What are the best nativity songs for church?
The best nativity songs for church are the ones your youngest children can actually sing. Under-sevens sing most comfortably between about middle C and the A above it, and most carols go higher than that, so the answer is usually a lower key or a shared carol: the youngest on a refrain, the older children on the verses. In the editions checked here, Away in a Manger, Little Donkey and Go Tell It on the Mountain top out a tone or so lower than Once in Royal David's City and Silent Night, and two of them have a short, repeated refrain the youngest can join.
The adult carol service has its own essay, Christmas worship songs for church services; this one stays with the children.
Crib service, Christingle or nativity play?
Three different things go by the name of "the children's service" at Christmas.
A crib service is a short, informal service, usually on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, in which the Christmas story is told while the crib is built up. The Church of England's Common Worship: Times and Seasons (2006) gives an outline for one. Its notes say the outlines "suggest, rather than prescribe, a pattern", and the crib service includes "Building up of Crib while Telling the Story". The Church's own guide for families describes crib services where the nativity figures are brought to the crib gradually, and some where "Everyone is invited to dress up and act it out, singing favourite carols to help tell the story."
A Christingle is a service built around oranges, candles and a collection for The Children's Society, usually held between Advent and Candlemas. It has its own section below.
A nativity play is a performance: rehearsed, costumed, often scripted, and sometimes a musical bought from a publisher. That changes the licence you need (see licences).
In 2026, Advent Sunday falls on 29 November and Christmas Eve is a Thursday. The full calendar of Christmas services is in the adult essay's dates table. If you are planning Advent too, Advent worship songs and hymns covers the four Sundays.
What can children actually sing?
Less than many carols ask of them. Young children have "very short vocal folds" (Music Mark), and the comfortable range widens with age:
| Age | Comfortable range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 3 to 5 | "a limited pitch range of D to B" | Music Mark, A Common Approach, Early Years (December 2025) |
| 4 to 7 | "a tiny range (middle C to A)" | Sing Up, 6 August 2019 |
| 7 (Year 3) | from the G below middle C to the C above middle C, for the year group | Graham Welch and colleagues, Institute of Education, Sing Up evaluation (November 2009) |
| 10 (Year 6) | from the F below middle C to the E flat above that top C, for the year group | the same study |
Welch's figures are for whole year groups, and individual children vary a great deal: across the study, the lowest and highest notes sung were about two and a half octaves apart. For the youngest, Music Mark suggests starting with songs that use only two notes, soh and mi, then la-soh-mi, adding notes as they grow.
That has two consequences. A carol that reaches the D above top C (the D a ninth above middle C) is beyond most under-sevens in the keys checked here, however well they know the words. And the youngest children sing words before they sing tunes: Welch notes that at first "The words of the song appear to be the initial centre of interest rather than the melody". So give them a refrain they can sing with confidence, and do not worry if the notes wander.
For the adult congregation's range, and why carols are often pitched too high for grown-ups as well, see what key carols should be sung in.
Nativity songs and carols by age
The table gives each song's authors and date, whether it is still in copyright, and its melodic range in one published arrangement (the Musicnotes listing for that edition). The "suits" column compares that range with the age bands above. Where no published range could be found, the cell says "not checked" rather than guess.
