Bible Crafts and Activities for Kids

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The Parable of the Lost Sheep

Scripture Reference: Matthew  18:12-14, Psalms 139:15-16

Concepts:  Jesus loves us.  Jesus knows where we are at all times.  God knew us before we were every born and knows us by name.  Jesus does not want us to be lost. God is our shepherd.

"The Lost Sheep" Bible Lesson from The Resource Room -  In this lesson your children will learn that Jesus loves them and wants them to be good. When they do bad things it makes God very sad, but God will not leave them. He will keep calling them back to him. When they ask God to forgive them, God will come to them and forgive them.

Games and Activities:

1. Play the "Lost  Sheep Game"  - Before class hide a stuffed sheep somewhere in the room or outside. After you read the story, have some one dressed up like a shepherd come into the room and pretend to be looking for the lost sheep and calling for the sheep to come. The shepherd can then ask the children if they saw his lost sheep and ask them to help him find the sheep. When the sheep is found,  the children can help the shepherd celebrate with juice and a  snack.  The search and find sheet below also goes along nicely with this lesson.

2. Use the "Flannel  Board Sheep".

3. Play a Memory Game. Place 10 or more items on a table covered  with a cloth. Have the children study the items. Tell them to  close their eyes. Take away one item and then ask the  children which item is missing. After playing the game explain to the children that Jesus knows where they are at all times and knows  each of us by name. He knew us before we were even  born. If one of us leaves or gets lost Jesus will come and find us.

4. Use the no sew sheep puppet to tell the story of the Lost Lamb from the lambs point of view.

5. Pretend to be sheep - Have the children pretend to be sheep and follow a teacher around the room who is dressed up as a shepherd.  The shepherd can also pretend to protect the sheep from a lion or wild animal (another person dressed up).

6. Play a "Doggy, Doggy, Who has your bone?" type game - Have the children sit in a circle with their hands behind their backs. Select one child to be the "shepherd".  The shepherd sits in the center of the circle with his eyes closed. Have all children put their hands behind their backs. The leader walks around the outside of the circle and secretly places a small stuffed sheep in the hands of one of the children in the circle. (If you have older children, instead of the leader placing the sheep in one of the child's hand, the leader can give the sheep to one of the children.  The children then try to secretly pass the sheep from child to child until the leader tells the shepherd to find the sheep.) When the leader says "find the sheep", the shepherd in the center has 3 chances to guess who has the sheep behind his back in his hands. Take turns having the children be the "shepherd".

Crafts:

1. Use the "Cotton  Ball Sheep" on the Crafts Page.

2. He Makes Me Lie Down in Green Pastures Paper Plate Sheep Craft - This craft is made from three paper plates and four 5 ounce Dixie cups. This craft is available to members only.

3. Paper Cup Sheep for Sunday School - Cut two holes in the side of a paper cup at the bottom so that a child can put his hand inside the paper cup and stick two fingers through the holes. Glue cotton balls all around the outside of the cup. (You must use a paper cup so that the cotton balls and glue will stick.) When the glue is dry, draw a sheep face on the bottom of the cup. Show your children how to put their fingers through the holes to make the sheep's feet. Idea sent in by Pam

Books:

"The Lost & Found Lamb" a Peek-a-Bible book written by Tracey Harrast is a great way to introduce the story to youngsters  2 - 5 years old.  A little sheep named Woolie jumps a wall and gets himself lost. The good shepherd takes off looking for Woolie but not before he puts up a lost sheep sign.  He looks everywhere for him, calling his name.  The children lift up flaps in the book to help the shepherd find Woolie. At the end of the story they have a "Welcome home, Woolie" party with cake and candles and all different kinds of animals are invited.  This cartoon style book is a lot of fun and teaches the children about Jesus' love for them in a fun and interesting way.

