In this ultimate list of nativity homeschool activities, you will find many nativity resources, nativity sets, nativity books, nativity printables and more.
The Nativity: the story of Jesus’ birth described in Matthew 1:18-2:12 and Luke 2:1-21.
The Ultimate List of Nativity Homeschool Activities
I remember when I was a child, my mom had a porcelain nativity set that we set on top of the t.v. It was a fragile set so we couldn’t play with it, but it was one Christmas decoration that we put up year after year. I would carefully place each figure in place thinking about the night Jesus was born. Seeing it still brings back good memories.
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Now there are so many nativity options available. They are more than cute Christmas decorations though. Use them to teach your children the true Christmas story. When you glance at your set around the house, think about the real meaning of the season. And enjoy these nativity homeschool activities.
Christmas Nativity Crafts
Make a Happy Birthday Jesus Banner with Nativity Foam Stamps
Oh Little Town of Bethlehem Craft from Love and Lollipops: Create a simple town with paper towel tubes, markers, and imagination.
Simple Shapes Nativity Craft from Purple Pocket: An adorable craft for younger children. Just need construction paper, craft sticks and glue!
Super Simple Nativity Popsicle Stick Puppets from Like a Pretty Petunia: This adorable craft is a wonderful tool for retelling the Christmas story.
I am happy to host my friend Maureen’s posts and resources (formerly of Spell Outloud) here at Your Best Homeschool and continue to make them available to you! – Tricia
Maureen Spell’s Bottle Cap Baby Jesus Craft from The Homeschool Village: Reuse your old plastic lids and create an adorable Christmas decoration.
Wooden Nativity Family Craft from Learning to Be Me: Using wood blocks, wooden balls and paint, create a very unique nativity set.
Felt Nativity Puppets (pattern included) from Bits of Everything: Simple yet cute felt nativity puppets.
Christmas Nativity Displays
There are so many different types and styles of nativity sets available. We have Christmas decorations around that my children won’t get in trouble for touching. I want my kids to be able to move and play with the nativity scenes. I want them to pretend and bring to life the nativity story in their minds. Here are a few that we have used over the years:
Fisher Price Nativity Set– our favorite!
Simple wooden nativity in a sandbox. (Read about the tradition of a nativity in sand in Tricia’s family: Christmas Is…)
What God Wants for Christmas Interactive Nativity Set
Printable Nativity Sets
These printables are such fun for your nativity homeschool activities!
Printable Nativity Finger Puppets from hart of the mountain studio: Print in either color or black and white. Adorable figures to help retell the story of Christmas.
Printable Nativity Set from Marloes de Vries: Another wonderful printable resource. Print in either color or black and white.
Printable Nativity Scene from Design Dazzle: Print on magnet paper and use as an interactive scene. (Several options here)
Printable Nativity Scene from Prepared Not Scared: Prints out in color. Modge Podge onto wood blocks for moveable figures or print on magnet paper for an interactive scene.
Printable Nativity Ornaments from Wild Olive: These are super cute printable ornaments for your tree! Could also be used as gift tags.
Printable Nativity Worksheets
Printable Nativity Pack for young children from 3 Dinosaurs: Great printables that go along with The Birds of Bethlehem by Tomie dePaola.
Nativity Preschool Pack from 1+1+1=1: These Nativity printables will give your preschooler hours of fun and exposure to early learning skills like ABCs, counting, early reading, shapes, colors and more!
J is for Jesus Preschool Pack from Confessions of a Homeschooler: Nativity puzzles, magnet pages, letter learning and more.
Printable Christmas Resources Christian Preschool Printables: Print out onto cardstock and cut. Let your children put the various nativity scences back together.
Nativity Coloring Sheets from Christian Preschool Printables: Several different designs to choose from.
Luke 2:11 Printable Bible Verse from Totally Tots: This goes along with the Songs for Sapling Christmas song
Christmas Nativity Homeschool Activities
Nativity Small World Play: Bethlehem from Sun Hats and Wellie Boots: Make your own Bethlehem playset with everyday items. Great to encourage free-play in children.
Nativity Scene Small World Play from The Imagination Tree: Create a simple stable that children can play with during the Christmas season.
