Bible Crafts and Activities For
Sunday School

Bible Themes: Anytime Bible Crafts and Activities - Crafts and Activity ideas that will work with any Bible lesson.

1.  Make a video - Bring in a camcorder and tape the children playing, making a craft, singing, and saying their memory verses for the day.  Replay the tape at the end of class on a VCR for the whole class to see.  This will help keep the children quiet while they wait for their parents. Their parents may even be interested in seeing what their children did in class that day.

2. Record voices - Bring in a cassette tape recorder and record the children's voices.  If the children are very young, tell them a bible verse or phrase relating to the day's lesson and then have them repeat it.  Make sure you say their name before you record them because sometimes it is hard to tell them apart. 

3. Play with Play dough -  We always have play dough on hand in case we run out of things to do.   This play dough isn't cheap to make but it lasts for a long time.  It is much softer and lasts longer than the store bought type if you make it right. When we have a large class, we like to put some play dough out on one table so that we don't have all the kids at the craft table at the same time.  The kids usually start at the play dough table then work their way to the crafts. As they arrive and start playing with the dough, we can talk to them about their week and what we will be learning that day.   Meanwhile another teacher starts making crafts with the kids that arrived first.  

4. Bible Verse Memorization Using the Memory Cross - Here is a great craft that is not only fun but educational as well. This origami cross can be folded over and over changing shapes and showing a different part of the Bible verse each time. Your children will find that it is hard to stop using them once they start. Memory Cross offers Bible verses that go along with many of the most popular Vacation Bible School programs. They also have one for the plan of salvation, which would be a great witnessing tool. They also have many other Bible verse packages you can pick from. If they don't have what you want, you can custom order them. Or you can order blank ones and have your children make their own. (See the pictures below.) Go to Memory Cross to order yours today!

Make You Own Memory Crosses

5.   Play a "Pin the Tail on the Donkey"  like game - Use the popular "Pin the tail on the Donkey" birthday game idea except change it to fit your lesson.  For example, you could pin the animal in the ark, pin Zaccahaeus in a tree, pin the eyes on Saul,  pin the fish in the net, or pin the word love in a center of a heart. Young children love this popular birthday game, however; you don't have to have a winner. The children just love to see how close they can pin whatever they are pinning to the intended object.  Caution:  Instead of using pins just use a piece of tape.

We will be having a Valentine's Day party next week, and I am going to use your idea for "pin the tail on the donkey", but using a heart. I also wanted to tell you that I used a variation of the "pin the tail on the donkey" game for our Kids Club Birthday Party for Jesus. I made a manger scene on a poster board. I made a stable, crib with straw, Mary,
Joseph, a shepherd and some sheep out of different colors of felt. I glued everything to the poster board. Then I made "Baby Jesus" out of felt. I made one for each child, and I put their initials on the "Baby Jesus" with marker. I called this game "Put Baby Jesus in the Crib". The kids loved it. I used a pattern out of a craft book to make Mary, Joseph and the Shepherd. All the other shapes I just freehanded. It wasn't perfect, but these are small children, so it didn't matter to them.

6. Identify prerecorded sounds - Record sounds relating to your bible lesson and have the children guess what they are. For example, if you are studying the creation story record animal sounds.  If you are studying about God making families record home sounds. If you are studying about Baby Jesus, record baby sounds. Instead of recording the sounds yourself, you can often find tapes or CDs in the library with all different kinds of sound effects.

7. Reenact a Bible lesson on flannel boards -  Make a flannel board for each child by stapling a piece of  felt (9 x 12) on a sheet of heavy paper (poster board or manilla).  Have the children draw or color pictures of bible characters and props onto heavy paper or poster board, cut them out, and then stick a piece of sticky Velcro (not the kind you sew on) on the back of each piece .
The person that sent in this ideas says, "We did the story of Daniel in the Lion's Den and were able to remove and add lions and people as needed to tell different parts of the story. The kids loved it! They took their felt boards and story home at the end of the session."

Print out characters and scenes from your current bible lesson onto T-shirt transfer paper. You can find pictures in clip art books and coloring books.  Iron the transfer onto white flannel using the wool setting on your iron. Let the children take turns reenacting the lesson after you tell the story. If you don't have a flannel board make one by stapling flannel onto a cork board or other board.

