Banquets rate high in popularity as a way to plan for people to gather socially for food and fellowship

Gifts From Around the World Christmas Banquet

WITH CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES

 

Purpose

 

If foreign missions and Christmas go together in your church, what could be more appropriate than a Christmas gift banquet with an international theme? Let this be an enjoyable experience for the whole church.

 

Invitation

 

 

 

Make a folder on tan construction paper and seal it so that it must be broken in order for the message inside to be read. Print on the inside: Yes, "Do Not Open Until" your curiosity gets too great and then you'll be sure to know that the (name of organization) Christmas Banquet will be (day) night (date) at (time). Dress (formal, semiformal, or informal). 

 

Give detailed information as to plans for children and their food, if this is for the whole church.

 

Note:  Bring a gift made in another country.  Choose a gift suitable for a person of your age and sex.  (State an amount to pay for the gift if you think this information is needed.)  

 

Reception of Guests

 

In four areas of a large room or in four small rooms, set up tables for displaying the International gifts brought by the guests.  Assign one or more hostesses to each area.  Ask the hostesses to dress in a costume of one of the countries represented in her area.  

 

Use these four divisions:

(1) the Americas,
(2) Europe,
(3) Africa and the Near East, and
(4) the Orient.

Give each guest the privilege of helping to display his gift (unwrapped) and of viewing the other gifts.  Later use these gifts in planned service activities.

 

General Decorations

 

Behind the speaker's table, or on a stage where most of the program will be presented, place a large map of the world (may be obtained from the Foreign Mission Board, the National Geographic Society, or a stationery store).

 

Frame the map with Christmas greens.  Attach to each continent a cutout of an attractive Christmas package.  Use colors that offer a pleasing, yet outstanding, contrast.  Across the middle of the map paint a large cross. (Use "Nite Brite," a luminous paint from the Craftint  Manufacturing Company, Cleveland , Ohio.  This will not show until the lights are turned out. Follow directions so that the paint may be exposed to at least thirty minutes of direct light to give the desired effect in the dark.)

 

Place large or small decorated Christmas trees (according to space available) on each side of the map.  Surround the trees with boxes that have been wrapped as attractive gifts.  Scatter some of the gifts so that they make an informal type of arrangement, reaching from one tree to the other. Do this in a manner that will suggest gifts around the world.

  

Use a few flags and bright lights in the over-all decorations.  Spotlight the map.

 

Table Decorations

 

Assign to individuals or groups tables to be decorated in a style suggesting a certain country and/or its Christmas customs.  Decorate small Christmas trees with tiny objects typical of a particular country to give an international flavor.  

 

For example:

To represent Holland, have gifts spilling out of wooden shoes.  

At the Mexican table feature the piñata.

Dolls from around the world will add excitement to any table.

If the crowd is large, several tables may represent the same country.

 

Program Cover

 

Print or mimeograph the program cover on blue paper. Paint the holly with red and green tempera.  Add silver glitter to the background garland and Christmas ornaments.  Touch up the packages with color if necessary.  White tempera on the ribbons will do the trick.
 

 

 

 

Program

 

Thanks to the Giver of Every Good Gift

 

Edible Gifts from Around the World

 

The World Gives to Us

Christmas Traditions (brief mention of the main traditions)

Songs of the Nations (special musical selections from several countries)

 

"Gifted" with International Drama (any good stunt can be adapted)

 

Gifts of Song for the World (everybody sings Christmas carols)

 

"Let Us Give" (a guest speaker brings a short missionary message with a personal challenge   to each member)

 

The Greatest Gift (lights out so the cross on the map will glowall join in singing 'When I Survey            the Wondrous Cross." Let the last stanza serve as the benediction. )

 

Menu

 

Italian Cocktail (grape juice)

Southern Fried Chicken

Chinese Rice                 Irish Green Beans

Olives from the Jordan

Swiss cheese with Fruit Salad

Brazilian Coffee                    Danish Rolls

English Plum Pudding

 

Favors

 

A "surprise" package placed at each plate may contain a small Christmas bell, wrapped as though having come from a foreign country.

