Christmas Object Lesson: The Gift in a Gift

Want to bring some excitement to your holiday curriculum? You can’t go wrong with this Christmas object lesson. The idea is to teach kids that God’s gift—His son, Jesus. He is truly the gift that keeps giving. By presenting the “gift in a gift” you will demonstrate how people who love Jesus can share him with everyone. He is the gift that keeps going on and on!
Before your teaching time, assemble four or five boxes. Each one needs to be intact without any missing sides. In the smallest box, put in a tiny baby doll or  baby Jesus from a nativity scene. Wrap up the smallest box with wrapping paper then place it inside the box that is slightly larger than that one. Wrap that box. Keep placing boxes inside the other one and wrap each one. You’ll have a gift wrapped in a gift. Place the box on the teaching table. Finish by putting a label on the box that says, “To You, From God.”
“Wow! Looks like we have a gift here! Don’t you love Christmas gifts? I do! But before we unwrap this gift, let me tell you something about God’s gift, Jesus. Does everyone know the story of Jesus and how he left heaven and came to earth to save us?” If so, just talk about the highlights, if someone doesn’t know about Jesus, tell them the story of the Nativity.
“Let me ask you a question. Who first told you about Jesus? Was it your Mom or Dad, a teacher or a friend?” Let the kids answer by raising their hands and calling on them. “That’s great! See? They heard about Jesus and they told you about him. Now guess what? It’s your turn to tell someone about Jesus. He’s like a gift in a gift. Let me explain what I mean. If I give you this gift, you open it and play with the toy inside and that’s it. Nobody else gets to enjoy that gift, unless you decide to share it. But with God’s gift, we can give Jesus over and over again. I need a volunteer to show you what I mean.” Call on a child and ask him to open the first box. Then call the next child and ask him to open the second box. Continue until the smallest box is open and the tiny baby is found. Show the baby and encourage the kids to tell someone about Jesus.
Read more from Mimi by following Tools for Kids Church. Don’t miss all our teaching ideas for Christmas.