Long ago, in a little town called Bethlehem, something amazing happened. Mary and Joseph arrived after a long journey, but there was no place for them to stay the night! So they found a spot for a sleepover with some animals. That night Mary had a baby boy. They named him Jesus, a name that means "God saves us."

That same night, angels lit up the sky to make an announcement to some shepherds nearby: "A Savior has been born!" The shepherds hurried to see him, filled with joy. Meanwhile, wise men from far away followed a bright star, bringing gifts fit for a king.

The language called Latin has a special word for this birth. It's the word nativity. Now, it's your turn! Follow these step-by-step Lego instructions to build your own nativity set. Or get creative and design your own! However you build it, let this be a reminder of the greatest gift ever given.

1. Gather some bricks.

Here are the ones I used. It's okay if yours are different.

2. Build his bed.

Since there was no place to stay the night, when Mary had her new baby Jesus, they didn't have a bed for him. So they made one out of the animals' feed trough (called a manger). I connected the dark brown bricks, like this.

This looks like a fun addition to your set... a farmer, crops, and a scarecrow! [ad]

3. Add some bumpers.

We don't want the baby to fall out of his new bed. I used these gold handles around the edge, like this.

4. Fill the bed with hay.

This special baby should have a comfortable bed. To make this bed soft, let's add some of the hay that the animals eat.

I'm "digging" this farmer and pig! You can add him to your collection for about $15 bucks! [ad]

5. Build the Lego baby.

The new baby is very small. Instead of using a Lego minifig, we can build him out of parts like this, with a golden crown to show how special he is.

6. Add some animals.

I gave Joseph something to keep his head warm, and Mary long hair. With your minifigs for Mary and Joseph, let's get some animals in there too.

Check out these Lego animals! If you need some bricks to find that special shape, sometimes it's cheaper to buy something like this. It has a bunch of pieces and even some eyes! [ad]

7. Start building a sheep.

You'll want little white bricks for the sheep, like this.

8. Add some fluffy wool.

Sheep are soft and round. These bricks will help shape the sheep.

This farmer has a shovel to scoop up the animal "deposits" - ha! [ad]

9. Finish with a donkey.

Since this set is microscale, we don't need many pieces or details.

THAT'S IT!!! Put your nativity somewhere everyone can see it. Tell them what happened on that special night. When you share the news, you share joy!

Did you build a Lego nativity set? I'd love to see it. Ask a parent or guardian to take a picture and send it to me. What do you think we should build next?

What else does your nativity need? A horse, of course! Check out what he eats. [ad]