Explore the artistry and symbolism behind Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper, delving into the story and significance of this biblical event.
Craftivity
Provide modeling clay or Play-Doh. Instruct kids to create sculptures representing bread and grapes, symbolizing the Last Supper, and discuss the significance of this event. And/Or you can have them try to re-create the Mona Lisa on paper. For extra time we created a coloring sheet of the memory verse.
Our Focus verse was
Psalm 19:1 – “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
Lesson: Kids will learn to use art to depict important stories and events from the Bible and understand the power of visual representation in communicating biblical narratives.
We opened with the countdown, then the “space race” game…kids have been loving that. Then the theme’s opening—this is good as it ties things together for new kids—or who have missed a couple of weeks. Then, we recap the verses from each week. So, this takes a bit longer each week. We say the verses together, and I will try and recall talking points about previous lessons.
I played the video for this lesson—some weeks in the past, I have just read through the slide presentation myself—I find that mixing things up is good to keep the kids focused. At the end of the video, we review the verse with the current slide.
After the new verse, I shared this video about DaVinci that I found on YouTube. It’s good and gives a bit more insight about him-geared at kids:
Dive into the Parable of the Talents, exploring the importance of using and developing the creative gifts and talents that God has given us.
Craftivity
Provide a blank illustration of a bag; with different talent objects symbols; color each one that they are good at and put them in the bag.
Our Focus verse was
Matthew 25:29 – “For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”
Lesson: Kids will understand that creativityis a gift from God and learn to embrace and nurture their creative abilities to glorify Him.
This might have been one of my favorites so far. This is such a powerful parable and one, I believe, that most children can relate to well. I took some time to share about my talent and that we all have talents. And we really don’t know how “good” we are at something until we try it a lot! I explained the difference between the “talents” (money) Jesus taught about and the “talent” that we may have and/or develop.
I went around the room and asked each child to name one thing they are good at. The answers were insightful, of course. Some kids have never thought about this; others feel as if they are good at nothing, which breaks my heart. This was a moment to encourage and uplift them with affirmation. Especially if they “didn’t have a talent.”
Tonight, due to our gym being used for an upcoming community clothing giveaway, we played desk-style games in the room.
6:15-6:35 GYM FREEPLAY 6:30 COUNTDOWN SLIDE 6:35 OPEN w/ SPACE WARM UP SLIDE (GAME) 6:37 OPENING C&C SLIDE 6:39 REVIEW VERSES (back to the beginning) 6:40 INTRO TOPIC: PARABLE OF THE TALENTS 6:41 TEACHING PRESENTATION; TALENTS 6:45 NEW VERSE REVIEW & DISCUSSION/TEACHING 7:00 RESTROOM/SNACK BREAK (ALL THINGS BRIGHT) 7:15 CRAFTIVITY: Provide an outline of a drawstring-type bag; with images of “talents” around it. Color & Cut their talent tokens and put them in the bag. 7:45 GAMES 8:00 DISMISSAL
Kids will learn the value of storytelling through visual arts and understand art’s profound impact in conveying powerful emotions and messages.
Craftivity
Painting with Shadows
Supplies needed – white paper, pencils, and objects that cast interesting shadows (e.g., toys, leaves). Encourage kids to create a painting by incorporating the shadows cast by the objects. You’ll also need a bright light, like a work light or a large lamp that can throw light well.
Our Focus verse was
Luke 15:32 – “But we had to celebrate and be glad because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”
Lesson: Study the artwork of Rembrandt and the story of the Prodigal Son, exploring themes of forgiveness, redemption, and the power of visual storytelling.
I loved this lesson! The story is timeless and powerful and can be taught from many different vantage points. Here’s the video we created.
I just used the slides and read the text with the slides (using Keynote on a Mac). Once my part was over, we read the verse from Luke. Then I shared this great video from YouTube to reinforce the scripture and story.
We then jumped into the craft time. This week, we moved to a larger room with round tables. This worked great. As we moved into craft time, I shared this video, which was great at explaining what we were going to be doing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgyjua8Et0c
This activity took a while, And, like in the video, we had them sketch with pencil the shapes of the shadows. The kids loved doing this—most had never done anything like it. Including the volunteers! Time flew by; we took a quick restroom break and then snacks. When we finished, I dived into more about storytelling with shadows. Shadow art with hands is an old and fun art. I then shared some of this video below. (It’s such a great piece, and the kids loved it!) After it was over, as we were wrapping up, I turned the large work light to the wall, and we practiced hand shadows. They loved it.
