Toddler Activities: Baby Sock Nativity

By: Deborah Pace Rowley

I loved to watch my little ones play with a simple nativity. It was so sweet to see them position the characters around the baby Jesus and even place the baby in an unsuspecting shepherd's arms. If you don't have a simple child-friendly nativity set, it is easy to make one with supplies you probably already have on hand.

Here is a toilet roll nativity that would be easy to color and assemble.

Here is a 2-D nativity that can be printed out and laminated and then positioned with magnets so your toddler can move the figures around on a cookie sheet or magnet board.

Our nativity was made with 3 pairs of baby socks stuffed with batting. Baby Jesus and the sheep were made from cutting one of the socks in half. Then we used old fabric scraps, ribbon and yarn to make the head coverings and added puff paint facial features. We used tacky glue to stick everything in place.

The total cost for this nativity was $2.55 (the cost of the baby socks.) Kate and I worked for about an hour creating it for Anniston. We had so much fun. Katie wanted me to tell you that the only rule is to be creative and let your imagination run wild! You don't have to do it exactly the same way that we did.

If you don't want to make a complete nativity, one of my daughters brought home the cutest baby Jesus from her nursery class. It was made with a pink pearl eraser wrapped in a kleenex and then nestled in some raffia in a match box.

This is the cutest video about a child who uses her Barbies and other supplies to build the sweetest nativity. She reminds her parents about the meaning behind the holiday in the process. If you haven't seen it already, please take two minutes to watch it. Watch it Here. It really helps me feel the spirit of the season.