What better way to celebrate on Christmas Day then with a simple Nativity skit or play? Especially for those of us who didn't have one at church, this is a meaningful, fun, memorable, interactive way to spend Christmas Eve or Christmas evening, either before or after the dishes are done. :)
Your guests will be enchanted by the children's simple hearts for Jesus, and your younger children will understand the First Christmas event with greater clarity. Public speaking, even if just for the family environment, is really good for all children. And how fun, besides!
We have one guest coming this year, our single friend Dean. Last year he really enjoyed our children's makeshift Nativity play. This year we wanted to do something still simple, but with a little more structure. I have resources to share with you below, but if these don't appeal, you could simply read the Christmas story from the Jesus Storybook Bible or another children's bible, and put on a simple play as you read. We did that one Easter and it worked well.
This site features a play with two options: one for the narrator to have all the lines, and the other for the children to have simple lines. There are Christmas carols interspersed that all of you sing together. If you have only a few children in the house, your guests can have a part, or parts.
A Simple Pageantry - A simple play with no lines, just the narrator explaining the events as they happen, and Christmas carols interspersed, with the song lyrics written out.
A Possible Reader's Theatre - "The Story of Baby Jesus" - This one has mostly speaking parts, and could be done with the adults and your literate children each taking a part or two. Whoever typed it didn't use the best punctuation, but it will work fine.
Another Possible Reader's Theatre - "Just a Little Christmas" - Speaking parts mostly. Adapt for fewer people or have everyone take more than one part.
Costume and Prop Ideas
Costumes could simply be sheets secured with a waist belt, and a brown, tan, or white shirt draped over the head, tied loosely at the neck. Use stuffed animals and dolls for props? Or do the whole thing with puppets if you have them. Kids could use old socks to make puppets, especially if you have some felt pieces and a glue gun. Or they could use markers to put on details. The sock puppets would work well for the Reader's Theatre-type scripts.
You could also use your manger-scene figurines as the characters, if costumes would be too much trouble.
Enjoy! Take a picture and share?
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1 comment:
BRILLIANT! Thank you. My girls love performing and they have already roped me into choreographing them a little dance for everyone tomorrow. I wanted to do something more 'Christmassy' too and this will be perfect. Also I wanted to sing some carols because we will have my husband's mother with us and she has dementia, but she is/was a very devout person and Christmas carols interspersed with a little Nativity play would be a great idea! Happy Christmas! :-D
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