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Christmas

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Massive long shot - can anyone help me identify this 1990s (?) cardboard Christmas nativity/activity set?

16 replies

willowpatternchina · 20/11/2024 12:13

I asked my parents if I could have it to re-live childhood Christmases with DC and turns out they have thrown it out - I am devastated! I think it would have been bought in the early 1990s, though it could have been late 1980s.

It came in a long, flat cardboard box - which might have been red and blue. It contained various Christmas crafts, games and activities, all made out of cardboard. There was a flat cardboard nativity set where you folded the stable, manger, figures etc. and used cardboard "tabs" to make them into 3D figures. There was also a cardboard board game which I think featured trying to get Santa back to the North Pole where there was some food waiting for him. There was also a book of mostly Christmas-themed puzzles, though the only one I remember featured a shepherd trying to get a wolf, a sheep and a bale of hay over the river in a boat where only one of them could ride in it at once.

I've tried googling and looking on eBay, but nothing. Does this ring any bells for anyone?? It would make my Christmas if I could buy another one second hand to do with DC. Massively long shot I know, but I've seen MN work miracles with this sort of stuff before!

OP posts:
cheddercherry · 20/11/2024 12:19

Just a long shot thought but if you have photos of you as kids with it you can google reverse image search them and it should pull up the set (if it’s still online somewhere)

Tootjaskoot · 20/11/2024 12:21

I remember the one you mean. Kind of Pigeon Street type illustrations on the characters?

Tootjaskoot · 20/11/2024 12:26

Actually i think im mixing two sets up in my mind. Could it be this one? https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1793476023/

Tootjaskoot · 20/11/2024 12:29

Cheaper version. www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1815549449/

willowpatternchina · 20/11/2024 12:50

@cheddercherry no photos, unfortunately - that would have been a brilliant idea.

@Tootjaskoot not that one - thank you, though! I remember our one had a 3D manger with a flat top and a Baby Jesus to fold out separately and place inside it.

OP posts:
Tulipvase · 25/11/2024 21:54

Could it have been from usborne books?

I don’t remember yours specifically but I remember having lots of the activity type books in the 80s.

willowpatternchina · 26/11/2024 08:33

That does look nice, cheddarcherry. I wonder if there's a similar one with nativity to make it a bit more like the one I remember.

Thanks Tulipvase, I've just googled the Usborne ones but can't see anything that looks very similar - they seem to have the press-out nativities but no games and puzzles to go with them so I don't think it was Usborne.

OP posts:
GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 26/11/2024 09:58

Hope you find a replacement, OP - I’d have been livid if DPs had ever thrown such a thing out!

An elderly neighbour knitted a Jean Greenhowe Nativity set (and they take ages) to be displayed in her church. She went to fetch it after Christmas, only to find that a verger or similar had binned it - and the bin men had been!
She was 🤬!

BeaverLasVegas85 · 25/11/2025 11:12

I have this one still from the early 90's (I think, may have e been late 80's) although it's missing the angel and the star now. My mum seemed to think this came with a newspaper or something

Massive long shot - can anyone help me identify this 1990s (?) cardboard Christmas nativity/activity set?
PlainJaneSuperbrainthe2nd · 25/11/2025 22:28

BeaverLasVegas85 · 25/11/2025 11:12

I have this one still from the early 90's (I think, may have e been late 80's) although it's missing the angel and the star now. My mum seemed to think this came with a newspaper or something

Oh my god - we had that one! I thought it came from the early learning centre but may be wrong. It was definitely from the 80s (for us) as I’m mid 40s and we had it when I was a child. Thank you for sharing the picture Star

SparklyBlueDress · 25/11/2025 23:37

@BeaverLasVegas85 that’s my childhood Christmas in a photo. I’d forgotten about it. So lovely to see it again.

Talipesmum · 26/11/2025 00:24

BeaverLasVegas85 · 25/11/2025 11:12

I have this one still from the early 90's (I think, may have e been late 80's) although it's missing the angel and the star now. My mum seemed to think this came with a newspaper or something

That’s from the Dick Bruna Christmas book illustrations - the same one who did the Miffy books.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-Book-Dick-Bruna/dp/1405208538

Oftenaddled · 26/11/2025 00:34

Talipesmum · 26/11/2025 00:24

That’s from the Dick Bruna Christmas book illustrations - the same one who did the Miffy books.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-Book-Dick-Bruna/dp/1405208538

Wow - still on sale with press-out crib scene. That's a great find.

BeaverLasVegas85 · 26/11/2025 14:23

Talipesmum · 26/11/2025 00:24

That’s from the Dick Bruna Christmas book illustrations - the same one who did the Miffy books.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-Book-Dick-Bruna/dp/1405208538

I don't think they're quite the same, similar but not the same one

Talipesmum · 26/11/2025 14:51

BeaverLasVegas85 · 26/11/2025 14:23

I don't think they're quite the same, similar but not the same one

You’re right! They’re so similar (think it’s the face over the top of the beard that makes me think that!) Your one is from another book we have - a Ladybird “the first Christmas” book. I’ve got both books and they get mixed up in my head!

https://amzn.eu/d/8FEYw1W

Found a jigsaw puzzle version on eBay with more of the characters.

Massive long shot - can anyone help me identify this 1990s (?) cardboard Christmas nativity/activity set?
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