Remember all those crafts you made as a child? Macaroni shells
painted gold. Plaster of Paris handprints. These simple object
lessons are a great way to help kids create a beautiful
relationship with God.
Those artistic endeavors became treasure -- not because of how
much they cost -- but because of what you invested in them --
yourself! Each child's craft was unique because each child's view
of beauty and God's world was unique.
Craft time is more than merely a time-filler. Crafts -- when
done well -- allow kids to express themselves with hands-on
activity. Crafts can also provide a break for short attention
spans, reinforce a lesson, and serve as a take-home tool to
interact with parents.
The best crafts encourage individual expression. Since
children's ministers understand that, crafts are almost always part
of our Christian education programs. It's a wonder we don't run out
of craft ideas.
If there's ever a time of year that a children's minister can
use great craft ideas, it's now! With vacation Bible school, day
camps, Sunday school, and other summer programs that stretch your
repertoire of crafts, Children's Ministry Magazine knew you'd be
looking for crafts that have the right ingredients:
• low cost,
• low preparation, and
• lots of options for kids to be creative!
That's what you'll find in this special section of summer
crafts. Plus, we've included expert information on how to adapt
crafts for kids with special needs.
SILLYETTES
What You'll Need: Poster board cut in half,
tape, overhead projector, markers various craft materials, such as
feathers, fabric, paper, beads, yarn, or glitter, and glue.
Kids will love making these fun self-portraits. When kids are
finished, hang the portraits in your hallways for engaging
decorations that parents will rush to see.
Tape a half-sheet of poster board to the wall. Place an overhead
projector across the room from the paper. Have a child stand
between the overhead projector and the paper so that his silhouette
falls perfectly on the paper. Use a marker to trace around the
child's silhouette.
Then write the child's name on the back of the paper and give
the child the silhouette. The child can use craft materials to make
the silhouette a silhouette a sillyette.
GRASS SEED SAMSON
What you'll need: one rinsed 1/2-pint milk
carton for each child, potting soil, grass seed, construction
paper, fine-tipped markers, and glue sticks.
Here's a version of the Chia Pet planter! Only it's a Chia
Samson!
Give each child a ½-pint milk carton. Open the top of the milk
carton so the carton becomes an open cube. Have the children glue
construction paper around the carton to cover the milk logo. Then
help the children draw a Samson face (up to the forehead) on the
construction paper. The top of the carton is the hairline.
Fill each carton with potting soil about ½ inch from the top.
Then sprinkle grass seed on the soil and cover the seed with a thin
layer of soil.
Set the "Samsons" in a sunny windowsill and keep them well
watered.
After a few days, each Samson's hair will begin to grow! Once it
gets a few inches long, kids can cut the "hair" and retell the
Bible story.
Wendy Nelson
Hampton, Iowa
POTATO PRINTS
What you'll need: potatoes, permanent markers,
knife (adults only), thick liquid temera point, small paintbrushes,
pie tins, and poster board cut in half.
This is a great way for kids to use natural ingredients to
create place mats for others, such as their families, your church,
or a shelter.
Ahead of time, cut the potatoes in half. Draw a simple nature
design on each half, such as a tree or a leaf. Use an X-Acto knife
to carve around the design. The raised area will create the printed
image. This will work better if you have at least one potato stamp
for every two children so they can share.
Lay out the poster board and the potato stamps. Pour the paint
into the pie tins or paper plates. Then have children take turns
with this process:
• Brush paint onto the design area of a potato stamp.
• Press the stamp firmly onto the paper, being careful not to move
or drag it.
• Lift the stamp carefully and repeat the process an inch or two
away from the first stamp.
SANDY SCENES
What you'll need: sand, powdered tempera paint,
glue, card stock, small bowls, paintbrushes, water, and
crayons.
Here's a new way for kids to celebrate God's creation.
For each sand color, pour ¼ cup sand and 1 tablespoon powdered
tempera paint into a small bowl or paper cup. Have children follow
these steps:
• Draw a picture with a crayon on a sheet of card stock.
