The King Game - FREE Sunday School Games

Here is a quick and fun Sunday school game for your kids to play this week. The only thing you'll need is some king clothes. Many Sunday schools already have king costumes from past Christmas plays which work great.

If you don't, you can make a few crowns an use some clothes you have lying around the house.

You can use the Sunday school game below with the Sunday school lesson about Israel's first kings.

The King Game

Here is what you'll need:

• three to five crowns
• king robes
• king sashes
• king rings
• other king jewels
• other king clothes

Depending on the age children, you can add more pieces of clothing or fewer. It is best to use fewer pieces of clothing for smaller children and more pieces of clothing for older children.

How to Play:

Pile all of the clothes, jewelry, sandals, crowns, and anything else you have into a pile in the middle of the room. Make sure you have a whole outfit for each player. If needed, allow the kids to go in two or three groups so that everyone has a chance to put on the full set of king's clothes.

When you give the signal, each player will race to the pile of king's clothes, find the pieces of clothes needed for an entire outfit, and put them on.

The child who finishes first wins!

You could have several rounds of this game to find the overall winner or just play for fun.

Be sure to have your camera ready. This game gets a bit wild and crazy!
 

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Follow the Star Christmas Maze - Free Sunday School Activities

While the wise men didn't follow the star to the manger like many nativity scenes and Christmas plays suggest, they did follow the star to find a young Jesus at his home with his mother (see verses below).

 

Tips for Sunday School Teachers

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In the verses, you will find where the wise men came to the house and they found the young child with his mother. It does not say they came to the manger and found the babe.

It is important for your Sunday school class to know bible facts as well as the bible stories. No matter what age (even pre-school aged children) need to know the correct version of the First Christmas from the beginning to the end.

Otherwise, they will grow up confused and not sure what to believe about many things in the bible. Reinforce bible facts each and every class. I've had children argue with me that they know the wise men came to the manger because they have a story book at home that they read it in.

It's fine to have and read bible stories that isn't exactly right. Why? You can use it as a lesson. For instance, say, "Did the wise men really come to the manger?" or "Was Jesus really born in a barn?"

These questions allow you to teach the children even from a story book.

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Bible Verses About the Wise Men

Matthew 7:7-11 KJV

⁷ Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

⁸ And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

⁹ When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

¹¹ And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.

FREE Christmas Maze - Sunday School Activities

We have lots of FREE Sunday school activities. You can even use mazes and word searches to teach lessons. Think outside the box and keep the kids wanting to learn more about Jesus!

Star in middle of maze image credit: Star from Vector.me (by yves guillou)

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The First Christmas Word Search Puzzle - Free Printables

I often find myself needing something extra for the kids in Sunday school to do. Sometimes kids come early and need an activity to do to keep them busy or sometimes the story is a bit shorter than I anticipated.

There have been times I have made games up on the spot while other times I have the kids read over bible verses we have printed on the wall. At Christmas time, it can be fun to have an extra activity especially designed for the holiday season.

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The word search below was made with the "First Christmas" in mind along with making sure Sunday school teachers have what they need to keep the kids learning about our Lord Jesus Christ.

The First Christmas Word Search Puzzle

If you print this out and run out of time, send it home with the kids to do. You could even tell the kids to work on it with their parents or siblings. As they do the puzzle together, tell the kids to talk about what each word they are searching for has to do with the First Christmas.

You can also do this in class together. Reinforcing your Sunday school lesson and the Word of God helps children all parts of the story better.

 

 

The First Christmas Word Search Puzzle

 

(click to print)

 

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Christmas Craft Ideas - Sunday School Crafts

Every Christmas my kids come home from school with crafts that are designed for the Christmas holiday. Of course, none of these Christmas crafts show the true meaning of the holiday season. For instance, we have Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer, Santa, elves, sleighs, bags of toys, and Christmas trees.

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While these are fun to think about and even enjoy in small quantities, the true meaning of Christmas is the birth of Jesus.

Photo Courtesy of 4028mdk09
Wikimedia Commons
I personally like the curled arms in the video below!

Christmas Craft Ideas

Kids love to make crafts especially if they can give them to a parent, grandparent, sister or brother as a gift. This year, let your Sunday school class make a few crafts - one for the tree and another to wrap as a gift for under the tree.

Here are a few Christmas craft ideas to help get you started. I've added a few links and some videos to help with your Sunday school crafts this holiday season.

