This topic is collecting "drama and puppet" ideas for teaching the story of Jesus' Birth. Its ideas/lessons tend to cover more than one part of the Christmas story.
For more story-specific drama and puppet lesson ideas, such as, "a drama about the Magi," or "a puppet presentation about the Shepherds," and some great lesson plans that use drama, consult our more story specific Advent forums.
We also have a "Christmas pageant or program" forum that has some scripts and presentation ideas.
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Summary of Lesson Activities:
Students will read the story of the Bethlehem innkeeper in their Bibles and then re-enact the story of the innkeeper using a Readers’ Theater script (no staging required) and generating lots of fun story-inspired sound effects.
Scripture Reference:
Luke 2: 4-7
Lesson Objective:
Leader Preparation:
Materials List:
Lesson Plan
Opening
Greet the children and introduce yourself and any helpers that you have. Let them know what they'll be doing and learning about today. Today, we are going to be doing our own "drama" of a possible exchange between the innkeeper and the visitors who came to see the baby Jesus.
Begin by have students find the scripture Luke 2: 4-7.
This is the only place in the Bible that mentions the role of the inn or the innkeeper. There have been many stories about what people have "guessed" must have gone on the night Joseph and Mary came into Bethlehem looking for a place to stay.
There are even some cultures that have a special traditions to highlight this small, ambiguous part of the story. For example,
The Mexican culture participates in the ritual of the posadas. Beginning on December 16th, and continuing through the next eight evenings until Christmas Eve, they reenact the Holy Family’s search for shelter (posadas literally meaning, "inns"). In each of the first eight posadas family members, representing innkeepers and pilgrims, play out the story of frustration on the road to Bethlehem. To Joseph’s every inquiry comes the same answer, "No room at the inn." But then, miraculously on Christmas Even, the final innkeeper recognizes the holy couple and joyfully offers them shelter. In some parts of the country the "pilgrims" travel from house to house, visiting friends and asking the traditional posadas question: "Who will give shelter to those travelers who come with their songs of walking the roads?" In either case, the ritual ends on Christmas Eve, with song, celebration, and –to the great delight of children from Mexico City to Santa Fe—the game of the piñata. (From An American Christmas,A Celebration of Our Heritage from Around the World. Copyright 1989, Allied Books Ltd.)
Closing: Close with a prayer thanking God for all those who "make room" for Jesus in their lives and hearts.
Additional Suggestions:
Have kids come up with sound effects ahead of time and practice.
Use props to make the sfx, like they do in a radio show.
In fact, you could do this as a radio show.
A lesson written by Sharon Troxell from: Marvin UMC, Tyler, TX
A Puppet Drama about Isaiah's Announcement of the Messiah Coming
Scripture Reference:
Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23
Materials List:
LESSON PLAN
Opening
Greet the children and introduce yourself. Let them know what they'll be doing and learning today.
Let's Get Started!
Teach the children the background about Isaiah being a prophet and a statesman, married with two sons, who lived from about 758 – 698 BC. He lived during the lifetimes of four different kings (Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah), in Jerusalem, and at the same time as the prophets Amos, Hosea and Micah. The former nation of Israel had been divided into two kingdoms. The one in the north was called “Israel” and contained all the tribes (10) except Judah and Benjamin. (SHOW ON MAP) The southern two tribes comprised the kingdom of Judah, and that’s where Isaiah was called to minister.
Isaiah tried to give King Ahaz hope and a reason to believe God. He said God would give him a sign, if he would only trust in God alone. Then Isaiah told of future things, of the Savior, God’s Son, who would be born to a virgin and would be called “Immanuel” (God with us, see Isaiah 7:14), Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace (see Isaiah 9:6,7).
Isaiah’s job as a prophet was not easy because he often had to tell people, including the king, things they did not want to hear. He had to tell the people and the king to worship only God, not idols, and to trust God rather than to trust in their own strength.
CHARACTERS:
4 puppet prophets, #1, #2, #3 and #4
Mary, Joseph, Angel Gabriel, another (?) Angel of the Lord, baby Jesus and a narrator (or group of narrators speaking various parts for the puppeteers).
