Free Nativity Scene Printables and Crafts

Published:
December 16, 2014

Sarah Shelton

Contributor:
Sarah Shelton

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I love using Nativity scenes in sweet little crafts around Christmas time! These Free Nativity Printables and Crafts are perfect tools for you to teach your kids all about what the Nativity really means during the holiday season.

Out of all the Christmas decorations, the Christian takes particular care and affection towards the Nativity scene.

When was the first Nativity scene?

In 1223 (over 800 years ago), St. Francis of Assisi displayed the first-ever recorded nativity scene.

Yes, Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman, and Rudolf came centuries after the birth of Jesus Christ.

The first depiction of the nativity scene was displayed with live people. Of course, this is unlike the nativity scenes we place on our mantles during the holidays. Many have re-done this live depiction in public to share the meaning of Christmas with the masses.

St. Francis was said to have made the nativity scene so children understand the true meaning of Christmas. We can appreciate that effort even to this day.

Why is the Nativity scene important?

The significance of the Nativity scene is that it represents the true spirit and meaning of Christmas. It depicts the representation of the birth of Jesus Christ.

St. Francis knew that the world would need a reminder that the season was not just about gifts and Christmas carols. The nativity scene, first and foremost, reminds us that Christmas is about celebrating and giving reverence to the birth of Christ.

The story may be old but its meaning is still alive and significant today.

The visual display of the Nativity scene shows Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in a lowly manger. With the nativity scene, our children understand the magnitude of who Jesus is. He came here in human form for the ultimate sacrifice.

How great is our God!

Yet, it is easy for us to forget that Christmas time is nothing about us and has everything to do with HIM.

This is why we are in agreement with St. Francis in this. We need a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas. We can use the reminder for our children and for the occasional reminder ourselves in the midst of the Christmas-time chaos.

Recommended: Special Christmas Bundle

Preparing Your Heart for Christmas is a short 10-day Advent devotional and is suitable for children in grades K-4. Younger children will enjoy the daily devotions and discussion questions, Nativity Coloring Pages, and Advent Scene Builder. The printable Nativity scene cut outs with dotted lines is great for decoration too!

If you have an older child – no worries! Christmas Around The World Unit Study is great for grades 4 & up. Even young children will enjoy the interesting stories of cultures and traditions from around the world!

Christmas devotional

Free Nativity Printables and Crafts

There are so many fun nativity themed free printables available. Print off some today for a perfect way to add in some crafting fun during the holidays. Simple crafts can encourage creative play in younger kids. They also make for precious moments that you can capture with your camera. 

Nativity Do-a-dot printables – (All my girls age 3-9 LOVE Do-a-Dots) This free nativity do-a-dot is 10 pages of fun for the holidays. The printable pack includes letters do-a-dot, numbers do-a-dot, and a picture do-a-dot. It’s a fun way to practice fine motor skills.

Christmas Nativity Q-Tip Painting – This Christmas nativity activity is hands-on and fun. It is a Q-tip painting activity that includes skills practice focusing on beginning letter sounds.

Nativity Preschool Pack – Your preschool will get the most out of your nativity lessons with this free preschool pack. It comes with an assortment of printable worksheets about the nativity story.

 Nativity Printable Color and Cut Matching Game – The adorable matching game includes a 2 page PDF and has 2 of each part of the nativity story. The illustrations are adorable.

Nativity PreK/K Pack – This free nativity PreK and Kindergarten pack has been updated and is perfect as an addition to Advent activities. The pack includes 2 emergent readers, activities for numbers 1-20, fine motor activities, print awareness activities, rhyming word games, and more.

Printable Nativity Scene

I love paper toys! I am not much of a craft fan, but cutting paper, coloring, and using glue sticks I can deal with. Young children love unique printable pages that allow them to be creative. They can color their own nativity figures and recreate the story of the first Christmas. 

Easy Printable Nativity Scene Craft – Includes cut outs for Joseph, Mary, the baby Jesus, shepherds, sheep, angels, and a stable backdrop. Create a full Nativity that tells the story of the birth of Christ.

Printable Nativity Scene – Using paper your kids will have a blast cutting out the parts and characters of the Nativity. There’s a full color version and one that is black and white so kids can color it. This super cute printable nativity scene is one of my favorites. You could use toilet paper tubes to wrap your cut outs on for play. 

Printable Nativity Scene for Frames – This free printable Nativity scene is more for frames than for crafting, but it’s a great option for free Christmas decor. Kids of all ages love to decorate, this is an easy way to get them involved. 

Memory Game Nativity Scene – Memory games are a fun activity for your children to explore any subject, including the nativity. There are two sets of cards (28 in total), one set in green and the other in red. Print on card stock for durability. 

Nativity Printables

Nativity Pack for ages 2-7 – This Christmas time Nativity pack contains over 60 pages with 3-part cards, pre-writing practice, pattern cards, and more. These resources will help go alongside your sharing of the nativity story at home.

Nativity Expanded Pack – This preschool expanded pack includes a roll & build activity, a nativity timeline, a maze, and so much more. As you teach older children about the Nativity, this tot pack will be perfect for your little ones to enjoy.

Nativity PreK/K Pack – This Nativity Pre-K pack includes cutting practice, sequencing sheets, puzzles, sorting practice, shadow matching, and more. Download the nativity pack and check out the list of nativity activities that can go alongside the printable pack.

Printable Nativity Preschool Pack –  This nativity preschool printable pack is perfect for your little ones during Christmas time. It is the perfect activity to fill up their days with a focus on the nativity. It includes 16 pages of counting practice, sorting practice, and more.

Printable Nativity Stick Puppets – This is part of a 5-day nativity-themed printables pack. Grab jumbo craft sticks and enjoy these nativity puppets including Joseph, Mary, the three wise men, baby Jesus, donkey, angel, and more.

Nativity Copywork – Get your kids together to focus on the true reason for the season. Scripture copywork is always a great way to focus your day on God’s word and the true meaning of the holiday season.

Nativity Bingo – A game of bingo for the holidays? I think, yes! Bingo is the perfect game for family members coming to visit for the holiday.

Free Nativity Emergent Reader – This free nativity emergent reader pack is an instant download your kids will love. The instant download comes with 4 different versions to adjust to your child’s different reading levels.

Nativity Crafts

Build Your Own Nativity Printables – When kids have hands-on activities they tend to remember what they are learning a bit more. Check out this simple build your own nativity scene. You can even make it smaller or bigger.

Paper Doll Nativity Play Set – If your kids are into paper dolls then you can not miss these free paper doll printables with the nativity scene and more. Paper dolls were all the rave years ago, but the classic play item is a joy for any era.

DIY Nativity Puppets – With this resource your kids can learn to spread the gospel with these simple DIY Nativity Puppets. Allow your children to retell the Christmas story to family members and friends in the holidays. Use them as finger puppets or glue the cut outs on a popsicle stick.

If you want to add these nativity scene printables and resources to your Advent calendar check out this post full of free advent printables and resources. Advent is a wonderful time to reflect and focus on God’s special gift of Jesus Christ. So add these nativity scene printables to your advent time during the busy Christmas season.

So, use your finished Nativty to share with your kids the most important thing of all during the holidays.