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CHRISTMAS THEME

CRAFTS:

Candy Cane Reindeer
Materials: wrapped candy canes; very small, red pom-poms; red pipe cleaners; wiggly eyes; pencils
What to do: Take a red pipe cleaner and fold it in half. Twist the middle of the pipe cleaner around the top of the candy cane. Twist the ends of the pipe cleaner around a pencil to form antlers, then remove the pencil. Glue eyes and pom-pom onto the candy cane for eyes and a nose.

Christmas Bell Calendar
Materials:  Templates of a bell shape (12 cm high), strips and sheets of bright coloured construction paper, glue
What to do:  Provide kids with a bell shaped template -- one each.  Have them trace around it on a coloured piece of light construction paper and cut it out.  Give them copies of the following poem to glue onto their bell: 
Each night before Christmas, 
After goodnights have been said, 
Take off one loop Then hop into bed.
When Christmas will come
It's easy to tell,
For that is the night
You come to the bell!
Now, provide the group with strips of construction paper and, depending on the number of days before Christmas, have the children count out the appropriate number of strips.  Using glue, each child then makes a paper chain by looping the strips through each other.  The last loop gets fastened to the bell.  At home, each child removes one loop of the chain everyday until Christmas.
 

Christmas Tree
Green Tagboard (the bigger the better), paint, shaped sponges Cut out a big green tree out of giant tagboard and sponge paint ornaments on it.

Christmas Trees
Green construction paper, glue, red paint, misc. collage materials Cut out Christmas tree shapes. Decorate the Christmas tree: you can dip a finger in in red paint and make fingerprint ornaments, you can use various collage materials, such as glitter, buttons, fabric scraps, to decorate as desired. You can also make wreaths.

Christmas Trees
Construction Paper, glue, colored cellophane, crayons Cut out trees made of construction paper. Punch out holes in the tree. Have children glue colored pieces of colored cellophane or construction paper to the back to cover the holes. This makes it look like lights on the tree. Turn over and decorate the tree with whatever they wish (crayons, construction paper bits, etc).

Christmas Tree Birds
To make Christmas tree birds, you need coloured construction paper cut into 2 mm widths, scissors, staplers and thread. Attach two 20 cm strips at the top to start the bird.
Form a small loop from the top strip for the head; staple it. Form a larger loop from the bottom strip, staple and curl the tail. Tightly curl a short strip of paper by pulling the strip against the edge of your scissors. Then glue it into place to make an eye. Loop the thread through the neck and tail, then staple or secure with tape. These Christmas birds can decorate a tree or hang from the ceiling in a seasonal mobile.

Christmas Tree Bells
To make Christmas tree bells, the kids will paint individual egg carton sections and make clappers by attaching pipe cleaners through the middle. Tie on a loop of narrow ribbon or coloured string for hanging on the tree.

Gingerbread House
Materials:  graham crackers, assortment of candies, icing, popsicle sticks, aluminum foil, heavy cardboard, glue
What to Do:  We'll make our gingerbread house from graham crackers. You'll need extra parent help for this activity. Gather together a large assortment of candies (jelly beans, chocolate chips, gum drops, etc.), graham crackers, Royal Icing (see recipe below), popsicle sticks, aluminum foil, and one piece of heavy cardboard (8½ x 11") for each child. Give each child a piece of cardboard covered in aluminum foil -- a base for the gingerbread house. Start by spreading a little icing on the bottom of a graham cracker with the popsicle stick, then push (glue) the cracker down on the cardboard. Spread more icing on the bottom of a second cracker and stick it down on the cardboard leaving only a small space for a third cracker -- this one placed on end. Take the third cracker and after putting icing on one end, push this side into the crack between the other two crackers. You've just erected one inside wall. Make the house as large as you want by putting up more walls and making a roof. This part might require adult help. Leave the houses to harden for several minutes then return and spread more icing on the sides and top. Push the candies into the icing as you work. Royal Icing 2 L icing sugar 5 mL cream of tartar 6 egg whites Before your meeting, mix icing sugar and cream of tartar in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat in egg whites for 7-10 minutes or until icing is thick enough to hold its shape. This makes about 1.3 L of icing. Because it hardens quickly when exposed to the air, keep the icing well covered until ready to use.