You may or may not want to use a puppet stage.
Prepare the audience response "cue cards" in advance. These can be written on a white board or cards.
Prepare to record your puppet drama and view it at the end of class!
----
Scene I: The Prophets Tell of His Coming
(The four prophet-puppets may be operated by two to four children, depending on how many are present. They may act out their lines dramatically and you may have other puppets "listening" and reacting to prophecies.)
The (REACTIONS) can be spoken by other puppets or the audience. You can hold up "cue cards" with these comments on them.
Prophet #1: “He will be a descendent of Abraham. Genesis 22:18” (AH!)
Prophet #2: “He will be a descendent of Jacob. Numbers 24:17” (HMMM....)
Prophet #3: “He will come from the tribe of Judah. Genesis 49:10” (OK.)
Prophet #4: “He will come from Jesse’s family. Isaiah 11:1” (SOUNDS GOOD)
Prophet #1: “He will come from Jesse’s son David’s family. Isaiah 9:7” (HUH?)
Prophet #2: “He will be born in Bethlehem. Micah 5:2” (WHERE?)
Prophet #3: “A star will announce his birth. Numbers 24:17” (YAY!)
Prophet #4: “He shall be born of a virgin and called ‘Immanuel’, ‘God with us’. Isaiah 7:14” (WHAT?)
Prophet #1: “He will be called Wonderful Counselor. Isaiah 9:6” (AWESOME!)
Prophet #2: “He will be called Mighty God. Isaiah 9:6” (COOL)
Prophet #3: “He will be called Everlasting Father. Isaiah 9:6” (OK!)
Prophet #4: “He will be called Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6” (MUCH NEEDED!)
----
Scene II: The Angel Gabriel Visits Mary (see Luke 1:26-38)
Narrator: The Lord sent the angel Gabriel to visit a young, unmarried woman named Mary in the town of Nazareth in Galilee. Mary was engaged to be married to a carpenter named Joseph.
Angel Gabriel: “Greetings favored one; the Lord is with you.”
Mary: (She just looks fearfully at the angel.)
Angel Gabriel: “Do not be afraid, Mary. I have good news. You will have a baby boy, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the son of the Most High. His kingdom will never end.”
(If desired, a teacher or a narrator could read Luke 1:30 – 33 instead, if the spoken lines are too difficult for the children to read.)
Mary: “How can this happen, since I am not married.”
Angel Gabriel: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you; the holy one to be born to you will be called the Son of God…Nothing is impossible with God.” (see Luke 1:35,37)
Mary: “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.”
----
Scene III: The Angel Visits Joseph (see Matthew 1:18-25)
(As the scene opens, Joseph is lying down and goes to sleep. An Angel of the Lord appears to him in a dream.)
Angel: “Joseph, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. The Holy Spirit has caused her to be carrying a boy baby. You are to call him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Joseph: (He stays asleep, but in his dream he is paying attention to the angel.)
Angel: “The prophet said, ‘A virgin shall be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel—which means, God with us.’”
Narrator: “Soon after that, Joseph was married to Mary, and took her home to be his wife.”
-----
Scene IV: Baby Jesus is Born in Bethlehem
Mary: (holding a puppet or doll baby Jesus) “Isn’t he wonderful, Joseph?”
Joseph: “Yes, and just think, he was born in Bethlehem, just like the prophets said.”
Mary: “I am a descendent of David, so our baby is also a descendent of David.”
Joseph: “It is an awesome job to be the parents to the Son of God! Thank you, Lord, for letting us love your Son!”
(Mary and Joseph both smile at baby Jesus.)
Closing/Sharing/Discussion Questions:
1. Can you think of any reasons God might tell people about the birth of Jesus hundreds of years before it happened? (ANS: To give people hope.)
2. If you were an angel like Gabriel assigned to go tell your friends and family about Jesus, what would you say to them? Where would you meet them? What would they say when they saw you? Why would they believe you?
3. What do you think is the single most important description of the Messiah given by Isaiah in the opening?
A lesson written by member "Lerner"
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