A Festive Tradition: Create Cherished Memories with Our Tabletop Theater Nativity Set for Kids
Do you wish your children thought more about why we celebrate Christmas instead of what they get for Christmas? I know I do. That’s why I designed this Tabletop Theater Nativity Set - so that young children would have a nativity of their own that’s safe to play with and that would encourage them to retell the story of how Jesus came to earth and why.
It’s available as printables and yardage in my Spoonflower shop so you can make the dolls yourself. There is a limited supply of Nativity dolls and fabric backdrops left which will be available on my Etsy Shop as long as supplies last. The wooden triptych is a smaller version of one I created for our piano. It is perfect for a small table or office space and is also available in my shops.
When my children were younger I wanted - and still want them to adore Jesus and focus on who He is and all He does for us. And I want them to share that love with others.
To do this I brainstormed and came up with many ways to reach their hearts. My first step was to decorate my house with things that represent aspects of the Christmas story. I bought sheep, lanterns, doves, a large outdoor angel with flapping wings, small Nativity sets for the children to play with, star ornaments, and lots of other odds and ends that trigger our memory of what took place. We put three lanterns on our dining room credenza representing the wise men traveled from afar, and we hang a large paper-mache star from the ceiling to show they followed the star to find the way to toddler Jesus. A Nativity stands on our piano in front of a large wood triptych panel I created, graced with the large angel standing above, and I’d show you a picture but our cat has slept in it over the years and it looks, well, er, shaggy.
I purchased a Victorian steamer trunk, painted the inside gold, and invited the children to secretly craft small gifts for each other and put them in the trunk - representing the gifts the wise men brought to Jesus. We still do this today- even though the kids are much older and even though I donated the trunk and replaced it with a plainer acacia wood one. In the trunk is a replica set of coins from 1st century Israel, so they can see the money Joseph and Mary used in everyday life.
We called our little celebration Immanuel’s Day - a day to rejoice that God is With Us! We feast on lamb, fish, yogurt balls, z’atar flatbread, hummus, and lots of other middle-eastern dishes. We don’t care to be overly authentic, but try out both modern and ‘ancient’ recipes. If you’d like to know more, I’ve prepared a pdf for you that you can have for free. In it I explain much more and give some ideas of what you can do to have fun with your family during this exciting season!