Glitter Bells
light weight cardboard (cereal box), glue, glitter, ribbon or yarn, misc craft items (fabric scraps, beads, ect.) Cut bell shapes out of light weight cardboard. Put the glitter in a plastic sandwich bag. Paint the bell shape with glue, put it in the bag with the glitter and shake until it is coated. Make as many as you want. Let the bells dry. Poke a hole in the top and tie bells together, letting each one hang down about 5-6 inches. You can also decorate with misc. craft items.

Pine Cone Christmas Tree
Pine Cones, Green Paint, Glue, Misc Craft Items - such as Yarn, beads, ect. Cover the work area with newspaper and paint the pine cone green. When the paint is dry, glue on yarn, beads, ect for the decorations.

Mini Christmas Trees
Thick cardboard, scissors, green paint, colored sequins, glitter glue, (gold) craft glue, ribbon
Draw a christmas tree or trace around our template. Cut out two trees from the cardboard. Draw a line up the middle of the first tree. Cut a slit, approximately the width of the cardboard, approx half way up the first tree, starting from the BOTTOM. Draw a line down the middle of the second tree, and this time cut a similar slit but from the TOP. Slide the two trees together.Paint the Trees green and wait to dry. Using the glitter glue highlight the edges of the panels of the tree. Glue sequins of assorted colors on each panel to look like christmas decorations. Sequins were only a suggestion, as the decorating of your tree is entirely up to you. Poke a hole in the top of the tree with a pair of scissors and thread your ribbon through. This will allow you to hang your Christmas tree up.

Pretzel Wreath
Use the little pretzels (the ones that are shaped like a heart with a cross in the middle). Glue 1 layer of them in a circle like a wreath, then glue a second layer on top of the first joining the pretzels together over the middle of a pretzel on the first layer. You can weave ribbon between the holes if you would like. Hang with a ribbon.

Pasta Christmas Wreaths
Small paper plates, variety of different shaped pasta, craft glue, silver or gold spray paint, tinsel bow Cut center out of the paper plate. Glue pasta noodles around the outer ring Try to completely cover the paper plate. Let glue dry and then spray paint the desired color. Embellish with a bow of tinsel.

Popcorn Wreaths for birds
Cardboard, Glue (Non-toxic!), Popcorn, Ribbon For each child cut out a cardboard wreath shape (about 7 inches across) and punch a hole in the top. Provide the children with glue and popped popcorn. Then have them glue the popcorn all over both sides of their wreaths. When the glue has dried, string ribbon or yarn through the holes in the tops of the wreaths to hang.

Shredded Wheat Wreaths
Shredded wheat (crumpled up), Glue, Green tempera paint, Red Hots, and Cool Whip lids. Mix glue, shredded wheat and green food coloring together. Spread around the cool whip lid, making it hill up, and leaving a hole in the center. Press in the red hots for the berries and let dry overnight. Decorate with ribbons, etc.

Snowflakes
Materials: Paper, scissors, white tempera paint, dish detergent, toothpicks, marshmallows
Direction: For paper snowflakes, fold a piece of white paper several times. Then make a variety of cutouts along the folds. Open up the piece of paper and it's a snowflake. If you want to decorate your windows with painted snowflakes do it with white tempera paint and a squirt of liquid dish detergent to make it easier to wash off the windows later. Use a paint brush and a corner of a sponge. Makes snowflakes with toothpicks and miniature marshmallows connected to each other.

Snowball Tree
Styrofoam cone, green construction paper, cotton balls, toothpicks or straight pins, glue, glitter, clear tape Take a styrofoam cone and wrap it in the paper. Tape it together. Stick the cotton balls onto the cone with the pins or toothpicks. Lightly dab some glue onto the edge of the cotton balls. Sprinkle glitter over the glue. Let your tree dry completely before moving it.

