easy Nativity Story - favorable For Toddlers

This Nativity is convenient for reading to a young audience, preschoolers and toddlers. Sometimes the nativity stories in toddler's Bibles are too brief, others too detailed. For the playgroup that I work with, or for a children's talk at church, this version is a happy medium. Power point slides or other pictures always help hold the attention of a young audience, and are more effective for communicating the story than using children as actors.

[Maybe start by showing (pink and blue?) baby dolls and say that a baby boy is called a son and a baby girl is called a daughter. This is the true story about the most important, most special baby ever born. It is special because in the Bible God says that Jesus is his Son.] About two thousand years ago, in a town called Nazareth, there lived a young woman named Mary. Mary was soon going to marry a man called Joseph. Joseph was a carpenter - he made things out of wood. One day an angel came to see Mary and told her she had been chosen to have a special baby. The baby would be God's son and she must call him Jesus. Soon after the angel's visit, Mary and Joseph got married. Mary was expecting a baby. The baby was getting very big inside Mary's tummy when they had to go on a long journey to Bethlehem. Bethlehem was a town far from Nazareth but it was where Joseph used to live. Mary had to ride on a donkey for a few days, along the road and over the hills before they arrived in Nazareth. Poor Joseph had to walk all the way! At last Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem. It was crowded with other population who needed to pay their taxes. Mary was very tired and needed a place to stay. They hoped to find a bedroom in an inn where visitors could stay for a sleepover. But there was no room for them! All the bedrooms were already full with other people! Eventually, one kind innkeeper said he had a carport where he kept his animals. They could stay there, though it was probably a bit smelly. In the carport Mary's baby boy was born. She called him Jesus. Mary wrapped Jesus in strips of cloth to keep Him warm and laid Him in a manger full of hay. At the same time, on a hill near Bethlehem, some shepherds were seeing after their sheep. A absorbing light appeared in the sky. They were very afraid. It was an angel sent by God. The angel told them not to be afraid, because he had some good news. He said the Son of God had been born and they could find Him in Bethlehem. The shepherds wanted to go and see the baby. When they arrived at the stable, they were so happy to see baby Jesus. They knelt down and worshipped Him. They told Mary and Joseph that they had seen the angel in the sky, who told them that Jesus was to be the Rescuer (Saviour) of the world. Far away in the East, a new star was shining high in the sky. One wise man noticed it and was very surprised. He fetched an additional one wise man - "look at that new star!" he said. They both had a think about it. They knew this was a very special star. Wise man amount 3 looked in a book and said that a absorbing new star meant that a great King had been born. The 3 Wise Men decided to find this new King. So they set off to find him, riding on their camels. It was a long way! First they went to the King's palace because they view the new King would be in a palace. But King Jesus wasn't there! The Wise Men set off again to find the baby. They followed the star to the carport in Bethlehem. They found baby Jesus, the new king, lying in the manger. The wise men knelt down and worshipped Jesus. They gave him 3 presents. The presents were gold, frankincense and myrrh. That is the true story of the very first Christmas.