christmas songs and carols from Christmas Treasures.
Create a “Kids Christmas Tree Craft” or “Popsicle Stick Christmas Trees.” (For the “Tree Craft” you will need: Blue, green, white and brown cardstock paper; Christmas tree pattern printable; scissors; glue; glitter glue; sequins; hole punch; star sticker. For the “Popsicle Trees” you will need: Jumbo popsicle sticks, glue, brown cardstock, green decorative paper, green paint, paintbrush, gem stickers, scissors.)
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Devotional #12: Happy Birthday, Jesus!
Read “Celebrating Christmas.” (You can also have the kids make a “Celebrating Christmas Mini-Book.”)
Talk about how all the Christmas decorations and symbols around you can be used as a reminder to celebrate Jesus. Ask the children if they have a Christmas decoration that they like best and why.
Watch “Go Tell It on the Mountain.”
Read “A Letter to Jesus.”
Write a letter to Jesus together. Each person can contribute something to the letter—something that they’d like to tell Jesus personally. Have everyone sign the letter, and then put it somewhere you can see it throughout the Christmas season.
Read “Where Jesus Was Born.”
Create “A ‘Happy Birthday, Jesus’ Cake.” (You will need: A printout for each child; colored pencils, markers, or crayons; scissors; glue; glitter.)
Select and listen to some Christmas songs from Sing with the Angels while your children create their cake craft.
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Additional Christmas content:
Below are additional Christmas content ideas that were not included in the above devotionals. Most of these are between 15–30 minutes long. Please note that you may want to check them out beforehand.
Compiled by My Wonder Studio staff.
Published by My Wonder Studio. Copyright © 2021 by The Family International