Free Nursery Nativity Script for Preschool (Narrated, with a Song)
Here is the full opening part of Who's Coming to the Stable?, a gentle, original narrated nativity for nursery, preschool and Reception (ages 2 to 5). A grown-up narrator tells the story and the children join in with short group lines and action songs, so nobody has to read. Try it with your group to see if it suits them.
Part 1: The Long Walk
Everyone walks in and sits in their groups. A box stable with straw sits at the front. Mary, Joseph and the Donkeys wait at the side.
Song: The Walking Song
To the tune of Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush. Sung by: Everyone.
This is the way we walk to Bethlehem,
Bethlehem, Bethlehem,
This is the way we walk to Bethlehem,
On a cold and starry night.
Actions: March on the spot, then wave hello to the audience.
Narrator: Hello, everybody, and welcome to our nativity! Long, long ago, a lady called Mary and a man called Joseph went on a very long walk.
Narrator: They were going to a town called Bethlehem. And who do you think helped them?
Donkeys: Hee-haw!
Narrator: That's right, a little donkey! Let's all clip-clop with the donkey.
Mary, Joseph and the Donkeys walk slowly across the front.
Song: Clip Clop Donkey
To the tune of The Grand Old Duke of York. Sung by: Donkeys, Mary and Joseph.
Oh, the little donkey walked,
He walked to Bethlehem,
He clip-clopped up to the top of the hill,
And he clip-clopped down again!
Actions: Clip-clop with your hands on your knees. Stretch up tall for 'top of the hill' and crouch down for 'down again'.
Mary: I'm tired!
Narrator: Mary was very tired. The baby was coming soon. They needed somewhere to sleep.
Tips for very young performers
- Practise in short bursts of five or ten minutes rather than one long rehearsal.
- Keep each group together, with a grown-up nearby to give a smile and a nod when it is their turn.
- Let shy children hold a prop or stand beside a friend. Joining in with the actions counts.
- Tell the story a few times before you practise, so the children know what happens next.
Still comparing? See all our free Christmas play scripts for primary schools.
Want the whole play?
The full version has 8 short parts and 9 action songs, picture cue cards, 6 headband templates, costume ideas, a 4-week practice planner, a parent letter, invitations, programmes, certificates and colouring pages, plus an editable script.
