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One of the things my kids look forward to the most is opening the box of Christmas decorations that contains our nativity set. Before you start to assume that my kids are well behaved enough to be trusted around breakable things, you should know that our nativity set includes plastic Little People instead of ceramic figures, and it’s been one of the best holiday purchases we have ever made. Instead of spending the holiday season nagging the kids to stay away from the nativity set because it’s breakable, we can encourage them to actually touch it and take the opportunity to focus on the real story of Christmas by incorporating it into their play.

There are some great nativity sets available that are kid-friendly and can help you bring your children into the holiday festivities.

Deluxe Nativity Set from One Step Ahead

With this great nativity set from One Step Ahead, you don’t have to choose between looks and functionality. This durable wooden nativity can fit right into your holiday decor but will hold up to years of play from your children. This set has a similar look to high end carved wooden sets that are designed to be  decorative and your kids will love recreating the Christmas story with these beautifully done pieces. The great thing about this set is you can keep using it even after your children have outgrown it or save it as a family heirloom.

Fisher-Price Little People Nativity Set

Little People have been around for so long for a very good reason – kids absolutely love them and they are fairly close to indestructible. We purchased this nativity set several years ago and it looks brand new. There are several variations of this set. Some include the wise men and some include shepherds so you’ll just want to look at what they offer and pick one that fits your budget (since they vary fairly dramatically in price too) and has the pieces you want. These do get difficult to find in stock the closer we get to Christmas though so you’ll want to order early. Get the matching Advent Calendar so your kids can count down to Christmas day.

Melissa and Doug Nativity Set

We’re big fans of Melissa and Doug in our house. Everything we’ve ever purchased from them has been really well made and held up well under the abuse of daycare kids and my own 3 kids.

This child-friendly, wooden nativity set provides a “please touch” holiday experience. The four-piece stable is easy to assemble and the 11 figures encourage your child to re-enact the events of that Christmas Day long ago. A retelling of the Christmas story is included on the package to help create a treasured family tradition for the holiday.

Playmobil Nativity Set

Playmobil is well known for making high quality, durable toys. This great nativity set has some great detail to it and will last you for years to come. This set comes with the 3 wise men, Mary, Joseph, and several animals. Some of the pieces are smaller so this set would be a huge hit for kids who are a bit older and probably isn’t suitable for toddlers or preschoolers who are still putting toys in their mouths.

The great detail makes it appealing to older kids as well.

Rubber Duck Nativity Set

This rubber duck nativity set is a great twist on a classic and would be perfect for younger kids who aren’t ready for nativity sets that include smaller pieces. Priced at under $8, you don’t even have to feel guilty if you use this nativity set in the tub – and how often do you get to do that? You don’t have to worry about young kids breaking this set (or anything else by if you have a toddler who likes to throw things).

I have a preschooler who loves ducks so I absolutely love this idea.

Maxim EverEarth Nativity Set

If you want to go green this Christmas season, definitely check out this eco-friendly nativity set for kids. Made from eco-friendly natural wood and water based paints, you can let your kids play with this set without worrying about them being exposed to anything toxic. Even the packaging uses recycled paper and is printed in soy ink.

This set includes pieces that are easy for young children to hold and is durable enough to hold up to extended play.

Wood Nativity Block Set

Unit blocks are one of my favorite toys for toddlers and preschoolers. Even my 7 year old still plays with our set of unit blocks. This nativity set from Constructive Playthings gives your child a chance to build the manger from unit blocks and includes a great assortment of brightly painted wooden figures to makeup the nativity.

This set is perfect for older toddlers or preschoolers and you won’t have to worry about it breaking. This set is my favorite find this year.

Veggie Tales Nativity Set

If you have any Veggie Tales fans in your home, they will love this Veggie Tales Nativity Set. With chunky pieces that are easy for small hands to hold and pieces that are full of personality (baby Jesus is a carrot), preschoolers will get hours of play out of this set.

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