God’s Love Mixes In To Us – Like Candy Canes in Hot Chocolate
In this Christmas Sunday school lesson, candy canes in hot chocolate can help kids understand God’s love “mixes in” with us and makes us “sweeter” people.
Christmas Sunday School Lesson
Materials
– Styrofoam cups for the hot chocolate
– Thermos for hot liquids
– Candy canes tall enough to stand up in the mugs and act as stirs.
– 6 cups whole milk
– 6 servings cocoa mix
Preparation
1. The easiest way to serve hot chocolate is to make it at home and bring it in for children in a hot thermos. You need it to stay hot so the candy canes will melt a bit when you stir them! Put the lid on immediately after making and pouring it into the thermos.
2. If the candy canes are wrapped in cellophane, remove it for the little children as the candy canes are easy to break.
Instructions
1. Heat the milk in a large pot.
2. As soon as it simmers, whisk the chocolate in to the pot.
3. Pour into individual mugs, and stand the candy canes in the mugs so they become stirs. The peppermint flavor will gradually be absorbed into the chocolate, enhancing the flavor.
Discussion
Red and white mint sticks are a very old German Candy. Supposedly, in the 17th century, a German choir instructor bent the canes to represent a shepherd’s staff for his children during a holiday performance. That was the first use of the “candy cane.” With Jesus as the “Good Shepherd,” the candy cane has been given great importance during the holidays. People used them to decorate Christmas trees, known in earlier times in Europe as “yule trees.”
Hot chocolate is a special Christmas time treat. The hot chocolate is sort of like us. We’re special to God.
Hold up your candy cane.
This candy cane is sort of like God’s love. He likes to “stir us up” with his love.
Put the candy cane in the hot chocolate and stir it around.
Can anyone think of a way God showed his love for you recently?
Encourage with questions like, did something very good happen? Can you see how God was involved in that? When a student comes up with a blessing, stir harder! Encourage them to do the same, holding on to the base of the cup so it won’t spill!
Does anyone know what happens when you put something sugary into something hot? What starts to happen?
The sugar begins to melt.
Let’s see!
Remove your candy cane, and show that it has shrunk and the red is starting to come off.
And if I taste the hot chocolate, I can taste a little bit of mint, and I know some of the sugar is in the hot chocolate because it tastes a little sweeter! See? God “rubs off” on us when we stay close to him and allow him to “stir up his love in our lives!” It’s fun to stir hot chocolate with a candy cane. But we can also enjoy “God’s love” straight up!
Suck your candy cane enthusiastically and encourage them to do the same.
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