21st Celebrations: Grumpy Sheep Christmas Musicals and Nativities for Early Years' Children!

Grumpy Sheep Music is 21 this year! We began publishing our unique musicals for primary schools in 2000, so to celebrate our coming of age (we’re definitely sheep now, not lambs anymore!) we’ve decided to write one or two articles about us, our songs, our musicals and Grumpy Sheep nativities.

And so, because it’s THAT TIME of year again, we thought we’d start off writing a little something about the Grumpy Sheep Christmas musicals and nativities we write for the youngest children in nurseries and pre-school. We love writing these eyfs nativity plays; there’s something so special about writing engaging songs and stories for the littlest of little ones, and we really enjoys playing with the words, finding just the right balance between those words which make the stories in the musicals easy to understand, popping in some new words which will excite interest, and, above all, making sure the words are appealing and fun! There’s lots of repetition in the storylines of our nativities for eyfs – and in the catchy, easy-to-learn songs, too!

The first ever Grumpy Sheep nativity play for early years children to be composed was Happy Birthday Jesus! First published in 2005, it’s a beautifully simple nativity play for 3 to 6 years olds to enjoy, with a simple script and just four catchy songs that everyone can join in with (- teachers are allowed to sing too!)

Happy Birthday Jesus was followed in 2005 by the ever-popular Come to the Manger. This is such a cheerful nativity with six catchy songs and lots of twinkling stars, exquisite angels and ever-so dignified wise-men celebrating in the Bethlehem stable.

Gifts for the King is the third of our nativity musicals written for pre-school children. It was first published in 2008, and with seven irresistibly toe-tapping songs, the beautifully simple story of the nativity is joyfully brought to life.

The last (but certainly not least) Grumpy Sheep nativity for EYFS children was published in 2010. It’s called Stable Surprise and, as its name suggests, a wonderful surprise is discovered in the stable at Bethlehem! Myriads of shimmering angels, exuberant oxen and rather sleepy shepherds simply can’t believe their eyes, whilst six catchy songs enhance the appealing story.

So here's to the last 21 years! We wonder which Grumpy Sheep nativity for nursery and pre-school children will be written next? Whatever it is, it's sure to be 'maaa'-vellous!