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Parable of the Lost (Prodigal) Son

1. The father in this parable had a party to celebrate his son's return. Draw an outline of a balloon and make photocopies. Give your children bits of colored tissue paper to glue onto the balloon shape to make a pretty balloon. Sent in by Jeannette

The Parable of the Sheep and Goats

"Are You a Sheep or Goat? Sunday school lesson. Go to the G -Bible Crafts and Activities for Children Page under Giving.

Paul

1. Paul Shipwrecked Craft - Give each child a plastic banana split bowl and have them put a pre-sliced banana inside. Used canned whipped cream to spread whipped cream on to of the banana. Place two teddy grahams in the whipped cream; one for Paul and the other for Silas. You can also put half of a straw down into the banana with a sail attached to it. This makes a really cute craft for the 2's through 5 year olds. They can close the top of the bowl and float it or eat it first. Either way, they have a boat and a sail to play with and it is very inexpensive. This went over really well ! Yum !!! Sent in by Connie

2. Paul Bitten by a Snake Craft - Make a snake with plastic bottle caps from soft drink products and two corks for the head and tail. Drill a hole in the center of each cap and the corks. String red plastic cord through one small cork then 25 plastic caps per snake and end with the other small cork. Tie off at the tail end. Leave some of the cord hanging out for the tongue on the other end. I spray painted the caps green. When it dried I put wiggly eyes on the tongue at the head end. Also, if you want to, you can assembly the first two caps open side to open side and put a couple of beans in it, then hot glue them together. This way the snake rattles. We used this craft for VBS when Paul was bitten by the viper. The 5th and 6th graders enjoyed making their snakes and painting them. Connie

For other snake crafts go the the Snake Crafts Page.

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Peace

1. Make Peace Dove Indoor Kite/Toy. Go to Fights of Fancy web site for directions and a pattern.

Pentecost

Pentecost Bible Lesson on The Resource Room - In this lesson children learn that Jesus went away to live with God, but he didn't leave us alone. He sent the Holy Spirit to comfort us, guide us, and teach us.

Crafts:

1. Make wind twirlers from fun foam - Cut the piece of fun foam in a circle then cut around in a spiral until you get to the middle of the circle. Decorate the spiral with fun foam shapes. Hang it up with a piece of yarn. This craft will remind your children that the Holy Spirit is present even though we can't see it.

2. Pentecost Activity Sheet - Younger children will enjoy coloring an activity sheet and adding tissue paper flames. The complete lessons with printable craft patterns and activity sheets is available on The Resource Room.

Pentecost Activities:

1. Tongues of Fire Bible Verse Review Game - Before class cut out flames shapes (A pattern for the flames is available on The Resource Room). Make headbands from strips of paper and glue the flames to the front of the headbands. Write one word from the Bible verse on the front of each headband. Use "He shall give you another Comforter". Place the headbands on your children. Mix them up and then time them to see which team can line up in order to make the Bible verse.

2. Wind and Fire Relay - Before class cut crepe paper into two feet lengths. Divide your children up into teams and give them each a straw and a piece of crepe paper. Have them use the straw to blow the crepe across the room and back. If you don't want them to get on the floor you can have them blow the crepe across a table.

Pentecost Song:

Wind and Fire
Written by Carolyn Warvel
(Sing to the tune of Frère Jacques)

Tongues of fire,
Tongues of fire,
Mighty wind,
Mighty wind,
The Holy Ghost is coming,
The Holy Ghost is coming,
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!

Before class cut pieces of crepe paper into 3 feet lengths. Use red and orange to make the fire sticks and white and blue to make the wind sticks. Staple 4 or 5 pieces of crepe paper to jumbo craft sticks and then cover the staples with tape. Make one fire and one wind pompom for each child. As you sing "tongues of fire" have your children wave their fire pompoms up and down. As you sing "mighty wind" have your children wave their wind pompoms side to side.

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Pharisees

Do the Right Thing for the Right Reason

Bible Reference: Matthew: 23

Teaching Concept: Children learn that it is not only important to do the right thing, but to do it for the right reason.

Crafts:

1. Pharisee Cup Doll - Directions and patterns for this craft is available to members only.

2. Thinking Cup

What you will need: 16 oz foam cups, paper, and glue.

