Joshua Bible Crafts - Obey Your Leaders
Bible Crafts, Games and Bible Lesson about Joshua and the Israelites
"Obey Your Leaders" Bible Lesson
The following ideas come from the Bible lesson "Obey Your Leaders" on The Resource Room. In this lesson children learn that God gives us leaders to protect and guide us. We should listen and obey them. A Complete Lesson with early arrival activities, crafts, Bible verse review games, etc. is available to members of Danielle's Place on The Resource Room and as an instant download.
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Talk About the Ark of the Covenant
Display the Ark of the Covenant or a picture of one on a table so that the children can see it as they come in. Ask them if they know what it is? Explain to them what it is and what it was used for. Tell them that it was a box or chest in which the Ten Commandments and other things were placed. (Also a golden bowl filled with manna and Aaron's rod)
The Israelites carried it everywhere they went. It was made from wood and was overlaid with gold.
On the lid of the ark there were two angels with their wings spread out to cover the top.
What you will need:
Small Boxes Such as Jewelry Boxes
Gold Paint
Gold Trim from Fabric Store
Gold Paper
Skinny Craft Sticks or Straws
Small Twigs
Clay
How to make:
1. Paint a small box, inside and out, with gold paint. Paint craft sticks gold and then glue them to the box to make the poles.
2. Print out the angel patterns or draw angels onto gold paper, cut them out, and then glue them onto the top of the "ark".
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3. Glue gold trim around the top of the box.
4. Make the Ten Commandment tablets out of white clay, and the bowl out of gold Fimo clay, and place them in the box. Place a small stick in the box to represent Aaron's rod.
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Make an "Obey Your Leaders" Picture with O's
What you will need:
Page Reinforcements, Cheerios, or Anything Else that is "O" Shaped
Paper
Glue
Colored Pencils or Crayons
How to Make the Craft:
1. Before class make up a poster that says, "Obey Your Leaders," Hebrews 13:17 or use the pattern provided.
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2. In class have your children color the picture and then glue or stick "O's" onto the page.
Note: You can color white page reinforcements with highlighter markers to make colored reinforcements.
Play with "Crossing the Jordan River" Display
Use this display and craft activity to re-inact the story of Joshua and the Israelites crowwing the Jordan River. You can also use the display next week to talk about the Battle of Jericho.
What you will need:
One Piece of Foam Core Board or Heavy Cardboard
Green and and Brown Paint
Blue Construction Paper
Twelve Small Pebbles (To build the
Small Box
Tan or Gold Paint
How to make:
1. Paint half of the foam core board shades of brown and tan for the desert. Paint a blue line to represent the Jordan River, and paint the other half in shades of green for the land of Canaan. Paint a sheet of paper brown or tan to match the desert side. Place the twelve pebbles in the "Jordan River".
2. You may want to make some trees for the land of Canaan.
3. Make a Ark of the Covenant from a small box using the directions below.
4. Make four priests in white clothes to carry the ark using the directions below. Make some more Israelites to follow the priest using the same pattern.
5. Use the display to re-enact the story. Glue the hands of the priest's to the "Ark of the Covenant" and place them in the front. Place the Israelite figures behind the priests. As you move the priests into the Jordan River place the brown piece of paper over the river to "dry up the river" so that the Israelites can cross on dry ground. (You can also paint a piece of paper blue to represent water. Roll it up "upstream" when the priests enter the water to represent the water that was cut off and made a heap.
6. Have the priest carrying the Ark of the Covenant stop in the middle of the Jordan River while the Israelites continue to the other side.
7. Move all the figures to the "Land of Canaan" including the priest. When all the figures are across have "Joshua" command twelve Israelites to go and pick up twelve rocks where the priests had been standing. Have Joshua set up the twelve stones to make a memorial so that when people see them in the future they will be reminded of what God had done for the Israelites on that day.
Paper Towel Tube Bible Character Craft
What you will need:
Paper Towel Tube or Card Stock
White Cotton Material or Paper Towels
Glue and Tape
How to make:
1. Print out the Bible character pattern and the head covering pattern.
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2. Cut out the patterns. Use the head covering pattern to cut shapes from material or paper towels.
