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Nativity Craft for Kids

An easy paper plate birth of Jesus craft for kids in three levels, preschool to 5th grade, with a free printable shepherds' field template and steps.

Preschool–Grade 5

Nativity Craft for Kids
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Free to print and copy for your church, classroom, VBS and home. Please don't resell or re-post our files; link to the page instead.

Ages
Preschool (3–5), Early Elementary (K–2), Upper Elementary (3–5)
Time
15 to 30 minutes
Scripture
Luke 2:1–20
Bible story
The Birth of Jesus

What you need

  • 1 plain white paper plate per child (9 inch, uncoated)
  • The printed hill, glory light and sheep template (page 2), one per child (cardstock is sturdiest)
  • Crayons (dark blue, yellow, green, gray and brown)
  • Scissors and a glue stick
  • The printed road and manger page (page 3), one per child (harder level)
  • A tan crayon for the road (harder level)

Steps

  1. Turn the paper plate over. Color the whole bottom side dark blue for the night sky, when the shepherds were watching their flock (Luke 2:8).
  2. Color the hill green, the glory light yellow and the sheep's heads and legs gray. Leave the sheep's woolly bodies white.
  3. In the oval window on the hill, draw the shepherds keeping watch at night.
  4. Cut out the hill, the glory light, the two sheep and the memory verse strip on the dashed lines. Help younger children with the cutting.
  5. Glue the hill across the bottom of the plate, with its curved bottom edge along the bottom rim.
  6. Glue the glory light in the upper left of the plate, for the glory of the Lord that shone round about the shepherds (Luke 2:9).
  7. Glue one sheep on the hill to the left of the window and the other sheep on the hill to the right of the window.
  8. Glue the memory verse strip on the back of the plate and read it together.

This birth of Jesus craft turns a paper plate into the shepherds' field on the night Jesus was born. Kids color a dark blue night sky, add the glory light that shone round about the shepherds, draw the shepherds in a window on the hill and glue on two sheep. It costs under 50 cents a child, takes about 20 minutes and comes with a free printable template and memory verse strip. It comes in three levels, from preschool to 5th grade.

The finished craft, easy and medium level

The finished craft, harder level

What it looks like finished: easy and medium (first photo) and harder (second photo).

Why this craft works

  • Cheap and simple: a paper plate, one printed page and crayons.
  • It retells the story: the shepherds keeping watch over their flock by night, and the glory of the Lord shining round about them when the angel brought the good news (Luke 2:8–11).
  • It stays with the Bible: every piece comes from Luke 2. The harder level adds the road the shepherds hurried along and the manger where they found the baby (Luke 2:16).
  • It carries the verse home: the template includes Luke 2:11 (KJV) on a strip to glue on the back.

Three ways to make it

  • Easy (preschool, ages 3–5): you cut out the pieces ahead of time. Kids color the night sky and the pieces, scribble the shepherds in the window and glue everything on. No scissors.
  • Medium (grades K–2): kids color the plate, draw the shepherds, cut out the hill, glory light and two sheep, glue them on and glue the verse strip on the back.
  • Harder (grades 3–5): kids also cut out a winding road and a manger, snip a strip of paper hay into fringe and glue the road from the hill up to the manger, then say the verse from memory.

Questions to ask

While kids work, ask what the shepherds were doing (keeping watch over their flock by night, Luke 2:8), what the angel said first ("Fear not," Luke 2:10) and what sign the angel gave (a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger, Luke 2:12). The good news is for all people (Luke 2:10).

Tips for the classroom

Use plain, uncoated paper plates so the glue stick holds. For preschoolers, cut out all the pieces before class, so all they do is color and glue. For the harder level, print the road and manger page too.

Teaching the story first? Use the free birth of Jesus Sunday school lesson and the birth of Jesus word search.

Frequently asked questions

How do you make a simple birth of Jesus craft for preschoolers?

Cut out the hill, glory light, sheep and verse strip ahead of time. Preschoolers color the plate dark blue, color the pieces, scribble the shepherds in the window and glue everything on. It takes about 15 minutes with no cutting by the kids.

How much does this birth of Jesus craft cost?

Under 50 cents a child: one paper plate, one printed page and crayons you already have. The template is free to print.

What Bible verse goes with a birth of Jesus craft?

Luke 2:11 (KJV), "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." It is printed on the verse strip in the template, which goes on the back of the plate.

How can older kids make this birth of Jesus craft harder?

Use the harder level for grades 3–5. Kids also cut out a winding road and a manger from page 3, snip a strip of paper hay into fringe and glue it behind the manger, then glue the road from the hill up to the manger, the way the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem (Luke 2:15–16). Then they say Luke 2:11 from memory.

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