Easy Foam Pop-Up Stars

These are great to use as Christmas ornaments when they are small or make them bigger as a wall decoration!

Nativity Foam Craft

If you have large foam squares or even construction paper, kids can use the foam nativity stickers below to create their own Bethlehem scene. Each child can interpret what they think Jesus' birth may have looked like. The set below comes with 500 pieces which is great for larger Sunday school classes. We have a small class and just put the unused stickers away and use them again year-after-year.

Make Your Own Nativity Scene

This Christmas craft idea can be made by each individual child using the smaller version in the video below or you can make a larger one for the Sunday school classroom. If you choose to make a larger one, let all the children participate in the making of it.

I've added links to some of the items you may need if you will be making this Sunday school craft idea for Christmas. It's best to prepare the popsicle sticks for smaller children before the day you will be making them.

 

More Christmas Craft Ideas

 

Just in case you'd rather have a ready-to-go craft for all different aged children, we've added the crafts below. They are simple to put together and can be made in a short amount of time.

 

Cheap and Adorable Christmas Craft Idea with Pasta

Remember the days of working with pasta? I used to go to church camp and every year we made something out of pasta. So, not to break the tradition - here is an angel pasta craft idea. Have fun with this one and use your imagination. I love the solid gold one!






 

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Jesus Birth: The Christmas Story - Sunday School Lessons

So many Christmas traditions surround the holidays that often the true meaning of Christmas gets lost in the shuffle. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Christmas? Is it the lights, the presents, the hustle and bustle of Black Friday deals, getting together with family, Santa Claus, Christmas music, or old Christmas movies?

The list could go on and on, but the first thing that should pop into our heads (and stay there) is the birth of Jesus.

 

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Photo courtesy of Malene Thyssen
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Malene

 

Before beginning the Christmas story with your kids, set the scene a bit. Maybe you could say something like this:

Imagine, it's a dark night and you are alone in your bed. You are awoke by a bright light. As you look around, you see someone in your room whom you've never seen before - an angel. You are scared. What should you do? Should you run or scream?

The angel begins to speak to you and you calm down and know that this angel is bringing you a message from heaven - a message from God.

This is what happened to Mary, Jesus' mother. She was scared, but thankfully she didn't run away.

The Christmas Story

Just like the scene above, Mary received a surprise visit from the angel Gabriel. The angel had come with a message from God.

Gabriel first told Mary, 'Don't be afraid. I have good news for you'.

You see, Mary was very special to God and needed her to be the mother of Jesus. Gabriel had come to tell her the news. Imagine - out of all the women (or girls) in Israel, Mary was the chosen one.

Mary didn't understand how she could have a baby right now.

Gabriel said, 'For with God, nothing shall be impossible!' (Luke 1:37 KJV)

Mary didn't argue or say she didn't want to right now. Instead, she said, 'Whatever you say, I'll do.' (Luke 1:38 KJV)

If only we would say, "Yes Lord, whatever you say, I'll do it." It can be hard especially if it means being nice to another child at school, minding mom or dad, or even not arguing with your brother or sister. We should all try to be more like Mary and do what God needs us to do.

Gabriel also told Mary that her cousin, Elisabeth, was also going to have a son. This was also a miracle because Elisabeth was old and had never had any children. The bible tells us that Elisabeth's son was to be called John (later known as John the Baptist). His job from birth was to tell others about the coming Messiah (Jesus).

Mary wanted to visit her cousin Elisabeth and set out on the journey to see her. Mary stayed three months before journeying back home to tell Joseph about the coming baby.

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What Will Joseph Do?

When Mary told Joseph about the angel's message from God and about the coming baby, Joseph was unsure of what to do.

Should he still marry her?

Joseph worried. One night while Joseph slept, Gabriel came to him in a dream. The angel told him not to be afraid to make Mary his wife. This dream was all it took for Joseph to marry Mary. You see, Joseph was to help Mary raise Jesus.

The Road to Bethlehem

During this time, Caesar Augustus decided that everyone that was under his rule should come to Bethlehem to be counted so that they could be taxed. (Be prepared to explain this if children ask what taxing or counted means.)

Inside Bethlehem
Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

So, Joseph and Mary set off on their long journey to Bethlehem.

When they arrived at the city, it was crowded because of all the other people who had traveled there to be counted. Every place was full. The bible tells us that there was no room for them in the inn.

Where would they sleep? It was time for Mary to have baby Jesus. There were no hospitals. There wasn't even a room inside a house where she could lay. What would they do?