Wreath
Paper plate or cereal box, glue, crayons, misc craft items - such as fabric scraps, beads, ect. If you are using cardboard, cut it into a circle about the size of a paper plate. Cut the center out of the paper plate or cardboard to make a wreath shape. Use various craft supplies to decorate.
 
 

GAMES & ACTIVITIES:

Christmas Present Surprise
Equipment:  A variety of boxes that fit inside each other
How to Play:  Before the meeting, wrap a gift for the group (such as cookies) in the smallest box and place it inside a slightly larger box and wrap.  Continue to place wrapped boxes inside larger boxes until you have run out of boxes.  The last box can be wrapped and tied with a ribbon and a card wishing the group a Merry Christmas.  Have the children sit in a circle and hand the gift to one person.  Begin the game by playing music.  As the music is played, the box gets passed around the circle.  When the music stops, whoever has the box in her possession gets to unwrap a layer.  The game continues this way until the gift is revealed.

Candy Relay
Divide the kids into teams and have them form lines. Give the first player in each line a pair of mittens. Give everyone a piece of wrapped candy. At a signal, the first player in each team puts on the mittens, unwraps the candy, and pops it into their mouth, the second player does the same, and so on, down the line. The team that finishes first wins.

Gift Wrapping
For this game you need a roll of toilet tissue for each team and a large garbage bag to put the tissue in after the game.
Form teams with one person from each team standing at the other end of the hall. On a signal, the first player from each team takes a roll of toilet tissue with him and runs to the player at the other end of the hall. He must wrap the player in tissue, starting with the feet.
At the command “Change!”, he tears off the tissue where he has finished wrapping and tucks the end in so it won’t unwrap. He runs back to his team and passes the tissue to the next player.
Repeat until everyone has had a turn. The last player should finish the roll of tissue. Players should fix gaps and repair tears as they go along.
Note: Leave the face unwrapped.

Santa Snowball Toss
Cover the bottom and sides of a rectangular cardboard box with construction paper. On a piece of paper, draw a Santa face with a large mouth. Paint or color the face with markers. Glue it to the box and cut out the large mouth. Cover six large marshmallows (or use cotton balls) with plastic wrap. To play - Place Santa against a wall. Give each player six tries at throwing marshmallows into Santa's mouth. See who feeds Santa the most.

Teddy Bear Christmas Party
Each child was asked to bring in a stuffed teddy on one day -dressed if possible- for a Christmas party. Little books were given as gifts under the tree for each child's bear to open. Teddy's joined us for all the games and special Christmas snacks. It was alot of fun and emphasized the sharing aspect with others (even teddies) at Christmas.
 

SONGS:

Christmas Prayer
Thank you God, for giving us Jesus. 
Christmas makes us very happy because it is His birthday we celebrate. 
Please, God, help all people to be happy. 
Let them sing and have fun with their friends and eat lots of good things. 
Let all children find at least one present under their tree. 
Give them a peaceful, merry Christmas. 
Thank you, God.
 

Christmas Child
Tune: “The Twelve Days of Christmas”
On the first day of Christmas,
A child gave to me,
A star over Bethlehem.
2nd... two smelly socks 8th... eight prancing reindeer
3rd... three wise men 9th... nine Santa’s elves
4th... four candy canes 10th... ten grinning faces
5th... five slushy snowmen 11th... eleven singing angels
6th... six scared shepherds 12th... twelve sleigh rides
7th... seven teddy bears

STORIES:

