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Bright Start Blog

The Christmas Show - is it still relevant?

Who does the Christmas show really benefit? Rachna Joshi shares her thoughts on the impact of the Christmas show, and discusses possible alternatives which emphasise wellbeing for staff and children.

Five minute read

• Is the time spent on Christmas activities proportionate to the time given to other festivals?

• Do we always consider the wellbeing of children and staff when preparing for and staging a performance?

For many members of staff in schools and settings, the return after half-term can mean the beginning of discussions about the Christmas show. In October there was an influx of social media posts about Christmas show packages schools can buy into, with practitioners seeking advice to find what has worked best for others and what is manageable for staff. In this article I hope to unpack the tradition of the Nativity and question why we choose to continue with it.

The later stages of the autumn term can be challenging; frosty mornings, slippery underfoot, dark starts and finishes. And then you’re asked what the performance is this year and it’s another thing to manage.

Many settings were unable to put on the Christmas show in 2020. The return to this tradition may feel like there is a need to put on a bigger, more exciting show. Yet I know from my personal experience that behind the curtain there is different story to what is being shown during the Nativity.

Often children will see their family watching them during the performance and some get distressed. They may want to go hug and sit with them or become upset if their parent isn’t there. They may also freeze and refuse to perform. Some parents who are unable to make the show may feel guilty and that they’ve missed out.

There has been a vital endeavour to improve well-being of staff and children in settings. In my opinion, the Christmas show can often counteract the work that has been done in this area. Reflect on previous Christmases:

• Did you feel pressure to put on a performance?
  Were you able to enjoy the process of putting on the show?
• Did the children enjoy the process?
• Did they enjoy performing?
• The perspective gained from the pandemic has offered many questions about practice and in this case how we celebrate Christmas in our settings.

Questioning our practice Is it really inclusive to put on a Christmas show in a diverse community where many children won’t be celebrating this? Do we give them same experiences for religious festivals such as Eid, Diwali or Hanukah? Should we question whether we are putting children in difficult emotional situations by asking them to perform in front of an audience? Who are we doing this for? Have we thought carefully whether the show is developmentally appropriate, in terms of what we’re asking of the children? It’s still the autumn term where children are settling in and getting used to the routines. The Christmas show tends to focus on how children perform rather than having a sense of individuality. Good practice, theory and understanding of young children seems to fly out the door when we are directing and preparing for this event. Does the performance have personal meaning for the children? Do they know why they are there? Change doesn’t happen overnight and further discussions should take place with senior leaders and families about why we are doing the Christmas show. So what can we do to mark the Christmas period and appropriately support the children’s learning needs? Sing We know that the Early Years Foundation Stage is embedded with good practice around songs, rhymes and nursery rhymes. Let’s make the most of it! Change the lyrics to well-know nursery rhymes and make them winter or Christmas themed. The children will pick them up quickly, they will actually know the song and want to sing along. Some ideas include: The bells on the sleigh go ding ding ding (Wheels on the Bus) Here we go round the Christmas Tree (Mulberry Bush) Twinkle Twinkle Christmas Lights Rhymes to the tune of Frere Jacque Staging and positioning Consider how the stage is set up. Does it need to be a stage at all Could families sit with their children and sing along to the songs they have been practising over the half term? Imagine the love, happiness and joy being shared with children sitting in their caregivers’ laps singing along. Throughout the busyness in the month of December, I know I will try to remember ‘It isn’t about the performance, it’s about the experience’. I hope that you are able to have these conversations with your teams and colleagues and find ways that mark this time of year that are meaningful and manageable for all.

About the author

Rachna Joshi joined Islington as an EYFS teacher in 2016. She has experience working with Nursery and Reception children over her career and has developed her interest in child development through completion of her MA in Early Childhood Studies at Roehampton University in 2020. Rachna is passionate about bringing together theory and practice and is an advocate for the holistic development of the children she works with and their communities. More recently, Rachna has been consulting on anti-racist practice in the EYFS.