Nativity Shadow Puppets

Merry Christmas! We wanted to share an activity you can do with your family today, with a minimum of preparation and materials you probably already have: nativity shadow puppets.

You'll need some thick paper to cut into your nativity shapes – perhaps you have leftover Christmas cards that you won't use again next year? If not, card stock will do (or regular paper doubled up, in a pinch). Draw your "characters" on the paper. You can draw free hand if that's your level of artistic ability (we salute you, free handers!), copy from a reference picture, or trace them. Shadow puppets are very forgiving because all you need to capture the outline, and an exaggerated shape that make it extra clear what the figure represents is a good thing.

We invite you to use these paper puppets from springtimedoodles.com as a reference or a tracing tool: Puppet Page 1 / Puppet Page 2. You might even use your own nativity set as a model (or a base to trace from, depending on the style of set you have – the simple wooden figures we have in the Sunday School classroom lend themselves nicely to this task).

Once you've got your outlines drawn and cut out, attach a stick to each (use popsicle sticks if you have them, but if you don't, gather a stash of pencils or pens). Turn out the lights, grab a flashlight, and let the puppet show begin! Divide up the puppets and tell the Christmas story together, from the wild star to the wise men. Give everyone a role or two, and take the pressure off yourselves to be perfect, both in your puppet making and your storytelling. Be together, be creative, and have fun!

We’d love to see your family’s puppets! Share pictures with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.