Spotlight on: Hushaby Nativity
Bringing the Christmas story to life for a brand new generation, Hushaby Nativity is a charming take on this traditional tale that is sure to instil some excitement in your younger students. Told from the perspective of the barn animals that witness the birth of baby Jesus, this gentle nativity for primary school children has singing stars, snoring sheep, and a lovely lullaby to round off the performance.
Packed with witty dialogue and featuring seven original songs from our nativity veteran, Nicki Davies, delve into this article to learn more about Hushaby Nativity – but be careful not to wake the baby!
What Happens in Hushaby Nativity?
Spoilers ahead!
This primary school nativity starts with an announcement: baby Jesus is about to be born, but no one in Bethlehem is any the wiser, including the rather raucous bunch of barn animals, who are about to have a front row seat to the virgin birth.
When the innkeeper leads Mary and Joseph to the stable, the animals are noisily awaiting their food. Even after the animals fall asleep, their loud snores prevent poor Mary from getting any rest.
The innkeeper and his wife return to the stable, explaining to the animals that a special baby is about to be born. This seems to backfire, because as soon as baby Jesus arrives, the animals moo, baa and cluck with excitement. As they finally settle down, the Shiny Star explodes onto the scene, only to be told to wait quietly atop the stable by the animals.
In the fields outside Bethlehem, a choir of angels spread the news of Jesus’ birth to some local shepherds. Overjoyed at the news, the shepherds sing their way towards the stable, disturbing the Newborn King. Luckily, Bailey the Donkey knows a lullaby to send Him back to sleep.
With the donkey standing guard outside the stable, the Wise Men are able to enter without rousing baby Jesus. They quietly pay their respects, and everyone marvels are the majesty of the Newborn King.
Making Hushaby Nativity
With over fifteen nativities for KS1 children to her name, Nicki Davies is no stranger to writing Christmas musicals for primary schools. While her previous interpretations of the Christmas story have depicted donkey traffic jams (Beep Beep Bethlehem), jam sessions with an animal band and the choir of angels (Boogie Woogie Nativity), the Wise Men corralling their party-going camels (Camel-Ama-Ding-Dong), and angels assuming secret identities (Secret Angels), in Hushaby Nativity Nicki simply makes space for the miraculous birth.
Through the excitement of the animals, the star and singing shepherds, we are reminded of the awe that must have been felt by those who witnessed the many wonders that took place that night over two thousand years ago.
What Can We Learn from Hushaby Nativity?
Performing the nativity with primary school children has become such a staple of our Christmas traditions that it is easy to forget about the moral lessons that are ingrained in the story and have maintained it relevance to this day. While the purpose of these primary school Christmas musicals is to teach the nativity story to young children, Hushaby Nativity provides other teaching points that are crucial to your students’ wider development.
By staging Hushaby Nativity this Christmas, you can teach your students about:
● Faith
From the cacophony of animal noises at the time of Jesus’ birth, to the jubilation of the shepherds as they descend on the stable (Happy Shepherds), this primary school nativity demonstrates the excitement felt throughout the world at the arrival of the Newborn King. By allowing your students to experience that excitement for themselves, whether that be through mooing, baaing or clucking, they can start to understand how momentous Jesus’ birth was, rather than view Him as any other baby.
● Kindness
While Hushaby Nativity highlights the importance of baby Jesus, the story similarly emphasises that He is still a baby each time the animals and other visitors are reminded not to disturb His sleep. The ensemble song Tiptoe and Whisper especially teaches children to be conscious of those around them and to practice kindness with those more vulnerable than themselves.
Who Should Purchase Hushaby Nativity?
Written to be performed by children aged 3 to 6, Hushaby Nativity would make the perfect first Christmas musical for primary school children, while still offering plenty of fun for slightly older KS1 students.
With a run time of 25 minutes, the nativity is short enough to ensure it keeps its youngest actors engaged throughout, while still giving them plenty of time to get into the Christmas spirit. Should you want to extend your performance, you can add an editable version of the script to your purchase, such that you can cram more animals into your stable, or add in some jokes that might not have been around a couple of millennia ago!
While the script features 27 speaking roles, the resources included with your purchase provide instructions to decrease or increase the cast size to accommodate 18 to 40+ students. If you find that any of your actors are a bit too eager to be quiet, you may wish to fill out your ensemble with reverent sheep or well-mannered camels accompanying the Wise Men.
Ready to Put on a Primary School Nativity to Remember?
Whether you want to reintroduce your students to the magic of the Christmas story, or you need an excuse to instil some quiet in your noisy new starters, Hushaby Nativity is a charming Christmas musical that your primary school students are sure to love!
Tiptoe down to Bethlehem in Hushaby Nativity, or explore our collection of nativities for KS2 students, such as the light and fluffy Bethlehem Bake-Off or the dance-filled frenzy that is Bethlehem Ballroom. For more details about any of your musicals, or for our top tips for staging a nativity, get in touch with us today to discuss your next primary school Christmas musical.