Creating fun crafts with kids is a good way to help reinforce stories, concepts and ideas taught in Bible lessons. They are the perfect addition to Sunday School, Vacation Bible Study, and homeschooling lessons. They infuse fun into the subject which will grab kids' attention and provide a visual to aid in comprehension and retention.
Build Noah's Ark
The Noah's Ark story, in which Noah helps gather together all of the animals two by two, is an excellent one for inspiring Bible story crafts. There are a variety of crafts that can reinforce the concept, including this ark for children to build just as Noah did in the story.
Supplies
- Paper plate
- Two sheets of brown construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- Cotton balls
Instructions
- Place the two pieces of construction paper in a stack
- Draw a house shape on the top sheet (rectangle for a body and a triangle for a roof). Make sure the rectangular part is at least 8" tall and no wider than half the diameter of the plate
- Cut out the house shape, making sure to cut through both pieces of construction paper simultaneously
- Glue cotton balls on the back of one sheet of the construction paper shapes to give it bulk
- Glue the two pieces of paper together at the edges. This will make the ark appear full.
- Fold the plate in half, creasing it tightly
- Cut a slit in the fold in the plate that is wide enough for the house to slip into
- Slide the house into the ark's base until only about 4" of the rectangular piece is visible above the plate
- Stuff more cotton balls into the plate
- Glue the plate shut along its curved edges
- Paint the plate brown to match the house shape and to complete the ark
Children might also want to add some animal stickers or cut-out, printable animals to the top part of the ark or they can draw their own and glue them for added embellishment.
Lost Lamb Craft
The Lost Lamb story in the Bible tells about the shepherd who searches for every lamb to come home safely. One craft idea is to create paper bag puppets that resemble lambs so the children can retell the story. Additionally, children can make their own lambs using an old egg carton and other simple materials.
Supplies
- Egg carton
- Cotton balls
- Black construction paper
- Scissors
- Googly eyes
Instructions
- Cut the lid off the egg carton and discard or save it for another craft project
- Cut the bottom of the egg carton up into 12 individual egg cups
- Turn one cup upside down and glue two to four cotton balls onto it until it resembles a sheep's body
- Cut two U-shaped ears out of a sheet of black construction paper
- Glue each ear onto opposite sides of the sheep
- Add two googly eyes in front to complete the face
It's not necessary to give the lambs legs. Simply tell children that the sheep is too fluffy for its legs to be seen. The benefit of using the egg carton sections as a base is that kids can easily maneuver the sheep without them falling over.
Hanging Cross Project
The cross is perhaps the most prominent symbol in the Christian faith. A cross can be made out of anything, from cardboard to twigs. It can be cross-stitched on a bookmark, made out of crochet, drawn, beaded or made from just about anything. For a group of children, creating a cross with common craft supplies is the easiest and often most creative approach.
Supplies
- 2 craft sticks (also known as Popsicle sticks)
- Glue
- Yarn
- Paint and paint brushes
Instructions
- Paint the craft stick in any color or pattern, and allow the paint to dry completely
- Make a cross shape by joining the two sticks
- Add a dab of glue to secure them together
- Cut a piece of yarn that is 5 inches long
- Wrap the yarn around the area where the two sticks join, criss-crossing to add stability
- Tie a knot to secure it
- Cut a small length of yarn
- Thread it through the tied yarn at the back of the cross
- Tie a knot to create a hanging loop
Creation Book
The Bible tells of the days of creation and how God made the Earth and all that was in it in only six days. Kids can create a mobile out of sticks and hang pictures of the various things mentioned in the creation story such as a moon, a sun, water, animals and Adam and Eve. Kids can also create a book to help them remember the story.
Supplies
- Construction paper
- Scissors
- Cotton balls
- Star stickers
- Glue
- Stapler
Instructions
- Cut a piece of yellow paper in half and glue it onto a piece of black paper to symbolize God creating the light and the dark on the first day
- Glue cotton balls on a piece of blue paper to represent the clouds and sky created on day two
- Cut grass and flowers out of paper and glue them onto blue paper to represent land and grass that God made on the third day
- Cut a moon and a sun shape out of construction paper and put it onto blue or black paper with some star stickers to represent day four of creation
- Draw and cut out pictures of birds and fish and glue them onto any color paper to represent day five
- Draw and cut out images of animals and Adam and Eve and glue them onto paper to represent day six
- Write the word "Rest" on a piece of paper to represent day seven
- Create a cover
- Staple the pages together to create a book
This book will create a good reference for kids to help them remember what was created on each of the days. Older children can add text and page numbers if desired.
Using Bible Crafts with Kids
Teachers and parents should use craft ideas to supplement lessons, and make sure that the craft projects are appropriate for the children's age and level of comprehension. Visual aids are important when teaching a lesson, and when kids create their own visual aids the stories are better retained. Have kids reenact each Bible story after the crafts are finished, using their new artwork as props.
