s
’
y
d
ted mas
t
s
i
r
Ch enture
adv
Running your toddler Christmas event
Before the event Advertise your event widely. A poster template has been provided.
Running it on a Saturday may allow the whole family to attend, or you might want to run
during your normal group time.
Try to get extra help (if someone else tells the story you can more easily chat to people).
Decide what crafts and activities you want to provide. Some people may be glad to help by
preparing craft activities or helping with refreshments.
Setting up
Try to set your room out differently to create a ‘special’ space at the front where the group
can come and sit facing the screen with their backs to the rest of the room - this will also
give the leaders a chance to hide little Christmas chocolates for a Christmas Treasure
hunt.
Alternatively you may be able to go somewhere different, in a church worship area or
community hall perhaps, to make it seem more special for the children.
Local churches might welcome children for a special Christmas event.
Whether you do the Christmas craft before the talk (or after) will depend on your own
group circumstances.
Welcome…
Once everyone has gathered at the front, welcome them.
If you are in a church, you could start with a prayer. It is best to do this at the outset
because they will tend to be quiet and a little in awe of the fact that you are somewhere
special, perhaps with someone they don’t know.
You could also start off with a quieter action song, like Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star sung
softly as you need to keep them calm until after the talk.
Keep it quiet and not too long. Try to use the same songs each Christmas as repetition
creates familiarity, and that’s the way under-3s tend to learn.
Christmas talk
This talk is designed to communicate one truth about Christmas in a very visual way.
The theme is… ‘God identifies with us’ Aim for around two to three minutes as it will
almost certainly take longer. Vary your voice and try to draw
the children into the story with questions wherever you can.
A suggested script has been provided, together with simple
pictures that tell the story.
(These can be printed and mounted or card, or can be
downloaded as a screen presentation).
If you wish to use props, you’ll need two scarves wrapped up
and a teddy. For extra impact, you could have a nativity scene
You could then sing the first verse of Away in a Manger.
teddy’s
Christmas
adventure
teddy’s
Christmas
adventure
Here is
Ben
go everyw with Teddy.
Teddy
here tog
ether. Do is Ben’s bes
t friend.
es anyone
They
here hav
e a ted
dy?
The las
It was Chr
t par
wrapping cel was squ
He had istmas Eve and
ashy and
paper the
put on
Ben wa
and a
when
his
It wasn’
s getting
re
t snowin pyjamas. He
readyyou smaller one for was a brand new Ben tore off the
had cle
g but the
they loo
bede. dol
aned his for hav
ked up
y
ls clothe Teddy (show the scarf for him
did
of
not
into the
teefab
shiny mo
ice som
….
s you cou
m
sky
ething els th.ric)!
on and
ld use the two scarves dark nig
millions . They noticed
e
if
as
m or cut
ht
of twinkl
a
It wa
a strip
in the sky sky. Have you
ing stars, big, rou
nd,
s soon
ever see
tim
?
e
Dare
y ser
n the mo up the
in the
vice. Ben to go to church
on and
(pusta
for
and Ted
Ben cal
t on
rs sca
dy put on the special Chr
up rves)
led
people
and off
istm
stars get out to his Mu
the
ir
as
and
new
they
m. “Mum
up there?
Ben clu
felt rea
them the
tched Ted went. The chu scarves
,
lly, really
rch was
re. God ” And she rep Mum. How did
dy tightly
small.
God mu
lied tha
full of
must be
the
(Cuddle
t Go
st
Teddy).
sudden be really, rea really, really big d had put
He
lly stro
ly Ben and
tho
Teddy felt ng thought Ben ught Ben.
really, rea
. And
The ser
vice sta
lly small.
rted. Ben
walked
to
lov
took his the front to sho ed the singin
Mumm
g and
too!
w everyo
y tuc
ne his new proudly
Teddy nex ked Ben up
into
scarf. Ted
bed and
thanking t to him. Then
dy
carefu
she pra
yed a spe lly placed
millions God for the big
, round,
of
cia
shiny mo l prayer
Ben goo twinkling sta
rs that
dnight
on and
he had
and tur
big cud
the
made.
ned out
dle (Cu
She
The wa
ddle Ted
the ligh
t. He gav kisresed
dy) and
s a stable
ema
was soo
ndy
in one
at athe fron
n fast asl Ted
t explain corner of the
rem
eepem
The nex
. ber
church
ed how
t mornin
and the
Christm
and laid that day, wh
g Ben and
rushed
en God
as was
in a stra
dow
Teddy we
a time
had bee
of presen nstairs and
to
re awake Jesus. Ben loo w-filled mange
n
we
ked at the
r. The bab born as a bab
the
had lab ts under the Chr re excited to see ear
ly. tod
Thedle
y
y’s nam
mange
y r gro
els
r. He had
tha
e wa
new boo with Ben’s namistmas tree. Som a hug
e pile
n him. Sud up they went
seen bab s
ks and
to.
e on the
e of the
a bab
games
ies at
m y then denly he realise Babies were
m too!
and eve
The
eve
He
d that if
n
re we
knew wh
n a shiny
God had smaller
at it wa
red fireThare
onc
s
like
engtine
e
been
nig.ht
to be sm
all.
carefully as Mummy tuc
placed
ked Ben
a specia
Teddy nex
up into
l
bed and
he gave prayer. He tha t to him Ben ask
nke
up being
ed to pra
thanke
big and d God for that
d Go
time wh y
He thanke d for that tim gave up being
en
powerful.
e
small chi d God that He when He was
born as He
knew jus
ld. And
a baby.
he thanke
t wh
d God for at it was like
Prayer
to be a
Chr
(op
istmas.
is like to tional) – Thank
be small.
you
when you
Thank you God that you
kno
for that
Christm were born as
very first w what it
a baby
as when
Christm
and
Amen.
we can
as,
celebrate thank you for
this
your birt
hday aga
in.
teddy’s
Christmas
adventure
It is quite nice before you close to give a special gift to one
of the Mum’s. Maybe one who has had a particularly difficult
year. Or you could give a gift to all the Mums.
End with a song with actions and musical instruments to make
it as noisy as possible. Like when Santa got stuck up the chimney.
The Christmas Chocolate Treasure Hunt.
Invite the children to go and hunt for Christmas chocolates. Make sure that there are
enough for each to have one. Keep a few in reserve just in case someone fails to find one
When all the eggs are collected, thank them for coming and give them a colouring picture
to take home. Remind them to take their chocolates, their colouring picture and their craft
home!