What to do:

1. Before class print out the "What's in your Cup?" sayings onto colorful paper and the Word Patterns onto white paper and cut them apart. Patterns for this craft is available to members only.

2. In class have your children glue the "What's in your Cup?" saying to the rim of the glass and the words all over the rest of the cup.

3. Tell your children and parents that each night during the week they should talk about what was in their child's heart. Were they helpful, kind, obedient, etc.? The parents should write words describing their child's behavior on pieces of paper and place them in the cup each night. If a bad word goes into the cup, they should pray about it with their child and ask God to help them not do that the next day. If the child is successful, he can take the word out the next night.

3. "What's in Your Cup" Puppet Craft

What you will need: 16 oz foam cups, yarn, stick on eyes, markers, paper, and glue.

What to do:

1. Before class make puppet hair by winding yarn around your four fingers about 25 times. Pull it off your fingers keeping the yarn in the same shape and tie the yarn together in the middle with another piece of yarn. Cut the looped ends to make a pompom.

2. In class have your children glue the pompom to the bottom of the cup for the hair, stick on eyes, and draw on a face.

3. Punch a small hole in the face for the nose. Children will stick their hands in the cup and put their pointer fingers through the hole for the nose.

4. Print out the "What's in your Cup?" sayings onto colorful paper and cut them out. In class have your children glue them to the rim of the glass. Patterns for this craft is available to members only.

5. As you work remind your children that Jesus compared the Pharisees to a cup that was dirty inside. Ask them to think of some bad things that Jesus doesn't want us to have in our hearts - greed, envy, lying, laziness, bad words, etc, and have them think of good things Jesus would want us to have in our hearts such as love, kindness, helpfulness, patience, etc.

Activities

1. Work on "What's in Your Cup?" Activity Sheet

Children decide which words should go inside the cup and which should stay out. Patterns for this craft is available to members only.

2. "What's in your cup?" Game - Before class print a bunch of words on pieces of paper and place them in a large cup. Use words that describe things we don't want in our hearts and things that we do. Have the children take turning trying to throw a ping-pong ball into the cup from a short distance away. If a child gets the ping-pong ball in the cup, he gets to pull out a word. Read the word for him and ask him if that is something Jesus would want us to have in our hearts. If it is he gets to keep the word. The child with the most words at the end of the game wins.

3. " Find the Pharisee" Cup Game - Before class find three glass or cups that are exactly alike. Made the inside of one cup dirty or write the words: greedy, hypocrite, liar, etc. on the inside of the cup. Make sure the words don't show through the cup. In class show your children the cups and remind them about how the Pharisees look good on the outside but they were evil on the inside. Tell them that the dirty cup represents the Pharisees. Place all the cup upside down on a table and tell your children to watch as you mix them up. Then pick a children to guess which cup is the Pharisee cup.

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Praise

Make a Joyful Noise
Scripture Reference: Psalms

Crafts:

1. Make maracas - This craft idea comes from Bethany Davis of Birmingham, Alabama
What you will need: Small aspirin bottles with tops (empty film canisters, or any similar size container with a lid), colored construction paper or wrapping paper, glue, dried beans, and scissors

What to do: Have the children color a design on a small piece of paper or choose wrapping paper to cover the canister. Cut out size to fit the canister and glue it to the outside of the canister. You may want to cut pieces to size before class. Have the children put a small handful of dried beans into the canister. (Have only one or two children do this at a time. Watch them very closely and make sure none of them put the beans in their mouth. Run a bead of glue around the top edge of the canister (if you use Super Glue it will hold longer, but make sure YOU are the one that applies it!) and place the top/lid on the canister. Use a marker to put the child's initials on the bottom or top of canister. We make two for each child. We have an "instrument box" they decorated (usually a tissue box) to hold their instruments during the week.

Note: If you don't want to use glue, you could use a wide clear packaging tape to secure the bottle. Thanks, Bethany, for sending in your ideas.