Clothes Pin Nativity Game from All Play on Sunday: A fine-motor activity for young children.
Decorating a Nativity Tree from Sun Hats and Wellie Boots: Use various nativity ornaments to set up a Nativity tree for children to use for retelling the story of Christmas
Felt Wall Nativity Set from My Crazy Blessed Life: Turn a wall into a felt nativity scene. A great way to encourage children to play and recount the story.
Christmas Nativity Art Activities
Nana has a Christmas Play homeschool art lesson that pairs perfectly with The Best Christmas Pageant Ever! I was so excited to do this one with my kids because we love to celebrate the end of a book with art, treats, and Nana.
Christmas Star Art Lesson – This lesson is a simple, yet a lovely one to celebrate the Christmas season. My students enjoyed the bright colors and the velvet blue night sky that we painted for our Christmas Star Chalk Pastel Tutorial.
Draw Your Way Through the Story of Christmas – Add these Advent art activities to your Christmas Homeschool plans! You can draw your way through the story of Christmas from the angels announcing Messiah’s birth to the manger scene.
Christmas Nativity Chalk Pastel Art Lesson – In this nativity chalk pastel art tutorial we will focus on the scene the night of the birth of Jesus! Now this colorful scene is a picture of Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus right at sunset. The sun’s rays are bursting forth and reaching far in glorious color. At the same time the star of Bethlehem is right above. So the scene is at dusk and the setting is beautiful in so many ways.
The Ultimate List of Christmas Homeschool Art Lessons – Enjoy this ultimate list of Christmas Homeschool Art Lessons! Christmas homeschooling allows us to focus on the real reason for the season. And you can do that in so many ways. We will give many resources to choose from and help you customize your perfect Christmas school day, week, or month.
Christmas and Nativity Books
25 Christmas Picture Books to Cuddle Up With – One year we wrapped 25 books, one to open for each day of December until Christmas Day. You can do this with books you have purchased or library books.
Truth in the Tinsel – Spend December impressing God’s Word on your kids’ heart! You’ll get 24 days of Scripture reading, ornament crafts, talking points and extension activities. Plus fun printables and templates! This is the perfect book for kids of any age–from preschool to elementary!
Jotham’s Journey Series is a wonderful choice for Advent and Christmas reading with the entire family! If you haven’t read these before, you are in for a real treat.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (includes art activities) – f you haven’t had the pleasure of reading The Best Christmas Pageant Ever before, I should warn you; you are likely to experience belly laughs! Along with learning some things you wouldn’t likely expect.
Nativity Movies
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever 2024 version to release in November of same year
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (1983 version)
More Christmas Activities for Your Homeschool
The Ultimate Guide to Lovely Christmas Activities – This guide to lovely Christmas activities for your homeschool is designed to be filled with ideas to simplify and enjoy the season. So, fix a steamy cup of hot chocolate and settle into your favorite chair by the twinkling holiday lights.
Three Gifts for Christmas – Here is the habit that helped us simplify gift giving for our children. Three gifts for Christmas.
Christmas Book to Movie Homeschool Activities Your Kids Will Love! by Erin – Check out this festive list of Christmas books made into movies – with Christmas activities your kids will love! Now your kids can re-create their favorite book characters and movie scenes with chalk pastels! Like Kevin from Home Alone, the Grinch and more!
A Merry Christmas Hymns Study for Your Homeschool – Whether you homeschool as normal through December, add in Christmas activities, or trade all your homeschool curriculum for ‘Christmas School,’ a Christmas hymns study can be an enjoyable part of your school day. It is a beautiful opportunity for the family to learn and worship together.
A Homeschool Mom’s Christmas Favorites – recipes we use often in December, advent resources plus holiday and winter art and more.
” The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us). Matthew 1:23″
This holiday season, may your family enjoy these nativity homeschool activities and remember the reason for the season!
Maureen helps Christian mompreneurs operate their business from a place of joy, purpose, and excellence because they are clear on how their business is serving their family and others. As a homeschool mom, she believes success at home AND business without the mom-guilt, stress and burn-out is possible! Outside of work, she loves having good conversations over a hot chai or GT Gingerberry kombucha and spending time with her husband and seven children. Visit her at MaureenSpell.com
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