Christmas Counting

We’re going to have a party, (2 children on stage introduce the skit)

cause Christmas has begun

What will you be bringing, to give us Christmas fun?

One Christmas tree, that’s what I’ll bring, (1 Child enters with tree)

With tinsel, lights, and everything!

Two green wreaths to hang on the door, ( 2 children with wreaths enter)

With mistletoe, and holly, and ribbons, and more

Three toy drums, boom, boom, boom, boom! (3 children with drums enter . They should bang them loudly)

Oh too noisy! There’s not enough room!

Four .......................

(Sorry - I can’t give you the whole poem or no one would buy the book!)

We’re having a party, ‘cause Christmas has begun, (Everyone)

Thank you for bringing, so much Christmas fun.

SONG: (OPTIONAL) We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Christmas ABC's

A is for angel on top of the tree,

B is for bell that is ringing for me.

C is for candles, burning they glow,

D is for donkey, who brought them you know.

E is for elves, so merry and bright,

F is for fireplace, he'll come down at night.

(Sorry - I can’t give you the whole poem or no one would buy the book!)

It's much too hard to go to bed! (I'll be good, just wait and see!)

All of the letters have come here to say

We hope you all have a Happy Christmas Day!

Staging: Each child holds a letter facing him/her. When the letter he/she is holding is named in the poem, turn it around to face the audience. If you have less than 26 children in your class (lucky you!) put two letters on one page.

Hint for the teacher: Here's a really easy way to make 26 large letters for children to hold while staging the Christmas Alphabet. Type the alphabet out on a computer word processing program. Select all, then set the font size to the largest available. On a Mac, this is 255. Under the file menu, go to page setup, and set scale selection to 200%. The A will print out on a full page. Print out your alphabet, then staple the letters to large sheets of construction paper. It should take about 20 minutes.

Please Santa, Give Me a Break - choral speech

I went to visit Santa at the shopping mall in town

I stood in line and then sat on his knee

He asked me what I wanted for a special toy this year

And then he gave a candy cane to me

And he said "Ho Ho Ho, have you been good?

Have you been good all year?

Have you done the things you should?

That is what old Santa wants to hear!"

I said, "There is a reason for everything I've done, I just need a little time to tell you why Santa, if you skip my house on Christmas Eve this year, Santa, I will surely start to cry!

I didn't know you weren't supposed to feed the dog a steak

I really didn't mean to eat ALL of the chocolate cake

I hid my sister's Barbie dolls, colored pictures on the walls

Please believe me Santa - I just made a mistake

(Sorry - I can't give you the whole poem or no one would buy the book!)

Dear Santa I have tried my best to be good all this year

But I admit I've made the odd mistake

I bet you were a kid once too and goofed up now and then

So please Santa, this year give me a break!"

The Elves and The Shoemaker

Play or Reader's Theatre with an easy going song & dance.

Characters: Narrator, Shoemaker, Shoemaker's Wife, Customer, Chorus.

Optional: Have the class read the narrators part instead of having a solo voice.

Narrator: Once upon a time there was a shoemaker who worked very hard. But he could not earn enough to live on. At last, all he had in the world was t just enough leather to make one pair of shoes. He cut these out at night, and meant to rise early the next morning to make them up.

Wife: Dear husband, it is time for bed.

Shoemaker: Yes, we can do no more today.

Narrator: In the morning he said his prayers, and sat down to work, when, to his great wonder, there stood the shoes, already made, upon the table.

Shoemaker: Dear wife, come and look at these shoes. These shoes are perfectly made!

Wife: But husband, when did you make them? I did not hear you get up!

Shoemaker: That is true. They were here on the bench when I got up this morning!

Narrator: The shoemaker placed the shoes in the window and soon a customer came in to buy them.

Customer: How much would you like for these wonderful shoes? I'll gladly pay 10 guilders for shoes made as well as these.

Narrator: The shoemaker took the money and bought enough leather to make two more pairs of shoes. He cut out the work in the evening, and went to bed early. He wanted to be up with the sun and get to work. When he got up in the morning, the work was done.

Shoemaker: Dear wife, come and look at these shoes. These shoes are perfectly made!

Wife: But husband, when did you make them? I did not hear you get up!

Shoemaker: That is true. They were here on the bench when I got up this morning!

Narrator: Soon buyers came in, who paid him well for his shoes.

Customer: How much would you like for these wonderful shoes? I'll gladly pay 10 guilders for shoes made as well as these.

Husband: Now I can buy enough leather for four more pairs.

Narrator: He cut out the work again overnight, and found it finished in the morning as before. So it went on for some time. What he got ready at night was always done by daybreak, and the good man soon was well-to-do. One evening, at Christmas-time, he and his wife sat over the fire, chatting.

Shoemaker: "I should like to sit up and watch to-night, that we may see who it is that comes and does my work for me."

Wife: Let us leave the light burning, and hide behind a curtain.

Narrator: As soon as it was midnight, there came two little Elves. They sat upon the shoemaker's bench, took up all the work that was cut out, and began to ply their little fingers. They stitched and rapped and tapped at such a rate that the shoemaker was amazed, and could not take his eyes off them for a moment.

(Sorry - I can't give you the whole play or no one would buy the book!)

Chorus: Shoemakers Song
Vocal score and piano accompaniment are included in the book

DANCE: (ALL) The Shoemakers Dance
Vocal score and piano accompaniment are included in the book

For an extended script sample of this play, please click here.