Make Nativity Story Stones

I love having a Nativity Set that your little ones can play with. I was super blessed that my mom gave me a small wooden set when my kids were toddlers that they played with for years. Our play nativity set was only within reach during the month of December. I loved how excited my kids were when we brought out the set. Although there are many sets for sale in stores now, they are also pretty pricey. So, I wanted to provide some instructions for a set you can make out of simple round stones.

Gather 12 stones from your garden and some paint pens and put some basic artwork on the stones to represent the key characters or props of the Luke 2 and Matthew 1-2 Christmas story.

I’ve also created a mat you can use to complement the stones. You can even have your child work on colors by telling him, “Place Mary in the light blue circle.” Using the mat will provide some interaction for your child(ren) as they match the stone to its assigned spot. You also have them match up the stone with the circle as you read the birth of Jesus’ story from the Bible to them. The circles are in a somewhat chronological order, so it will help your child(ten) remember the sequence of the events.

To download the FREE story mat, enter here:

Nativity Stone Smart pdf

Also encourage your kid(s) to make believe with the stones and act out the story.

When you bring out the set, you can tell the story of the birth of Jesus, how He was promised to Mary and Joseph and then the journey for Nazareth to Bethlehem. For a summary of the important components you'll want to include from Luke 2/Matthew 1-2, enter your information here:

​Important Components from the Nativity story to teach your child

To make your own Nativity story stones, you’ll need: 12 round stones, paint pens, acrylic white paint for the base of each character.

Steps:

1. Paint each stone with a base layer of white. Let the white dry

2. Sketch out designs using the black paint pen and then fill in colors, as desired, on the character or prop.

3. Make these stone designs: a star, Mary, baby Jesus, Jospeh, a donkey, a sheep, shepherd, angel, wise men, a manger, stable, and gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

You could also bring the Nativity story stones out and encourage your child(ten) to act out the story while you read Luke 2 or even read a children’s book about the real reason we celebrate Christmas - celebrating the greatest gift we’ve ever received, God coming to dwell in the form of a man through Jesus.

I'm not an artist, but your kids should be able to figure out this is the shepherd, angel, and sheep.

Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, the donkey, and the stable - these are simple, but get the point across to your kids.