Cookies

Using Cookies to tell the Christmas story

(This is fun for middle elementary students: second to fourth grade)

We recently discovered a book and cookie cutter set at our local Christian bookstore. It is called the The Christmas Story – Cookie Cutter Set and Recipe Book, by Laura Kelly and illustrated by Rick Brown. The book is published by Standard Publishing 24-03585. The kit contains five cookie cutters; an angel, star, sheep, wise men, and donkey. The book contains one paragraph about each characters part of the story plus a recipe and tips on how to decorate the character. What a handy little tool sitting at our local bookstore!

Method 1

If you have cookie cutters in the shapes of the primary elements of the story, bake up enough for one per child of the class you’ll be in.

Some suggestions might be:

an angel

a star

human or gingerbread figures

shepherd’s crook

If you have the time and resources, add other figures to expand the story (crown for wise men, animals such as donkey or sheep).

Decorate the cookies with frosting and decors. Be sure to be equal in your use of “decors” as the kids will notice who gets “more”.

Tell the story by holding up a cookie and describing the event. Use a good “story-telling” manner, with lots of inflection and descriptive language. Know the story well enough to tell it spontaneously.

Angel- an angel came and told Mary she was going to have a special baby.

Man- Joseph was to be Mary’s husband. They had to travel to Bethlehem to be counted and taxed by the government.

Donkey- There was no room in the inn so the baby was born in a stable, where the animals stayed.

Shepherd’s crook- The shepherds were the first to hear the good news that this special baby had been born.

Star- on the night the baby was born a star appeared in the sky to guide the wise men to this special baby.

Crown- the wise men were honored to give the baby special fits of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Give each child a cookie at the end of the story.

Method 2

Bake or purchase round cookies and draw with gel frosting in a tube, stylized figures of a star, lamb, musical note, and angel.

Talk about symbols representing important things. (The flag for our country, Gator for U of FL, etc)

Talk about symbols for Christmas like a tree, Santa Claus, reindeer, Christmas carols.

Then tell them you are going to tell them the historical story of Christmas using some symbols they may or may not be familiar with.

Angel- a major player in the story showing up 3 times to tell someone good news; Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds

Lamb- the lowly, poor shepherds were the first ones to hear of Jesus’ birth.

Star- guided the wise men to this infant king so they could bring gifts and worship Him.

Musical Notes-the angels sang at Jesus’ birth, and that’s why we sing carols today.

Read the story out of Luke 2:1-20.

Give each child a cookie at the end of the story.

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SITC-1.0-ENG-0003 17-Jul-2002