The Christmas season brings a unique opportunity for parents, teachers, and families to teach children about the true meaning of Christmas: the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. One way to introduce this story is through Christmas nativity coloring pages and activities and using printable Mary and Joseph coloring pages to help tell the story of Jesus’ birth.
These printable activities offer children a hands-on way to learn the story of the first Christmas, while also encouraging creativity, focus, and a sense of peace. Nativity coloring sheets can give young children a picture of what the story might have been like. Coloring together with your child also provides opportunities to talk about the pictures and the story.
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The holidays are filled with secular themes that detract from the birth of Jesus, so it takes intentional effort to keep a focus on Jesus. A printable version of the Christmas nativity story in color book format allows children to make the story their own through their individual coloring.
Nativity Coloring Pages
Coloring has long been used with little kids and older kids as well as a developmental and enjoyable activity for kids. It’s also a wonderful way to introduce Biblical stories in a way that’s easy to understand and interact with. As a Christian mom or teacher, you can use printable pictures or nativity coloring pages to engage your children with the Christmas story visually, making each character and scene memorable.
Using coloring sheets to tell the story also allows children to express their creativity on the nativity story. As they color scenes of Mary, Joseph, the infant Jesus, angels, and shepherds, children can ask questions and reflect on the story’s significance. The repetitive motion of coloring can also help children develop patience, mindfulness, and an appreciation for the sacredness of the Christmas story.
Nativity Scene Coloring Pages
One of the great things about nativity scene coloring pages is that they can include all the important characters from the nativity story. Each character holds a significant role and offers a unique teaching moment. A nativity scene isn’t complete without Mary, the mother of Jesus, Joseph, baby Jesus, the wisemen, shepherds, the angel Gabriel and the angel choir, as well as all the animals that were likely surrounding the newborn child.
Printing a nativity coloring book allows little kids as well as older kids to engage in the story of the birth of Jesus. With simple line drawing of the nativity scene, little kids can color the pictures and learn more about baby Jesus through each coloring page. Put them all together and create your own keepsake story book. Draw your child to the Bible verse or verses that tell the story in the gospel of Matthew about the birth of the Son of God.
Ways to Use Nativity Coloring Pages
Nativity coloring pages can be used in a variety of ways at home, in your homeschool, your classroom, or in Sunday School or Children’s Church to make learning about the Christmas story fun and memorable. Children can spend hours of coloring the different pages and learn more about the story of Mary and how she became the mother of Jesus. How Joseph trusted God even though the story and message was unbelievable. Using coloring sheets to tell the story helps children slow down and really focus on the pictures.
1. Storytelling Through Coloring
One way to integrate coloring pages into learning is by using the nativity coloring pages as storytelling tools. Begin by reading a portion of the nativity story from the Bible or a children’s book, then give your child the corresponding page or pages to color.
For example, after reading about Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem, give children a Joseph coloring page to help them visualize his role following up by a page with Joseph and Mary trekking to Bethlehem. This approach reinforces the story as children associate each character with their unique role. When they have colored the story, they can also use their own pages to tell the story to you or someone else.
2. Creating a Nativity Scene Collage
Instead of single coloring pages, children can work together to create a full nativity scene collage. Assign each child a different character to color—such as Mary, Joseph, the child Jesus, the shepherds, and the angels—and then piece these illustrations together on a bulletin board or wall. Instead of making a coloring book out of the pages, hang them as banners along the hallway or over the hearth so that your child can retell and revisit this story often throughout the season.
3. Personalized Christmas Cards
Once children finish their nativity coloring pages, encourage them to turn their artwork into Christmas cards to share with families who may need a bit of encouragement or cheer this time of year. Cards featuring scenes like Joseph, Mary, and the infant Jesus are not only a wonderful keepsake for families but also reinforce the true meaning of Christmas. Kids can add a special message, like “Happy Birthday, Jesus” or “Rejoice in Christ’s Birth,” creating a thoughtful and personal holiday greeting.
4. Role-Playing with Coloring Pages
After coloring the pages, invite children to role-play the nativity story. For instance, those who colored a Joseph page could pretend to be Joseph, while those with Mary pages could act as Mary. By acting out the characters they’ve just colored, children can gain a deeper understanding of each person’s feelings and actions in the story. Role-playing also brings the nativity to life, making it more relatable and memorable.
Role-playing can also bring out additional details of the story such as the star of Bethlehem guiding the wise men. Cousin Elizabeth and Mary meeting together joyful at the news of their soon to be born babies. King Herod’s orders become personal and frightening when acted out and realizing that he ordered his people to kill all the boy babies. A baby Jesus coloring page can turn into a rich and elaborate story when you add costumes and some childish imagination.
Jesus’ Birth Coloring Pages
When using Jesus’ birth coloring pages, consider setting the mood with soft Christmas music or a quiet story about Jesus’ birth. Encourage children to think about each character they are coloring and what they represent. For instance, when coloring the child Jesus, children might think about qualities like love and gentleness, while coloring Joseph may bring thoughts of protection and guidance. You can also direct their thoughts to include how each character felt. For example: How do you think Mary felt when the angel showed up in her home?
Often nativity scenes are filled with happy animals crowded around a manger, but what is a barn really like? Did it smell great? Was it clean? Where were Joseph and Mary’s family members? Did Jesus have grandparents? So many different questions can come up when you take a little time with your child and help them explore the story for themselves.
Nativity coloring pages are a simple yet powerful way to engage children in the Christmas nativity story. Through these activities, parents, classroom teachers, and Sunday school teachers can help children connect with the beginning story of Jesus, the Son of God through the nativity scene.
From Mary and Joseph coloring pages to the child Jesus, wise men and shepherds, cousin Elizabeth to King Herod and all the details in between in a meaningful and lasting way. As children color, they not only learn about the nativity story but also gain a deeper understanding of the significance of God’s love for all humanity.
Christmas nativity coloring pages provide a great way this holiday season to offer children a creative outlet that reinforces the spiritual importance of Christmas. With each page they color, children will carry the story of Jesus’ birth with them, not only in their minds but in their hearts. Building a love for this beautiful, yet humble beginning, leads a child to naturally want to learn more about the life of Jesus.
You may also like these Biblical parenting links…
- Tips for Sitting in Church with Kids
- Bedtime Prayers – Creating an Evening Routine
- 52 Memory Verses for Kids to Memorize
- Family Worship Ideas with Kids
- Morning Prayers for Families
- Teaching Kids to Pray
- 9 Powerful Prayers for Your Daughter
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