Nativity Scene Craft Project

Project Summary:

This sensory nativity scene craft project is a wonderful project for all the family. Designing and creating your own nativity scene provides a beautiful opportunity to enable children to learn and engage with the story of Christmas.

Project Details: Nativity Scene Craft Project

Step 1: Gather the materials

The first step is to gather a wide range of materials that can be used for the project. You will need a set of nativity figures as a basis for the project.

Children will then love using their imagination to come up with lots of ideas for objects that can be used to create the nativity scene. They may find miniature toy farm animals, or a silver star that they can hang. They can also collect outdoor items including twigs from trees, or a branch from the Christmas tree, small stones from outdoors and some straw or twigs.

You can also create houses for the village by using a selection of painted cardboard boxes and toilet rolls.

Step 2: Create houses for the village

Children may choose to make houses for the village, these can be created from small cardboard boxes or toilet rolls.

Simply paint the cardboard boxes and toilet rolls white and then an adult can cut out windows and doors. You may also wish to create sheltered areas for the animals using lollipop sticks and placing a roof of material over them.

Step 3: Build the village scene

The next step is to set-up a table top and place a green covering over it, options include green felt or green paper. Then children will love creating their village scene, using all of the items that they have created and then carefully placing the nativity figures within the scene.

Step 4: Tell the story of Christmas

The most fun part is telling the story of Christmas and moving the figures through the village to play out the story as it unfolds. This becomes a play-led learning experience for children as they get to share in the wonder and joy of the birth of baby Jesus!

The angel Gabriel appears to Mary

The angel Gabriel appears to Mary and says “There is nothing to be feared. You have been chosen to bear God’s son. His name will be Jesus. He will save everyone”.

Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem

Mary and Joseph were happily married, and awaited the child that sweet Mary carried. One day a messenger came to declare they should go to their birthplace to play taxes there. Mary rode her donkey while Joseph led them on the long winding road towards Bethlehem.

There are no rooms to stay in the village

As they entered the town, it soon became clear that they needed rest for baby was near.

But wherever they went they were told the same thing: “Sorry, we’re full. There’s no room at the inn.”

An innkeeper gives Mary and Joseph a small stable to stay in

I have a small stable,” one innkeeper said. “It’s warm and it’s dry, with clean straw for a bed.”

Baby Jesus is born

So that very night, before break of dawn, the animals watched as Jesus was born. They did not know that the baby so small would one day grow up to save us all.

The shepherds left their flocks

High over the hills, on that joyous night, some shepherds were roused by a dazzling light. When darkness returned and the shepherds were able, they left their flocks and went to the stable.

The wise men followed the bright star

In a land to the East, over hills afar, three wise men saw a bright new star. The wise men knew that the star foretold the birth of a King, for it was written of old. And so they journeyed night after night, following the star that shone so bright.

Praise the new King

Kneeling before him, they started to sing, “With these precious gift, we praise the new King”.

Extracts taken from “Newton A., Goldsack G. (2010), “The First Christmas”, Parragon Books Ltd.