For many families with children, displaying a nativity scene is a regular Christmas tradition - but traditional family nativity scenes are often not suitable for children's hands. In this article, we tell you what you should look for when choosing a child-friendly nativity scene and present the Fairy-Tale Nativity as a beautiful, age-appropriate Christmas nativity scene for children. Made of wood, it's not only perfect for looking at, but also for playing with.
Table of contents
Introduction
A nativity scene is usually set up in a prestigious place in the home or house in the lead-up to Christmas and accompanies the family until the day arrives. In the beginning, however, the nativity scene is still "uninhabited"; the figures are gradually placed in the stable during Advent before the entire landscape is finally completed on Christmas Eve. On Epiphany, i.e. 6 January, the Three Kings - Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar - pay a visit to the baby Jesus.
Tip: Put the nativity figures in the Advent calendar as a surprise for your children if they do not yet have their own nativity scene to play with. This way, the little ones will be delighted to add new figures day by day.
You can find out more about the history of the Advent calendar in our article: Advent Calendar: History & Meaning.
Perhaps you still remember your own childhood - how you once stood wide-eyed in front of the nativity scene and would have loved to play with the beautifully carved figures. But your parents would keep a watchful eye to make sure that you didn't get too close to the high-quality, delicate figures of people, animals and angels in the stable. It is not uncommon for nativity scenes to be valuable heirlooms that are passed down from family to family.
Children often act out the Christmas story with the nativity figures in a stable.Wooden nativity scenes for children: robust, durable and safe
There are also nativity scenes for children that are not just for Christmas decoration. They allow the little ones to re-enact the Christmas story of Jesus' birth with figures suitable for kids. Nativity scenes for children are made in a wide variety of designs and materials. You can choose between stables made of wood, fabric or plastic. What you ultimately choose depends on your own ideas and taste.
Especially recommended for children are wooden nativity scenes that are made from a natural and environmentally friendly raw material and do not contain any harmful substances.
Wooden nativity scenes and nativity figures for children have numerous advantages:
- Long-lasting: Wooden toys for children are sometimes more expensive, but they also last longer.
- Robust: The figures are more robust than those of traditional nativity scenes, and they also fit better in children's hands.
- Safe: The risk of pieces breaking off is low; consequently, the risk of injury is also reduced.
- Cosy: Wooden figures create a cosy and comfortable ambience.
In addition, nativity scenes for children to play with have educational benefits: they promote a child's development in various areas. Motor skills are supported, communication stimulated and creative thinking encouraged. If you want painted figures, the paints are also often water-based. This means that the nativity figures are completely harmless to their health.
Children are amazed by a carved nativity scene.Checklist: Choosing a nativity scene for your children
If you do not yet own a nativity scene or if you also want to purchase a Christmas nativity scene suitable for children, you should consider the following three things in advance.
- Size: The size of the children's nativity scene is an important selection criterion - on the one hand for an attractive presentation of the nativity scene, and on the other hand for finding a suitable place for it. The more elements a nativity scene has or the larger the figures are, the more space is needed. It is best to think about where you would like to place the nativity scene together with your child: on a table, the windowsill or under the Christmas tree. And you will also need storage space.
- Nativity set or DIY nativity scene: In addition to complete nativity scene sets that already contain all the figures in addition to the stable, there are also nativity scenes that can be put together as desired. In the case of the latter, the figures are purchased individually. The beauty of both types of nativity scenes is that they can be built up gradually during Advent and additional figures and scenes can be added each year.
- Elements: The more elements the nativity scene for children has, the more the little ones can discover and the more accurately the Christmas story can be re-enacted. The minimum components of a nativity scene include the baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph and an ox and donkey. It can be expanded with other figures such as the Three Kings, camels, sheep, rabbits, elephants and many more.
Fairy-Tale Nativity by Lignoma: the perfect nativity scene for children
With the Fairy-Tale Nativity by Lignoma, the Christmas story about the birth of Jesus becomes "tangible".
The Fairy-Tale Nativity comes from Val Gardena in Italy - a region where the art of woodcarving has a long tradition. The handmade stables and nativity figures are small masterpieces of craftsmanship. Only regional woods are used. This means that the unique nativity figures can be placed under the Christmas tree with a clear ecological conscience.
The Fairy-Tale Nativity invites children to discover the story of Jesus' birth in a playful way.The nativity scene and figures can be held by the little ones without hesitation. The hand-painted wooden figures lovingly invite children to re-enact the Christmas story. The special feature of this nativity scene for children: the figures are kept simple and leave plenty of room for the children's imagination. In addition, the edges are rounded so that no one can hurt themselves.
The Fairy-Tale Nativity can be purchased online as a complete nativity set. You can also start with the stable and the most important " characters " of the Christmas story and order more figures every year, for example, for your child's birthday. In this way, the nativity scene for the little ones grows over time and becomes an attractive eye-catcher that is enjoyed not only by children but also by adults.
The figures are currently available in four sizes - 8, 10, 12 and 15 cm. Depending on the space available in your home, you will find the right size for your children's wooden nativity scene in our shop.
Fairy-Tale Nativity sets
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