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Prayer

Four Kinds of Prayer Cup Puppet Craft

What you will need: 16 oz foam cups, printer paper, yarn, pipe cleaners, large 3/4" buttons with four holes, googly eyes, markers, scissors, and glue.

What to do:

1. Before class print out the four different kinds of prayer strip and the hand patterns onto colorful paper Patterns for this craft is available to members only.

2. Make puppet hair by winding yarn around your four fingers about 25 times. Pull it off your fingers keeping the yarn in the same shape and tie the yarn together in the middle with another piece of yarn. Cut the looped ends to make a pompom.

3. In class have your children glue the word strip around the rim of the glass and the hair to the bottom of the cup.

4. Draw a sad face on one side of the cup and a happy face on the other. You can use googly eyes or eye stickers if you have them.

5. Use a pencil to draw a hole for the nose. Make it large enough for a child's finger to fit through. Punch the nose out by poking the pencil through the foam.

6. To make the arms place buttons inside the cup where the arm should be attached. Stick one end of a pipe cleaner through one of the button holes and the foam of the cup from the inside to the outside of the cup. Stick the other end of the pipe cleaner through the opposite hole from the inside to outside of the cup. Pull the pipecleaner through so that both sides are even on the out side. Do the same thing with another pipe cleaner with the other two holes. (The button will keep the pipe cleaners from being pulled through the foam cup.)

7. Wind the ends of the pipe cleaners together to make the arm. Glue a hand to the end of the pipecleaner and another hand on the other side of the hand to cover the end of the pipe cleaner.

8. Have your children move the arms to represent each type of prayer. The hand is placed in front of the mouth with the thumb up and then moved out from the face to represent thanks. This is how you say, "Thank you." in sign language .

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Types of Prayer Fill-in Comic Book

This comic book style activity includes four pages and a cover page with pictures of four different kinds of prayer including: forgiveness, praise, thanks, and asking for help.

Children look at the pictures in the comic book and decide what the children in the pictures might be praying about then fill in the speech balloons.

Patterns for this craft is available to members only. Go to patterns.

National Day of Prayer Craft

United States Flag Craft - The National Day of Prayer is on May 3rd. For more information, you can go to the National Day of Prayer web site.

What you will need: Paper, and crayons or markers.

What to do:

1. Print out or draw a picture of a flag with someone praying in front of the flag. (A pattern for this craft is available on the member's only section.)

2. Color the flag and then write your prayer on the stripes of the flag.

 

Object Lesson about Prayer for Preschool children - You will need bubble blowing soap, a super bubble blower and a small one.

Talk to the children that no prayer is too small or too large for God to care about, hear, and answer.

Take the giant bubble blower and begin making big bubbles. As the children pop the bubbles, discuss what some big prayers might be: Praying for a sick friend or family member, praying for money to buy food, etc. Let the children think of prayers they think are big while they pop the bubble. Make sure all the children have a chance to pop a bubble. (It is important to keep control and let them know there can be no shoving or running.)

Then take out the little bubble blower and blow bubbles for the children to pop. Discuss small prayers and ask them which prayers they might be little prayers. Ex. Finding a shoe, help to clean their room, their loose tooth will fall out and not have to be pulled, etc.

Next ask children if the big bubbles popped any different than the little one. Explain to them that no prayer is too big or too small for God. He answers all prayers and wants to hear about all our problems.

If money permits give each child a bottle of bubble soap to take home. 6 usually cost around $1.29 Sent in by Narita Roady

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Praying Hands Picture - Use this craft when you are studying about prayer. The Lord's Prayer or the Prayer of Jabez or any other prayer can be written on the hands with gel pens.

What you will need: Construction paper (yellow, dark blue, and scraps), black gel pen paper, scissors, glue, gel pens.

What to do:

Before class print out the pattern of the praying hands and the stained glass window.

