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Nativity Left Right Game (Free Printable Christmas Story)

A free printable nativity left right game. Read the Christmas story from Luke and Matthew aloud while kids pass a gift at every LEFT and RIGHT.

All ages

Nativity Left Right Game (Free Printable Christmas Story)
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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
Early Elementary (K–2), Upper Elementary (3–5), Preteen (5–6), Whole Family
Time
10 minutes
Scripture
Luke 1–2; Matthew 1–2
Bible story
The Birth of JesusThe Shepherds and the AngelsThe Wise Men

What you need

  • One small wrapped gift or treat per player
  • The printed story (2 pages)
  • A reader with a clear voice

Steps

  1. Everyone sits in a circle holding one small wrapped gift.
  2. The leader reads the story slowly, with a little pause after every LEFT and RIGHT.
  3. At every LEFT, pass the gift to the left. At every RIGHT, pass it to the right.
  4. When the story ends, the gift each player is holding is theirs to keep.

The nativity left right game is a Christmas party favorite with the real Christmas story inside. Kids sit in a circle holding wrapped gifts while you read the story of Jesus' birth from Luke and Matthew. Every time they hear LEFT or RIGHT, they pass their gift that way, and the gift in their hands at the end is theirs to keep.

The story is a retelling for a game, but every event in it comes from the Bible, and the reference is printed after each part. The words in quotation marks are from the King James Version.

The Christmas story sets: the lessons, crafts, coloring pages and puzzles for The Birth of Jesus (memory verse Luke 2:11), The Shepherds and the Angels (Luke 2:10) and The Wise Men (Matthew 2:10) tell the same story with the same memory verses.

Talk about it

When the gifts stop moving, ask: what gifts did the wise men bring? (Gold, frankincense and myrrh, Matthew 2:11.) What is God's greatest gift? Read 2 Corinthians 9:15 and Luke 2:11 together.

Tips

  • Read slowly and pause a beat after each LEFT and RIGHT. Kids love it when the words come quickly in a row ("They LEFT RIGHT away").
  • Use small gifts of the same size, such as candy canes with our candy cane poem tied on.
  • A big group can play with just 3 or 4 gifts: only the players holding one at the end keep it.
  • Pair it with nativity bingo or Christmas Bible trivia for a full Christmas party.

Frequently asked questions

How does the left right Christmas game work?

Players sit in a circle holding wrapped gifts. A leader reads a story, and every time the story says LEFT or RIGHT, everyone passes their gift that way. When the story ends, you keep the gift in your hands.

Is this story from the Bible?

It is a retelling for a game, not Scripture, but every event in it comes from Luke 1–2 and Matthew 1–2, and the references are printed after each part so you can check them. The quoted words are from the King James Version.

What gifts work best?

Small, same-size gifts so nobody minds where they land, such as a candy cane with our candy cane poem tied on, a pencil or a small treat bag.

More for this Bible story