Craft Ideas for Sunday School

Sunday school lays the foundation for every child's Biblical knowledge. What children learn in Sunday school, the Bible stories, memory verses, etc, they retain all their lives. Sunday school teachers are constantly striving to make learning the Bible more interactive and fun. Bible stories are welcomed and well-absorbed by children when they're backed with suitable craft that they can carry home. Children are brimming with energy and they love to be on their toes. By combining craft with Bible stories and teachings, one can make Sunday school, learning and fun.

Creation
Genesis 1, tells us about how God created light, land, water, night, day, animals, birds, vegetation and man in 6 days. God's wonderful creations can be taught to children through some interesting craft activities. Once you finish narrating the creation story to the children, carry out these activities to help them retain what they just heard.

Creation Plates
Age Group: 3-8
Requirements: Large paper plates (Preferably white or any other light shade), blue and green shades of paint, paint brushes, palettes (if available) or even water bowls will do, magazines and lots of glue.
Procedure:

• Provide the children with one paper plate each and ask them to write their names on the inner surface (for identification later on).
• Then ask them to start painting the outer surface with blue and green paint so that the plate resembles the surface of the earth.
• Make sure the children do not take too much time for painting, since the plates have to dry for further activity to take place.
• Once the plates are done, set them aside to dry.
• Meanwhile, have the children cut out pictures from the magazines that are related to the story of creation.
• Once the plates have dried, ask the children to paste the pictures on their painted plates.
• They will have the wonderful earth along with God's marvelous creations to take home.

Creation Collage
Age Group: 9-14
Requirements: Large white construction paper sheets, magazines, newspapers and glue.
Procedure:

• Sort the children into 3-4 groups and provide each group with one construction paper, glue and some magazines.
• The children are not to use scissors, instead have to strictly use their fingers to tear the pictures related to the creation story from the magazines.
• Assure the children that irregular edges are perfectly fine and irregular amoebic shapes are what we need.
• Give the children a time limit to complete the task (30 minutes should do) and then ask each group to come up and explain their collage.
• This activity is slightly messy, because by the time you finish there will be myriads of bits and pieces of paper scattered all over the place.
• However, it is worth the effort! You'll be amazed as to how creative children can get with this.
• Moreover, you can ask the children to gather all the bits into the trash can.
• The collages can be displayed on a notice board for the church to see.

Strong Samson
Samson was known for his strength. Where was his strength? In his long locks, right! Here's an activity that will help children always remember where Samson's strength lay. Here's a simple craft activity that will really add the finishing touches to Samson's story.
Age Group: Any age group
Requirements: Construction paper (Black, brown or yellow), paper scissors and glue.
Procedure:

• Once you've narrated the story of Samson to the children, provide each of them with construction paper (color of their choice) and paper scissors.
• Ask them to cut fringes by moving the scissors from one end of the paper to the other end and stopping two inches before the other end.
• Help the little ones with the cutting
• Once they complete cutting the fringes, place the fringed paper on their head and join the two ends using glue.
• You could even staple the edges together.
• Tear away the fringes that cover the child's face neatly. Eureka! Samson's long hair!

Moses: Ten Commandments
Another popular story in the Bible is that of Moses. The burning bush and the ten commandments are ever-popular Sunday school stories. Here's a fun way to have the children memorize the commandments.
Age Group: 6-14
Requirements: Tan construction sheet (Large), Water proof sketch pens, a bucket of water, a candle and matchbox.
Procedure:

• Fold the tan construction paper at the center.
• Once you have folded it, draw an arch on the top of the paper and cut out the shape.
• When you unfold the paper you will get two tablets of Moses.
• Ask the children to copy down the ten commandments from the Bible with five commandments on each tablet.
• Once they are done, ask the older ones to hold the paper edges near the candle flame and burn off the edges slightly. This is to give the tablets an ancient look.
• You can burn the edges for the younger ones.
• Next, ask them to dip the tablets into the bucket of water and place them near the window to dry.
• Once the tablets have dried, they have this wrinkled and ancient look.

Children can put up these tablets in their rooms where they are constantly reminding them to learn the ten commandments. In this activity, it is better if you start off with making the tablets before the teaching part. This is because, while the tablets dry you can do the teaching and by the time you are done, the tablets will dry for the kids to take home.

