Christmas Box - Watch This!
There is no right or wrong way to experience the Christmas Box.
The most important thing is having fun with those you love while preparing for the celebration of Jesus' birth.
Ready? Find the bag labeled "OPEN ME 1ST" or just scroll down to the next section labeled "ADVENT WREATH".
Don't forget to make sure this letter gets to a parent - or a grown up that loves you very much.
Advent Wreath
Way back, some super creative people decided to use a wreath and candles to count down the days until Christmas. If you'd like to make your own, here is a simple and fun way to do it.
Here's what to do:
Grab green cardstock or construction paper.
Trace your hands. Have other family members do the same!
Use scissors to cut out at least 12 handprints.
Arrange them to look like a wreath and use glue (or glue dots) to attach them to one another.
Grab a piece of green cardstock (or a paper plate or cardboard box). Cut out a large enough ring to be the base of your handprints. (See template below.)
Glue the handprint ring to the ring. Place your ADVENT WREATH somewhere special where it will be seen.
Candles
Advent wreath candles are different colors and each tell a different part of the Christmas story.
When it comes time to "light" them, you'll get to have some fun discovering the meaning behind their color and name.
Here's what to do:
Grab 4 clothespins.
Color or paint 3 of them purple and 1 pink.
With a metallic or contrasting marker, write JOY on the pink one. Write these: HOPE on a purple one, LOVE on another, and PEACE on the last one.
Find your ADVENT WREATH and attach your candles how we did or anyway you like!
Hope Candle
God made a promise to fix what Adam and Eve broke. And even though people couldn't SEE God's plan, they trusted Him and waited with HOPE.
WANT TO PLAY A GAME?
Test out your trust skills by doing this:
Grab a blindfold and candy.
While one person has the blindfold on, the other person places the candy somewhere - ideally, in plain sight.
The non-blindfolded person gives instructions to the blindfolded person on how to find the candy. Instructions like: "Take two steps forward", "Turn right - not that much!", "Bend down", "Reach out your hand", etc. Be safe and stay away from stairs!
When the blindfolded person finds the candy, everyone celebrate by eating some!
Switch roles and do it again as many times as you like!
DON'T FORGET TO LIGHT YOUR CANDLE!
Place the metallic gold envelope (or anything yellow) in the clothespin labeled HOPE.
Love Candle
God's plan included sending His son - Jesus - to Earth. He would take on human form and, one day, die on the cross out of LOVE for us all.
Want to play a game? Let's play "The Christmas Memory Game."
Gather up some of your favorite people and scissors. Feel free to add-in your favorite Christmas treats and tunes.
Cut out the memory game cards along the dotted lines so you have 42 cards.
Turn all cards face down. Mix them up. Place them in a grid. Play just like the original Memory game.
One player turns over 2 cards. If pictures match, keep the cards and keep going for another match. If at any time the cards don't match, turn the cards over and play continues to the person on the left. The person with the most matches at the end WINS.
BONUS: After the game, work together to put the cards in order.
Need a hint? Read Luke 1:26-38, Luke 2:1-7, Matthew 1:18-24.
DON'T FORGET TO LIGHT YOUR CANDLE!
Place the metallic gold envelope (or anything yellow) in the clothespin labeled LOVE.
Joy Candle
People had to wait a very long time for Jesus to come. When they found out Jesus had been born, they were so happy and filled with JOY.
Want to play a game? It's called "Try Not to Laugh."
Pull up this video on YouTube.
Time each other... how long can you go before you laugh? How about the people in your family? Or, friends?
Your turn! Pull up your favorite funny video. Time each other, again!
Take turns pulling up videos or telling each other jokes - maybe while eating laffy taffy!
DON'T FORGET TO LIGHT YOUR CANDLE!
Place the metallic gold envelope (or anything yellow) in the clothespin labeled JOY.
Peace Candle
Bad things will still happen, but we don’t need to be afraid because the PEACE that Jesus brings reminds us that God is in control.
Be a shepherd for a day!
Grab some “staffs” (otherwise known as candy canes) and enjoy them as you figure out what to do next, like maybe:
- Watch this funny sheep video and be grateful you aren’t really a shepherd!
- Watch this video to learn how to draw a herd of your own.
- Watch this video to learn how to make origami sheep.
Wondering what sheep and shepherds have to do with PEACE? Check out this video that some creative kids made to find the answer. Hint: it’s somewhere around the 1:45 minute mark.
DON’T FORGET TO LIGHT YOUR CANDLE!
Place the metallic gold envelope (or anything yellow) in the clothespin labeled PEACE.
Pure Candle - The Most Important Candle
On Christmas Day, a white candle is set in the most important place: the wreath’s center. It symbolizes so many things… the sinlessness of Jesus, the light He brings into our lives, and how God sees us when we accept Jesus as Savior and are forgiven.
Place a real, white candle in the middle of your advent wreath and grab a grown up when you are ready to light it.
Ok, want to play a game?
Grab some cotton balls, straws, and a plastic cup.
Check out this video for one way to play. Here's another and another!
Work as teams, compete against each other, or even make up your own rules. The possibilities are endless!
Next time you see a white cotton ball, remember that Jesus came to take away the darkness of everyone's sin.
If you have already made the decision to trust God and accept Jesus’s gift of forgiveness, CONGRATULATIONS! You have received the best Christmas present ever.
If you find yourself ready to make that decision, it's as simple as talking to Jesus about that. And talking with Jesus can be as simple as ABC.
Feel free to use your own words or say this:
Did you just say that prayer? The Bible says there is a party going on up in Heaven because you’ve decided to follow Jesus!
I’m sure there are people on earth who would want to celebrate with you, too! So, make sure you let someone know – like an adult who loves you and someone in KidsCrossing! This is important news so be sure to share it.
If you're not quite ready to make that decision, no problem. Just stay curious - God is a big fan of your questions!