PRIOR TO CLASS: Make six copies of the “Our 12 Days of Christmas” worksheet (template found here). Cut each page in half so that you have 12 copies of the worksheet. Beginning with the second sheet, number each worksheet with one ordinal number in succession (2nd through 12th) written in the appropriate spot on each sheet. Keep the first sheet for yourself, label it “1st” and fill in “partridge in a pear tree” as the gift.
Christmas is just two days away! The sights and sounds of the season are evident just about anywhere you go—decorations, lights, Christmas trees, parties, gifts, and Christmas music are seen and heard in stores, in restaurants, at home, here at church, in the airport, and almost everywhere else. One popular Christmas song that has been around for over 150 years tells the story of a number of gifts that were given over a period of 12 days. We’re going to use “The 12 Days of Christmas” to create our own version of this well-known Christmas song.
Divide your students into 11 groups (even if each “group” contains only one individual). Randomly distribute “Our 12 Days of Christmas” sheets (1 per group) and pens/pencils. If you have a small class, give some groups more than one sheet. Instruct groups to come up with a gift that corresponds with the specific day on their paper. For example, the group with day four (4) of Christmas might write “Four cups of coffee”; the group with the 12th day of Christmas might write “Twelve frosted cookies.” Give the groups a minute to choose their gift and write it on their paper.
When the groups are ready, have them get in a line in order from the second day of Christmas up to the twelfth day. Explain that the first day of Christmas will still be the partridge in a pear tree—everyone will sing that together—but the assigned group for each number will be responsible for singing out loud on the day shared by their group. Using the link below (a karaoke version of the song with no lyrics)—or with no music if preferred—sing through the song, allowing each group to sing their gift at the appropriate time. If you play the karaoke music as backup, it is suggested that your students not be allowed to look at the words on the screen as it might confuse them if the group singing “12 frosted cookies” sees 12 lords a leaping on the screen. This has the potential to get pretty silly, so have fun with it. You may have to do it twice to get the hang of it.
If desired, play this karaoke background music as your students sing their version of the Twelve Days of Christmas [4:26].
Twelve Days of Christmas Instrumental Karaoke Song / Children Love to Sing
Gifts are a big part of the Christmas season; our 12 Days of Christmas song showed that! Most everyone gets very excited on Christmas Eve with all the excitement of all kinds of gifts to open and enjoy coming their way!
For some people, the excitement of gifts during Christmas isn’t what they are going to get; instead, they love the opportunity to give something to someone they care about. Your parents enjoy picking out what to give you and then watching you open it on Christmas day.
- You probably remember a favorite gift that you’ve received. But can anyone remember a favorite gift that you gave? What made it special and memorable? How did you feel as you watched the other person opening your gift? How did they respond? (Allow students to share their experiences. Be prepared to share your own.)
It can be especially exciting to share a gift with someone who has no idea the gift is coming. Getting the chance to truly surprise someone can be such an incredible feeling! This video tells the story of a business that surprised its customers in a totally unexpected way.
Share this video with your students [6:02].
Airline gives huge Christmas surprise to passengers
- How did the passengers on this West Jet flight respond to the gifts that the airline gave them? (Excitement, amazement, some passengers cried.)
- What made the gifts so special? (The passengers had simply answered Santa’s questions about what they wanted for Christmas; they had no idea that they would actually receive those gifts when the flight landed.)
- Did the passengers do anything to deserve these gifts? (No! West Jet gave the gifts away as part of the Christmas season.)
- Why do you think West Jet went to such lengths to get gifts for the passengers on this flight? (Answers will vary.)
Our lesson today focuses on a very special gift that is offered to everyone, even though we don’t deserve to receive it. Let’s take a look at what this special gift is, and how two people responded when this gift was brought into their lives.