Because there was no room in the inn, Mary delivered baby Jesus, wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger. We don't know if she was in a stable or a cave of some sort which was where stables normally were in those days. We believe this may have been the case, but the bible does not say. She may have given birth out under the stars.

What We Can Learn

The story of the birth of Jesus is surrounded with many wonders which goes along with the wonders of the Christmas holidays. There is so much we can learn, but for younger kids stick to the basics (below). For older kids, you can dig a little deeper into the story.

We learn that no matter how scared we are if God needs us, we should be willing to obey - just like Mary. We also find that Jesus wasn't born in a fancy house or expensive hospital. He was born and laid in a manger. A manger is a place where the animals eat their food. It probably was dirty and smelt bad.

Mary didn't have a warm soft blanket to wrap Jesus in either. Instead, she wrapped him in swaddling clothes. Swaddling clothes are strips of cloth that often were used to wipe down the animals with. Jesus didn't have expensive clothes. We often think we have to have the best clothes or the newest styles. If Jesus didn't have to have expensive clothes, we sure don't either.

This holiday season, don't focus on how many toys or clothes you get. Instead, focus on the birth of Jesus and how many people you can tell the story to.
 

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Do You Hear What I Hear Lyrics and Song - Sunday School Christmas Play

Do You Hear What I Hear is a fabulous Christmas song for Sunday school kids to perform around Christmas whether it is in the church play or just for the congregation. It talks about the star above to the baby Jesus to how that small baby will one day bring goodness and light to the world.

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There is a whole Sunday school lesson that can be taught just by using this one Christmas song.

Below is a video with young girls using sign language to perform the song. We have young children (ages 1 - 7) who will be performing this song this Christmas and have chosen to use only the basic motions from the video below.

Follow along and do all of the signs or just pick out the motions you like best. The Christmas season is all about celebrating the birth of our Lord and savior, so make that the focal point this holiday.

If you'd like to download the song, you can download it here. Or, if you'd like to have it on CD, you can get it here.

Do You Hear What I Hear Song Motions

Here is the video. The lyrics to the song is below.

 

 

Lyrics to 'Do You Hear What I Hear'

Said the night wind to the little lamb
Do you see what I see
Way up in the sky little lamb
Do you see what I see
A star, a star
Dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear
Ringing through the sky shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear
A song, a song
High above the tree
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea

Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king
Do you know what I know
In your palace wall mighty king
Do you know what I know
A child, a child
Shivers in the cold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Let us bring him silver and gold

Said the king to the people everywhere
Listen to what I say
Pray for peace people everywhere
Listen to what I say
The child, the child
Sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light

The child, the child
Sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light

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The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy Motions - Christmas Songs for Plays

Below is the song, lyrics, and motions to a great Christmas song for your Sunday school kids during the church Christmas play. Younger kids will love the song while the adults will be happy with the simple motions and the ease of learning them.

The song "The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy" is cute, repetitive and great for the holiday season.

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The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy Song with Motions

If you don't have a copy of the song, you can download it here. Or, if you'd rather have it on CD, you can get it here.

Here is the motions and below are the lyrics.
 

Here are the lyrics to The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy.
 

Merry Christmas!

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Jesus Birth - The Christmas Story | Sunday School Coloring Pages

The Christmas story is one of the most important bible stories a child can learn right next to Jesus dying on the cross. While a lot of hype is focused on what toys kids want (and that part of it can be fun) for Christmas, we must remind and remind again that Jesus is the reason for the season.

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Without Jesus Christ, there would be no reason for living. Living a life without Christ is a life without a joyous ending. Those of us who know Jesus as our Lord and Savior know that when our work on earth is done, we have a home prepared for us in glory - praise God! It is our job to instill that same message inside our little ones whether they are one or 101 years old.

Below are some Sunday school coloring pages you can print off to use for your classes this holiday season.

Teach the Christmas Story Sunday school lesson...

May God bless you and have a very merry Christmas!

The Christmas Story Coloring Pages

 

 

Click to print.

 



 

 

If you don't want the yellow in this coloring sheet,

simply print it off in black and white.

 

 

The wise men followed the star.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Rich Young Ruler - Sunday School Activity

If you are like me, you always want to make sure you have an extra Sunday school activity ready at hand. Kids can be finicky. Sometimes they love to sing and dance while other times they want to play a game. Of course, you never know what will keep their attention from week-to-week, so I want to make sure you have something different ready to go.

