The REAL Life of Jesus....As Told By 5 Year Olds

    Christmas is a very magical time in the life of five and six year olds.  They are giddy about Santa and snow and gifts and stockings and lights and trees and reindeer.  They come in the door buzzing about parades and newly wrapped packages under the tree.  Christmas is a hot topic in a Kindergarten classroom.  Each year during the month of December, I open up discussion with my class about their thoughts on "the REAL" reason for Christmas. 

    The discussion almost always starts off with Santa or presents, but there are usually several who are able to chime in about Christmas being a celebration of Jesus' birth.  This year started out much the same.

  I questioned my class. 

Raise your hand if you can tell me about the REAL reason why we celebrate Christmas.

As expected, a child blurted out..."For Santa!"  Which was quickly followed by the responses...."Cause, We get presents." And then, "Santa hides suprises under our tree and I don't know how he does that without me even knowing about it."

  Thankfully, the discussion quickly changed and was all about Jesus.  A child reminded the rest of the class that Christmas is REALLY about when Jesus was born.  The best part of this year's discussion was the depth of conversation in which the class began adding details about Jesus' life.  I kept questioning and the kids kept coming up with responses.  It quickly got very humorous.  Each time new details were added, we had to discuss what the truth really was.  Students were mixing up characters and situations in the Bible and sometimes, they were just way off target.  But, by the end of the discussion, I think all the students had a general idea of the correct story of Jesus' birth.

 If I were to piece together a portion of today's discussion from several students into one story of Jesus.....here is how it would go......

The REAL life of Jesus......As told by my Kindergarten Class

   Jesus was born 50 years ago.  He was born in a 'staple'.  People brought him gifts when he was born.  They brought a passy, diapers, and baby blankets.  Then, he got big and built an ark and the earth flooded.  He also built a cross.  Jesus had super powers.  He could even freeze people.  Mean people body slammed Jesus.  They put him in a cave with lions.  He used a stick to poke them.  Then, Jesus died when he was 15 because he smoked.