In just a few weeks, we’ll be starting our Christmas Children’s choir to prepare for the annual Christmas pageant. The holiday season is a coming soon and having the kids perform is one of our church’s favorite Christmas activities. But first, we need to find the right Christmas program.
Two Free Christmas Programs
We have posted two free scripts on our website, these can be used in your ministry or give you some ideas for writing your own Christmas play.
Need more help? Use these Bible verses about Christmas to make your own play.
I started my research on Google, and soon discovered there were very few free Christmas plays for kids choirs. It looks like many churches simply mix together Christmas poems, Bible verses and Christmas songs music to create a short 30-minute Kids Christmas program. This is what we’ve done in past years, but this year we’re going for something a little larger than a Children’s Christmas skit. I’m looking for music and drama that features Christmas stories. Some biblical costumes would be fun too, and it must come with a complete play script.
Professionally Published Christmas Programs
- I searched Christmas play on Amazon.com
I love these because all the customer reviews available for each program for Christmas. You can also listen to some of the Christmas songs online.
- LifeWay sells hundreds of musical programs, you can browse or search to find a Christmas pageant for children. They specialize in religious Christmas programs that would work well for a kids musical at church.
Independent Christmas Pageants For Children
- Cathy’s Music offers several Christmas Musicals for children. This site has over 15 plays for Christmas. You should be able to find the right program for small children’s choirs here.
- Taylor Made Productions has Christmas plays. One major benefit of using an independently published church musical is you can contact the people who wrote the program. This website has pictures from their pageant for Christmas, and hints from the original director.
- Guiding Light Video sells complete kits to host a kids Christmas paly
- Pioneer Drama Services also sells a large selection of Children’s Christmas programs. This site sells a large selection of kids musicals for Christmas.
Even More Children's Ministry Ideas
Christmas in Genesis? How could this be? (A Free Christmas Play for Children)
Last year I wrote a post about finding Christmas plays for your children’s ministry. In the comments that followed, one reader offered to share her Christmas play. We are posting it here for anyone to...
The Birth of Jesus: A Free Christmas Play for Children
Here is a simple kids Christmas skit for church. You can download, print, and use with your children’s choir. Like all our resources this is 100% free for you to use in your children’s ministry....
Free Christmas Sunday School Lessons For Children
Are you looking for a Christmas or Advent lesson for your Sunday School class? This page lists some of the lessons from our New Testament children’s church curriculum that might be helpful for your...
Free Christmas Craft Ideas For Kids
Are you looking for a great craft idea for your children’s Sunday school class? Then check out these websites. They list many great kid’s Christmas crafts, ideas and projects. Arts and crafts are not my...
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2 of the best musicals that I’ve used over the years are:
A Star is Born – Word Music by Celeste Clydesdale:
It has a great story line and can be done on any size budget – small and large
Meet Me at the Manger – Word Music by Celeste Clydesdale:
We used the kids for a rehearsal night and made a video of them decorating someone’s house – kids loved it and was a great experience for all.
Word Music, with Celeste Clydesdale are pre-packed and they include instruction for the choreography for the instructor to learn.
Please email if you need any further assistance.
Thanks for the all the links (at bottom) to Christmas and Thanksgiving crafts–excellent resources, esp. the Bible verses. I love to do crafts but with limited time, your links were so helpful!
Two of my favorites from the past 15 years are
Angels Aware We left out a few of the songs to shorten the play. Our congregation was very moved by this one.
The Plane Truth Very easy to do and the children really enjoyed it.
http://www.kathiehillmusic.com – I still haven’t found a better site for the musicals for kids. She has a number of resources and downloadable trax. Dr. Newheart’s Christmas Cure is still a favorite. We’ve also done the SOCCER program and Operation Christmas Child which emphasized missions across the world
We began using the Rotation workshops last year with our small SS. It has, thus far, worked well. The church organist and I are for the 25th year, responsible for doing “the Christmas play”. He has the idea of using angels as a central theme and we’ve a number of ideas for the weekly workshops. However, it is also within this time that our prep for the play need also take place.
Can anyone recommend an easy-to-do play, revolving around angels, that retells the story of Jesus’ birth? I see ANGELS AWARE referred to. Can you give me any more insight into this and how & where I can obtain it? Many thanks.
