Nativity Sets are a wonderfully organic tool for religious home education. Small hands love to manipulate figurines of the Holy Family, the animals, and the supporting cast of characters in the nativity story. (Playmobile and Playschool are two inexpensive models that children enjoy, although they are not particularly artistic.)
More precious sets in danger of breakage can be displayed in a place of honor, such as the home shrine or prayer corner. Some families like to add pieces throughout Advent, saving the Christ Child to be added by the youngest sibling on Christmas Eve. Others enjoy moving the figures throughout the house, leaving stars behind the Holy Family or the Wise Men as they proceed to Bethlehem. Below are more ideas for implementing the creche as home education.
Nativity Set Activities
St. Francis. Talk about the history of the Nativity Set, which starts with St. Francis inventing the Nativity Scene in the middle ages. Read the gorgeously illustrated St. Francis and the Christmas Donkey by Robert Byrd.
World Cultures. Nativity Sets can be a wonderful tool for teaching history and world cultures. Compare sets from different parts of the world. Perhaps pair it with a picture book about that country. Talk about the materials used and the artistic styles. Sometimes the animals are found mainly in that geography. The figurines may look like the people from that region. Use this to talk about the Gospel calling all people to faith in Christ.
DIY Creche. Build your own “regional” nativity set as an interdisciplinary science and geography project. Find a box to serve as the manger. Use air dry clay or modeling clay to make figures of the Holy Family and the animals for your chosen region. For example, a Texan scene might have armadillos, deer, and coyotes. The children are usually quite creative. To get a jump start, use the Holy Family from another set and just make the animals.
Eco Creche. Invite the children to bring their nature treasures to the creche, symbolizing that Jesus is the Lord of creation. You might want a separate display area for the “nature creche,” even outdoors if there’s a sheltered spot. Start with an empty creche, or just a small table covered with green cloth. Over each week, encourage the children to bring specimens they find to the table first from stones (pretty pebbles, mineral), then plants (leaves, moss, dried flowers), then animals (empty birds nest, shells, fossils, animal figurines), representing the hierarchy of nature. Last, bring figurines of the shepherds to show the placement of human beings in God’s creation. The “shepherds” can even build the manger out of the stones. Then on Christmas place the Holy Family in the creche.
Picture Book. Read The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski. A carpenter carves a nativity set for a widow and her son. It’s a little sentimental, but gives a positive message about the power of love. It is also an audiobook and Hallmark-type movie.