Christmas in the Forest
Ask the group members what Christmas means to them.  How do they celebrate Christmas at their homes?  What do they like most about it?
On a stormy night, Father Jones settled himself in his favourite chair and called Mother and the children.  "Listen," he said.  "In about a month it will be Christmas.  Why don't we spend it at the cottage this year?"  "Oh, yes, yes!" the children cried out excitedly, jumping to their feet.  "That'll be fun!  Do you think we'll see the kids or are they asleep?  Do you think we can wake them up?  Can we?  "Wait, Wait!" said Father, "Not so many questions at once.  What are your thoughts, Mother?"  Together the family talked and made the plans the whole evening.  Finally Mother said, "Come on kids.  It's past your bedtime and tomorrow is a school day."  It took the children a long time to fall asleep.  They were too excited.  The last thing Rusty thought before he went to sleep was, "I'll take apples and carrots to the kids as a Christmas present.  It's going to be great!
"Two days before Christmas, the family was ready to go.  Snow lay on the ground; the weather was perfect.  As soon as Rusty and Bubbles arrived at the cottage they ran to the pond.  It was frozen solid and covered with snow.  A small wood and mud hill in the middle showed that kids still lived there.  "I think they're sound asleep," said Bubbles, disappointed.  "We won't see them until spring."  The children turned back to help their parents unload the car and decorate the cottage.  The family had decided not to cut a live tree from the forest, but to bring an artificial tree from home.  Rusty pulled it out of the box and helped set it up in front of a large window.  Bubbles' and Rusty's visit to the pond had not gone unnoticed.  Childs don't truly hibernate, although they sleep a lot during the winter months.  In the fall, they collect a large pile of food, which they store in the water beside their lodge.  Then, in the winter, they leave their lodge occasionally to get food to eat, and take a swim.  Child ponds have at least one hole in the ice where the animals can peek out at the white world above the frozen surface.
When the children walked to the pond, the kids heard them.  At once they were wide awake.  "That sounds like human footsteps.  Are they here?" wondered Big Brown Child.  "Shall I go out to meet them?"  Keeo asked.  Keeo left the lodge and swam under water to the peephole.  When he stuck out his head he caught a glimpse of Rusty and Bubbles walking back to the cottage.  So they are here!  How exciting, thought Keeo.  But why were they walking away from him, he wondered?  Keeo returned to the lodge and told the other children what he had seen.  The next morning when Father went out to fetch some wood, he saw Keeo sitting beside the peephole near the lodge.  "Hello, Keeo," he called out, "How are you?"  At once two happy faces peeped out of the door from behind Father.  "Keeo!" the children whooped.  Before they could say more, Father said, "Go indoors and get dressed first, you two.  It's cold outside."  A short time later, Rusty and Bubbles raced out and over to Keeo.  Bubbles held a muffin in her hand.  "Happy Christmas, Keeo," she said.  "Christmas?"  Keeo asked.  "What's that?"  Bubbles looked at Rusty and Rusty looked at Bubbles astonished.  Keeo didn't know what Christmas was?!  "Well, why don't you kids come and find out for yourselves?" suggested Rusty.  All the children in the cottage?  Keeo wasn't sure they'd like that.  "Oh, come on.  We'll leave the door open," Rusty said encouragingly.  "And we have apples and carrots for all of you," added Bubbles.  Keeo's eyes lit up.  Just the thought made him hungry.
And so it happened on Christmas morning all the kids living in the lodge climbed through the peephole and scuttled over to the cottage.  At first they were a bit restless.  Inside their eyes kept drifting over to the door to make sure it was still open.  But after awhile they became more relaxed.  They feasted on apples and carrots and delicious muffins until their stomachs bulged.  Then they settled down to listen to Hawkeye describe the real meaning of Christmas.  First, they heard the wonderful story about the Bethlehem Star that led shepherds and kings to the manger where baby Jesus lay.  Next, Rainbow took up her guitar and started to sing a Christmas carol.  Hawkeye, Rusty and Bubbles joined her while the kids listened contentedly.  Late in the afternoon, they all watched the sun set over the quiet, white forest.  For a moment, as the last rays of the sun sparkled through the trees, it looked as if everything had been touched by gold.  Darkness fell.  Rusty turned on the Christmas tree lights while Bubbles lit the candles.  As the soft candlelight shone in the eyes of kids and humans, they all felt very close and happy.  Soon the childs decided to return to their lodge,  They were getting very sleepy.  Hawkeye walked them over to the edge of the frozen pond.  When the last child had disappeared into the peephole, Hawkeye strolled back towards the cottage.  From a distance he could smell the savoury aroma of his Christmas dinner drifting on the still air.  Mother had started to cook the feast.  All was well.
 

