This was created for a toddler group where all children were under 3 years old and involved full participation by children and carers alike. While we asked parents to dress their children up, we provided plenty of shawls etc and invited everyone present to dress up.
Props:
Tent, draped in a blanket: as stable
Manger: it helps if the manger is big enough and sturdy enough to carry the weight of a real baby! (We would line it with straw and a clean towel or cot sheet).
Soft toy animals: of all varieties
Artificial flowers, or stars
At the end we would invite the toddlers to enter the tent to see the baby – we often found that to be a very special moment.
Essential characters:
Narrator
Angel holding a large star on a stick t0 guide people around.
Mary – we would ask parents to volunteer as Mary and Joseph and would generally opt for the mother of the youngest baby
Shepherds – as many as you like
Wise people – as many as you like
Angels – as many as you like
Script.
N. All the stars and all the plants asked, ‘Does God love us?’
All. Does God love us? (wave artificial flowers/stars etc)
N. All the animals and the shepherds who cared for them asked, ‘Does God love us?
All. Does God love us? (hold toy animals)
N. All the people asked, ‘Does God love us?’
All. Does God love us?
N. God sent his angel to Mary and Joseph with a special message.
A. God loves you and you will have a special baby. You must go to Bethlehem.
(Angel leads the way winding round the room while everyone sings: The wheels on the bus go round and round)
N. When Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem their baby boy was born. Mary laid him in the manger and they called him Jesus. (At this point either place a doll in the manger, or if able, a real baby!
All. Sing: Away in a manger while making rocking movements.
N. God sent the angels and stars to tell everyone the good news.
A. Come and see the baby! (Angel guides everyone round the room again: singing the wheels on the bus.
N. All of creation was really happy. A big star shone over the baby.
All: sing Twinkle Twinkle little star.
N. The stars, flowers and trees all said, ‘God loves us!’
All . God loves us! (wave flowers and stars and place them around the outside of the tent)
N. All the animals and shepherds said, ‘God loves us!’
All. ‘God loves us!’ (pick up toy animals and place them around the tent.
N. All the people said, ‘God loves us!’
All. ‘God loves us!’ (this can be accompanied by clapping etc)
N. For God so loved the whole world that he gave us his special son, Jesus.