• Use glue to "draw" over the lines on your drawing.
• Sprinkle colored sand on the glue.
• Allow picture to dry for 10 to 15 minutes before you shake off
the extra sand.
• To cover large areas of a picture, paint the areas with diluted
glue. Then sprinkle colored sand on the area.
SPOON PUPPETS
What you'll need: wooden spoon for each child,
glue, foil, markers, cotton balls, yard, fake fur, fabric, ribbon,
and scissors.
These spoon puppets become great storytelling props for
later.
Give each child a wooden spoon. You can even have kids bring
these from home to keep the costs down.
Tell kids to:
• Choose a person from the Bible and draw that person's face on
the oval part of your spoon.
• Dress your person according to what he or she would've worn.
Suggestions: Cotton balls or yarn can be used for beards or
hair. Fake fur and fabric work for clothing. And foil makes great
weapons and armor.
Once the spoon puppets are made, have kids use them to retell
Bible stories.
Beverly Schwind
Fairfield Colade, Tennessee
PAPER BEAD NECKLACE
What you'll need: colorful magazines or
catalogs, scissors, jewelry cord, small craft beads, toothpicks,
and glue.
This is a beautiful environment-friendly craft.
Have children follow these steps:
• Cut colorful magazine pages into 25 long triangles. These
triangles need to be 1 inch at the base and at least 8 inches
long.
• With the most colorful side facing down, place the toothpick at
the base of the triangle.
• Roll the toothpick toward the point, wrapping the paper around
the toothpick as you roll.
• Add a dab of glue at the paper point and press against the
rolled paper. Once the glue has dried, remove the toothpick.
• When all the paper beads are dry, string them onto the jewelry
cord and place craft beads between the paper beads.
CLAY CREATIONS
What you'll need: several colors of polymer
clay, wax paper, rolling pin, knife (adults only), small cookie
cutters, permanent marker, pin back for each child, and a hot glue
gun (adults only).
Children love squishing clay with their hands. Once they've
pounded, kneaded, rolled, and shaped this clay, they'll have neat
clay pins to wear or give away.
Tell kids to:
• Choose two colors of clay.
• Knead the clay until soft.
• Flatten one color of clay into a rectangle.
• Place the clay between two sheets of wax paper and flatten with
a rolling pin. Roll until you have a rectangle that is 1/8 inch
thick.
• Follow the previous steps with the other color of clay.
• Peel off the wax paper and stack the rectangles on each
other.
• Have an adult cut the layers into strips 3 inches long and 1/8
inch wide.
• Place four strips side by side with alternating colors facing
up. Repeat with four more strips, and place the second stack on top
of the first, creating a checkerboard pattern.
• Have an adult cut the stack into 1/8 inch thick slices.
• Place slices side by side to create a larger checkerboard.
• With a cookie cutter, cut the checkerboard piece into a
shape.
• Use a permanent marker to write your initials on the back of the
shape.
• To harden the clay, bake it according to the clay's package
directions.
Once the clay is hardened and cool, help the kids hot glue a pin
back to the back of their design. Allow the glue to dry before
wearing.
FRIENDSHIP POSTCARDS
What you'll need: 4x6 index cards, magazines,
old greeting cards, scissors, and glue sticks.
With kids on vacations this summer -- and with sporadic church
attendance -- this is a great craft to keep kids in touch with one
another.
Have kids cut out of magazines words or phrases that have
friendship themes, such as "friends forever," "best friends,"
"pal," or "buddy." Kids can also cut out words that make them think
of friends, such as "giggling," "fun," or "good times." Have kids
glue the phrases on one side of each 4x6 card to create friendship
collage cards. Kids can make more than one card. Collect the cards
when they're complete. When a child is absent, use the blank side
of the card to write a note and the child's address. Attach a
postage stamp and drop the card in the mail.
Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and
prices are subject to change.