Christmas Legends
History records that non-Christian people first exchanged gifts during the Roman mid-winter festivals of Saturnalia and Kalends.  The gifts were simple twigs from a sacred grove that were suppose to bring good luck when given away, but the tradition evolved until people gave each other presents of food, candles, and other household items.  As Christianity spread throughout the world, the story of the gift-giving Magi, the alter, and the legend of St. Nicholas, added to the significance of exchanging gifts at Christmastime.  From this combination of legend, myth and history has developed today's "Spirit of Christmas."  This refers to the joy of giving to others, and sharing our own gifts with those we love.  Around the world, Christians stop and reflect on the value of peace, and renew their faith and commitment to bringing love into the world as Jesus did so many years ago. Santa Claus is a familiar figure in North America--a round, cheery fellow with a long, white beard, a red suit, and a big sack, who arrives on a sleigh pulled by reindeer. He drops down through chimneys on Christmas Eve to deliver presents to all.  In England, the modern giver of gifts is Father Christmas, an old man swathed in robes and furs who distributes presents on Christmas Eve, usually leaving them in stockings or under the tree. Two gift bearers visit different areas of France to fill children's shoes on Christmas Eve.  One is Pere Noel and the other is Petit Noel, who is really the Christ Child -- Jesus. In Chile, the gift bringer is Viejo Pascuero or Old Man Christmas.  He is a lot like Santa Claus and has a reindeer-drawn sleigh, but he climbs in through windows rather than down chimneys. In Germany, Kris Kringle (Christ Kind) is a kind of angelic spirit who brings gifts to children.  He is a veiled little figure who wears a flowing white robe and a sparkling crown, and he enters houses through conveniently open windows.
Chinese Christians wait for Lam Khoong-Khoong, the Nice Old Father, or Lao Ren, the Christmas Old Man, who fills up stockings on Christmas Eve.
In Holland, the traditional St. Nicholas, dressed in his bishop's robes, distributes presents on December 5, St. Nicholas' Eve, after he has checked that the children have been good all year.
An elf called Jultomtem, who lives in a hayloft, brings the gifts to Swedish households.  He has a red cap and a long white beard and arrives in a sleigh pulled by the Julbock (Yule Goat) to put presents under the Christmas tree.
Papa Noel is the Brazilian version of Santa Claus.  He arrives on Christmas Eve to fill children's shoes with presents and candies.
Pre-Communist Russia had two gift givers at Christmas: a female Babouschka (Grandmother) who dropped off gifts on Epiphany Eve, and the male Kolyada (Father Christmas) who distributed presents on Christmas Eve.  Soviet communists invented a non-religious gift giver (Grandfather Frost) -- an old man dressed in furs who brings presents on New Year's Day.
 

The Peace Child
Decades ago a husband and wife visited a primitive, head-hunting, cannibal tribe in New Guinea. Within this tribe treachery was not just a way of life, but an ideal that all strived to master. Culturally, they couldn’t understand the Christmas story.
Their hero was Judas, a greedy man who eventually betrayed Jesus. The cannibals cheered and sought to emulate Judas’ evil ways. Then one day the cannibals called a truce with a neighboring tribe. They wanted war to end but didn’t know how to seal the peace. Finally they exchanged little babies — one from each tribe. The husband and wife expected the child held by the cannibals to soon die a terrible death. It didn’t. The head-hunters looked after it, treating the child as the most valued tribal member. Puzzled, the husband and wife asked for an explanation.
“That’s easy,” said the chief. “The child brings prosperity and peace to us. To harm it, or plot some treachery against it, would be a most horrific crime.” Suddenly these cannibals understood the Christmas story. God sent His “peace child” (Jesus) to bring reconciliation between Him and mankind. Jesus was His sacrificial lamb. No other way exists except through this gentle, vulnerable, yet perfect child. Wise men still seek Him.

— Adapted from D. Richardson’s book entitled, Peace Child.
 

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:

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TIPS/NOTES: