Christmas Speeches for Kids
Short Christmas speeches for children to say at church, from a two-line rhyme for a three-year-old to a one-minute talk for a teenager. Almost every piece tells part of the real Christmas story, and every one is written for this page, so you can print it and hand it to a family today.
How long a speech for each age
| Age | Length | Takes about |
|---|---|---|
| 3–5 | Two lines and an action | 5 seconds |
| 6–8 | Four to eight rhyming lines | 20–30 seconds |
| 9–12 | Eight to twelve lines | About 45 seconds |
| Teens | A short talk in their own words | 1–1½ minutes |
Welcome speeches
The first voice of the evening. Give the welcome to a child who isn’t shy of the microphone, and let them hold the words on a card.
Welcome, One and All
Welcome, welcome, one and all! Jesus came for big and small.
Welcome to Our Program
Welcome to our program, We’re glad that you are here. We’ll tell you why we celebrate This time of every year. So sit back, smile and listen, And if we miss a line, Just clap for us a little more, And we’ll be doing fine!
A Welcome for an Older Child
Good evening, and welcome to our Christmas program. Whether you’ve sat in these pews for fifty years or this is your first time through the door, we’re glad you’re here. Tonight the children of our church are going to tell you the oldest good news there is: a baby was born in Bethlehem, and He came for every one of us. They have worked hard on this. If someone forgets a line, that’s all right. The shepherds didn’t have a script either. Please silence your phones, sit back and enjoy the evening. Merry Christmas!
Christmas speeches for ages 3 to 5
Two lines, one action, said loud. Practice the action first; the words follow the hands.
Little Star
I’m a little star, I shine so bright. I show the way to Jesus tonight!
Baby in the Hay
Baby Jesus in the hay, Thank You for Christmas Day!
Good News
I have good news to tell you now: Jesus is born! (Take a bow.)
I’m Four Years Old
The wise men brought Him gifts of gold. I bring my heart. I’m four years old!
Little Sheep
I’m a little sheep. Baa, baa, baa! I saw baby Jesus. Hurrah, hurrah!
Not Very Tall
I’m not very tall, But I’ll say it to all: Merry Christmas!
Christmas speeches for ages 6 to 8
Four to eight lines with a clear rhyme, which is what makes them easy to remember. About twenty to thirty seconds each.
The Angels Sang
The angels sang on Christmas night, They filled the sky with song and light. I can’t sing quite as high as them, But I’ll still sing for Bethlehem!
Room for Him
There was no room inside the inn, No pillow and no bed, So Mary laid her baby down Where cows and sheep were fed. If Jesus came to my front door, I know what I would do: I’d open wide and let Him in. I hope that you would too.
The Shepherds Ran
The shepherds sat out on the hill, The night was dark and cold, When all at once the sky lit up With angels bright as gold. Don’t be afraid, the angel said, A Savior’s born today! So off they ran to Bethlehem. I would have run that way!
My Christmas List
I wrote a list for Christmas Day. It’s long, I must confess: A bike, a game, a puppy dog And more than you could guess. But God gave us His only Son, The best gift ever given, So first I’ll say a big thank-You To my Father up in heaven.
Whose Birthday?
Christmas is a birthday, But not for you or me. It’s Jesus’ birthday party For all the world to see. Before I open any gifts Or eat a Christmas treat, I’ll sing, “Happy birthday, Jesus!” And then the day’s complete.
Why He Came
Jesus didn’t stay a baby. He grew up big and strong. He healed the sick and loved the poor And taught us right from wrong. He died to take away our sin And rose on Easter Day. That’s why we sing at Christmastime: He came to make a way.
Want a skit for the children too?
Short scripts with line counts for every role, so you know who has to learn what.
Christmas skits for kidsChristmas speeches for ages 9 to 12
Eight to twelve lines with a thought to carry home. About forty-five seconds, and long enough that a card in hand is fine.
Mary’s Answer
An angel came to Mary With news too big to hold: She’d have a son called Jesus, Just as the prophets told. She could have said, “I’m far too young,” Or “Ask somebody grand.” But Mary told the angel yes And trusted in God’s hand. God still asks ordinary people To trust Him and obey. I hope when He comes asking me, I’ll answer Mary’s way.
The Light
The night was long, the world was dark, And people lost their way, Until a light came shining through And night gave way to day. That light was not a star or lamp Or candle on a sill. His name is Jesus, Light of the World, And He is shining still. Now every Christmas candle And every light we hang Is pointing back to Bethlehem, Where first the angels sang.
God with Us
Emmanuel, the Bible says, Means God is with us here: Not far away beyond the stars, But God who came so near. He came as a baby, small and poor, And slept on scratchy hay. He knows what it’s like to laugh and cry, To work and rest and pray. The night is dark? He’s with you there. You’re scared? He’s with you too. That’s what His name has always meant: God with me, and God with you.
Three Gifts
Gold for a King, the wise men brought, And frankincense for prayer, And myrrh, a spice that hinted at The cross He’d one day bear. They gave Him treasures from afar And bowed down on the floor. I don’t have gold, but I have this: My heart. He wants it more.
Who Heard First?
Who heard the news on Christmas night? Not kings in palace halls, Not priests, not rich men in their homes Behind their high stone walls, But shepherds working through the night, The ones that folks ignored. God sent His angels first to them To tell them of their Lord. The shepherds left their sheep that night And ran to see the King, And all the way back home again They couldn’t help but sing.
Christmas speeches for church youth
For teens: a minute or so, in their own voice rather than in rhyme. Let them change any line to sound like themselves.
