Children can model their own Nativity scene!

       Below are a few nativity sketches that children may work from while sculpting their own religious figures from paper clay or even salt dough. Included in these sketches are Mary, the baby Jesus, a flower, Sarah mother of John the baptist, the three wise men with gifts, and two baby lambs one standing and the other reclining.  Use either watercolors or acrylics to paint figures like these and then seal them with three clear coats of acrylic spray or Mod Podge. Let the figures dry completely between coating. Store them in cookie tins to prevent mice or insects from chewing on figures for nesting materials.

Arrange the figures on a wooden platform. Add clay trees and plants. Construct
 the barn from a cardboard box or scrap wood. Use the illustration above as a guide.

Mini Demonstration of sculpting a simple clay 

nativity by YAS ClayCommunity.

 

 Once you've played around with clay to make a little nativity scene, try drawing a Christmas camel or even an entire caravan!

Left, "Let's use a triangle this time, cut by some straight and slanting lines."
 Center, "A hump up here, two legs below, and up on top a figure---so!"
Right, "Then if you draw your lines quite true, a Christmas camel comes in view."