Free Printable Build the Nativity Craft: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

Build The Nativity

We’ve added our cute, chubby style to the Nativity figures, and in a first for us, they are all of different heights!

This free printable Nativity craft includes the pieces to assemble a two-dimensional Baby Jesus asleep in the manager, the Virgin Mary, and Joseph.

You just need scissors and glue (and, of course, our free printable templates!).

This activity, featuring full-color images of the Holy Family, is a fantastic way to introduce children to the birth of Jesus Christ through a creative, hands-on Christmas project.

We have 15+ Build-A-Christmas-Characters to explore next—you won’t be short of seasonal paper dolls this winter!

You will also love our Free Printable Christmas Nativity Coloring Page for Kids and our set of six Christmas Story Posters.

How To Use the Build the Nativity Printable

• Download the high-quality PDF file at the end of this post and print as many copies as you need onto white (printer) paper. For durability and best results, use good-quality, thick/heavy paper or white cardstock (if it fits through your printer).
• You can print the free printable at home, school, office, or a Print Shop. Then, cut the Nativity pieces out with scissors.
• The Christmas printables are suitable for children of all ages; however, the free regular-size template is ideal for older children who are more skilled at cutting or want to hone their fine motor skills.
• The large size is suitable for younger children. Preschoolers and kindergartners may need assistance.
• Once cut, arrange the pieces to determine where everything goes before sticking them in place with a glue stick or sticky tape.
• We like using this roller glue because it is easy to use and has less sticky mess!
• This fun Christmas craft is still possible for the youngest kids, even your toddler who can’t yet use scissors! Use a laminator to laminate the printable and cut out each bat shape, leaving a slight margin around them. Then, place some Velcro Dots onto the pieces so the characters can be assembled without cutting or gluing.

Craft Projects Using our Free Printable Nativity

• Adding Dimension: Mount the cutouts onto a large piece of construction paper and embellish them with other craft materials, such as glitter, craft foam, or tissue paper. Add cotton balls for the sheep or real straw for the manger for extra fun. This is a perfect activity for art class.
• Moveable Figure: Construct the characters using split pins/brads instead of glue to make them moveable.
• Everybody Loves Puppets: Grab some popsicle sticks and the regular-sized free printables to make little puppets for role-playing or storytelling.
• Printable Nativity Scene: Add stars, a stable, and our free Build-an-Angel printable to create a beautiful backdrop in your classroom or home.
• Festive Decorations: Attach several characters to some ribbon or string and hang them as bunting. They would make incredible decorations for Christmas or to hang around your classroom. Add black paper to the back of each one for a neater finish.
• Educational Tool: Use the large templates to teach the Christmas Story. It’s a fun way to make learning about other cultures and traditions more engaging.
• Gift Tags or Ornaments: You can use the regular-size characters to create gift tags or laminate them to make ornaments for your Christmas tree.
• Roll-A-Nativity Game: This idea is based on the classic dice game and is so much fun to play!
  • To set up, print, and cut enough pieces for each player, assign each piece a number. You may need one or two dice.
  • After rolling the dice, the player picks up the corresponding piece to build their characters. If players roll a number for a piece they already have, they skip their turn. The winner is the first player to collect all the parts and assemble them!

The Purple Pumpkin Blog’s Create the Holidays series features free printables, crafts, recipes, and more for Christmas and the Winter Holidays. Check out Create the Holidays (formerly Create Christmas) from 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012.