Away in a Manger – Fun Learning Activities for a Christmas Countdown

Away in a Manger – Fun Learning Activities for a Christmas Countdown

Hi friends!

Welcome back to our Christmas countdown series here on Printables by Janille – Teaching Fun for Kids! So far, we’ve enjoyed Silent Night, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, and Silver Bells. Today we’re celebrating a gentle and sweet classic: Away in a Manger. This carol is perfect for quiet reflection and learning, and I’ve included crafts, reading activities, and math challenges for Preschool through 6th grade.

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The History of Away in a Manger

“Away in a Manger” first appeared in print in the late 1800s in the United States. For many years, it was mistakenly believed to have been written by Martin Luther, though scholars later confirmed that Luther was not the author. Instead, the carol seems to have been created by an unknown writer for use in children’s Christmas programs.

The song was set to various melodies over time, with two becoming the most common: one by James R. Murray and one by William J. Kirkpatrick. The gentle lyrics describing the baby Jesus in the manger made it especially popular in Sunday Schools and nativity plays.

Today it remains a well-loved children’s carol, appreciated for its simple expression of faith and peaceful tone.

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Craft: Manger Diorama

Materials Needed:

• Shoebox or small cardboard box

• Brown construction paper

• Straw or shredded yellow paper

• Small figurines (baby, animals, optional) or paper cutouts

• Glue or tape

• Crayons or markers

Instructions:

1. Line the shoebox with brown paper to make the stable.

2. Add straw or shredded paper inside as bedding.

3. Place a small baby figurine (or paper cutout) in the manger.

4. Add animals or stars above the stable.

5. Optional: color the background sky with crayons to create a night scene.

Worksheet/Visual Idea:

• Provide printable cutouts of baby, animals, and stars for coloring and placement.

• Include a step-by-step visual guide for assembling the diorama.

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Reading & Literacy Lessons

Preschool:

• Trace “Away in a Manger” on dotted letters.

• Practice saying the words slowly while pointing to each one.

Kindergarten:

• Sight words: “away,” “manger,” “baby.” Highlight them on a lyric sheet.

• Read aloud: “The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.”

1st Grade:

• Phonics focus: Identify beginning sounds “m” in Manger and “b” in Baby.

• Write the first line neatly on lined paper.

2nd Grade:

• Vocabulary: Define “lamb” and “hay,” and use each in a sentence.

• Draw a picture of the manger scene described in the song.

3rd Grade:

• Sequencing: Cut out the lines of the first verse and put them in order.

• Writing prompt: “Describe the manger scene using 3–4 sentences.”

4th Grade:

• Poetry study: Identify rhymes in the verse.

• Rewrite one line in your own words while keeping the meaning.

5th Grade:

• Analyze imagery: How does the song make you feel and why? Write a paragraph.

• Compare two versions of Away in a Manger in 2–3 sentences.

6th Grade:

• Historical discussion: Why would a lullaby about the baby Jesus have been comforting to families in the 19th century?

• Journal prompt: Imagine you are in the stable that first Christmas night—describe the scene.

Visual/Worksheet Ideas:

• Tracing sheets for Preschool/1st grade

• Lyric sheet with highlighted sight words for Kindergarten

• Sequencing cards and writing prompts for 2nd–6th grades

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Math Lessons – Away in a Manger

Preschool (Counting and One-to-One Correspondence)

1. Count 1–5 animals in the stable.

2. Count 6–10 stars above the stable.

3. How many animals are on the left side?

4. How many animals are on the right side?

5. Point to 3 stars and count them.

6. Clap for each animal you see (1–5).

7. Touch each star and count aloud.

8. Count 5 animals in a row.

9. Place 2 stars above the manger, count how many now.

10. Draw 4 animals and count them.

Kindergarten (Sorting and Tallying)

1. Sort 10 animals into cows and sheep. How many of each?

2. Tally the number of stars.

3. Tally the number of hay bales.

4. Draw 3 groups of animals and count each group.

5. Count how many stars are at the top.

6. Count how many animals are in the manger.

7. Add the two groups together.

8. Circle all sheep and count them.

9. Draw 5 more stars and count the total.

10. Color 7 animals and leave the rest blank.

1st Grade (Addition & Subtraction)

1. 4 + 5 = ___

2. 3 + 6 = ___

3. 7 + 2 = ___

4. 5 + 5 = ___

5. 9 + 1 = ___

6. 10 – 3 = ___

7. 8 – 4 = ___

8. 6 – 2 = ___

9. 7 – 5 = ___

10. 9 – 6 = ___

2nd Grade (Addition, Subtraction, Word Problems)

1. 12 + 5 = ___

2. 15 – 7 = ___

3. There are 10 animals, 3 leave. How many remain?

4. 8 + 6 = ___

5. 14 – 9 = ___

6. 7 + 7 = ___

7. 13 – 4 = ___

8. There are 16 stars, 5 are shining bright. How many are not?

9. 9 + 8 = ___

10. 20 – 6 = ___

3rd Grade (Multiplication & Introduction to Division)

1. 3 × 6 = ___

2. 4 × 5 = ___

3. 6 × 2 = ___

4. 7 × 3 = ___

5. 8 × 2 = ___

6. 12 ÷ 4 = ___

7. 15 ÷ 3 = ___

8. 18 ÷ 6 = ___

9. 9 × 2 = ___

10. 5 × 5 = ___

4th Grade (Division, Multi-Step Word Problems)

1. 24 ÷ 4 = ___

2. 36 ÷ 6 = ___

3. 18 ÷ 3 = ___

4. 48 ÷ 8 = ___

5. 30 ÷ 5 = ___

6. There are 32 animals for 4 stables. How many per stable?

7. If 5 stars fall from 25, how many remain?

8. 60 ÷ 10 = ___

9. A manger has 24 animals, divided into 3 rows. How many per row?

10. 72 ÷ 8 = ___

5th Grade (Word Problems & Multiplication)

1. Each star shines 3 times per minute. 8 stars = ___ shines

2. 5 animals × 4 hay bales each = ___

3. 7 animals × 6 hay bales each = ___

4. 9 stars × 2 shines each = ___

5. If 12 animals eat 5 hay bales each, total hay bales = ___

6. 3 groups of 7 animals = ___

7. 4 groups of 6 stars = ___

8. There are 10 animals × 3 hay bales each = ___

9. 8 stars × 7 shines each = ___

10. 15 hay bales × 2 stars each = ___

6th Grade (Fractions, Ratios, Multi-Step Problems)

1. 12 animals: 3 cows, 9 sheep. Fraction cows = ___

2. Ratio cows:sheep = ___

3. 18 stars: 6 bright, 12 dim. Fraction bright = ___

4. 24 stars: 8 bright, rest dim. Ratio bright:dim = ___

5. If 3/12 animals are cows, how many are sheep?

6. 1/4 of 16 stars = ___

7. 2/3 of 18 hay bales = ___

8. If 5 cows are added to 10 sheep, new ratio = ___

9. 12 ÷ 3 = ___ (fraction interpretation)

10. There are 15 animals, 5 sheep, 10 cows. What fraction are sheep?

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Wrapping Up

I hope your kids enjoy crafting, reading, and counting along with Away in a Manger! Each week in our Christmas countdown series, we’re making learning hands-on, festive, and fun. Stay tuned for the next post, where we’ll explore another classic Christmas carol with activities for every grade!