"IS CHRISTMAS REALLY OVER" CLEANUP: Tell children that the teacher will ask, "IS CHRISTMAS REALLY OVER", and each child will find ONE item in the room that was for Christmas and will take it down and throw away or put into a box and then sit down. Teacher will ask the Question again and children will continue to play the game of cleanup until everything is taken down and put away. Tell children to listen carefully to today's lesson and find out if Christmas is really over?

FIND JESUS GAME: Use the trash bag filled with used wrapping paper and place a picture of Jesus or a small "baby Jesus" from a nativity set and let teams try to FIND JESUS in the wrappings. Time each group to see which group finds Jesus first -- after each group finding Jesus, that group must put the wrappings back in the bag for the next team to play.

CHRISTMAS BELL: Draw a large bell for children to cut out and decorate the edges with ric-rac or glitter, etc. Give each child a typed out piece of paper with the words from our lesson but with a few key words missing that the children will fill in after glueing on to the bell -- write: THE W_____ became flesh and came to live among us. The "W_______" that the B_______ is talking about is J_____. He came, full of unfailing L_____, and we have seen His glory. We have seen the glory of G____'s only begotten S____."

CHRISTMAS GIFT: Give each child a very small box and wrapping paper which is a plain color (NOT Christmas wrapping). Let them wrap a box and write on a label "CHRISTMAS GOES ON ALL YEAR LONG" and attach to the wrapped gift with a ribbon. Let children take the box home to remind them that Christmas is NOT over (because of Who Jesus is), or all the boxes can be placed on a window ledge in the classroom.

GIFT OPENING: When children arrive to class, the teacher can have a large wrapped gift on the wall - such as a Christmas wrapping on a bulletin board or over a picture. Before the teacher covers with the wrapping paper, place large letters for J-E-S-U-S and then cover with the paper. After children are all seated and after game time, let the children tear off the wrapping paper and see that JESUS is the best gift for the whole year!! Let the torn wrappings hang from the "gift" for the remainder of class.

ALL YEAR CHART: Give children magazine pictures and words that have been cut out before class. Each child can be given a piece of construction paper and markers to write ALL YEAR WE HAVE..... and they'll then glue pictures and words that we'll have all year - -including JESUS, friends, family, school, work, God's unfailing love, church, etc. Children can glue pictures on their chart of friends, houses, toys, clothes, school, etc. Make sure that JESUS is the biggest and brightest word on the chart!

CALENDAR MAKING: Each child can be given a calender of 2010 - either purchased or printed off from the computer. Give children bright colored markers and encourage children to write JESUS, or GOD"S WORD, or GOD"S LOVE, etc across each month of the calendar for all 12 months. A different word can be drawn across each month if the child prefers. Let the children take their calendar gift home for the year.

CROSS GIFT: Provide children with construction paper to trace and cut out a cross. Fold the cut out and decorated cross 4 times and wrap in tissue paper. On the cross -- write, "Thank you Jesus for the gift of your SON". Encourage children to share their wrapped cross with at least 5 people!

SING A SONG: JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN; THANK YOU LORD

SNACK TIME: Give a big bag of used wrappings to each team and find their treats in the big bag together -- each member finding 2 treats each, etc.

Song:  "Every Day with Jesus" by Wendell P. Loveless