Graders Lesson Activities

This is a skit where the narrator do ALL the talking and the actors do the acting without any talking. Depending on the number of children, divide the class into different teams to comprise of the number of characters needed for the skit. Use as many children as possible for the characters with asterisks (so that every child in the class gets to participate in the skit).
For orderliness, make sure that it is only the team acting is being read that stands in front of the class. Instruct the children about the characters they are playing and to pay attention to the narrative to act accordingly. Encourage them to put their individual flair to their acting to make it interesting.
It is important to read the script ahead of time to know how to position the children and when to cue them if necessary. As the narrator, put as much passion as possible in the reading of the script. Add exaggerated emphasis on some of the parts to make your narration engaging. Be prepared to pause the narrative to cue the children to play their roles. Feel free to modify the skit script in any way that will work for your class.
 

Props

Throw pillow tied with a sheet for pregnant Mary and wrapped up doll to be baby Jesus.

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Characters

Angel, pregnant Mary, Joseph, Jesus, baby Jesus, angel, shepherds* and angel choir*. Optional: Sheep*.

Narrative Skit
(Have pregnant Mary and Joseph stand on opposite sides of you. Turn the class attention to pregnant Mary)
This is Mary. She is pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. Wow, Isn’t God powerful?
(Motion for pregnant Mary to leave and turn the class attention to Joseph.)
Now here is Joseph. Remember he is engaged to Mary. He just learned that Mary is expecting a baby. She is pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is worried, see him walking up and down, his hand on his chin wondering what to do. Now he is tired from all that thinking, so he lays down to sleep.
Here comes an angel from the Lord to talk to Joseph in his dream. 
The angel says, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to accept Mary to be your wife. The baby inside her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son. You will name Him Jesus.”
(Have Jesus come and stand on the other side of you and direct the class attention to him.)
This is Jesus. God says for Joseph to give Him the name Jesus because He will save His people from their sins.
(Motion for Jesus to leave and have the shepherds and their sheep take their place)
Today baby Jesus is born. At night, some shepherds are sitting out in the fields near Bethlehem watching their sheep. 
Here comes an angel of the Lord who appears to them, and the glory of the Lord is shining around them. 
The shepherds become very afraid. And the angel says to them, “Don’t be afraid. I have some very good news for you—news that will make everyone happy.”
The shepherds stop being afraid, and they are getting excited.
The angel continued telling them, “Today your Savior was born in David’s town. He is the Messiah, the Lord. This is how you will know Him: You will find a baby wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feeding box.”
Then a huge army of angels from heaven join the first angel.
All the angels start praising God, saying, “Praise God in heaven, and on earth let there be peace to the people who please Him.”
The angels leave the shepherds and go back to heaven. 
The shepherds say to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this great event the Lord has told us about.”
And the shepherds leave their field.
(Have Mary carrying the wrapped up doll and Joseph sitting on the floor.)
Here is Mary and Joseph with the baby Jesus. The shepherds come running in. When the shepherds see the baby, they are so excited to see the Savior of the world. And the shepherds started praising God and thanking Him for everything they had seen and heard. It was just as the angel had told them.