Using the patterns cut the window shapes from the yellow construction paper and the praying hands shape from black gel pen paper. Note: Black construction paper may not work with gel pens. They need a very smooth paper to work well.) Buy gel pen paper wherever you buy gel pens.)

Cut up scrap pieces of construction paper or computer paper (neon color work best) into small one inch shapes.

In class have the children glue the window shape to a piece of dark blue construction paper and then glue the small pieces of paper to the window shape.

Have them write a prayer (The Lord's Prayer or the Prayer of Jabez) on the praying hands shape using gel pens and then glue it in the center of the stained glass window.

2. Learn the Lord's Pray in sign language. Your children will love signing the Lord's Prayer as they recite it. They will also love signing it to the popular song, "As It Is In Heaven" by Michael W. Smith. Consider having your children perform it in front of the congregation. This would also be a great way to show your congregation what your children are learning. Go to the Lesson Tutor web site for printouts and directions.

3. Prayer Box (This is a good Sunday School or Junior Church thing to be done weekly.) Get a shoe box or any box and wrap it with tissue paper. I used white and then decorated it. Cut a slit in the top and write "Prayer Box" on it. Make out prayer request cards and hand them out to the children or have them make their own. Have the children that have a request fill it out, read it out loud to the class, and then slip it in the box.
The next Sunday read the requests and see how many have been answered. If they have been answered, you can either give it to the child to keep, or do the "extra activity". If they haven't been answered, keep it in the box till it has been answered.

Make an "Answered Prayer Request" poster. Write the title at the top and then make square boxes on the rest of the poster board so that the cards fit into them. Whenever a request is answered have the children tape their card to the board. Keep doing this every Sunday.

I do this with my junior church every week and the pastor and the church just love it. They love reading them to see what the kids pray about. It's a big hit whenever we have potlucks. People love to see what new prayers are up. (Sent in by Heather)

4. Coloring Sheets for the Lord's Prayer - Teach Us To Pray Web site has lots of printable coloring pages on the Lord's Prayer and other activities to teach children the Lord's Prayer.

5. Prayer Tower - I teach Pre-K and kindergarten and one thing I have found hard is to keep their little minds on the prayer being said. A great thing to do is to use blocks to build a prayer tower. Each child takes a block and stacks it on the tower. As they stack it they say what they would like to pray about. This is fun for them, but most importantly, it helps them think of whom they would like to pray for. This idea was sent in by Kay Hershberger

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Lord's Prayer Crafts and other items from Oriental Trading Company

Songs about Prayer:

I Will Say My Prayers
(Sung to: Row, Row, Row Your Boat)

C
I will say my prayers,
C
Each and every day,
C
I will always talk to God,
;C
And He hears what I say.
© Mary Flynn

 

If you like these songs, consider purchasing "Praise 4 God ~ Just 4 Kids©"a collection of more than 75 simple songs and poems of praise.

Bible Lessons and Crafts:

1. The Lords Prayer - How Jesus Taught His Disciples to Pray
By Vicki Wiley

This lesson is taught using plastic cross containers and color Sandy Candy.

Our Father who is in Heaven - The first thing Jesus said was, "Our Father in heaven", Some Bible Translations say "Our Father, who ART in heaven." That means our Father who is in heaven.
Let's put some gold into our tube to remind us of heaven. The Bible tells us that the streets of heaven are made of gold, so the gold will remind us of heaven and how we should start our prayer.

"May your kingdom come" - (Pass around the purple "Sandy Candy")
Jesus is the King and we use purple to stand for royalty. The kingdom that Jesus is talking about is now in heaven, but at the end of the world it will also be on earth. When you see the purple, you can remember the kingdom of God. For the complete lesson click on the link above.

2. The Lord's Prayer - Bible Lesson on The Resource Room for children grades 2 - 5 - The aim of this lesson is to help students understand prayer as a means of talking to God, to look at and understand the model prayer Jesus gave us. Following are some ideas from the lesson:

1. Display a variety of baking ingredients and a recipe for bread. Include ingredients that would not go into a bread recipe. Discuss what would happen if we didn't use a recipe as beginning bakers. Then have the students decide which of the ingredients belong in the recipe. Explain that Jesus gave us an example of a prayer to use as our guide when we pray. If time permits, students could make the bread. Otherwise, the leader could make the bread at home and bring it back when the "daily bread" portion of the prayer is discussed.