| Song | Words and music | Copyright (UK) | Range, in the key given | Suits | Signs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Away in a Manger | Words anonymous (1885); tune CRADLE SONG, W. J. Kirkpatrick (1895) | Public domain | C4–D5 in F | 7 and over a tone lower (top note C); 10 and over as printed; the youngest join in where they can | Makaton |
| Little Donkey | Eric Boswell (1959) | In copyright | C4–D5 in C | 7 and over a tone lower; 10 and over as printed; the youngest on the "Little donkey" refrain | none found |
| Go Tell It on the Mountain | African American spiritual (earliest printing 1909); usual stanzas by John Wesley Work Jr. (died 1925) | Public domain | C4–D5 in F | Everyone on the refrain; verses for 7 and over a tone lower, or 10 and over as printed | none found |
| In the Bleak Midwinter | Christina Rossetti; tune CRANHAM, Gustav Holst | Public domain | D4–D5 in F | A plain octave: 7 and over a tone lower; 10 and over as printed | none found |
| Once in Royal David's City | Cecil Frances Alexander (1848); tune IRBY, Henry Gauntlett (1849) | Public domain | D4–E5 in G | Too high in G even for most 10-year-olds; in F (top note D) for older children | none found |
| Silent Night | Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber (1818); English by John Freeman Young (1863) | Public domain (Young's translation) | B♭3–E♭5 in B flat | 10 and over: the widest tune here | Makaton |
| Little Drummer Boy | Katherine K. Davis, Henry Onorati and Harry Simeone (1958) | In copyright | F4–E♭5 in F | 10 and over: it sits high throughout | none found |
| While Shepherds Watched | Nahum Tate (1700); tune WINCHESTER OLD (1592) | Public domain | not checked | Older children and adults | Makaton |
| Little Jesus, Sweetly Sleep (the Rocking carol) | Czech carol, English by Percy Dearmer (1928) | Public domain (Dearmer's words) | not checked | A lullaby, short lines | Makaton (Carols Book 1) |
| Infant Holy, Infant Lowly | Polish carol, English by Edith Reed (1925) | Public domain (Reed's words) | not checked | Older children | none found |
| The Candle Song ("Like a candle flame") | Graham Kendrick (1988) | In copyright | not checked | Kendrick's own site calls it "very popular with school assembly nativity plays" | none found |
| Born in the Night, Mary's Child | Geoffrey Ainger (written 1959, published 1964) | In copyright | not checked | Written for a teenagers' nativity at Loughton Methodist Church | none found |
| Come and Join the Celebration | Valerie Collison | In copyright | not checked | A refrain after each verse | none found |
| Girls and Boys, Leave Your Toys (the Zither Carol) | Malcolm Sargent (1961), on a Czech tune | In copyright | not checked | Older children | none found |
"Public domain" covers the words and tune as written; a modern harmonisation or arrangement of an old carol can still be in copyright, so check the edition you print from. And the Zither Carol's words and arrangement are Malcolm Sargent's (Oxford University Press, 1961).
Because the old carols are in the public domain, they can be printed in full. Away in a Manger, for example:
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, / The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
Which carols have signs or actions?
The Makaton Charity publishes signed versions of twelve Christmas songs and carols, including Away in a Manger, Silent Night, While Shepherds Watched, Hark the Herald, O Come, All Ye Faithful and The First Noel, as individual sheets (£2.99 each, read 20 October 2026), and its Christmas Carols Book 1 includes the Rocking carol.
For other songs I found no published set of actions from a church or diocese. Make your own, and keep them simple: rocking arms for the baby, hands as a roof for the stable, a pointing finger for the star. The Church of England's crib-service suggestions lean the same way, towards figures carried to the crib and children acting the story, rather than choreography.
A 30-minute crib service, minute by minute
This running order draws on the Times and Seasons crib outline and on the crib service Southwell Minster held on Christmas Eve 2024, which told "A Very Noisy Nativity" in four parts with carols between them. Neither source gives timings, so the minutes below are my estimate: roughly a minute a verse, including the introduction, and two or three minutes for each part of the story. The readings are the two passages recommended below, read in parts.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 0:00 | Welcome, and a candle lit (2 minutes) |
| 0:02 | Once in Royal David's City, verses 1 to 3, whole congregation (3 minutes) |
| 0:05 | The story, part 1: Luke 2:1–5, the journey to Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph are carried to the crib (3 minutes) |
| 0:08 | Little Donkey (2 minutes) |
| 0:10 | The story, part 2: Luke 2:6–7, the baby laid in the manger (2 minutes) |
| 0:12 | Away in a Manger (3 minutes) |
| 0:15 | The story, part 3: Luke 2:8–14, the shepherds and the angels. Shepherds and angels to the crib (3 minutes) |
| 0:18 | Go Tell It on the Mountain, everyone on the refrain (3 minutes) |
| 0:21 | The story, part 4: Luke 2:15–20, the shepherds arrive (2 minutes) |
| 0:23 | Prayers at the crib, and the Lord's Prayer (3 minutes) |
| 0:26 | Silent Night, verse 1, whole congregation, lights lowered (2 minutes) |
| 0:28 | Blessing, and out (2 minutes) |
Give every child a job, even if the job is carrying a sheep. And keep any talk short: let the crib being built tell the story.
Christingle songs and service
A Christingle is an orange wrapped in red ribbon or tape, with dried fruit or sweets and a candle on top, and each part means something. In The Children's Society's own words: "The orange represents the world", "The red ribbon (or tape) symbolises the love and blood of Christ", "The sweets and dried fruit represent all of God's creations", and "The lit candle represents Jesus's light in the world, bringing hope to people living in darkness."
