Family Christmas Activity #1

As I was reading my Children's Ministry Magazine this month, I found some fun activities for families to do at home to help teach children about Christmas. Here is the first one:

Five Golden Stars
You'll need: 4 small golden stars, 1 large golden star, 4 various pieces of clean "trash", a better item (such as a plate of cookies)

Follow these instructions to lead your family in celebrating Jesus' birth.

1. Get four pieces of clean trash, such as crumpled, unused tissues. Hide them around the house in somewhat obvious locations, and then place a small star sticker in plain view just above the hiding place of each item.
2. Get a better item, such as a plate of cookies, and hide it very well. Place the large star sticker above it, but make sure the sticker isn't easy to see.
3. Tell your family you're sending them on a treasure hunt as they let the stars guide them to look for hidden treasure. Walk with your family as they search, and let them know when they've found all the stars.
4. Ask: How did the treasure under the big star compare with the other treasures? How does the treasure of Jesus compare with other things about Christmas? What things can distract us from looking for Jesus?
5. Say: Jesus is the greatest Christmas treasure of all. He's the very reason we celebrate! This Christmas, remember to look for Jesus. Enjoy the tasty treat together as a family.

Excerpted from Children's Ministry Magazine