The unpredictability of nativity plays: From calling baby Jesus Colin to a spectacular crash by Rudolf on roller skates

After weeks of rehearsals, nurseries and primary schools up and down the country will soon be putting on that highlight of the year – the Christmas nativity play.

Anyone who has watched a nativity play will know that due to the unpredictability of young children, these performances are often filled with unintended comedy.

Nurseries have been sharing their funny anecdotes of mishaps and disasters with daynurseries.co.uk

'One year we did a little play to the parents and I was Rudolf on rollers skates. The children had to pull/push me in the room and did it too hard and I went straight out the back door and didn’t stop until I hit the garden wall…’oops Rudolf’s dead’ one of the children shouted.' - Janette Redrup, senior nursery manager, Acorn Day Nursery, Westcroft

'A few years back we had the classic nativity tableau – Mary, Joseph, the baby, shepherds, wise men – and Spiderman, who instead of singing sweetly with the Christmas songs, decided it was more appropriate to break dance. He decided on the day that he was going to wear his own outfit – and who were we to stop him!

'Then there was the incident where meticulous planning occurred involving a spreadsheet, countless lists, rehearsal schedules, risk assessments and inventories. On the day of the performance, parents were seated, children were dressed and drilled, the CD played out through the church PA system and parents were poised with cameras ready. As Mary and Joseph took up their positions, one of the preschool staff sidled up to the narrator and passed her a teddy wrapped in a blanket. ‘What’s this?’ she hissed. ‘We’ve forgotten the baby, Jesus, this will have to do!’

'It was time for the wise men to make their entrance. When prompted, Wise Man 1 walked on bearing his Gold, followed in due course by Wise Man 2 with his Frankincense. But where was Wise Man 3? We waited with baited breath, we looked to the wings. Suddenly, Wise Man 3 darted out to the centre of the stage and shouted ‘Mum, it’s my bit, are you watching?!’' - David Wright, owner, Paint Pots Nurseries, Southampton

'They do say never work with children and animals! But a nativity play without something going wrong would be impossible and not as endearing. 'We have had so many classic moments of ‘oh my goodness did that really happen’? Our Brussel sprout song a couple of years ago, prompted much to the delight of children, loads of exploding sounds! Then they just couldn’t stop giggling to finish the song.

'One of our favourites, at the vital point when Mary is naming the Baby Jesus, she lifted him up and said in the biggest clearest voice, very proudly, I think I’ll call him Colin!

'We have had angels get naked on stage, deciding they no longer want to wear the beautiful, yet itchy sparkly dresses.

'One of my most favourite scenarios was as a spectator, an angelic little girl, beautifully dressed as an angel, she saw her grandfather in the crowd and did the ‘I’m watching you sign’, with her fingers to her eyes, she pointed at her grandfather then proceeded to do the cut throat hang head sign! All very innocently done. Just priceless timing!' - Stephanie Dorling, nursery manager, The Old Station Nursery Ltd, Faringdon

The nativity has come under fire in recent years for modernising the story of the birth of Jesus and shunning religious characters.

Research last year by the online parenting site, Netmums, revealed that some parents claimed traditional nativities are being ‘pushed aside’ with nurseries and schools singing Christmas-themed pop songs rather than Christmas carols and aliens, punk fairies and footballers integrated into the plays.

This year, a primary school in Kent cancelled its nativity play for all the year groups apart from Reception after the school was put into special measures by Ofsted. The head teacher claimed taking the children out of class to practice for the nativity would be detrimental to the school making the necessary improvements.

Preparing for the nativity play can be extremely time-consuming with many hours spent rehearsing. Jean Hudson, nursery manager of LEYF Queensborough Community Nursery in Bayswater, London, said: “We rehearse each day singing and learning the new songs daily for one month prior to debut performance.

“Young children naturally are wired up for movement so from the onset of the first musical note the children instinctively will start moving dancing, clapping, swaying and jumping!

“To capture this energy we use Makaton signing to the songs when possible, this adds to the communication and storytelling of the nativity and works a treat because what you don’t want is for the children to feel inhibited, what you do want is for them to feel creative!”

She has found that songs that are based on actions go down well with the younger ones who are not able to say much.

“This year we are doing an old favourite ‘It’s a Baby’ because recently many of the children have had an addition of a new baby at home. Therefore there is a lot of cradling going in their singing actions.

“Another scenario of a song ‘It’s cold outside’ when again the children’s own imagination come into play – our little twin sisters at the nursery will automatically embrace and cuddle each other as if to stay warm,” she said.

LEYF's nursery manager Jean Hudson has tips to ensure your nativity goes as smoothly as is possible with young children in the starring roles.

Tips:

• Be brave and put on the production!

• Allow four weeks to rehearse – start early

• Make sure you have lively songs – produce lively singing and voice melody

• Prepare the children in their roles as storytellers/young actors

• Give them roles as clouds, stars, innkeeper, sheep, shepherds, three kings. It makes them feel special.

• Keep the production to 20-25 minutes

• Rehearse bowing at the end otherwise the children can all toddle off to their parents in the audience and you and the nursery team are left alone centre stage!