Celebrate Christmas by Throwing Jesus a Birthday Party

Throwing a birthday party for Jesus is a fun way to teach your children about the real meaning of Christmas. Your child will learn so much and enjoy the celebration.

Getting your children to understand there’s more to Christmas than presents can be tricky. But it’s possible and the Christmas season is the perfect time to talk to your kids about Jesus.

When my children were 6 and 7, we had a mini-Birthday party for Jesus. We invited a few of their friends over and celebrated – not with gifts for ourselves but with cake and gifts for Jesus.

Ways to celebrate Jesus’s birthday with young children

Whether you have a party and invite your children’s friends over or do these activities with you and your child, you can make it a memorable event and give your child a lasting impression of the true wonder of Christmas: Jesus.

For all of these ideas, you don’t have to wait until Christmas day. Instead, pick a day earlier in December to celebrate Jesus. A separate birthday date ensures the day focuses on Jesus and the kids aren’t distracted by Santa or what they will receive.

Bake a cake

What’s a birthday without cake?

Bake a birthday cake with your child and tell them it’s for Jesus. Explain that his birthday is the reason we celebrate Christmas.

Then, while the cake is in the oven or cooling off before you frost it, read the Christmas story found in Matthew 1:18-2:12 and Luke 1:5-2:12. Although there’s some overlap, it certainly doesn’t hurt to hear it more than once.

Try making a cake in the shape of a cross. Here’s a tutorial, or if that sounds too complicated, you can make a cross-shaped cake out of cupcakes!

Serve with ice cream and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus.

Nativity Story

Act out the Nativity story. To make it easier, forgo the costumes. Instead, you will read the Christmas story as they act out the parts.

Find Baby Jesus

Using the baby doll from the nativity play, hide the doll somewhere in your house while the kids aren’t looking. Tell them they are the wise men who traveled from far away to bring gifts to the King. You can play this multiple times until the kids (or you) get tired of it.

Give gifts to Jesus

Have each child write something on a piece of paper of what they want to give Jesus and then put in a pretty box and have each child decorate the box and put it under the tree.

Talk about what they can write:

Thanking Jesus for something good in their life
Thanking God for Jesus
Promising to Love Jesus with all their heart, mind, soul
Promising to think about Jesus when Christmas comes
Thanking Jesus for showing them the true meaning of Christmas
Saying they will try their best to get along with their sibling for Jesus

Musical Chairs

Play musical chairs to Christmas music. Or pass around “Baby Jesus” as the music plays. Whoever has the doll when the music ends, wins.

Thanking Jesus

Have the kids sit in a circle and hold baby Jesus taking turns saying what they love most about Jesus.

Learn with Media

Here’s a great version of “Mary did you know?” for kids.

Watch the movie Star with your kids.