Nativity figures - where to buy ?

[binker]

When I was little we had some little plastic Nativity figures which I lovingly arranged in a shoebox turned on it's side,lined with straw and with a window at the back cut out and covered with blue tissuepaper for sky, behind which my bicycle lamp provided atmospheric light !
I now want to recreate this scene for my six year old - any ideas ?

lakeland or spck if you live near one - they are religious shops - you know sell books candles - prayer books and dog collars...

I've seen some at John Lewis I think. Don't know of anywhere else...

Your local Wesley Owen bookshop should have a fairly big selection. I just bought a lovely wooden set of painted nativity folk with a stable. They look just like fisher price people but aren't too cutesy IYKWIM.

I like Coddy's Lakeland ones too.

www.johnlewis.com/stores/product.asp?sku=230175907&str=931&trsid=1995&m=4

heres the boys at Jl

and heres lakeland

binker, I think Oxfam shops have nativity figures, made in El Salvador or thereabouts, painted in nice bright colours. Try all the charity websites/shops (esp Third World ones).

Wotcha Janh!!

hello coddy darling!

you win on this thread - purchasing with the moral upper hand!!

excellent ! thank you all - will check out Oxfam I think !

When I saw the title I was trying to remember where I saw some lovely ones the other day - I was tempted to buy but already have some at home - the place was Oxfam so I second janh's suggestion and can confirm that they have them in this year. My current ones came from Co-Op and are childinsh ornament - quite cute but not as nice as the Oxfam ones.

If you want the real thing, have a look at
www.netfr.com/ailhaud/santons.html
that's the ones we have at my parents and they're beautiful, you can end up with a whole village!

or try this as my first ever link

it works it works it works!!!!!!

I've just ordered a nativity set with magnetic wands so you can move the figures around - here . Hasn't come yet so can't tell you what its like but I'm excited about it!

Guess its not quite what you're looking for though.

zerbu, that looks lovely! let us know if it's as good as it looks!

looks lovely Frenchgirl !

zerub - that is so sweet - let us know what it's like when it arrives ! A friend is bringing ds an Advent calendar - it's a chocolate one, which isn't really a proper one (I like the old fashioned kind !) but it's v sweet of her - she does it every year.

also - last week I saw a house with decorations - already !!!

Last year I got a craft kit from Partners Stationers. They were little polystyrene fingerpuppets with paper, fabric, felt etc to cut out to dress them. It was very easy and we had great fun making them and they looked really good too. Was the complete set with 3 kings etc and only cost about £5 but we had a lovely afternoon putting it together

Try www.tearcraft.org

I just bought the olive wood nativity set from lakeland - it a lot of £ but it's going to be dd's 1st Xmas present. It's v nice, just like the pic (sometimes these things can be disappointing when you get them) and smells all olivey. I'm really pleased with it. Only drawback is there is no angel and only one shepherd. I might email lakeland about that .

As a further alternative to all of these excellent suggestions, you could also have a look at the Playmobil Nativity Set plus the Playmobil Three Wise men Set (Around £16 and £6 , if I remember rightly).

We have had both for about three years now and the kids (not least the big kids - ie hubby and me) think they are wonderful!

I use them in the form of a 'progressive nativity'. I set a scene in our unused fireplace, behind a static guard (avoids little fingers causing chaos) and build up the story over a week or so, using all the various characters and little story book provided (adjusting if/as necessary). The scene is usually changed at night when the kids are in bed and so they wake up to it in the morning. Like all Playmobil, some of the figures are moveable and have removable items such as clothing etc and so add to the 'reality' aspect of the scene.

At weekends, the older two are allowed a play session with the figures and have a great time re-enacting their version of the story and swappping bits of garments, accessories etc around. It doesn't take too long to re-establish the full scene in it's original location at the end of play.

Phew! Sorry this turned out a bit long - as you have guessed, I just think the sets are fantastic and love that the kids can get so much play value from them too.

butterfly

Also www.lankakade.co.uk - I've been looking at it online, but haven't seen it in real life, so this isn't really a recommendation.

Well, I've now ordered the lankakade one through Amazon.

Have ordered the Nativity scene from Mulberry Bush - can't wait !