• Christmas games help children learn the nativity story.Nativity image by mcab from Fotolia.com
  
  So many Bible verses in the Christian gospels refer to the Christmas event and provide opportunities for you to give the children in your ministry images and ideas to build upon. Engage children with games that center on the Annunciation, the Magnificat and the Nativity. As children interact with the biblical texts, the people in that long ago narrative can come alive in their imaginations.
  
  

Bible Verse Maze Game

• Teach children about Mary's role in the Christmas story.the Virgin Mary statue image by asmik from Fotolia.com
  
  Select a passage from one of the gospels that describes the story of Jesus' birth. Pick out one verse for the children to learn. For example, you could use Luke 1:26, which tells of an angel visiting Mary. Prepare before the children arrive by writing the verse toward the bottom of a white board. Draw a maze leading from the verse to another point on the board. (Be sure you can cover up the maze.) Draw an outline of Mary or an angel at the end of the maze. Cover up the maze, leaving the verse uncovered.
  
  Read the passage containing the verse to the kids. Then, pointing to the verse on the board, recite the verse several times, with the children chiming in. When it seems as if they have it somewhat in their minds, erase random words from the verse, drawing a place holder line where the word was. Ask who can fill in a missing word. If the child is correct, let him choose how he wants to proceed in the maze. Draw a line into the maze. Continue until someone reaches the end of the maze.
  
  

Interactive Christmas Story

• The Wise Men followed the Star of Bethlehem to the infant Jesus.sternschnuppe image by Frank-Peter Funke from Fotolia.com
  
  Draw or print pictures of characters from the Christmas story. For example, bring pictures of Mary, Joseph, the Wise Men and the other characters. Have only one image per sheet of paper. Before the kids get to class, hide the pictures around the room. When the children arrive, tell them that the lesson of the day is the story of the Nativity and that you have hidden pictures around the room. Instruct them to find the hidden pictures. When they have found all of the pictures, make sure each child has at least one picture. Read the Nativity story aloud. As you read about the characters in the story, have the children hold up the corresponding pictures.
  
  

Name That Character

• Make naming the characters in the Christmas story a contest.christmas.baby jesus. image by Iourii from Fotolia.com
  
  Play a word game that will get children of reading ages in motion and help them learn about the Christmas Story. On a white board, list the characters in Luke's narrative of the Christmas story, (Luke 1: 39-56 and 2:1-20). Ask the class to read the passages. As they read, place a check mark next to the name of the characters as they appear in the reading. Cover up the list of names. Divide the class into two teams, and line the teams up in front of the board. Give the child at the front of each line a marker. Tell them that when you say, "Go!" the first child in each team should run to the board and write the name of one character, run back to her team and pass off the marker. The first team to name all of the characters wins.