New Nativity Blocks

My children were given a nativity set to play with a couple years ago.  But, being that it was ceramic, it has several broken pieces.  I think the donkey's ears broke off only weeks after we acquired it.  And recently one of the wise men lost his head completely.  So, the search was on for a new set for them. 

When it comes to Nativity scenes, I am very picky.   This did not make my search easy.  Especially since there aren't many nativities for children on the market.  And I had a complaint of one form or another about all of them.  Plus, we're not in a position to be spending much money on extras right now, anyway.  So I decided quickly that I would need to get crafty and make my own.  I saw the idea for the following set on some blog.  But then I had to find a nativity clipart set that I liked.  That was even harder!

Anyway, I finally found some great, simple clipart on JennySmith.net.  The only thing it was missing was a donkey.  But I was able to whip one up on Windows Paint pretty easily. 

I cut out all the pictures and simply Mod Podged them onto my Melissa and Doug wooden blocks.

The stable, the star, Mary, Joseph, the manger, and the donkey.  As you can see, I cut the stable and the star into multiple pieces.

The wise men and even King Herod!  So cool that I was able to teach my kids about this antagonist and the important part he plays in the story of Christ's birth and infancy.

Shepherds, sheep, and angel.