The custom began in the Moravian Church in Germany. The Children's Society adopted it in 1968, and its first Christingle service was at Lincoln Cathedral on 7 December that year. About 300 people were expected and as many as 1,500 came. Services are now held in their thousands each year, "usually held from the end of November through to February (Advent to Candlemas)", and the collection goes to the charity's work with children and young people.
Southwell Minster's Christingle of 15 December 2024 gives a workable shape: welcome and the Advent candle; O Little Town of Bethlehem; "Why do we have Christingle?" with a reading from Luke 2:6–18; the Christingle song; the collection and the making of the Christingles; the children walking round the church as the candles are lit; Away in a Manger; prayers and the Lord's Prayer; Shine, Jesus, Shine; the blessing.
Songs from Christingle orders of service:
- The Christingle Song, words by Mark Earey, to the tune SING HOSANNA: sung at Southwell Minster (2024) and Guildford Cathedral (2022).
- "It's Rounded Like an Orange", words by Basil Bridge (© 1990 Oxford University Press), sung to The Holly and the Ivy.
- "Round Orange, Round Orange", words by Elizabeth Cosnett (Singing the Faith 184), whose verses follow the making of a Christingle.
- "Here Is an Orange", words by Valerie Ruddle and William Horton, music by Valerie Ruddle (© 1990 Oxford University Press).
- Shine, Jesus, Shine (Graham Kendrick, © 1987 Make Way Music), sung at both Southwell and Guildford, and This Little Light of Mine, also in the Guildford order.
Which readings to use
Times and Seasons names no readings for a crib service or a Christingle. Its carol-service patterns give the passages churches use, and for children two are enough: Luke 2:1–7 (the journey and the birth) and Luke 2:8–20 (the shepherds). For a longer nativity, add Isaiah 9:2, 6–7, Luke 1:26–38 and Matthew 2:1–11.
The heart of it is short enough for a child to read:
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:10–11 (KJV)
The whole story, gospel by gospel, is on the site's Christmas Bible verses page.
Licences and photos
Four questions come up every year. The answers, as of 20 October 2026:
Can we sing copyright songs in a service? Yes. CCLI's guidance on music licences says "An exemption exists for music played during 'Acts of Worship' (ie regular worship services)". A concert in a church is different and needs a licence.
Can we print or project the words? With a CCLI Church Copyright Licence, yes: it covers printing lyrics in service sheets and projecting them. CCLI asks churches to "Report under your Church Copyright Licence each time you reproduce (project, type out, copy & paste)" a song's words, "ideally weekly". Photocopying music from songbooks and livestreaming the service are separate CCLI add-ons.
What about a bought nativity musical? Out of the Ark, which publishes school nativity musicals, says the CCLI and similar licences "cover you for the reproduction and projection of song lyrics" but "do not cover you for the performance of a production". For its musicals, that means Out of the Ark's own Performance Licence; check with the publisher of any other.
Can parents take photos? The Church of England's parish safeguarding handbook tells everyone working for the parish to "Obtain written consent for any photographs/videos to be taken, shown, displayed or stored". The Church of Scotland's handbook suggests an open photo opportunity at the end of a performance, rather than filming throughout.
The same rules all year
Nothing on this page is only for December. Pitch songs for the youngest voice in the room, give small children a refrain before a verse, put signs to the words, and build a short service around one story: those rules hold for an all-age service in May.
They also hold because children's singing is worship in its own right. When the children in the temple shouted "Hosanna", Jesus answered the objection with a psalm:
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise
Matthew 21:16 (KJV)
And sometimes the best song for a church is one written for it. In December 2024 I co-wrote a carol, Hope Has a Name, with Olly Knight for a carol service at The City Church in Canterbury. We wrote it in under two weeks, and I sang it at its first performance. It was the most special time I have had writing and singing a Christmas song, both as co-writer and soloist. If you have someone in your church who writes, a simple carol for your own children is worth the effort. How to write a worship song is a place to start.
Questions
What songs are sung at a Christingle? The Christingle Song (Mark Earey, to SING HOSANNA) is the Christingle song in two recent cathedral orders of service, alongside "It's Rounded Like an Orange", "Round Orange, Round Orange", Shine, Jesus, Shine and Away in a Manger.
How long is a crib service? No official source sets a length. Thirty minutes, with four or five carols and the story told in four short parts, is enough for children under seven.
What is the easiest nativity song for preschool children? A short, repeated refrain, in a low key: the "Little donkey" line, or the refrain of Go Tell It on the Mountain. Children aged 3 to 5 sing most comfortably in a narrow range, from about D to B (Music Mark).