Hello! For the first time ever, Concordia Publishing House has released a complete kit for congregations to use throughout Advent … it’s called “Away in a Manger” and it ties together the sermon illustrations used through Advent with the Sunday School children’s program. The resource even includes bulletin covers, a children’s gift book for families, etc. You can get as creative as you want. Really useful. Check it out: http://www.cph.org/cphstore/product.asp?category=&part%5Fno=155112&find%5Fcategory=&find%5Fdescription=&find%5Fpart%5Fdesc=away+in+a+manger
“Angels Aware” is by the Gaithers and can be found at : http://www.praisegathering.com/Site/Detail.asp?tid=4979
The music is excellent. “Hotel Bethlehem” and “Meet Me at the Manger are also loads of fun. Celeste Clydesdale music is always good.
Our church is doing “It All Happened in the Country” this year but I’m really trying to find a demo video for it. I know they used to make one (years ago) but I can’t find one anywhere. It would be nice to have director’s helps.
Any help would be appreciated.
I have directed many Children’s programs over the years. Angels Aware is my first choice. Other outstanding ones are: Wise Guys and Starry Skies, Psalty’s Christmas Calamity, Three Wee Kings, The Bethleham Project. I am now hunting for a play for my group (ages 8-13) to preform. Last year we did “Christmas in Cricket County” which the kids liked alot, but I thought it was lacking. Please offer some suggestions for a good play I could preview.
We did the Good News Christmas Cruise last year and it was great. I highly recommend it!! It was the first time our children had every done a play and it was a great turn out and the kids can’t wait to do it again.
We are looking for a video of the Good New Christmas cruise being preformed. Would you happen to have one we could purchase. Our kids are very excited about performing this play and can’t wait till we start practices. Thanks for any help you can provide.
Gayle do you happen to have a script or website for that play?
Thanks for your help.
Would you happen to have a DVD of your production? I am looking for ideas on choreography? Or, if you could give me some of your ideas, that would be great. Thanks!
Angels Aware:
created and written by Kathie Hill and Janet McMahan
This is what is written on the sound track:
Word Music
Ariose Music Group
Praise Gathering Music Group
We did “Christmas in Cricket County” and loved it…We have since performed 4 other Cricket County plays and the audience doesn’t want anything else. These scripts are very entertaining but also come with strong messages. You can find them at contemporarydrama.com
I absolutely love “The First Leon.” We did another one last year: “Miracle on Main Street.” Both were excellent – I loved the music. Looking for a comparable program for this year – K-6.
Last year we did a christmas musical called “the Don’t Be Afraid Brigaide”. I don’t remember who it was from but the kids and all who attended really loved it. this year we are doing “It all happened in the country”. There is a church , I believe it is calvery faith center who has already done this musical. they have their entire play on line. It is interesting to see how they done their choreography. In case you want to check it out.
Can you tell me exactly how to pull this up on line and see “It All Happened The Country”? I need the choreography ideas! Thanks!
I highly recommend Mary remembers. We did this a few years ago. My pastor loved it as did everyone it has been one of the best Christmas programs we have ever did. It has the biblical story with manger scene. We used our own songs . We sang the last song with candle light very powerful .
I am looking for the accompaniment cassette or CD or Celeste Clydesdale’s “A Star is Born”. Does anyone out there have one I can borrow?
I am looking for the back ground track as well for A Star is Born. If anyone has any idea where to get one.
Does anyone know where i can find the poem “Colors On Parade” that is done with the children dressed as crayons? It’s about all the colors represented at the birth of Christ.
Thank you,
jb
Did you ever find this? I am looking for it right now as well!
Would anyone have available to rent or buy a split-trax second-hand for Miracle on Main Street by Celeste Clydesdale. We would like to do just one song from the musical for Christmas and our budget doesn’t flex enough to buy new to justify this.
I would love to reach someone who has the accompaniment CD and/or listening CD for “How the Grouch Found Christmas” by Dennis and Nan Allen. All I have is the book and cassette. I teach at a small Christian school and it is not in my budget this year to spend $100.00 on these CDs, yet it would sure be great to have them for our practices and performances! I’d be willing to pay a small rental fee and return them promptly! I also have several musicals/CDs from years past and would be willing to share! Contact me and let’s make a deal! Thanks and God Bless!
I too am looking for the accompaniment CD for Celeste Clydesdale’s “A Star is Born”. Does anyone have one I can borrow or purchase?
Thanks
I am also looking for a second-hand accompaniment CD for Celeste Clydesdale’s “Meet Me at the Manger”. Anyone else have one??
I am looking for piano score for “A Star is Born” by Clydesdale. It is out of print. Does anyone have one?
I am doing the program “It All Happened in the Country”. I would love to hear from others on things that worked if you have used this same musical. Also, if you have the split track that I could purchase from you I would really appreciate it
A STAR IS BORN accompaniment trax – needed yesterday! Anyone have one to sell?
I have a play that I wrote last year for our small church. If you wish for a copy, just send a note.
