Give each pair a Bible and ask them to find two journeys that end in Bethlehem. One begins in a field and the other follows a visit to a king. These short rounds let children compare what Luke and Matthew tell us about the visitors.

Holiday dates for planning

Observance20262027202820292030
Christmas DayFriday, December 25, 2026Saturday, December 25, 2027Monday, December 25, 2028Tuesday, December 25, 2029Wednesday, December 25, 2030

Christmas Day date reference

For Christmas Day in 2027, the holiday date is Saturday, December 25, 2027; the federal observed date is Friday, December 24, 2027.

Round one: A night with the shepherds

Read Luke 2:1–20 aloud. Let one partner listen for people and the other listen for places. Ask all three questions before sharing answers.

  1. What brought Joseph to Bethlehem?
  2. What two details did the angel give the shepherds to help them recognize the baby?
  3. After the visit, who quietly thought about what had happened?

Leader’s key. Joseph went to be registered in his ancestral town (verses 3–5). The baby would be wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger (verse 12). Mary kept these things in her heart and pondered them (verse 19). Read Luke’s account.

Round two: Visitors from the east

Switch readers and open Matthew 2:1–12.

  1. In which city did the wise men ask about the newborn king?
  2. Where were the child and Mary when the wise men saw them?
  3. The wise men brought three kinds of gifts. How many visitors does Matthew count?

Leader’s key. Jerusalem (verses 1–2), a house (verse 11), and an unspecified number of visitors (verses 1 and 11). Invite someone to name the three gifts and show the class the verse that lists them. Read Matthew’s account.

Let everybody take a turn

Give a point for an answer that means the same thing in the group’s translation. A child who prefers to listen can place a paper star beside the right scene while a partner reads the verse. To finish, ask each pair which detail they would put in a picture of Luke’s visitors and which they would put in Matthew’s.

A printable for this activity

Nativity Bible Trivia Rounds includes eighteen questions, three team sheets and three answer keys with verse references.

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Optional supplies

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Nativity finger puppet set lets younger children choose a character while their partner reads the passage.