2."Thy Kingdom come" - Make a Christian Flag - Go to Fbcfay.com web site for a picture and the history of the flag.

3. "Give us this day our daily bread" - Decorate a napkin and place in a bread basket - Go to Crafts Page 12 for directions. Encourage your students to make bread at home to place in their baskets and give them to a neighbor.

This lesson is available to Members of The Resource Room

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God Keeps his Promises

Scripture References: II Corinthians 1:20, John 10:27-28
Concepts: For keeps his promises, God promises us eternal and many other things.

1. Make a butterfly picture - Print out the butterfly pattern. Have the children glue on yarn and cut up pieces of tissue paper. Or they can just color or paint it.

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Psalm 23 - Bible Lessons for Children

"He Makes Me Lie Down in Green Pastures" Sheep

This craft is made from three paper plates and four 5 ounce Dixie cups. Go to the Paper plates craft page for directions.

To view a complete outline of six lessons on the 23rd Psalm go to the Psalm 23 Bible Crafts Page. Each verse of the Twenty-third Psalm is broken down into one lesson. Each lesson contains crafts and activities that reinforce the Bible verse.

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Purpose - God's Purpose for Our Lives

Scripture References: "Iwill praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well" Psalm 139:14. "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." 2 Corinthians 4:6-7

Concepts: God doesn't make mistakes. He made us with a purpose.

1.Leaf Wreath Craft - Make a leaf wreath to remind us of how the Light of God in our hearts and life brings to life the purpose and design God had for our lives just as the sun's light brings out the beautiful colors in the fall leaves. See Children's Bible Ministry Web site for a complete lesson on this subject.

Go to the Thanksgiving and Fall Crafts Page for directions.

2.Purpose/Potential Object Lesson

Purpose of lesson:  To focus on our potential in Christ.  We will never reach our fullness apart from Christ

Life is like a Cupcake - This object lesson can be done for any age group or an entire church.  I like church picnics or covered dish meals and this is a wonderful lesson that the entire group can join in and have desert too. Sue Karber

Take a paper cupcake liner and tell everyone that this represents our body.  It is the shell that holds the real "us" together in body form.  Now put in some cake batter and say, "This is God's potential put in each one of us. Some of us have more than others, but we all have potential.  God knew us before the world was even formed and also in our mother's womb.  He gave us the potential we need to fulfill His Good Works.  Potential is not what we are, but what we are capable of  becoming. Potential has to be developed. Left to ourselves we will either become half baked, burn up in the process and self-destruct, or never develop at all.

Accepting Jesus as our LORD and Savior will develop our potential.  Jesus will keep us growing and developing by withstanding the HEAT of the world and maturing in Christ.

I make sure every child hears the  plan of salvation and that salvation brings forgiveness of sin. We are born again through Christ. The Holy Spirit now guides our development which leads to the frosting on the cupcake. . .

The frosting is studying God's word, praise, and worship. This leads to our development of service which we can't help but do. We are frosting and others see the beauty and love of Jesus and want to have what we have and we just have to share. This area is so much fun because each child or person needs to see that the wrinkles of the frosting are different on each cupcake. Some of us are teachers, some have the gift of mercy etc.  And even with in our gifts and service areas we are special and unique and God does not compare us with others.

Then the sprinkles; the jewels in our crowns in heaven. The kids go wild here.  They see where their uniqueness and ministry is needed and useful at even the 1st grade level.  They see their purpose in the body of Christ. This is even true of adults. I use different scriptures according to lesson plans for that week.

Frosting brings the fruits and the fullness of Christ into our lives and even a child has purpose and  a mission. Sprinkles the rewards, now and later
Thanks for sharing this with us, Sue