Luella, I would be interested in getting a copy of your play! Thanks!
Luella – I would love to have a copy of your play. I only have around 10 children under 6th grade I need a Christmas play to use. I would only want to use these kids instead of the youth. I hope your play will be one I can use.
Thanks
We have a small church too and I would love to see your play.
Luella, I would love a copy of the play. we have a small number of children in our small church. So this sounds wonderful. Thanks and God Bless
Hi Luella!
I would like to request for a copy of your Christmas play for me to use with our kids in our school and church.
Thanks,
emer
hi luella. i would like to have copy of your Christmas play too. we never done any play in our church and we have small number of children. we would appreciate it very much.
i would llike a copy fo the play, i’m online now looking for free christmas plays for my kids at church. ages 4-17 we have about 15 that will do the plays………….
I would love a copy of your play. We only have about 10 kids and our pastor would love for the kids to do something for Christmas this year. Hope it will fit in with our group.
Please send me a copy of your play. I am looking for a play for our small children’s group for this year.
Hi Luella,
I hope you’re still sending out your play. We have a very small church and would like to do a play for the first time. Thank you.
Thank you for your offer to share your Christmas play. I would like a copy, please.
Would love to see your play. I’m working with the children at my church and I’m looking for something simple and plus I have no budget to purchase anything unless I pay for it myself and I don’t see that being possible either anytime soon.
Hi! I would like to get a copy of your play. We have a small church and are trying to get something for the kids to do for Christmas. I hope you still have this available. Please let me know. Thank you!
Hi Luella,
I am a member of an inner-city church. I would love to have a copy of the play that you wrote. Last year we used the Christmas boxes sold through Family Christian stores… there were large boxes made and set up in front and then we had the angel Gabriel as the narator… I worked great there was little rehersal needed and we could fit in our own selection of music. If you are interested I can share what was written for that program.
Blessings,
janet
Hi Luella, I would love to receive a copy of your play. We have very few children in our elementary Sunday School and are having trouble finding something to do for our Christmas program. Thank you so much!
I would like a copy please.
please can you send me a copy
we are looking for a christmas play for our church
thanks
des
If you could still send a copy of your play, that would be great. We have a children’s pastor, but limited budget and a small group. Thank you so much.
Luella,
Are you still sending out copies of your play? I would love to have a copy!
Hi Luella,
Are you still sending copies of your play? Our church has less than 15 children and youth and it’s hard to find a play for them. I’d love a copy if you’re still sharing! Thanks and God bless!
Stephanie
Hi Luella, I would love to receive a copy of your play. We have very few children in our elementary Sunday School and are having trouble finding something to do for our Christmas program. Is this something you can email or do you have to send via mail?
Thanks so much.
Tawnee
I also go to a small church with very little children. I would love to see your play. Thank you so much
Becky,
Our church done Meet Me at the Manger last year. We have an accompaniment cd. Where are you?
We are in Greenwood Ms
A STAR IS BORN accompaniment Trax is needed. We did this musical several years ago and cannot locate the trax. Does someone have a copy that we could purchase or borrow? Thanks so much.
I am looking for more information on the Christmas play The Plane Truth About Christmas. Can anyone direct me to a place where I can purchase a CD or even a cassette tape of this play.
We just performed the Mystery of the Manger by Clydesdale. It was awesome!
We just had a wonderful, standing room only crowd at our church last night for the kid’s musical, “Christmas Carol”. I highly recommend this musical. It’s a new release by majestymusic.com.
yes luella i would lile to have a copy of your church play because we have small group of kids also at our church that like to be involved for the lord thank you and Jesus Bless you and family
We just had our Christmas Play this past weekend and it was Awesome! We did a play called “A new home for Christmas” and added our own music. The story centered around 2 little boys who’s mom had just passed 3 months prior and they found themselves in an orphanage for Christmas. It was truly a wonderful program. We added our own music which included: To know him is to love him; Stand by Me; I’m a Believer; Turn, Turn, Turn; I will follow him (Sister Act version); Put a little love in your heart – all songs on the Halleluiah Hop CD. It was awesome. If you want any additional info, email me!
I am very interested in your plays. I have a small group of children that would love to do an Easter play.
Please send me some copies of your Easter plays. Thank you and may the Lord Bless You!:)
I’m looking for a book titled ‘1 Rehersal Christmas Plays (or Programs), my mom thought it was put out by cook ministries but I haven’t found it, can anyone help? Thanky
Anyone out there happen to find an accompaniment track for A Star is Born? I’m in desperate need (it’s spring I know). Would love to borrow, buy, or rent your copy.
