Connect the excitement of a child's birthday with a special celebration for Jesus! Hosting a "Happy Birthday Jesus" party allows children to honor His birth in a relatable and fun way. From baking cakes to creating festive activities, these ideas engage little ones in meaningful discussions about Jesus’ birth. Plus, check out the Happy Birthday Jesus Workbook, which offers additional activities and Bible learning resources for your celebration!
Christmas Layer CakeSupplies:
To create the colored layers, prepare a white cake following the recipe instructions and divide the batter in half. Add green food coloring to one half and red to the other, then pour each into 8" round cake pans and bake. Additionally, bake one 8" round chocolate cake.
Once cooled, layer the chocolate cake, followed by the red and then the green, using white frosting between layers. Frost the entire cake with white frosting, and add yellow decorations and candles on top, discussing the symbolism as you assemble:
Supplies:
Prepare or buy an undecorated cake and enhance it with the following items, discussing their significance using the suggested Scriptures:
Star: Represents Bethlehem or the star the wise men followed to find Jesus (Matthew 2:1-12, Luke 2:1-6).
Angel: Symbolizes the angel who announced Jesus' birth to Mary and the shepherds (Luke 1:26-38, 2:8-20).
Three Red Candles: Signify the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (John 14; John 1:15, 10-14, 18; Genesis 1:26, 3:22, 11:7; Isaiah 6:8).
Light the Candles: Remind us that Jesus shines in our hearts when we accept Him as our Savior (Matthew 5:16).
Evergreen Decoration: Use evergreen branches or green sprinkles to symbolize eternal life through Christ (John 3:16; 1 John 5:11-12) and encourage growth in our relationship with Him through prayer, worship, and Bible reading.
Supplies:
Idea shared by Nicole: Each year, we made two Christmas cakes—one for our family and one to give away. My siblings and I took turns delivering the cake, usually to a teacher, and explained its symbolism to the recipient.
Begin with a round chocolate cake, symbolizing how our hearts are filled with sin before knowing Jesus (Romans 3:23; Isaiah 53:6). The round shape represents God's endless love, shown through His Son's birth (John 3:16).
Create a well in the cake and fill it with cherry pie filling, representing the blood Jesus shed for our sins (Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:22).
Top the cake with whipped cream or white icing, symbolizing how His blood cleanses our sins and makes us white as snow (Romans 4:24; Isaiah 61:10). Finish with green (for new life) and gold (for Heaven) sprinkles.
This simple idea is perfect for a little one's short attention span.
Supplies:
Bake a chocolate cake to symbolize humanity's sinful condition. Frost it with white icing to represent how Jesus cleanses our sins. Place a red candle on the cake to signify Christ's blood shed on the Cross, a green candle for renewal and growth, and a yellow candle to represent the golden streets of Heaven.
Celebrate Jesus' birthday effortlessly with the Happy Birthday Jesus Workbook! This resource provides fun activities and meaningful discussions that help children ages 3-12 grasp the significance of His birth. This workbook streamlines your planning process to allow everyone an oportunity to enjoy the time.
Below are possible activities to do during a party. Scroll down for a suggested agenda.
For late preschool or elementary-aged kiddos, The Tale of Three Trees by Angela Elwell Hunt tells the story of three trees that dream of their future. Each tree has a vision for what it wants to become: one as a mighty ship, another as a beautiful treasure chest, and the last as a tall mountain. However, their dreams take unexpected turns as they fulfill God's purpose in ways they never imagined, ultimately illustrating themes of hope, faith, and the significance of each tree's journey.
Using modeling clay or play dough, create your own nativity scene. Have the child tell the story using his/her creations. This would be a wonderful Family Night activity.
Get ready to create special memories this Christmas with a variety of engaging crafts and activities designed for young children! These fun projects not only inspire creativity but also provide opportunities to focus on the true meaning of the holiday. Explore the ideas below to bring joy and festive spirit into your home this season!
Hide a nativity set pieces around the room or house. Give the children hints of what piece they will be looking for.
Or have the children hide the piece and allow one child to find it. As they are looking give them clues to help them know how close they are to the hidden piece. Use the standard hot/cold clues or do something geared toward Christmas. Give them numbers between 1 and 25. The closer they are to the piece, the closer the number is to 25. Or, pat your legs like a donkey walking. The closer the donkey gets to “Bethlehem” the faster the donkey walks. “I told Mary that she would give birth to a son. He was to be named Jesus. Who am I?” (Angel) “I loved Mary very much. She and I had to travel to Bethlehem. Who am I?” (Joseph)
“Although I was frightened by the angel, I told God that I would do what He chose for me to do.” (Mary) “I carried Mary to the inn. Hee-haw! What am I?” (Donkey) “We were watching our sheep and suddenly an angel stood before us saying, “Today, in the town of Bethlehem, a Savior has been born. He is lying in a manger. Who are we?” (Shepherds) “Baby Jesus was born in our stable. Moo-moo! What are we?” (Cow) “God put a special star in the sky as a sign that a new king had been born. We followed the star to find Jesus. Who are we?” (Wise Men) “I am the greatest gift at Christmas time. My Father sent me to save the world from their sins. Who am I?” (Jesus)
Display in front of the child a nativity set. Explain that the child is to figure out what pieces of the nativity set were actually at the first Christmas. Group together based on "yes," "no," or "maybe" (the Bible doesn’t say) being at the first Christmas. When finished read the Christmas story from Luke 2 or a children’s Bible to see if the classifications are correct.
