Bible Crafts and Activities for Sunday School

Psalm 23 - The Lord is My Shepherd Bible Lessons for Children

The Bible Lessons on this page come from The Resource Room which is a "Members Only" section of this site. The complete lessons with craft patterns included are available on The Resource Room.

This series of lessons contains six lessons, one for each verse of the chapter. These lessons are designed for children, preschool through first grade. Each lesson is introduced by a sheep puppet. The puppet doesn't actually say anything so the puppet skits are very easy to perform. The puppet shakes its head yes and no and also brings things to class that help explain the concept to be learned for each verse.

The sheep puppet you use should be able to open and close it's mouth so that it can hold things or use it's hands. You can make your own sheep puppet from a white sock. Go to the Materials Crafts Page for directions. Or you can buy a talking sheep puppet pattern from Puppet for Ministry.com for $5.00. This puppet has four legs so it looks like it is standing up. Oriental Trading Company has a cute lamb puppet for $3.00. Type in 6/375 or "lamb" in the search box at the left to find it. They also have a set of twelve religious hand puppets for $15.00. Type in 36/571 or "puppets" in the search box.

Bible Verse Memorization

Each lesson contains a printable Bible verse card to send home with your children. You can also use the Bible verse memorization chart (Available to members only.) to keep track of each child's progress in memorizing the verses. Printable stickers relating to each story are available to place next to each verse as the children memorize them. These stickers are available in color or in black and white. If your printer can use them, you can print them out on sticker paper. Or cut the stickers apart and use an inexpensive sticker making machine to make the stickers. Or you can just glue the stickers on to the chart. (I bought the Xyron 150 "X" Dispenser sticker maker at Wal-Mart for less than $10.00.) Click on the links below to print out the files you need:

Psalms 23 Sticker Chart (Available to members only.)
Color Stickers (Psalms 23:1-3) (Available to members only.)
Stickers for Psalm 23:4-6 - (Available to members only.)

Rewards and Incentives

Oriental Trading Company has lots of inexpensive lamb novelties that would be great for rewards for children who can recite the entire 23rd Psalm. Show the children the lambs at the start of the series of lessons to motivate them to memorize the verses. (You may have to get something different for the boys. Although I teach first grade boys and was happy to find out that they loved the little clip on bear prizes I bought from Oriental Trading Company.) Type in "lambs" in the search box on the left.) The praying lambs at the left are $5.95 for a dozen and the plush lambs on the right are $14.95 for a dozen.

The 23rd Psalm Memory Cross

This is a fun and interactive way for children to learn the Twenty-third Psalm!

Children will enjoy reading their origami-style Memory Crosses over and over again.

These are not available on Danielle's Place, but you can go to the Memory Cross web site to order yours today! Click on the Picture.

Crafts for the Entire Lesson from Oriental Trading Company

Oriental Trading has a "The Lord is My Shepherd" fun foam banner craft kit that costs $5.95 for 12 kits. Just type in 48/1421 in the search box on the left to find this craft. Sharon Downey sent in this idea. She had her children glue one or two pieces to the banner each week so that by the end of the series they had a completed craft to take home. She also said, "The glue they (Oriental Trading) suggested for the foam projects I found did not hold. I went to Wal-Mart (love that store) and purchased Ilenes glue for all types of projects and it is great.

Oriental Trading also has a cute wooden lamb pin craft (#48/3011) 12 for $4.95 which says, "Lamb of God" and a foam cross "Lamb of God" craft (48/2950) 12 for $5.95.

Lesson 1 - The Lord is My Shepherd

In this first lesson children learn that God loves us and gives us everything we need. He is like a good shepherd who takes care of his sheep. Woolie the Puppet teaches this lesson by showing the children a picture he drew of the Good Shepherd, the green pastures, still waters and his friends.

Crafts include:

1. A framed color sheet
2. A bookmark
3. 
   A paper bag sheep puppet
4. "The Lord is My Shepherd" display

Activities include:

1. Make an edible sheep from pancakes or toast,
2. "Draw a Sheep" Game
3. "Pin the Tail on the Sheep" Game
4. "Dress the Sheep" Game.

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Lesson 2 - He Makes Me Lie Down

In this lesson children learn from Woolie that God knows what is good for us even if we don't. Sometimes it seems like God isn't listening to us or answering our prayers like we want him to, but God knows what is best for us. He knows exactly what we need and when we need it.

Crafts include:

1. "He Makes Me Lie Down In Green Pastures" Activity Sheet - Children color the picture and add flower stickers and rice that has been colored green for the grass.
2. "He Makes me Lie Down in Green Pastures" Paper Plate Sheep Craft

Activities include:

1. Still Waters and Green Pastures Crackers made from Graham Crackers, green and blue icing, and miniature marshmallows

2. "Lay Down the Sheep" Game using balloon sheep, newspaper shepherd's rods.