If anyone is looking for a Christmas play for 2009, I highly recommend “All I Want For Christmas”! Our children had so much fun doing this musical and the audience loved it. You can watch our performance and see how we decorated the stage at http://www.theriverishere.com . Go to ministries, and click on children’s ministry and then Children’s Christmas Dinner Theatre to watch. It is a story of a bratty little girl who wants everything that she sees for Christmas and loses the true meaning. After falling asleep in the toy dept of a store, she has a dream in which the toys come to life and she teaches them the true meaning of Christmas.
The First Leon is also a wonderful play! We did it the year before! I’d be glad to answer any more questions!
Last year we did Kathy Hills “Dr. Newheart’s Christmas Cure” Not only is it cute and clever, but it is so well written as she has a history in music theatre, I mean the characters are well developed, the songs are well written and orchestrated and they flow easily with the dialogue. Instead of a very bland narrative, then Christmas song, the sons actually propel the story along and the hilarious characters add a lot of density. Not, to mention the theology is very sound. This play has been around since about 1990.. I was in it as a kid and then directed it and the style really has stood the test of time. you guys need to check it out. Kathiehillmusic.com
We did “The Best Little Christmas Pageant Ever” last year in our church. We bought it from Samuelfrench.com. We absolutely loved it. It was cross generational and lasted about 40 minutes. It was so fabulous I’m having a hard time coming up with a play for this year. iIcan’t imagine anything being as good as last year’s. Any suggestions? I really prefer comedies.
We also performed “All I Want for Christmas” in 12/08 and it was a huge hit. The songs were good (I shortened a few of them to move things along) and the message was terrific — Christmas is NOT all about “getting” stuff!
I am looking for a play for kids ranging from ages 6 to 13 and I only have around 6-8 kids. Will this play “All I Want for Christmas” work for this amount of kids? Thanks.
We are in the exact same situation. Please let me know if this would be an option. Thank you.
This is a GREAT musical, but pulling it off with only 6-8 kids and starting at the end of October might be VERY difficult. You’d need to be practicing many hours between now and the performance. If you have some adults to play the parts of the sales clerk and the Mom, a VERY strong actress/singer for Lindsay (who has a TON of lines and a solo), 4 kids to play the toys, a boy to play Jeremy and cut out some of the minor parts, it *might* be possible. I don’t mean to discourage you, but I’m trying to be realistic. One of the things I found most helpful was to give every child a CD of the play/music to learn with at home. I told the parents to put the CD in the car and play it until they were sick of it!
Best of luck to you!
Please feel free to contact me if you have other questions: deninehicks@gmail.com
I highly reccomend “Carriers of the Light”. It’s at Christianbooks.com. We did it last year and was our most sucessfull Christmas play ever!
Does anyone out there write there own. We usually write our own Christmas plays and add our music,this works great for your budget, you can spend your money on decorations and such. We include our puppets with puppets songs. Sometimes we add our angels dancing. One year the puppets were the lead characters in telling the Christmas story, one of our best. I would love to hear about other original pieces, and the music you added. Sometimes the music is the hard part.
Maketa, It’s getting really late in the year but could you send some of your plays to me to read through for this years Christmas. We could use puppets in our play as well. thanks so much, Susanne
Susanne
Happy Friday!
If you will send me your email, I will email the two I have now.
Meketa1@aol.com
Meketa, could i have a copy of your christmas play that you did with your puppets? I have a small group of young kids but we have puppets and that would help alot . Thank you , God bless
Hi Paul,
I combine puppets with the children all the time. It works brilliantly when you have only a small group of children. I usually get the promo pack for almost any Christmas Program and simply subsitute puppets usually for the speaking parts. The children sing and dance along with the CD and the puppets mouth along with the spoken parts. Kids love it. There are no lines to memorize just songs to sing and dances to do. Examples of Programs I have used with puppets are: Meet Me at the Manger, The Bethlehem Project, The Mystery of the Manger, Three Wise Men and a Baby. This year I plan to do Angel Alert (Celeste Clydsdale) I love her plays. They are full of an exiting variety of music and tell the Christmas story as it is.
An email reader sent me this tip:
luella wrote:
luella wrote:
‘The Christmas Pirate’ and ‘A Better Christmas Story’ by Elaine Sveet are two easy and humorous children’s pageants. They require little rehearsal and are perfect for small churches and easily adaptable to large. They even include a full worship services and hymn suggestions. They were written by a United Church of Canada minister for her congregation and have been shared widely since. They are $12. The email for ordering from Bidgood Productions is bidgoodproductions@yahoo.com
I am looking for either a TAPE or a CD of the Christmas Musical “ANGELS AWARE”- I would love to have the listening tape/cd and the accompniment tape/cd. We have a very small church and they just don’t have the funds to purchase the cd for me to use with the kids. I do have the books for them but it would be great to find the cd. IF anyone has one that I could borrow or possibly purchase from them that would be a blessing. I cant afford to buy a new one myself either or I would just do that and give it to the church. Thanks for any help or advice.
