Good News at the Stable – A 10-Minute Children’s Nativity Play

Good News at the Stable is a simple, heartwarming 10-minute Christmas play designed for children’s church services, Christian school chapels, and family Christmas events. With a cast of 6–10 young actors, this script highlights the true meaning of Christmas: the greatest gift is not wrapped in colorful paper, but found in the humble manger of Bethlehem.

The play features short, easy-to-memorize scenes where the shepherds share their excitement, the angel Gabriel delivers God’s message, and Mary tells her story in her own gentle words. The script is structured so that younger children can participate as angels or stable animals with little to no speaking lines, while older children take on the simple speaking roles.

This nativity play requires minimal preparation and uses very simple props such as a manger box, cloth wraps, shepherd staffs, and small costumes. The tone is gentle, traditional, and ideal for early learners, yet still powerful enough to touch the hearts of families and visitors.

Perfect for churches seeking a stress-free children’s Christmas program, Good News at the Stable offers a beautiful retelling of the nativity story, reminding everyone that the true gift of Christmas is Jesus Himself.

GOOD NEWS AT THE STABLE

A Simple 10-Minute Children’s Christmas Play

Length: ~10 minutes

Cast Size: 6–10 actors

Props: Shepherd staffs, simple cloth wraps, baby doll, small wooden box or crate for the manger, simple robes, halos (optional)

CAST OF CHARACTERS

• Narrator – Speaks clearly, guides the story. (Can be split into Narrator 1 & 2)

• Mary – Gentle, thoughtful, trusts God.

• Joseph – Kind, steady, looks after Mary.

• Angel Gabriel – Joyful and confident messenger from God.

• Shepherd 1 – Excited, curious.

• Shepherd 2 – Slightly hesitant, but amazed.

• Optional Extra Roles:

• Additional Shepherds (3, 4, etc.)

• Angels (children in white, simple lines or no lines)

• Stable Animals (kids with ears or masks – mostly silent or one-line responses)

You can perform this play with only the main 6, or add more children as angels/animals.

SCRIPT

OPENING

(Stage is set with a simple manger at center: a small wooden box with a cloth inside. Lights are gentle. NO baby yet. NARRATOR steps to the side, facing the audience.)

NARRATOR:

At Christmastime, we see many gifts.

We wrap them in bright paper.

We tie them with ribbons and bows.

We place them under glowing trees.

(A few younger children can come onstage carrying empty “gift” boxes and place them to one side.)

But tonight, we are here to remember

the best gift of all…

A gift that was not wrapped in paper,

and not placed under a tree…

but laid in a manger

in a little town called Bethlehem.

This is the story of Good News at the Stable.