3. Cut paper towel tubes four inches long.
4. Have your children color the body patterns and then tape them to the bottom of the tube. If you are using card stock you can just roll up the pattern and tape it together.
5. Place a line of glue all the way round the top edge of the tube and on the back of the head. Stick the middle of the straight edge of the head covering to the middle of the front of the head and then press the head cover to the back of the head. Press down the sides so that they fall down the sides of the face.
6. Draw a face on the head, and glue the arms to the side of the tube.
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Make a Rock Memorial
Joshua set up the twelve stones to make a memorial so that when people see them in the future they will be reminded of what God had done for the Israelites on that day.
1. Build a Rock Memorial Like Joshua - Ask your students what they think Joshua's rock memorial might have looked like. Give your students each twelve rocks and tell them to imagine they are Joshua and that they are going to make a rock memorial so that their ancestors will remember what God had done for them. Tell them to use the rocks to make a memorial. (If you a lot of children break them up into groups to make their memorial.) If you don't want to use real rocks, you can make fake rocks out of brown paper lunch bags. Stuff them with crinkled up newspaper and tape or glue them closed.
2. Make Your Own Rock Memorial - Suggest that your students set up their own rock memorials somewhere in their own yards or in their house to remind them of something God had done for them.
3. Rock Memorial Group Activity - Give a group of twelve students twelve rocks. Tell each student in the group to write something on their rock about what God has done for him or her. Have the group erect a rock memorial using their twelve rocks. Work outside if you have a place to make the memorials.
4. Practice Balancing Rocks - Have children write things God has done for them on river rocks and then practice balancing the rocks on top of each other to build rock memorials.
Comments
Today we did the lesson "Obey Your Leaders". We used the basic story but reconfirmed another lesson that "God is in Control". Instead of dressing up, we used our table display to retell the story. We completely covered our class table with paper. We divided it in three sections taping (outside edges only) of a blue sheet of poster paper in the middle of the table. We cut it in a zigzag pattern up the middle to look like waves. We creased the outside edges about an inch over so our river could divide and then go back. Underneath the blue poster paper we put twelve smooth river stones. Half the class colored one-third green for Canaan and the other half colored the opposite end brown for the wilderness. We gave each child two priests and one Israelite to color and put together.
Before class we made a small Ark of the Covenant for the priests to carry. We used these with our story as well as the Israelites the kids made. They loved acting out the story. We gave each child a sheet of green, brown, and blue construction paper to take home so they could make their own display. We also made little arks for them to take home with the two priests and the Israelite they made. We took a small box of Nerd Halloween candy apart and used it as a pattern for our boxes. We used your small angel patterns and little craft sticks, hot glued them, and spray painted them all gold. They only had two priests but they fit perfectly between the craft sticks. To get them in the spirit of things for our reenactment, we gave them each a little mustache we bought at party city. Just a little something to get them into character to act out the story. Our little Israelites did a great job in class and were excited to have their own display to take home. Kandy
Today we did the "Obey Your Leaders" lesson. I only have 3 - 5 yr. olds. They absolutely loved the Ark of the Covenant craft. I used little Hershey treasures for the ark, the ones in the gold wrappers, and then painted Popsicle sticks gold for the handles, and printed out a mini version of the angels to glue on the ark. This craft was so much fun. Then we moved on to the "OBEY Your Leaders" coloring sheet. They had so much fun filling it with Fruit Loops, circle sprinkles, and reinforcement circles. They also enjoyed answering the questions from "who said it in our story today" to "who says it to us everyday". Snack and discussion was also a joy. When asked what shape the doughnut was, they said a circle. Then what letter is the doughnut, they said, "O". Then I shared that the "O" is for Obey your leaders. This was a FUN, FUN lesson. Lori
This site is GREAT, the lessons are wonderful. I used them last year at our Family Camp for the Children's Camp, we have about 50 children twice a day, ages 3 - 9. They loved the lessons and the crafts that went along with them. I really meant to e-mail you after our camp last year and thank you for making my job so much easier. I also use the lessons once a month for Children's Church. Thanks again for all of the work that you and the others put into this site you are doing a wonderful work for the Lord.
