12 Days of Christmas Carols and Crafts: Away in a Manger

Welcome to the first day of Christmas carols and crafts!  Please join us the next few weeks for what I consider "classic" Christmas crafts for little ones!  

I wanted to extend the crafts with my oldest daughters, so I bought the book Christmas Carols for Kid's Heart (Hymns for a Kid's Heart, Vol. 3).  The book shares stories and background information for twelve Christmas carols.  I also love the included CD with orchestral arrangements of the songs and sweet little children's voices!  We won't make a craft for every song in the book, but we'll do several of them -- along with some fun songs like "Jingle Bells"!

Today's Hymn:  Away in a Manger. 

*You can find the words and music here.

Thought for discussion:  Talk about the line "No crib for a bed".  Does your child know what a manger is?  What would it be like to sleep in a manger?  Find more information to share here.

Let's begin with an easy Nativity set!

You need:

Cards with nativity scenes

or printable nativity from Making Friends

Scissors

Glue

Magnets

1)  If you're able to find cards with nativity scenes, cut out the various people and animals needed.  If not, print a Nativity set on cardstock.  You could even color your own!

2)  Cut out the figures and attach magnets.

3)  Use the magnetic figures to retell the story of Jesus' birth.

We currently have our figures on the dishwasher, but a metal cake pan with a lid would also make a great place to retell the story.  You could store the pieces inside, too!