 

Place Cards

 

Attach gift tags to the small packages to serve as place cards at the speaker's table, and elsewhere if needed.

 

Costumes

 

Ask those who serve the tables to wear costumes of many nations or at least colorful aprons and clever headpieces to give the suggestion of a costume. Plan for Dutch caps, Mexican sombreros, French tams, Spanish lace mantillas, and Oriental coolie hats.

 

Special Activities for the Children

 

Arrange to have the families eat together at the banquet tables, or ask the parents to serve supper at home to the children eight years of age and younger.  If children eat at the banquet tables, they will go to their assigned rooms before the program begins.  Be sure the workers precede the children to the rooms.

 

Plan for age groups of not more than fifteen preschoolers or twenty-five elementary school age children each.  Use the rooms where the children are accustomed to meeting.  Move out all the extra furniture to allow space for the active games.  Enlist at least two or three adult leaders for each group of children.

 

In planning for elementary school age children, how about letting them help decide how to decorate their room?  They may have objects from other countries, costumes, or decorations that they would like to bring from home.

 

Decorations

 

For elementary school age children, use as many objects as possible to create a festive

"international" atmosphere in the room, such as Japanese lanterns, Hawaiian leis, balloons, Spanish piñatas, wooden shoes, Indian jewelry and rugs, and dolls of different lands.

 

Suggest that the leaders dress in Indian fiesta dresses, Japanese kimonos, or Hawaiian muumuus to add special interest for the children. Let the children help make the decorations from crepe paper. For both preschoolers and elementary school age children, display pictures of children and scenes from other lands.

 

As the Children Arrive

 

Provide as many articles of dress or objects of adornment typical of other lands as possible. Include colorful scarves and headdresses, pieces of cloth in bright colors, jewelry, leis, artificial flowers, and wooden shoes.  Let each child select the objects which will help to establish the identity of the child from a particular country he wishes to represent during the evening.  Lead the children to examine the books or pictures for ideas if necessary.  Be sure to provide the "materials" which you anticipate the children to need in carrying out their ideas.  Both elementary school age children and preschoolers will enjoy doing this.

 

 

Refreshments

 

If the children eat at the banquet tables they may not need refreshments. If refreshments are provided, try Hawaiian fruit punch and coconut cookies for tasty, yet simple refreshments. Use your own good judgment as to the appropriate time to serve; but, make them exciting.

 

Games

 

Pass the bag (Alaska)

Children form a large standing circle.  While music is played, they toss a beanbag from one to another.  When the music stops, the one holding the bag drops out and sits in a prearranged circle of chairs. The last one who remains standing is the winner. (For elementary school age children or older preschoolers)

 

Bounce the ball (Syria)

Recognize the winner of the last game by allowing him to start this new game.  Each child bounces a large rubber ball, twirls around, and then catches it.  The winner is the one who can accomplish this feat the greatest number of times without missing. (This activity is best for elementary school age children)

 

Cat and mouse (Philippine Islands)

Draw a large circle on the floor.  In the center place several small objects, such as sticks and shoes, representing cheese.  The winner of the previous game is the cat, who stays within the circle and guards the cheese.  The other children are mice who try to get the cheese without getting tagged.  If the cat manages to tag anyone of the mice, the one tagged becomes the cat.  If the mice get all the cheese without getting caught, the cat continues during the next game.

