Moses in the Bullrushes (Exodus 2)

Large play scene for Moses in Bullrushes. 

(This term for the younger groups, under 7's I'm attempting to use both large dolls for the stories which is something I made for Holiday Club and worked very well, as well as using Godly Play (People of God) and small scale wooden models in sand). For this session all play resources were available at all times alongside craft materials.

The story was told first (this is not always the format of a session it depends upon the dynamics of the grouping) After the story, and a short time of wondering (which actually occurred naturally during the story as well) and then a snack (of jelly babies on biscuits and milk bottles)

After the story play options were pointed out and what craft materials were available and a few ideas about what they may make without direction e.g. "what do you think you could make?" 

 A basket for baby Moses (the first one created with much concentration - pipe cleaners were requested in addition to what was available)

Another basket for baby Moses

 A basket with Moses inside

A different take on Moses transport a boat instead of a basket (again much concentration)

The children agreed that more clay was defiantly needed.

Sock babies, really enthusiastically received by the girls. Was rather prescriptive craft and needed support but prompted lots of play afterwards. The older group 7+ got very creative with their sock Moses!

Not from this session but a previous Moses session - Milk bottle tops with Moses drawn on and floating - the children enjoyed playing with this.

Ideas Sheet for Exodus 2

Paul Heals... craft

We looked at the healings of Paul, as a craft response for the 6-11 year olds we made pipe cleaner dolls that moved to remind us that the people in the story were able to move/ jump for joy.

Guidelines for making: http://alljoinin.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/making-dolls-aka-bible-dolls.html

CD Fish

I just found these and thought actually of all "perscriptive" crafts (which are not my preference to  do with children but some certainly love them so I do) CD fish are one of my favourite! And there are a log fish stories in the Bible! 

CD Angel

Not a prescriptive craft super fan but I quite like this CD angel and left lots of scope for creativity! Was REALLY popular! And I know which one I prefer (one was done by me!)

Palm Sunday (Jesus' Triumphant entry)

 Craft Activities for Palm Sunday, or simply as a Lenten activity to use in preparation of Easter. (I honestly thought I had posted these last year but can't find any record)

Peg legged donkey. I thought this was a rather "formal" activity however was unbelievably popular with the boys in particularly and were played with to act out the story (and various additions to the Bible account :). 

Paper play with leaf cut outs (for palm leaves and, felt cut outs of coats/ pieces of felt. Hosanna being written the the middle was optional. I also provided paper for free collage with the materials.

I'm joining Wonderful in an Easter kind of way and Explore and Express with the Lenten Link - Up Party

God Loves

 I was pretty sure I posted this a while back, but can't see any evidence of it. I can't even remember what bible passage we did this for but I simple made folded house shapes and said children could draw their family inside or whoever they though and decorate the house however they wished. I may or may not have shown them my example before, I can't remember. Either way there were defiantly no carbon copies of "the craft" which is always a relief!

This was not a "God Loves" activity but would be lovely to do and is very simple we simple folded the paper and cut out a heart shape, then cut a heart out of that. When we had "enough" hearts they were just stuck to paper with one half, which makes an interesting picture. Would be good for older children if discussing "God shaped hole".

God made sunshine (Psalm 19)

Using the Godly creation cards I told a very short version without wondering questions. Then move the sun / moon down and said "a long, long time after God made everything, people wrote songs called psalms, one of these is about how wonderful God made the sauna and everything."  Then I created the bigger card below with cards/ glow stars/ touch light. I created/ pointed to the corresponding points to the psalm paraphrase below.

We then sang sunshine related songs.

Paper plate prayers, each child was given a paper plate, a biscuit and five stick pretzels. We each created a sun (most looked like the sun rising or falling) and said a a prayer saying saying thank you for the sun and each of us. If did this again i would say five thank you prayers counting the sticks, with children choosing what they are thankful for.

You know that I am not a fan of "production line crafts" but on this occasion I actually decided I would give the children a range of collage materials, paint sticks, and crayons, and they all with significant concentration created their own sunshine. Happily they were all different, most looking like a sunrise or sunset but a couple of flu rays ones like one on left, one with no rays (which I was told "This one is not going to have rays") we even has a sunshine rabbit- which if you look at the next post you will see the link!

i Can See (Jesus heals a blind man)

This will be the last post on Jesus healing the blind man (I think). It's unfortunate that I didn't get a large collection of these pictures, they really did make a great display, and the children absoloutly LOVED doing them! You all know I am not a churn out the worksheets and lets stifle the kids creativity and exploration kind of girl, but these sheets certainly proved the worth of some print outs now and then.
Originally I designed this sheet with only the eyes to add - with the session being about eyes and all! But decided this may stifle some of the older or more creative children...
So I also created this one where children could add all the features, both were equally popular. We used chubbie paint markers to paint them, the ones similar to bingo dabbers. Perfect for adding eyes, I did provide crayons for the rest of the features but not one child used them!

Thank you, Sorry, Please Prayers

In the last post I said that I identified to the children which parts of the Lord's prayer were, thank you, sorry and please. I did this in the context of, we can say the prayer Jesus taught us at anytime but we can also say our own words in prayer. We usually pray prayers that are saying, thank you, please, and sorry. Jesus also did this in the prayer he taught us.

I then showed the children examples of the flowers above, showed them the signs for each word then asked children to choose which one we would do.We then thought of things we wanted to say thank you for then, sorry then please praying each prayer together.
A bit later each child made their own set of flowers, we were available to scribe prayers if they wanted. I explained that God gave flowers what they needed to grow, and when we pray God gives us what we need to grow too.