Why I Still Love Christmas
When I was little, Christmas was about one thing: what was under the tree. I counted the days, I shook the boxes, I knew exactly which ones were mine. Most of what I wanted back then is broken, lost or in a closet somewhere. But the story we tell tonight hasn’t worn out. A young couple with nowhere to stay. Shepherds who smelled like sheep. A baby who was God, sleeping in a feed trough. Every year I notice something new in it. This year it’s this: God didn’t wait for the world to be ready. He came anyway. You don’t have to have it all together to come to Him tonight. The shepherds didn’t. Merry Christmas.
Fear Not
“Fear not.” Those are the first words the angel said to the shepherds, and they run all through the Christmas story. Angels said it to Zacharias, to Mary and to Joseph. It makes sense: when heaven breaks into your ordinary night, being afraid is the normal reaction. But listen to what the angel said next: “for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” All people. Not just the ones who have it figured out. A lot of us walked in tonight carrying something we’re afraid of: a test, a diagnosis, a family that’s coming apart, a future we can’t see. Christmas doesn’t say those things aren’t real. It says God came close enough to stand in them with us. That’s why the angel could say “Fear not,” and then: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Merry Christmas.
He Keeps His Word
God’s people waited a long time for Christmas. About seven hundred years before Jesus was born, Isaiah wrote, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.” Micah even named the town: Bethlehem. Then, for hundreds of years, people lived and died without seeing it happen. I get impatient waiting for a text back. They waited centuries. And then one night, in a little town nobody expected, God kept His word exactly. Old Simeon had waited his whole life. When he finally held the baby in the temple, he said he could die in peace, because he had seen God’s salvation. That is what Christmas tells me: God keeps His promises, even the ones that take a long time. Whatever you are waiting for this year, the God who kept His word in Bethlehem hasn’t forgotten you.
Speeches with a Bible verse
A two-line rhyme to introduce the verse, then the verse itself in the King James Version. A good first step for a child learning Scripture by heart.
The Angels’ Song
The angels sang a song that night, And this is what they said: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:14
What the Angel Said
I learned a verse by heart this year. It’s what the angel said: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11
His Name
Long before the baby came, A prophet wrote about His name: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
God So Loved
Why did Jesus come at all? This verse says it best of all: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
Closing speeches
The last word of the evening. A closing speech tells everyone the program is over and sends them home with the point.
Thank You for Coming
Thank you all for coming. We hope you liked our show. Merry Christmas, everyone! Now it’s time to go!
Our Program’s Over
Our program’s over, lines all said. The shepherds now can go to bed. The angels’ halos need a rest, And Mary did her very best. But please take home one thing that’s true: That Jesus came for me and you. Merry Christmas!
A Closing Prayer
Before you go, would you pray with me? Dear God, thank You for Christmas. Thank You for sending Jesus, not to a palace but to a manger, so nobody would ever think they were too small or too far away for You. Thank You for every family here tonight and for everyone who helped with this program. Be with the people who are missing someone this Christmas, and help each of us make room for Jesus this year. In Jesus’ name, amen. Merry Christmas, and please stay for cookies!
Helping a child give a Christmas speech
- Match the piece to the child, not the other way roundA shy six-year-old will do better with two lines said well than eight lines whispered. Let the child hear two or three pieces and choose the one they like.
- Send it home three weeks aheadPrint the speech in large type with a note for parents. Saying it once at breakfast and once at bedtime is enough; by the third week most children have it.
- Learn the action before the wordsFor little ones, the hands remember first. A star held high or a wave at the end gives a child something to do when the nerves arrive.
- Practice where they will standWalk each child to the spot once before the program, with the microphone at their height. For the youngest, an adult can kneel beside them and hold it.
- Slow down and speak to the back wallEvery child speeds up on stage. Ask them to say it to the last row and to count “one, two” before the first word.
- Agree on what happens if they forgetA helper in the front row with every speech on one sheet whispers the first words. The child repeats them and carries on. Tell the children ahead of time, and nobody panics.
Putting the speeches in order
Open with the welcome and finish with the closing speech. In between, go from the youngest to the oldest, so the program grows as it goes and the little ones are done before they get tired. Keep brothers and sisters together, and plan about a minute for every three preschoolers, counting the walk to the microphone and the applause. Twelve children with short pieces fill ten to fifteen minutes.
Speeches fit almost any Christmas program. Our Christmas program ideas include a children’s evening that puts recitations between the nativity and the carols, with minutes for every part. For readings the older children can learn, see our Christmas Bible verses, and for longer pieces to read at home or in class, our Christmas poems for kids.
Get a free Christmas skit
Five Minutes to Bethlehem, a short skit to open your children’s program. Leave your email and download the printable PDF.
Questions about Christmas speeches
What is a Christmas speech at church?
A short piece a child says from the front during the Christmas program: a rhyme, a few lines about the nativity or a Bible verse. In many churches, Black Baptist and Southern congregations especially, every child who wants a turn gets one, and grandparents remember their own Christmas speeches decades later.
How long should a child’s Christmas speech be?
Two lines for ages three to five, four to eight lines for six to eight, and up to twelve lines for nine to twelve. Teens can manage a minute or a little more. A short piece said clearly always beats a long one rushed.
How can I help my child memorize a Christmas speech?
Read it aloud together twice a day for two or three weeks, add a simple action to each line and let the child say it to a grandparent on the phone. Rhyme helps: if they remember the last word of one line, the next line usually follows.
What if my child is too shy to speak?
Pair them with a sibling or friend to say a piece together, give them a two-line speech with an action, or let them hold the sign or the star while another child speaks. Being on stage with the others is a good first Christmas.
Can we print these speeches in our program?
Yes. Every speech on this page was written for ChurchSkits, and you are welcome to print it, hand it out to families and use it in your Christmas program. Please don’t republish the collection on another website. The Bible verses are from the King James Version, which is in the public domain in the United States.