Here is a free printable word scramble to go along with the Sunday school lesson - Rich Young Ruler. It will be a bit difficult for pre-school aged children, but the older kids will love it.

Sunday School Activity - Word Scramble

Many kids love to race, you can choose to let them race to see who can unscramble each word or may finish the whole page. Whatever you decide to do, do it for the glory of our Lord and Savior!

Here are the answers so you don't have to figure them out on your own. Enjoy!

• RICH
• YOUNG
• RULER
• JESUS
• DISCIPLES
• TEACH
• MONEY
• IMPOSSIBLE
• CAMEL
• NEEDLE

The final phrase at the bottom is ETERNAL LIFE!

If some kids get finished before others,

the title can be colored in using markers or colored pencils.

 

(double-click to print)

 

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Rich Young Ruler - Sunday School Lessons

The bible story about the rich young ruler makes for a great Sunday school lesson. It can be told quickly, if needed, or it can be made into a lesson complete with discussions where the whole class can get involved.

When Jesus is talking to the rich young ruler, he ask him about the 10 Commandments. This is a great opportunity to touch on all ten which will also lead into a different branch of the story.

You can find this bible story in Matthew 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31, and Luke 18:18-30. We used the King James Bible and the King James Bible Commentary for this lesson.

When teaching this Sunday school lesson, a great verse to go over along with the 10 Commandments is...

Luke 1:37 KJV

For with God nothing shall be impossible.

 

 

In Matthew 19:26 (KJV), Jesus is talking to his disciples about the rich young ruler and how difficult it is for the rich to get into heaven (more on that below). Jesus tells his disciples, that with men things are impossible, but with God all things are possible.

 

Rich Young Ruler
Sunday School Lessons
Photo Courtesy of Theodore Scott, Wikimedia Commons

 

 

 

Rich Young Ruler Sunday School Lesson

One day, a young man came to Jesus and said, "What good thing must I do to have eternal life?"

 

You see, Jesus knows everything and he knew what was in the rich young ruler's heart. So, Jesus said to the young man, "Keep the commandments."

 

Jesus was talking about the 10 Commandments.

 

The rich young ruler asked, "Which commandment must I keep?"

 

Jesus said, "Thou shalt do no murder. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Honor thy father and thy mother, and Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

 

The young man replied, "I have done all of these things since I was a young boy."

 

Then, Jesus said, "If you have kept all the 10 Commandments and are perfect, take everything that you have and give it to the poor. Then, come and follow me. You will have treasure in heaven."

 

When the rich young ruler heard what Jesus told him to do, he got up and walked away very sad. How could he give up all that he had for he was very rich?

 

Instead of choosing to follow Jesus, the young man decided he would rather be rich here on earth than in heaven.

 

Ask the kids what they love more than anything. Wait for answers.

 

Some may answer their toys, their games, their pets or even their parents. Then, explain that we are to love God even more than those things we love the most.

 

We are to put God above all else. Of course, God doesn't expect us to give everything we have away, but he does expect us to put him first. When it is time for church, we shouldn't complain that our favorite TV show is on or that we'd rather play outside.

 

Instead, we are to be excited about going to church or Sunday school to hear about God and what we can do to tell others about him. We should want to hear bible stories and tell others so they may want to ask Jesus into their hearts too.

 

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Sunday School Word Scramble
for this Sunday School Lesson!

Jesus Talks to His Disciples

 

Even in bible times, Jesus taught his disciples just like we are learning now. When the rich young ruler walked away, Jesus used what happened as an opportunity to teach his disciples something important.

 

What did he teach them? Let  your Sunday school kids try to answer.

 

He taught them that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven.

 

To help show the kids how small the eye of a needle is, you should have one with you for them to see.

 

The disciples were amazed at what Jesus had said and asked, "Who then can be saved?"

 

You see, Jesus was saying that most, but not all, rich people think more about the money they have right now than they do about life after they die. Many rich people believe that if they have enough money, they can buy all that they want, but sadly, they can not buy their way into heaven.

 

To answer the disciples, Jesus said, "With men this is impossible (getting into heaven); but with God all things are possible."

 

What did he mean?

 

Men can't do anything on their own, especially get into heaven. Thankfully, with God all things are possible. We must put our trust in God if we expect to get anywhere in this life or the life hereafter.

 

Extra for Sunday School Teachers

 

This would be a good time to have the children bow their heads and say a prayer. You may even want to ask if anyone would like to ask Jesus to come into their hearts.

 

 

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