Make sure to check out our Sacred Storytelling Guide for more details on how to invite your children to experience and wonder together about stories from the Bible. We hope you will use this as a starting point - but feel free to tweak our script to fit the age/stage of your children and your family’s culture. Find a downloadable PDF of the script at the end of this post.
We hope this serves as a fun way to enter into the story of Christ’s birth this advent season.
MATERIALS
Peg people
In our kit we used: three large peg dolls (Mary, Joseph, an angel)
four small peg dolls (three kid-sized shepherds and baby Jesus)
Felt
In our kit we created: clothing for each peg doll
Houses for Mary and Joseph (repurposed as buildings in Bethlehem later on)
A road
Small pieces of wood (to symbolize Joseph’s work as a carpenter)
Sheep
A yellow circle (the bright light that appears to the shepherds)
A barn structure
A manger
String (to tie clothing onto peg dolls)
Some kind of base fabric (we used a large piece of green felt, but a pillowcase or blanket could work too!)
Of course, these materials are just suggestions. I have had great luck telling stories with my 2 yo and 4 yo boys using Duplos and other toys from around the house. My goal is simply to get my kids engaged in the story, and I often find my 4 yo asking to tell the story again or recreating some version of it in his play later on.
SCRIPT
INTRO
There is a special day coming soon – Christmas! Christmas is when we celebrate Jesus’ birthday. Today we get to hear the story of when Jesus was born.
MEET MARY
(spread out green mat, place Mary’s house on the mat, place Mary figure)
First, let’s meet Mary. Mary lived in Nazareth. Mary will become Jesus’ mom. Before Mary had baby Jesus, she was going to get married to a man named Joseph. Mary loved God.
One day, an angel named Gabriel came to visit Mary. (place angel)
The angel had a message for Mary: “Don’t be afraid. You’re going to have a baby.” Mary couldn’t believe it! How could this be? The angel said, “God will make this happen.”
I wonder what Mary was feeling?
Mary answered, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” After this, Mary spent time wondering about what God was doing.
I wonder who Mary told first about her visit with the angel?
I wonder why angels always say, “Don’t be afraid.”
MEET JOSEPH
(place road, place Joseph’s house, place Joseph figure)
Down the road, also in Nazareth, lived Joseph. He is Jesus’ dad, and he was a carpenter who built things out of wood. (place wood pieces)
When he learned Mary was going to have a baby, he was pretty nervous. It felt impossible – how was he going to be a dad? That night, when Joseph went to sleep, he had a dream.
(lay Joseph down on his house, place angel figure)
In his dream, an angel came to him – just like Mary – and said, “Mary is going to have a baby! You should name the baby Jesus.’’
I wonder if Joseph was talkative or shy?
I wonder if he was nervous to tell anyone about the dream?
(clear away all pieces)
MEET THE SHEPHERDS
Away from town, out in the fields, were some shepherds. Shepherds take care of sheep and keep them safe.
(place shepherds, place sheep)
I wonder what they kept sheep safe from?
Did you know shepherds back in this time were usually kids, just like you? Most of them were between 10 and 12 years old. They were also VERY stinky and smelled like the sheep they took care of. People didn’t see shepherds as very important people, and they didn’t get paid very much.
One night while the shepherds were watching their sheep they saw the BRIGHTEST light they had ever seen coming from the sky!
(place yellow circle)
They were terrified! They gathered together with their sheep and were afraid of what would come next.
This was the last group you would expect something really amazing to happen to.
(place angel)
But an angel came to them too and said, “I have some great news! Jesus has been BORN!” And the angel praised God and started singing “Glory to God!”
I wonder how the shepherds felt after they saw the angels singing?
Because of what the angel said, the shepherds went to go find Mary and Joseph – and the baby Jesus!
I wonder if the sheep wanted to go find Jesus too?
I wonder how long it took to get to meet Jesus?
THE BIRTH OF JESUS
(place road, place “full” houses/inns, place barn and manger, start Mary & Joseph at beginning of road)
Now we come back to Mary & Joseph. They were still in their hometown of Nazareth. When it was time for Jesus to be born, Mary & Joseph had to take a trip to the town where Joseph’s family was from, a town called Bethlehem, so they went there.
I wonder if you’ve ever taken a trip to your parents’ hometown?
(move Mary & Joseph down the road)
Mary & Joseph traveled a really long way to get to Bethlehem. When they got there, they looked and looked for a place to stay but every room was full! The only place they could find was an old barn. There were lots of animals inside. It was there in this old barn with all the animals that Jesus was born. He is here!
(place Jesus figure)
After Jesus was born, the shepherds who had heard God’s angels tell of this good news came to see for themselves. There was Jesus! Amazing!
(place shepherds & sheep)
They went out telling everyone they met, “God has sent Jesus. Jesus is here!”
(move shepherds out to other houses)
I wonder how many people heard the exciting news from the shepherds that night?
I wonder why it matters that Jesus was born?
I wonder what your favorite part of the story was?
Optional prayer: God, thank you for always being with us, and thank you for Jesus being born!
Download a PDF of this script below.
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This script, visuals, and instructions are so helpful. What great storytelling and questioning ideas for our beloved little people!