Christmas Snack for Children’s Ministry: First Christmas Morning Mix

Kids experience the Christmas story while enjoying this Christmas snack.

You’re not supposed to talk with your mouth full, but nobody said your food can’t talk for itself!

In this Christmas snack mix, every piece tells a story—the greatest story ever told! Try this snack with kids at your church, or share it with families to try at home!

Note: Be sure to check for food allergies before serving snacks to children. Check out this article for allergy-friendly goodies for children’s ministry.

Preparing the Christmas Snack

You’ll need:

• large mixing bowl
• small paper cups (1 per child)
• animal crackers
• Cheerios
• pretzel sticks
• mini marshmallows
• M&M’s candies
• small Ritz crackers
• chocolate chips

Experiencing the Christmas Snack

To make this salty-sweet treat, gather ingredients and mix them together in a large mixing bowl. Scoop some of the Christmas snack mix into the paper cups, ensuring there’s at least one of each ingredient in the cups.

Explain to kids that each ingredient tells a piece of a wonderful story: the story of Jesus on the first Christmas morning. As you go through the list below, have kids follow along with you.

Hold up a pretzel stick.

Say there were shepherds watching their sheep. The shepherds may have carried staffs that look a bit like pretzel sticks.

Pick up a few mini-marshmallow “sheep.”

Say that shepherds were watching their flocks—when suddenly an angel appeared.

Hold a Cheerio.

Explain that the Bible doesn’t describe the angel who appeared to the shepherds as having a halo, but Christmas cards often do. The angel announced good news—great news. The Savior had been born!

Hold up an animal cracker.

Say that shepherds ran into Bethlehem to find Jesus. They wanted to see for themselves this baby who was also a king, who was also their Savior.

They found Jesus in a place where barnyard animals were kept. He was lying in a feeding trough, with Mary and Joseph at his side.

The King of the universe was wrapped up in strips of cloth, lying where animals were fed.

Pick up an M&M’s candy.

Explain that “Mama Mary” knew her baby was someone special. God had told her who her child was, and she treasured what she knew in her heart.

But maybe Mary treasured her first few hours with Jesus because she knew there would come a time she couldn’t be with him. That he would be busy being with others. That he might find himself paying for the sins of the world.

Pick up two pretzel sticks.

Snap one in half and make the shape of a cross.

Explain that’s what happened. Jesus came to Bethlehem as a baby, but he didn’t stay in Bethlehem. He didn’t stay a baby. He became a man on a mission. His mission was to die for our sins so we could be friends with God—forever!

Hold up a round Ritz cracker.

Say that Jesus was put in a tomb after dying on a cross. A stone was rolled in front of the tomb, but it didn’t stay there. The stone rolled away when Jesus rose from the dead!

Hold a chocolate chip.

Tell everyone that the story of the first Christmas is just part of Jesus’ story. He went on to make a way for all of us to come to God and be forgiven for our sins. And nothing is sweeter than that!

Invite everyone to toss their chocolate chips in their mouths and enjoy their Christmas snack together.

Want more hands-on holiday fun? Check out these festive holiday packs from Group’s Simply Loved curriculum.

Looking for more Christmas ideas? Check out these posts!