   Bible Verse Review Game using a printable picture cube.

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Lesson 3 - He Leads Me

In this lesson Woolie learns that the Good Shepherd leads us on the right paths. Children also learn that God leads us through his word, through prayer, and the Holy Spirit. He tells us how to live so that we will be happy and successful.

Crafts include:

1. "He Leads Me" Coloring Sheet
2. Sheep Following a Shepherd" Display
3. Make a "Jesus is the Way" Craft
4. Paper Bag Sheep Holding a Sign
5. "Jesus is the Way" Plastic Bag Sheep

Activities include:

1. "He Leads Me" Balancing Game
2. Follow the Leader
3. Bible Verse Review Cube Game

 

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Lesson 4 - I Will Fear No Evil

Children learn that we don't have to be afraid because God is watching over us. He protects and and comforts us when we are afraid.

Crafts include:

1. "He Comforts Me" Coloring Sheet
2. Make a shepherd's Rod

Activities include:

1. Shepherd's Relay Race
2. Make Edible Shepherd's Staffs
3. Bible Verse Review Cube Game

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Lesson 5 - I Am Special

We are special to God. He shows us we are special by providing for our needs and giving us even more than we need.

Crafts include:

1. "I am Special" Hand Print Sheep Craft"
2. My Cup Runneth Over" Craft

Activities include: 

1. Act out the 23rd Psalm using props
2. "My Cup Runneth Over" RelayBible Verse Review Cube Game

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Lesson 6 - Goodness and Mercy

Children learn that when they follow the Good Shepherd they will enjoy a life of goodness and mercy.

Crafts include:

1. "Goodness and Mercy" Coloring Ssheet
2. Rice Krispie Treat Sheep

Activities include:

1. "Goodness and Mercy Will Follow Me" Game
2. Bible Verse Review Game
3. Bible Verse Review Cube Game

You can find even more sheep crafts for this lesson on the Sheep Crafts for Kids Page.

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Comments About This Series of Lessons:

We did the first lesson of the 23rd Psalm. I am in the process of teaching children from 10 - 12 how to be "junior teachers". Each week, I give them a project. They have to make a bulletin board to match the lesson, open in prayer, learn the story (without reading it), prepare a craft and a snack, organize a game, etc. We are having great fun and this lesson series is really good for them to start with. It's easy to do and there is such a great variety of ideas. I think they will enjoy the whole series, and some day I hope they will be able to teach an entire lesson from start to finish. Thanks for providing such great material for them. Terri

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I used your first lesson with my Team Kids group. My children are ages 6 to almost 8. They were so excitied! They loved the interaction with the puppet. I used the one made from a paper bag as you described. They immediately wanted to make their own. I was surprised and pleased, as I didn't know if they would think it was "too young" for them. They didn't! They also had a blast making the little sheep from pompom balls and pipe cleaners, which they put on the displays. One of my usual hardest critics (Girl almost 8) who usually doesn't want to do craft,s or does them and forgets them, was very excited about this craft. She often will forget to take crafts home with her, but not this one! She made sure she had it, and showed it to her mother who is a leader in another group. Finally, I am excited about teaching my Team Kids the 23rd Psalm. I taught them the Lord's Prayer about a year ago. Now these are scripture my parents taught me. But we can't count on parents to take the time for scripture learning in today's world. (Just being realistic). I firmly believe that these should be memorized along with others.

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These lessons are fab, very clearly laid out, and fun packed. Thank you. Best wishes, Judie

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I am so glad that you have started these lesson. Our kids in S.S. (Ages 4 - 7) have been learning the entire Ps. 23, and this makes it easy and fun for them to learn. They REALLY like Woolie and look forward to seeing him!! We also ordered "The Lord is my Shephard" craft from Oriental that we will do at the end of the series as a reminder for them. Stacy

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I started the 23rd Psalm lesson series this week in Sunday school. The series is great! As an extra to go along with the lesson and crafts, I took the game from the lesson The Good Shepherd and changed it a little. I enlarged the game board to fit on the floor of my room (using three sheets of brown wrapping paper glued together and green fabric as the grass). Instead of using sheep as movers, the children were their own moving piece. The game went over very well with the children. I look forward to using more of this series. Thanks, Theresa

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I really enjoyed teaching on 23 Psalms. I made Woolie the Sheep puppet and my preschool and first grade classes loved her. I have a small class so the pre-school teacher and I put our classes together and I teach the lesson and she does the craft. We have really enjoyed the crafts that went along with the lessons also. Our kids really have enjoyed these lessons and they have memorized the scripture.