Do we need a licence to sing carols in church? Not for singing in an act of worship. To print or project the words of songs still in copyright you need a CCLI Church Copyright Licence. A concert or a bought musical needs its own licence.
My Christmas
My Christmas is the children's-choir record in my catalogue, released on 8 December 2017, featuring The Gospel Kids. It opens by asking what Christmas means to you, and then comes a room of answers, most of them children's: family time, the food, the tree, the birth of Jesus. The song does not correct any of them. The chorus answers the question for itself: "You're my Christmas". Its listed verses are Isaiah 9:6 and Luke 2:11. It came out three weeks after my essay The real reason for Christmas.
It is registered with CCLI. A church can sing it in a service, and with a CCLI licence project or print the words and report it as usual. The recording is free to download and to pass on to anyone. The words are on the song page below. There is no chord chart or backing track.
Free downloadMP34:22
My Christmas
Three weeks before it came out he published an inventory of everything he had tried to fill Christmas with, and why none of it worked.
No email, no account, no catch. Yours to keep, and yours to play to a congregation.
A prayer
Father, thank you for every child who will stand in front of a crib this Christmas with tinsel in their hair and the wrong words in their mouths. Your Son said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not" (Mark 10:14, KJV), so let nothing we do get in their way. Take their singing as praise, as your word says you do: "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength" (Psalm 8:2, KJV). Give patience and joy to the people who lead them. And let every child hear, and believe, the news the shepherds heard: "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11, KJV). In Jesus' name, amen.
Sources
Children's voices
- Music Mark, A Common Approach, Early Years, age 3–4 and age 4–5, published 18 December 2025, read 20 October 2026
- Shelly Ambury and Leonora Davies, "Want to get your pupils singing, singing really well?", Sing Up, 6 August 2019
- Graham Welch and colleagues, Sing Up Year 2 evaluation, Institute of Education, University of London, November 2009; Graham Welch, "Evidence of the development of vocal pitch matching ability in children", 2009
The songs
- Ranges, from the Musicnotes listing for each edition, read 20 October 2026: Away in a Manger, Little Donkey, Go Tell It on the Mountain, In the Bleak Midwinter, Once in Royal David's City, Silent Night, Little Drummer Boy
- Hymnary.org: Away in a Manger, Church Hymnary 4; Once in Royal David's City; Silent Night; While Shepherds Watched; Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
- Hymnology Archive, Away in a Manger (Chris Fenner, revised 28 December 2023)
- University of Ottawa, In the Bleak Midwinter, Christina Rossetti in Music
- Graham Kendrick, The Candle Song; The Methodist Church, Born in the Night, Mary's Child (StF 193) and Come and Join the Celebration (StF 196); C. Michael Hawn, "History of Hymns: Go Tell It on the Mountain", Discipleship Ministries, 21 December 2015; Westminster Abbey, Percy Dearmer; Musicanet, Zither Carol
- The Makaton Charity, Christmas carols and Christmas Carols Book 1, read 20 October 2026
Services and readings
- Common Worship: Times and Seasons (Archbishops' Council, 2006), Christingle and crib services and carol services, read on the Hymns Ancient & Modern text
- Church of England, "Your church at Christmas"
- Southwell Minster, Crib Service, 24 December 2024 and Christingle, 15 December 2024; Guildford Cathedral, Christingle, 30 January 2022
- The Children's Society, "What is Christingle?", read 20 October 2026; Hidden Lives archive blog, for the 1968 Lincoln service
- Christingle songs: It's Rounded Like an Orange, Ancient and Modern 92; Round Orange, Round Orange, StF 184; Here Is an Orange, Church Hymnary 4, 293
- Liturgy Office, Calendar 2026, for Advent Sunday and Christmas Eve
Licences and safeguarding
- CCLI UK, Church Copyright Licence, reporting and music playing licences, read 20 October 2026
- Out of the Ark, "Which licence do I need?"
- Church of England, parish safeguarding handbook, section 11 (parish-hosted copy, 2019); Church of Scotland, photography and video guidelines
Scripture
- Scripture quotations are from The Authorized (King James) Version. Rights in the Authorized Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crown's patentee, Cambridge University Press.
Yemi Alafifuni
- My Christmas: song notes, verses and lyrics on this site
- The real reason for Christmas, journal, 17 November 2017
- Hope Has a Name (with Olly Knight, 2024): Yemi's account, 20 October 2026. The song is unreleased.