Christmas Poem Church Kids Can Recite: 8 Short Poems About Jesus

Eight short, original Christmas poems for church kids to recite at your Christmas program. Each one tells a true part of the Christmas story from Luke and Matthew, and each is marked with the age it fits: two lines for the littlest, six for older kids. Finish with every child saying Luke 2:14 together.

The poems

1. Welcome (ages 3–4) I'm glad you came to church today. Jesus is born! Let's sing and pray!

2. No Room (ages 4–6, Luke 2:7) No room in the inn, no bed for His head, So Mary laid Him in a manger instead. She wrapped Him up in swaddling clothes: God's gift to us! Now everyone knows.

3. Mary Said Yes (ages 5–8, Luke 1:31–38) The angel Gabriel came to say That Mary would have a son one day. "Be it unto me," she said, And trusted God for all ahead.

4. What the Angel Said (ages 5–8, Luke 2:9–11) The shepherds were afraid that night When God's great glory shone so bright. The angel said, "Fear not," and then Told of a Saviour born for them.

5. The Shepherds Hurried (ages 5–8, Luke 2:15–17) The shepherds hurried, quick as could be, To Bethlehem, the Babe to see. They found Him in a manger there, Then spread the good news everywhere!

6. The Wise Men (ages 8–11, Matthew 2:1–11) Wise men followed Jesus' star; To find the King, they traveled far. They found Him with His mother, then Fell down and worshipped Him. Amen! Like them, I'll seek Him every day, And worship Jesus when I pray.

7. God With Us (ages 8–11, Matthew 1:21–23) They called His name Emmanuel: God with us! Now we can tell The baby in the manger bed Is God who came, just as He said. He'll save His people from their sin, So JESUS is the name for Him!

8. The Greatest Gift (any age, 2 Corinthians 9:15) Some gifts are big, and some are small, But Jesus is the best of all. Thanks be to God for His great gift! Our hearts and voices now we lift.

Tips

• Send poems home three weeks early so families can practice at bedtime.
• Pair a shy child with a buddy who says the poem with them.
• Hold a picture: a star for the wise men, a sheep for the shepherds. It gives nervous hands something to do.
• The poems follow the same story as our nativity play for preschoolers, and they slot right into the Christmas program for small churches.

Every poem is original to VBS HQ and checked against the Bible: the manger and swaddling clothes (Luke 2:7), the angel's "Fear not" (Luke 2:10), and the wise men finding the young child with His mother (Matthew 2:11). The memory verses of our Birth of Jesus, Shepherds and Wise Men story sets fit right alongside them.