December in a Sunday school classroom has its own sound.
Scissors.
Rustling paper.
Someone asking, for the third time, “Is there more glue?”
And somewhere in the corner, a preteen quietly sighing, “This is for little kids.”
Here’s the problem with most Christmas Bible activities.
They are either built for five-year-olds (color in the donkey), or they need three hours, a hot glue gun and a trip to the craft store.
Preteens need something in between.
Something that feels grown-up enough.
Something that’s actually fun.
And something that leads straight back to the Bible.
So here are 15 Christmas Bible activities that work for ages 10–13:
- 5 icebreaker games that late arrivals can join halfway through
- 5 crafts that carry the message home (most of them are gifts for the family)
- 5 no-prep ideas for when the photocopier breaks (it’s December, so it will)
Every activity connects to one of the five big moments of the Christmas story. If you want the bigger picture of how to teach those moments, start with our guide to planning a Christmas Sunday school lesson for preteens.
Table of Contents
5 Christmas Icebreaker Games
All five follow one golden rule: anyone can join at any time.
Because it’s December.
Someone is always late.
Usually several someones.
1. Promise Challenge Cards (Isaiah 9:6–7)
How it works: Each child takes a card with a situation about a promise. A friend promises to help with a school project, then forgets. Your parents promise you a special outing, but it keeps getting postponed. What would you do?
Why it works: Promises are easy to make and hard to keep. Then comes the twist. God made a promise hundreds of years before Jesus was born.
And He kept it.
From Lesson 1 – God’s Promises.
2. Plot Twist Cards (Luke 1:26–38)
How it works: Each child draws a sudden change of plans. The car breaks down the day before the beach trip. You’re asked to sing a solo at the Christmas concert. You find out you’re going to be a big brother or sister. How would you react?
Why it works: It sets up Mary, a girl whose whole life changed in a single afternoon. Some plot twists are exciting. Others are scary. It helps when you trust the One in charge of the plan.
From Lesson 2 – Mary Says Yes.
3. Actions Speak Louder (Matthew 1:18–25)
How it works: Charades, with one rule. No talking! Each child acts out a kind or helpful action: holding the door open for a whole crowd, comforting a friend who is crying, jumping straight out of bed to do an important job. The group guesses.
Why it works: Here’s the surprise. Joseph never says a single word in the Bible. Not one. Everything we know about him, we know from what he did.
From Lesson 3 – Joseph’s Hard Choice.
4. Breaking News (Luke 2:8–20)
How it works: Each child gets a card with big news. “Your family is getting a puppy!” “A new baby has just been born in your family!” They read it out in their best TV-reporter voice (drama strongly encouraged), then say who they would tell first.
Why it works: God had the biggest news in history. You would expect Him to tell kings and priests first.
He told the night-shift shepherds.
From Lesson 4 – Good News for Nobodies.
5. Star Search (Matthew 2:1–12)
How it works: Before class, hide eight paper stars around the room. Each star has a letter and a fun question about the wise men. When all eight are found, the group unscrambles the letters to find a mystery word. (I won’t spoil it. It’s a good one.)
Why it works: The wise men followed a star to find a King. Your class follows stars too. It’s also perfect for that sleepy Sunday after Christmas, when everyone is still full of turkey.
From Lesson 5 – Wise Men Still Seek Him.
5 Christmas Crafts That Tell the Story
Here’s a simple rule for Christmas crafts.
If the glitter is louder than the message, it’s the wrong craft.
Each of these carries a Bible message home. They’re all cut, fold and glue, so nobody needs to be an artist. And four of the five are gifts for the family. (Parents are much more excited about a gift than about a worksheet.)
6. Promise Timeline
How it works: Children cut out four illustrated event cards and glue them in order on their own Promise Timeline, from God’s promise to the night it came true in Bethlehem.
Why it works: Watch their faces when they realize the gap between Isaiah and Bethlehem was around 700 years.
Seven hundred years.
And God still kept His word.
From Lesson 1 – God’s Promises.
7. “Yes, Lord!” Door Hanger
How it works: Cut, fold and glue a door hanger that says “I Said Yes!” on the front. On the back, children put four story cards in order (the angel’s visit, Mary’s question, Mary says yes, Mary’s song), then finish the line, “God, I want to trust You with…”
Why it works: Every time they walk through their bedroom door, they remember Mary’s yes. And their own. (Nobody has to share what they wrote.)