Here’s the breakdown/timeline of the evening:
6:15-6:35 GYM FREEPLAY 6:30 COUNTDOWN SLIDE 6:35 OPEN w/ SPACE WARM UP SLIDE (GAME) 6:37 OPENING C&C SLIDE & VBS PUSH 6:39 REVIEW VERSES 6:40 INTRO TOPIC: Rembrandt and the Prodigal Son 6:41 TEACHING PRESENTATION; Rembrandt 6:45 VERSE REVIEW 6:46 GOD’S STORY: The Prodigal Son 6:51 DISCUSS THIS WEEK’S CRAFT; SHADOW DRAWING; VIDEO 6:52 BEGIN CRAFTIVITY; 6:53 COMPLETE CRAFT 7:20 RESTROOM/SNACK BREAK (ALL THINGS BRIGHT) 7:40 HAND SHADOW VIDEO; PRACTICING HAND SHADOWS 8:00 DISMISSAL
This might have been one of my favorite weeks so far; Great teaching points and good conversation starters. Super fun and creative activity.
Thanks for following me on this creative journey! We’ll take a week off next week for VBS.
Kids will understand that creativity can be an act of worship and learn to incorporate prayer into their creative process.
Craftivity
Creating Prayer Cards.
Provide cardstock, markers, and stickers. Have kids create their own prayer cards with encouraging messages and decorate them with colorful designs.
Our Focus verse was
Philippians 4:6 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
This week we explored the relationship between creativity and faith, emphasizing the importance of prayer and seeking God’s guidance in their creative endeavors.
This week we tied in King Solomon and the building of the temple. The connections here can be simple—or you can go deeper.
Here’s the video we created:
For our craftivity, we colored & created prayer cards; you can see those (and download FREE) here. Spend some time asking/interacting with each child asking why they wrote what they did on the card. Kids like to know that they are heard.
We then took the bathroom and snack break. During this time, I played this video (again. 🙂
Here’s the breakdown/timeline of the evening:
6:15-6:35 GYM FREEPLAY 6:30 COUNTDOWN SLIDE 6:35 OPEN w/ SPACE WARM UP SLIDE (GAME) 6:37 OPENING C&C SLIDE 6:39 REVIEW VERSES 6:40 INTRO TOPIC: ART & FAITH: KING SOLOMON 6:41 VIDEO: SOLOMON ASKS FOR WISDOM-SADDLEBACK KIDS 6:45 TEACHING PRESENTATION; BEHIND THE TEMPLE 6:45 DISCUSS THIS WEEK’S CRAFT; PRAYER CARDS (PRAYING FOR: WISDOM, ETC…) 6:50 BEGIN CRAFTIVITY; PRAYER CARDS 7:05 RETURN & COMPLETE CRAFT 7:35 RESTROOM/SNACK BREAK (ALL THINGS BRIGHT) 7:45 FINAL CRAFT/MOVE TO GYM
Masterpiece in the Sky: The Story of Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel
Craftivity
Supplies needed -Help kids cut out shapes from the construction paper and glue colored tissue paper behind them to create a stained glass effect.
You can also use black construction paper. We used colored tissue paper, scissors, and glue sticks.
Our Focus verse was
Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
This week we looked at Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel.
Our focus was to Discover Michelangelo’s life and artistic achievements, specifically focusing on his masterpiece, the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
Here’s the video we created:
I segued from the Sistine Chapel to Stain Glass windows and discussed this week’s craft. We watched this video about making stain-glassed windows.
We discussed the craft, walked over to our sanctuary, and looked at and touched the stained glass windows. We talked about the story the images are telling in the glass.
Returning to the Cafe room, where we teach on Wednesday nights, we jumped into the craft. My team designed seven different stain-glass layouts for the kids to use. We didn’t give them a choice, per se, but randomly handed them out. You can see and download those here.
We then took the bathroom and snack break. And did the final craftivity. And, as often happens—the one you think won’t go over as well—ends up being the favorite! I had random images created, and they had to color in or, in some cases, complete the image. (You can see/download all those here.) HERE was the twist: just like Michelangelo—they had to complete/color the pictures while lying on their backs holding the papers above them (on a clipboard). So, we went into the gym and spread out on the floor; each lid took color markers and had to lay on their back looking up, holding and coloring, or completing the images. Kids like this so much; most did it at least twice (getting new images), and some did it four times.