An oldie but a goodie is Two Nights Before Christmas… It is out of production now but.. http://www.highcountryresources.com still carries it.. I think it is possibly one of the best children’s christmas plays of all time. I was actually in this play several times as a child and directed it last year at my church. IT was a HUGE success!!! A must-do!!
I am looking for a copy of the christmas play For Unto Y’All. Does anyone have a copy they would be willing to loan.
I have one book if you would like it – were you able to find it? I wanted to find this one to do but was unable to find any more copies. Let me know what you come up with!
Kimberly
No, I have not been able to find a copy. Time is getting away from us and we are now looking for something with very few parts that won’t require to much practice. Thank you for the offer.
I got the preview for The First Leon from a pastor friend. Alas, no accompaniment trax. Does anyone have the master CD to loan/buy for our inner city african/suburban children? It looks fabulous!
I found a website (through this newsletter, actually) called Little Big Stuff (littlebigstuff.com). They are a new company with only one Christmas play called “Camel Lot.” I was able to buy just one song without paying for the whole thing, although I would have loved to do the whole thing if we’d had time. The music is great and lively, the script isn’t cheesy (for a kids’ musical), and the company is fantastic to work with!
I have a Christmas play I wrote entitled When Ma Wouldn’t Give Up. It is based on an episode of Unshackled – the Radio Program. If interested – email me: kimberly@campgilead.org It is the story of a drunk bum at the turn of the century who’s life was miraculously changed by the constant prayers of his faithful wife…and the effect it had on his family for generations to come!
We are doing “Visions of Christmas” by Jeff Slaughter this year. It is a compilation of songs from his other musicals. I was wondering if anyone had choreography notes or the demonstation dvd for “Finding the Christmas Star”? “Go Tell It” is from this musical and I would love to see (or read the notes on) the choreography. We can’t afford to buy another directors kit for this one song, so I would be very grateful to anyone who could share. New musical doesn’t have choreography available yet. I know it’s already late in the game, but it’s my first musical and I need all the help I can get!!
Would anyone have a soundtrack cd of “Angels Aware” that they would be interested in selling?
I am looking for a program which includes “The Friendly Beasts” ,an old English hymn.Anyone hear of one?
I have a play I wrote for our church that includes the Friendly Beasts as part of the play — however, the entire play is not focussed on the song. Let me know if it interests you. I would be happy to share it.
I am directing “It All Happened In The Country” this year at our Christian school – would anyone happen to have an accompaniment CD they’d be willing to loan me? I’d really appreciate it!
Our church is doing “Angels Aware” this year. Does anyone happen to have a dvd of their production? Looking for choreography ideas. I’d appreciate it! Thanks.
Jodi: I do happen to have an extra accompaniment CD of this play. Not quite sure how I ended up with 2! I can also try to burn a copy of our production. Let me know if you’re interested.
Yes, Carla, I am totally interested in both the accompaniment CD and a copy of your production (for “It All Happened In The Country”)! Can you e-mail me (jodi_bowen@yahoo.com), and we’ll iron out the details. THANKS – you’re an answer to my prayers!
Also, if anyone has any choreography notes/advice/DVD footage for “It All Happened In The Country”, I’d love that, too! Thanks!
We have a small church with only about 10 kids ranging from ages 4-9. Any good ideas on a program that is easy to learn with great songs? Any ideas or scripts and CD’s second hand would be great for very limited on funds.
Thanks so much.
I have a script that uses a miniumum of children. Can you do PPT? This script uses a narrator along with a PPT that includes photos of the kids as the story is told. If you’re interested, I can email it to you and give you more details.
If you email it to me I can post it on the site Tony@Ministry-to-Children.com
I am looking for a play where a woman is looking for the perfect Christmas card and the scene changes every time she talks about what the best card would be. For example if it had to have snow, people off to the side are throwing fake snow. She finally gets down to having the nativity which would be the best on a card. Please help me find this play.
Anyone have or know where I can find a cheap accompaniment cd for the musical “The Christmas County Spelling Bee” by Celeste Clydesdale? I’m looking for a used one to purchase or one to rent from a church, school, or individual who is finished with theirs. The one I had is now gone and my production is a month away. Need ASAP! Thanks
feel free to email me at christina.n.robinson@vcacademy.org
or robinsons-3@hotmail.com