 

The hidden pebble

This game is similar to Button, Button.  Often, when this game is played in Asia, nuts are used instead of pebbles.  The children count off, one, two, one, two, and so on.  The "ones" sit on the floor in a parallel line facing the "twos," feet straight out and close together.  Each side chooses a leader.  The leader of the first side goes up and down his line, pretending to hide a small pebble under the knees of one of the children.  When he finally hides it, the leader of the second side tries to guess where it is.  If he guesses correctly, the child under whose knees the pebble was hidden goes to the second side. If he guesses incorrectly, a child from the second side goes to the first side, and the first side hides the pebble again.  The side with the largest number at the end of the game is winner. (This activity  is best for elementary school age children)

 

The hen and the leopard

This is the African version of Fox and Geese.  Someone is chosen to be "It" (the leopard).  The other children stand at various places in the room.  They cannot move from their places but must try to avoid getting caught by squatting.  The leopard scores a "catch" when he touches someone who is standing erect. The one who is "caught" becomes "It." (This activity  is best for elementary school age children)

 

Follow the leader

Boys and girls in Switzerland play follow the leader in the snow.  One child is the leader who directs the others to follow him.  All pretend that snow has just fallen and follow the leader, as he walks with toes inward; walks with toes outward; jumps forward with both feet; and hops first on one foot and then on the other. Change leaders several times. (This activity  is best for elementary school age children or preschoolers)

 

My great aunt lives in Tours (France)

Sit in chairs or on the floor. Read the following jingle and let the children decide what

sound they want to make after each animal they name.

My great aunt lives in Tours

In a house with a cherry tree,

With a little mouse (squeak, squeak)

And a great big dog (bow, wow)

And a tabby cat (meow, meow)

And a speckled hen (cluck, cluck)

And a small pink pig (oink, oink)

And a spotted cow (moo, moo).

 

Any number of animals or birds may be added. (This activity  is best for Preschoolers)

 

The queen's headache (England or any country with royalty).

Name one player who will be queen.  Place her chair at one end of the room and have all the other boys and girls seated at the other end. Blindfold the queen and have her sit with her back to the other players.  Tell the boys and girls that the queen has a terrible headache and has dismissed her royal court because they were too noisy.  Tell them that she seeks new attendants who will walk quietly.  Let everyone have an opportunity to see if he qualifies.  As leader, nod or point to one player at a time who wants to try. Tell him to quietly slip up and touch the queen on her shoulder.  Tell the queen to groan if she hears a noise.  Remind all players that it is necessary for them to be quiet, whether trying to reach the queen or not.  When a player reaches the queen let him swap places with her. (This activity  is best for elementary school age children)

 

Break a piñata (Mexico)

Make a papier-mâché bird or animal, which is hollow at the bottom.  Suspend from it the bottom of a bag made of two thicknesses of tissue paper. Inside the bag, in the piñata, place individually wrapped hard candies and other small surprises.  To finish the pinata add crepe paper trimmings and suspend it from the ceiling by a pulley cord.  Blindfold the children and give each a stick with which to strike at the piñata.  Keep the piñata teasingly just out of reach until several have had turns.  When the piñata is broken, the children scramble for the "goodies." The piñata may be filled with favors that the children can take home. In this case, this should be the final activity of the evening.  (This activity  is best for elementary school age children or  preschoolers)

 

(Note: If you are planning for Beginners and need additional activities, choose some of their favorites.)

 

Music and stories

If elementary school age children and older preschoolers know folk songs of other lands which they have learned at school or nursery school, sing these as a group or individually.   Religious courses with actions are always a good musical Activity.

 

Musical chairs is always fun.  Place a chair for each person in a circle.  Remove one chair.  Play music and have the children to walk around the circle.  When the music stoops everyone sits in a chair.  The one left standing is out.  Remove another chair and repeat the activity until the chairs are down to only two chairs.  Repeat the activity until the winner is selected.  If the group is large have several circles of 8 to 10 chairs each.  Do not leave the people who are out of the game too long.  They will become restless and will not enjoy the activity.

 

Choose an appropriate story to close the party or as a lead to the breaking of the piñata.

 

Additional Banquet and Party Ideas are printed in our Banquet and Party Ideas Booklet.