From Lesson 2 – Mary Says Yes.
8. Pop-Up Christmas Card
How it works: One fold and two small cuts, and a little scene pops up in the middle of the card. The message comes from the angel’s words to Joseph: God is with us (Matthew 1:23).
Why it works: It looks impressive but it’s simple to make. And let’s be honest, everyone loves a card that pops.
Tip: Show your own finished sample before anyone starts cutting. The pop-up step is where the “Uh-oh” moments happen.
From Lesson 3 – Joseph’s Hard Choice.
9. Good News Lantern
How it works: Fold a printed sheet, cut a row of slits, then wrap it around a glowing tube printed with the angel’s message from Luke 2:10–11. Flat paper suddenly becomes a lantern. It comes with gift tags for family presents too.
Why it works: The night the shepherds heard the news, a dark hillside lit up. The lantern stands on the Christmas table as a reminder that Jesus is good news for all the people.
Tip: Show everyone how far to cut first. “Stop at the stop line” sounds obvious. It isn’t.
From Lesson 4 – Good News for Nobodies.
10. Three Gifts Thank-You Card
How it works: A lift-the-flap card with three gift boxes on the front, like the wise men’s gold, frankincense and myrrh. Under each flap is an opportunity to thank someone for a gift that was received.
Why it works: The wise men gave Jesus their best. This is a way for preteens to give something back. Just remind them to actually hand out the completed cards. Parents remember these things.
From Lesson 5 – Wise Men Still Seek Him.
5 No-Prep Christmas Bible Activities
For when the photocopier jams, half the class is at a carol service, or Sunday morning simply happened faster than expected.
11. Nativity Set Detective
Bring a nativity set (or a picture of one). Read Luke 2 and Matthew 2 together, then ask: What does this nativity set get wrong?
Some answers they’ll love:
- The Bible never says there were three wise men.
- It never mentions an innkeeper.
- The shepherds found baby Jesus lying in a manger on the night He was born (Luke 2:12). The wise men came later and found Him in a house (Matthew 2:11).
- The Bible mentions a manger, but it never mentions a stable.
- No snow is mentioned. Anywhere.
Preteens love being right about something adults got wrong. Use it.
12. The 700-Year Walk
Stand at one end of the room and read Isaiah 9:6. Tell the group that every step stands for 50 years. Now walk slowly to the other side, counting out loud.
Fourteen steps later, you reach Bethlehem.
Then ask: What’s the longest you’ve ever waited for something? It suddenly feels very short.
13. The Christmas Story in Six Emojis
Give each group one part of the Christmas story. Their challenge: retell it using only six emojis. The other groups guess which part it is.
It sounds silly. It is a little silly. But deciding which six things matter most leads to surprisingly good conversations.
14. Night-Shift Thank-You Notes
The shepherds were night-shift workers nobody noticed. God noticed them.
Ask the group to write a short thank-you note to someone who works over Christmas and often gets overlooked: a nurse, a security guard, the church cleaner, the person at the checkout. Then actually deliver them.
15. Memory Verse Relay
Write Luke 2:10–11 on scraps of paper, a few words on each. Mix them up. Teams race to put the verse in order.
Then do it again, faster. By round three, most of them can say it without the paper. (Sneaky, but effective.)
How to Pick the Right Activity
Fifteen ideas is a lot. You only need one or two per Sunday.
- Start with the story, not the craft. Pick the Bible moment first, then the activity that matches it.
- Use a game to open and a craft to close. The game gets them talking. The craft sends the message home.
- Always ask “So what?” Every activity should end with one question that connects it to their week.
- Let them talk. Preteens remember what they discover far better than what they’re told.
Want Everything Ready to Print?
The first ten Christmas Bible activities on this list come from A Real Christmas Story, a ready-to-teach, 5-lesson Christmas series for preteens, ages 10–13.
Every game card, craft template and gift tag is included as a printable. Each lesson also has the history behind the story, a Bible discovery section and a Teachers Corner with tips and tricky questions.
Low prep. Print and teach. A Christmas craft in every lesson.
Get the full 5-lesson Christmas bundle on Etsy, see what’s inside each lesson, or read how to plan a Christmas Sunday school lesson for preteens.