Here is an idea to make an inexpensive flannel board sent in by Janet Morris

First you need to buy a piece of heat and bond.  I bought mine at Walmart, 5 yards for $5.00. You need a piece of flannel.   I bought 1 yard and had extra to use for additional flannel board pieces.  You will need a piece of heavy cardboard like a freezer box. Cut the card board,  flannel, and heat and bond to the same size. Iron the heat and bond onto the flannel then remove the paper and iron the flannel with the heat and bond on to the cardboard and you have a flannel board for less than ten dollars. They are $30.00 at the office supply store.
P.S. I used a thin piece of plywood instead of the cardboard.  It bonded to it also. You just need to let it get really warm.

8. Play musical chairs - Play just like musical chairs except the child that is still standing when the music stops has to say something he is thankful for or something that has to do with the current lesson.  Keep playing like this. No one should ever have to be out of the game. Everyone should be able to play every game.

9. Reenact a Bible lesson - Use simple bible costumes to reenact a bible lesson.  Cut pieces of material into rectangle shapes to form a poncho type outfit. Cut a hole out in the center to fit over the child's head.  Cut out long pieces to use as ties to tie the costume around the waist.  Cut rectangle pieces to fit on the head and long pieces to use as a tie.  These can be used over and over again.

10. Use puppets to teach a story - Tell a story from a puppets point of view. For example, you can use a donkey puppet to tell the story of Palm Sunday or a lamb puppet to tell the story of the lost lamb. Have the children make simple puppets out of TP rolls or craft sticks and reenact the bible story.

11.  Fishing Game - This idea comes Linda Ryan from our bulletin board she wrote: To reinforce details of the Bible lesson, I made oak tag fish and attached questions and a paper clip to each fish. A dowel fishing pole with a magnet attached to the line would pick up a fish and a question. If the child could answer the question he could keep the fish until the game was over. Save the old questions and substitute new ones for the next time. Pick the best questions from all the lessons for an end of term contest. This was one activity for a Sunday school hour with "learning stations".  Linda, Thanks for your idea.

12. Bible Bingo - This idea comes from Angie Reveles. Make large pictures from your bible lessons like, Noah's ark, Jonah and the whale etc. Then make "bingo" cards to match the pictures. Mix up the large pictures and call the names of the pictures out one by one as you hold up the large pictures. Play like bingo.  Whoever wins gets a small prize or gets to call out the pictures. This will help the children remember all the bible stories with pictures.

13. Toss Game - Another game we played, which was a big hit, especially with the older kids, was a variation of a bean bag toss game. I saw a bean bag toss game for sale in a catalog, but I felt it was too expensive. I showed the picture to my husband, John, and together we decided to make one of our own. We took a scrap piece of wood. John drilled five holes in the wood, and then he made a wooden brace for the back so that it would stand. It was about two feet tall. Then I painted the whole board white. Next I painted black around the holes to make them stand out, then I put the numbers 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 by each of the holes. (The holes with the higher points were smaller than the other holes). Last, I painted a rainbow and a smiling sun on the top of the board and painted the phrase "Jesus Loves You" on top of the rainbow. I made bean bags out of scrap material and filled them with dried beans. I couldn't believe how big of a hit this game was. It takes a bit of work, but it's worth it because it will last a long time. We still use this game for their Kids Club class on Thursday. (Sent in by Donna)

13. Door Hanger Attendance Charts - Use foam door hangers (or make your own) to use for attendance charts. Your children can add stickers or sequins each week they come to Sunday school. They are much better than a paper attendance chart because the children know that when they are filled up, they can take them home to enjoy. Kay Hershberger

You can buy foam door hangers from Oriental Trading Company online. Just follow the link and type in 57/2054, 48/3076, 57/2076, or 57/2021 in the search box on the left-hand side of the page.

15. Play a Tick Tack Toe Review Game - Draw a Tick Tack Toe on the board. Divide the class up into two teams. Assign one team "Os" and one team "Xs". Ask questions from the lesson. If a team gets the correct answer, they can place an X or O on the Tick Tack Toe. If they get it wrong, the other team gets a chance to answer the question and put their mark on the Tick Tack Toe.

Folder Games

Folder Games! - Fun and educational at the same time. Use these inexpensive games when you've completed your lesson early and just don't know what to do, or use them when you just want a change of pace. They are also great to use at the beginning of class to keep the children who arrive early busy and out of trouble.

Just print out the patterns, glue them to the inside of manila folders, and you're ready to play.

