Christmas is a time to celebrate! We aren’t celebrating Santa Claus or gifts that we will get. We are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior! And children love birthday parties! So this year, why not help your family throw a birthday party for Jesus?
How do I throw a birthday party for Jesus?
If you are in need of ideas to help you throw a fun Happy Birthday Jesus Party, don’t worry! I’ve got you covered! This post is filled with ideas for throwing a birthday party for Jesus. I’ve got ideas for an invitation, decorations, games, crafts, food, photo booth, and party favors. These ideas will help make this event a special one and will help kids remember the real reason we celebrate Christmas.
Invitation
How do kids know they are invited to a birthday party? They receive an invitation! I created this invitation for the kids at my church. This invitation is customizable and you can use it to write in the date, time, and place of your own party. All you need to access this invitation is a FREE Canva account. Click here to access the Birthday Party for Jesus Invitation.
Decorations
I love to decorate! It makes it fun for kids when they enter a room and it’s filled with decorations for a party! No matter if you are doing this at home in your living room or at church for the kids in your children’s ministry, use decorations!
If you are using tables, grab some tablecloths! Oriental Trading has some Happy Birthday Jesus tablecloths. Or you can get purple tablecloths from Walmart (I like to use purple because it’s the color of Advent and purple signifies royalty and we are celebrating the birth of our King). For table decorations, you can use confetti or hay, and place (child-friendly) pieces of the Nativity scene on the tables. You can also fill the room with balloons (I like to order helium balloons from Dollar Tree). And line walls or drape streamers from the ceiling. Set the room with some fun decorations to help kids get into celebrating the birthday party for Jesus!
Photo Booth
I love photo booths! I designed this background one year using just butcher paper I had at the church. And then kids and parents dressed in some of our Nativity costumes and had their picture taken. It was a fun addition to the party!
Food
Depending on what time of day you throw the birthday party for Jesus will depend on what foods you serve. If you are doing this party for the kids at your church and are doing it during your Sunday morning activity time, you can do breakfast foods like: pancakes, fruit, bacon, etc. For a birthday cake for Jesus, you could do a cinnamon roll cake or muffins with a candle for each child to blow out. For afternoon or evening parties, you could serve light snacks like trail mix, chips, cheese cubes, etc. And for a birthday cake for Jesus, I love getting cakes from Walmart or Publix as they are very moist and delicious! You could also do cupcakes so that it’s easier to serve. For another idea for a hands-on food to serve, check out this Nativity Graham Cracker idea.
Games
No party is complete without some fun birthday games! Here are some ideas for games that my church kids like to play:
Pass the Gift
This game is played best with chairs in a circle. Each child will sit in a chair. Grab an empty box and wrap with Christmas wrapping paper. Turn on the music and kids will then begin passing the gift around the circle. At random times, stop the music. The one that’s left holding the gift is out. They will go sit in the middle of the circle. Continue playing until one person is left and they are the winner!
Pin Baby Jesus in the Manger
For this game you will need butcher paper or posterboard (I like to use light brown). On the paper, draw (or cut out and glue), a stable and manger (draw in hay if you like). Then, search the internet for a baby Jesus template to use. Print and cut out as many needed so that each child has one. Hang the butcher paper on a wall. When it’s a child’s turn, blindfold them, hand them a baby Jesus (with tape on back), and spin them three times. Then they will put baby Jesus in the manger as close as they can. The person who gets the closest, wins!
Christmas Bible Bingo
This Bingo is played much like regular Bingo, except that it uses pictures and Bible verses instead. Hand each child a Bingo card along with some candy to use as Bingo markers. When a card is drawn, read the Bible verse out loud. If a child has that one on their card, they will place a marker there. Kids can Bingo across, down, or diagonally. Have small prizes for kids that are the first few to Bingo.
Crafts
I am all about simple craft projects for kids! I am not a fan of projects that require a lot of supplies. Below are some simple ideas for you to use with your kids:
My Gifts for Jesus Printable
You can customize this printable (choose from 4 designs) with each child’s name, age, and year. Print out and have kids write in what gifts they would like to give Jesus this year. If you like, you can then laminate and save! Also, snap a photo with each child and their My Gifts for Jesus printable. Send photos to parents (if doing party at church), or save to your phone or computer (if doing party with your own family at home). To grab a copy of these printables, click here.
Christmas Cards
Have a Christmas card station where kids can make Christmas cards. You can do this as a service project and send to soldiers overseas, to kids in your local hospital, to older adults in nursing homes, or to older adults in your church who are homebound. Supply the station with construction paper or cardstock, Christmas scrapbooking paper, markers and crayons, scissors, glue sticks, and Christmas stickers. Let each child design their own card and then you can deliver!
Oriental Trading Crafts
I love these simple crafts from Oriental Trading! Here are a few ideas: Baby Jesus Birthday Craft Kit, Nativity Stained Glass Sand Art Pictures, Nativity Banner Craft Kit, Nativity Scene & Star Ornament Craft Kit, Baby Jesus Fleece Tied Craft Kit.
Happy Birthday Jesus Activity Sheets
These activity sheets from Oriental Trading would make a great opening activity to do with church kids while others arrive.
Party Favors
Send your children home with some fun party favors! You can purchase any type of treat bag. They have some at Oriental Trading, but I like to make my own bags. I purchase small Kraft bags (white or brown), print off the logo below, and glue to the front. Then I fill it with some of the following items: HBD stickers, HBD tattoos, HBD activity books, bubbles, pencils, and Christmas candy.
Throwing a birthday for Jesus is a simple and fun event you can do for your own kids and the kids at your church. I hope you have found some of these birthday party for Jesus ideas helpful. And I pray this birthday party will help your kids remember the true meaning of Christmas.
For more ideas for your family to celebrate Christmas, check out the following posts:
30 Ideas for a Christ-Centered Christmas
Christmas Eve Box Ideas for Kids and Families
1 comment
This is awesome!!! Thank you for sharing🩵