Bible Fishing Quiz

Quizzes are always fun! But can we do something out of the ordinary? Something unusual and colorful! Try conducting the Bible fishing quiz.
Age Group: 6-14
Requirements: Oak paper for fish cutouts- (body, tail and fins), Cardboard box, stick, magnet, paper clips, paints, paintbrushes, glitter, crayons, white board and white board markers.
Prior Preparation:

• Before you start your Sunday school activity, you should have the fishing rod, fish cutouts and the bible quiz questions ready.
• For the fishing rod, take a stick and tie a piece of string to one end.
• To the end of the string, attach a magnet.
• Once you have the fishing rod ready, move on to making the fish cut outs.
• Draw fishes of different shapes and sizes. However, cut off the fins and tails.
• Or you could even draw the body, tail and fins separately.
• The reason we're not drawing the entire fish as one piece is, so that the children can choose tails and fins of their liking and create a unique fish of their own. They enjoy the assembling activity.
• Prepare the Bible quiz questions on small pieces of paper and keep them safely.

Procedure:

• Place the prepared fish cutouts in a tray on a table. Ask the children to assemble their own fish and decorate them using glitter, paint, etc.
• Once they are done with the fishes, you could attach the bible quiz question to the fish by means of the paper clip.
• The paper clips play dual roles; attaching the quiz question and assistance with the fishing by getting attracted to the magnet.
• Place all the fishes into the cardboard box.
• Use the white board to keep score.
• You could either divide the children into teams or have them play individually. Score-keeping is easier when played with teams.
• Ask each contestant to walk up to the fish pond (card board box) and by means of the fishing rod, get his fish.
• Once he detaches the quiz chit, he is supposed to answer the question.
• Points are awarded for correct answers.
• Once the game's done, let the children take their fishes home.

This activity is slightly lengthy and if you wish you can split it up into two parts. Have the fish assembling done on one Sunday (combining it with Jonah's story) and the quiz on the following one.

The Father's Love:
It's a privilege to be the one to teach children about our Heavenly Father's love for all of us. There are two kinds of activities we can carry out in this area. One is to conduct activities that tell the children about God's love towards them, and the other one is getting them to tell their dear heavenly Father how much they love Him. We often focus on activities that tell children about the God's love for them but seldom remember to teach them about reciprocating their love to God.

Love Letter:
This is quite simple, however, very meaningful.
Age Group: 6-14
Requirements: Paper napkin (good quality), sketch pens or crayons, glitter and glue.
Procedure:

• Fold the paper napkin once around the middle and then fold it once again in the middle.You will have the napkin in the form of a card.
• Get the children to write 'I Love You Jesus' or 'Thank you Jesus' on the paper napkin card's cover.
• Have them decorate it the way they like.
• Since it's paper napkin, it is slightly delicate and care has to be taken so that it doesn't tear.
• But this is the best part.
• The children make the cards so gently, using their gentlest touch, which adds so much beauty to this card.
• Ask them to write their personal letter to Jesus, inside the card, telling Him how much they love Him and thanking Him for all that He has done for them.
• Let this card be personal. It doesn't need to be read out or displayed. Ask them to place it into their Bibles carefully.

Our Sunday school teacher taught us this and I still possess my paper napkin card. Since the card is placed inside the Bible, it doesn't get lost and continues to remind the children of their relationship with their Abba Father.

Secret messages to the Father:This is also very easy and loaded with fun.
Age Group: 6-14
Requirements: White paper, candle wax pieces and mud
Procedure:

• Give the children, pieces of white paper along with pieces of candle wax.
• Ask them to express their love to Jesus in a few lines by using the wax piece to write on the paper.
• While they write they won't be able to see what they are writing. Assure them it's alright and that's the way it should be.
• Once they're all done, ask them to come to the mud box and apply some mud onto their letters.
• The wax absorbs the mud particles making the writing visible!

Including craft ideas into your Sunday school lessons will surely make both, teaching and learning much more interesting. However, don't forget to adjust the activities according to your class. Also try out the activities at home before actually implementing them. This will help you to have a better understanding of the activity. Also, you will be prepared to handle any discrepancies that arise during the course of the activity. Always remember that the aim of the activity is to make Bible learning more interesting. However, we must restrain from losing our focus. The crafts must be 'Christ-oriented' and not 'activity-oriented'. With the grace of our Lord Jesus, continue to lead His little ones to Him. God bless you!