1.Name Two Things (easier)

2.Name Two Things 2 (harder)

You will find more file folders games like these at D and L Crafting a crafting site for kids and adults including crafts relating to Bible verses, file folder games, and printable coloring pages.

Don't Have Time to Prepare Crafts?

Oriental Trading offers easy, inexpensive, ready-to-assemble crafts that are great for Vacation Bible School, Sunday School, holidays, and all occasions.

Bible Verse Memorization and Lesson Review -

1. Play a Concentration Type Game

What you will need: Poster board or foam core board, index cards or squares of poster board, marker, tape.

What to do:
1. Prepare a board to display in front of the class. You can skip this part and just put the cards down on the table if you would like.  Draw 5 rows and 5 columns of rectangles 3 1/2" x 5 1/2"on the foam core board. 
2. At the bottom of each row tape a 1/2" strip of poster board all the way across the bottom and sides. This should make a pocket to place the index cards in each row.  
3. Print one word of your memory verse on a separate card.  On the extra cards write questions about the lesson or draw pictures that pertain to the lesson.
4. Across the top of the board write the memory verse in large letters with the scripture reference.

How to play:
1. Starting with the first word of the Bible verse, have the children take turns turning over cards to try and find the matching words.  If the card doesn't match the first word the child turns it back over.  If they pick a card that has a review question or picture, they answer the question or tell how the picture relates to the story and then turn the card back over. Continue in this manner until all the words are found in order.

2. Bible Verse Hand Picture
© 2003, Carolyn Warvel

"Remember This" Memory Verse Hand Picture - Explain to the children that sometimes when someone wants to remember something important, they tie a string on their finger to help them remember. The Bible verse today is very important so we are going to make a picture of a hand with a string tied on the finger to reminds us of how important this verse is.

What you will need: 6 1/2" hand cutouts (These can be purchased at a teacher's store or you can cut out your own) construction paper, glue, and bright colored yarn. (I used Crayola Gel FX crayons which are designed to be used on dark colored paper.) We had 2 boxes of 16 crayons for about 16 kids. If you don't want to buy the cutouts, you can use this hand Bible verse pattern and cut them out yourself.

What to do: Have the children glue their hand cutout onto a piece of construction paper. Show them how to bend down the thumb and third finger to meet each other and glue them together. Bend down the pinky and middle finger and tie a piece of yarn on to the pointer finger. Children can decorate the rest of the pictures anyway they would like.

Copyright Notice - The craft patterns, ideas, songs, etc. on this web site are copyrighted. You may not publish a copy of them on any other web site. But you may publish a picture of a finished project from this web site on another web site as long as you state where you got the project and put a link back to it on this web site for the directions and patterns. For example, you may publish a picture a lapbook in which you used a craft from this web site as long as you state where the project came from and include a link.

Ideas from Subscribers

1. Bookmark - We made a really simple and fun craft for the kids. You take the foam cutouts and put two back to back, (the same pattern) on each end of a piece of ribbon and make a bookmarker. The kids loved finding their shapes and were excited about taking them to school to use in their books. Shelly Farler

2. Balloon Bible Story Review Game - I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help in preparing my lessons for 1- 3 graders. If I am at a blank wall, I can always depend on something here to help. Let me share one little thing. When I review my lesson with the children, I always try to look for some special way to present the questions to make it more interesting. In my Bible school class today I put the questions on small rolled up pieces of paper and inserted them into balloons and then blew them up. They had to pop the balloon and answer the question. They had a blast. Thank you again. Peggy Mitchell

(Note: I have also used this idea. I have found that some children do not like the loud noise of the balloons popping and did not want to participate. Before you start any activity using balloons that may pop ask the children if they wish to participate, send the children who do not out of the room before you start and have another activity that they can do.)

3. Bible Story Review Game - Bible Dice

Make a die out of a square kleenex box. Use Bible story clip art and shrink it down to fit your box. Or cut pictures from your used Sunday school materials. Glue a picture on each side of the box. Have the kids roll the dice and tell you about the story. (Nancy Foss)

Copyright Notice - The craft patterns, ideas, songs, etc. on this web site are copyrighted. You may not publish a copy of them on any other web site. But you may publish a picture of a finished project from this web site on another web site as long as you state where you got the project and put a link back to it on this web site for the directions and patterns. For example, you may publish a picture a lapbook in which you used a craft from this web site as long as you state where the project came from and include a link.