Are you teaching When Joseph Went to Bethlehem this year in primary? This sweet Christmas song teaches us what Mary and Joseph did to prepare for the birth of the Savior.
Whether you are looking for a way to introduce this song or review the lyrics, this When Joseph Went to Bethlehem At the Stable activity is a great choice!
Bring this Christmas song to life with this visual intrigue singing time idea! For this activity, I’ve gathered items mentioned in the song to share with primary kids as they learn this song.
See all of our When Joseph Went to Bethlehem Singing Time Ideas here!!
When Joseph Went to Bethlehem At the Stable
There are so many wonderful Christmas songs to choose from! When Joseph Went to Bethlehem is one that comes together fairly quickly, so it’s a great song pick to combine with another song!
You can find 100+ Christmas Singing Ideas right here at Primary Singing! With the busy holiday season, we want to help you prepare meaningful, fun activities for Christmas time!
Prepare for this activity by gathering objects mentioned in the song. Think, “Simple!” Grab some dolls to represent Mary and Joseph or print pictures from the Church Media Library. Rummage through your toolbox to represent Joseph’s tools.
I’ve included a list of some simple items you could bring. You can also bring in some pictures instead of live objects. I created a simple printable with visuals for people and objects in the first verse.
Once you have these items, set them on a large tray to bring for singing time. Lay the tray on the table and cover it so that the kids can’t see it yet!
At the beginning of primary, reveal the tray. What are these objects? What are they used for? Have the primary pianist play the song while you listen. Then, bring out your flipchart for When Joseph Went to Bethlehem and post the first page on the board.
Sing the first line of the song and hold up a picture of Joseph. Continue teaching the song line by line and holding up the visuals as you sing. If you have already started learning this song, use these items to review! What kind of animal is mentioned in this song? What two foods does Joseph bring for their journey?
Continue singing the song as you show different items mentioned in the song. At the end of singing time, share your testimony of the birth of the Savior. Christ was born in humble circumstances and we can practicing being humble too.
When Joseph Went to Bethlehem At the Stable Ideas:
I’ve created this list of some items to include for this activity! These items are meant to represent objects or people mentioned in the first verse. This activity can definitely be used to review the second and third verses as well! Just read through each verse and choose a few items to represent the lyrics!
- Picture of Mary & Joseph or dolls to represent them
- Wood shavings/Piece of wood
- Tools
- Keys
- Faux animal fur from a coat or rug.
- Fabric to represent fur
- Paper bag or piece of linen
- Bread
- Cheese
- Fabric sack
Extension Activities:
- On the back of each picture or item, write a silly way to sing the song or a fun movement! Choose a child singing reverently to come up and choose an item. Then, let them lead the group in the movement or silly voice!
- Place each item in a small paper bag. While the children sing, pass around one of the bags. Have the kids see if they can guess what is inside the bag. Continue reviewing until you have opened all the bags. This He Sent His Son What’s in the Bag activity provides a good example of this!
- Put all the items in a large giftbag! While you sing, choose a child to come up and pick an item from the bag. Once they choose an item, ask them how that item relates to the song. This is a fun way to quiz the kids on the lyrics!
For another fun visual holiday activity, head over to see this St. Patrick’s Day: I’m Seeing Green singing time activity!
When Joseph Went to Bethlehem At the Stable Printable Song Helps
This free in-post printable includes a 2-page printable with colorful visuals for items and people mentioned in the first verse of When Joseph Went to Bethlehem.
Join INSTANT Primary Singing for extended printables including 1/4 page at the stable cards and full page cards in color and black and white. You’ll find these bonus files included when the song When Joseph Went to Bethlehem is the featured song of the month.
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Head over to this When Joseph Went to Bethlehem Directional Marching activity for a fun movement idea to review this Christmas song!
What other fun ways will you use this Christmas singing time activity in your Primary room?
