Are you looking for some unique theme nights for Thanksgiving and Christmas?
How about these?
1. THANKS NIGHT
Game to play: Turkey Spell – Tape four large sheets of paper to the floor near the center of the Game Square. You will need 6 players from each team to participate. (If you do not have enough clubbers, choose one child to go twice.) At the signal, the first player from each team runs around the circle, comes back to his starting point and with a marker, writes a “T” on the paper. The second player then races around the circle, comes back to his line and write a “U.” Continue until the word “turkey” is spelled. When the last clubber writes the “Y,” he then knocks down the pin for the win.
What to do: Pass around a basket of candy corn. As clubbers take out two or three pieces of candy, they share two or three people/things for which they are thankful.
Large Group Lesson: Ten men with leprosy – only one is thankful. Luke 17:11-19
2. CHRISTMAS SHOPPING NIGHT
What to do: Even if you don’t regularly have a store night, have a temporary store a month or so before your Christmas shopping night. Ask for donations from church members of either new or gently-used items for the store … or money to buy some store items. On Christmas shopping night, clubbers use their shares to buy Christmas gifts for their family members.
Large Group Lesson: Talk about the joy of giving to others. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8
3. SHARE THE FOOD NIGHT
What to do: Plan an “all-club” contest to help fill the church’s Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets (or to donate to a local food bank). Prepare a list of needed items to send home with each clubber. (You could also post the list on the club Facebook page.) The winning club is determined by the best average per clubber. For instance, the T&T clubbers might bring an average of 14.11 items per clubber and the Sparks come in second with an average of 14.03. The winning team gets pizza (or other special treat).
Large Group Lesson: Your lesson could be about sharing. Romans 12:13
4. CHRISTMAS COOKIE AND CRAFT
What to do: Plan a Christmas tea for Sparks/T&T girls and their moms. (They could also invite a guardian, Grandma, aunt, older sister, etc. – depending on their circumstances.)
Ask a creative lady or two to come up with an inexpensive craft. One church made cranberry heart-shaped wreaths. Another church provided a clear, plastic ornament and paint for each participant so they could make their own decorations.
You could ask each “family” to bring a plate of Christmas cookies or ask church members to provide cookies.
Large Group Lesson: Emphasis on the gospel – John 3:16
5. REALITY NIGHT
What to do: If you live in an area where it isn’t too cold (but chilly is ok), and have a safe outdoor space, hold your club outdoors for one of the club nights before Christmas.
(Let parents know what you are planning so kids can dress appropriately.) Put hay bales around for seats. If allowed in your area, you could build a fire. Talk about the humble circumstances into which Christ was born. They didn’t have a soft bed, air conditioning, heat or all the medical expertise of a hospital staff.
Large Group Lesson: Luke 2
5 MORE QUICK IDEAS
- Candy cane relay – Use candy canes instead of a baton. As the first player comes around, he hooks his candy cane onto the second player’s candy cane. The second player must then run around the circle without dropping either cane. He then hooks the two candy canes on to the third runner’s candy cane. That runner goes around the circle and in to knock down the pin.
- Silent Night – During the club meeting no one says a word except to recite verses (answer questions) or teach the Large Group Lesson. You could even choose songs with motions so no words need to be said.
- Joyful Noise Night – Clubbers bring an object that makes noise. This could be anything from a pan and a spoon to a real instrument. Use Psalm 100 for the Large Group Lesson.
- Stocking Stuff Activity – Fill four felt stockings with small objects. Give one to each team leader. Team members have about 30 seconds each to feel (without looking) the objects in the stocking. At the signal teams work together to list what they think is in the stocking.
- Wrap Your Leader – Give each team a supply of wrapping paper and set a time limit for wrapping their leader. Most wrapping job wins.
