Christmas Choice
by Elwyn Harries

Props
Three soft toy sweet bags (from 99p Stores) One each: Santa, Rudolf and Frosty the Snowman. These are about 7 inches high with soft fur heads and limbs attached to a clear plastic zip up body which contains the sweets. I have seen them on sale at £4.99 each in a garden centre but I paid 99p each for mine - shop around! 
All Clear forcing Bag (made from 2 clear plastic document wallets)
Selection of Red, Gold and Silver mini Baubles (from Sainsbury’s)
Tissue Paper
Baby Jesus figure
Set of ten battery ‘globe’ lights (from 99p Stores)
Small plastic bottle of water (bottle was a hotel shampoo freebie)

Set Up:
Rudolf’s Nose:
Cut all but the nearest bulb holder to the battery compartment from the set of lights. Rewire to make connection (change bulb to red if necessary). Cut slit in Rudolf’s nose and base of head (inside sweet compartment) and insert bulb holder through stuffing to project out through nose. Battery pack remains inside sweet compartment.

Forcing Bag:
Cut off side strips (with punched holes) from both wallets.
Cut off 5mm from one wallet (this will become the inner bag)
Slit both wallets down one side and across the bottom and open out to form sheets
Lay smaller sheet on top of larger sheet so that bases and creases line up.
Fold both sheets back into shape and tape closed so that tape seals both bags..

Load Compartments:
Remove sweets
Wrap each load in tissue paper as follows:
Small bottle of water into Frosty
Baby Jesus into Santa
Battery pack into Rudolf - allow switch to poke through paper for easy access when switching on

Baubles:
All red baubles into centre compartment of forcing bag
Mix of gold and silver + two or three reds into front compartment
One each hung around character bags necks: Red - Santa, Gold - Rudolf, Silver - Frosty

Routine:
1. Introduce Santa, Rudolf and Frosty - sit them on front of table. Tell children that Frosty and Rudolf are having argument as to who brings the most happiness at Christmas.
a. Frosty’s claims - magic snowman, story, song, plaything. All children like making snowmen etc. 
b. Rudolf’s claims - Shiny red nose (switch on), story, songs, cartoons, pulls sleigh, Santa’s helper etc.
c. Santa - Very wisely suggests they let the children decide
2. Choose helper and point out baubles round character’s necks Show force bag and pull out several balls from front compartment. Child ‘selects’ red one from inner bag
3. Show contents of Frosty and Rudolf highlighting transitory nature of happiness (Frosty always ends up as a puddle - bottle of water, Rudolf’s nose runs out when battery removed etc.). expand as necessary by asking children what makes them happy (presents, food, football etc.)
4. Show Santa Explain about origin as St Nicholas, a Christian giving presents and money to the needy to make them happy. But explain how he knew that the most important person at Christmas is (open parcel in Santa’s compartment to reveal baby), Jesus. Yes He brings happiness but much more - He is the source of true Joy. Explain difference between happiness and Joy. (Happiness depends on the things that happen to us. Go back to list of things children suggested made them happy and point out that the absence or opposite of these things makes us sad. E.g. when our football team wins we are happy but when they lose we are sad. 
5. When we choose Jesus and ask Him into our lives as St Nicholas did, then we can know true joy all year round, whatever our circumstances. Paul knew this joy (Philippians the ‘Joyful’ epistle written from prison). Challenge children (adults too?) to choose Jesus and know the Joy only he can bring. Have a Happy Christmas but a joyful one too.

Elwyn Harries
Christmas 2004

Other uses of the props: (non Gospel)

Load sweets into one, and old sock, rotten apple core etc. into the others. Child gets sweets to share.