Here’s the breakdown/timeline of the evening:
6:15-6:35 GYM FREEPLAY 6:30 COUNTDOWN SLIDE 6:35 OPEN w/ SPACE WARM UP SLIDE (GAME) 6:37 OPENING C&C SLIDE 6:39 REVIEW LAST WEEK’S VERSE 6:40 INTRO TOPIC: MASTERPIECE IN THE SKY: Michelangelo 6:41 VIDEO: MASTERPIECE IN THE SKY 6:45 DISCUSS THIS WEEK’S CRAFT; WATCH THE STAINED GLASS VIDEO 6:50 WALK TO SANCTUARY and LOOK at STAIN GLASS WINDOWS 7:05 RETURN & COMPLETE CRAFT 7:35 RESTROOM/SNACK BREAK (ALL THINGS BRIGHT) 7:45 FINAL CRAFT/MOVE TO GYM 8:00-8:15 DISSISMAL.
It was a good week! Again, simple, but the kids loved/liked it. Next week we’ll look a the Art of Faith!
Hello, magnificent leader of small humans! Thanks for following me on this journey of sharing deeper ideas of creativity for kids! During the last two summers of ministry here, I’ve created a game-themed program—which was fun—, but I’ve been praying that God would give me a “fresh” start. So, just a couple of weeks ago, during lunch with a young man, new believer, and artist, I believe God showed me this idea, Creativity & The Creator, a weekly program to plant seeds into young hearts. So, while there is MUCH more than can be said…thanks for following along on this journey!
(I’ll be posting weekly—or as I can. As the family & connections pastor, in addition to being a professional comedian & illusionist (I know, I know…), my schedule can be really hectic, especially during the summer. A lot of my writing here is not edited, so please forgive spelling or grammar, I am trying to get the information for you quickly. 😁)
Week One
Creation & God’s Handiwork
The Set Up
We prepared for 50 kids at long tables facing the large-screen TV. For the most part, everyone was FACING the TV so that kids weren’t across from one another. I liked that. I will keep doing that each week. We covered the tables with white plastic tablecloths, and in the middle, we had a small container with colored markers.
Creative Lesson
Drawing God’s Creation
The goal of this week’s lesson:
Kids will learn to appreciate the beauty and diversity of God’s creation and understand the role of creativity in reflecting God’s handiwork.
Creation and God’s Handiwork
The focus this week was Genesis 1:1. We created a simple presentation in Keynote and we started with that. You can see that below. I took my time with the Keynote, using examples and reading scripture from the Bible. You’ll notice the words on the presentation share the story—but I think reading the scripture is vital.
After we went through the teaching from the Keynote, we jumped into the activity. Our craft this week was very simple; This was the setup: We provided drawing paper, colored pencils, and markers. And then “Encouraged kids to draw their favorite aspects of God’s creation.” We spent about fifteen minutes doing this. Some children got very creative—without any adult prompting, such as one boy drawing seven boxes and a drawing the days of creation. Because it was completely open—they could draw ANY aspect of God’s creation—many drew family members, pets, and rainbows.
When this piece ended, I had them turn over the creative drawing and trace their hand. Adult helpers were needed for some. Once their hand was drawn, I asked them to write five things they liked about themselves—one for each finger. This was eye-opening—as some of the children had no problem, several did—this was a chance for the helpers and me to say something positive about them—which brought smiles & giggles.
After that piece, we took a break for restroom & snacks. (I kept these simple, too. Water, goldfish, cookies, etc.). After we wrapped up snack time, I showed a video from The Gospel Project, The Creation Story. It recapped our earlier teaching. You can view that here. — and then the classic song, All Things Bright & Beautiful. I LOVE the version from Rain For Roots. You can view that here. We watched it together, and I am sure that none of the kids had seen or even heard that song before.
It was a good moment.
We moved into the final segment, a coloring sheet. As they prepared to color in the image, I asked, “think of a way you can color this in that would be different from what you might always do.” Then, I played the video of All Things Bright and Beautiful while they colored. You can download the coloring sheet we created here. (BTW, while I was leading, two of my helpers were putting each child’s name on the take-home piece—a bookmark. Here’s what that looks like:
We closed in prayer and then went into the gym and played games during dismissal time. Overall it was a great night. Simple. But effective. Next week, we’ll look at Michaeango and the Sistine Chapel, “Masterpiece In The Sky.”
Thank you for going with me on this journey! I’ll post more here after Lesson 2.
Sharing his Wonder,
P.S. Thank you for going with me on this journey! Unless otherwise stated, all the art creations and pieces are created by New Dimensions Evangelism and our FaithKidz project. We are a small ministry doing BIG things. (Did you know we produced the world’s first and largest VBS? WOW! VBS, during 2020 & 21? It was all FREE and FANTASTIC!) If you feel led to support our mission, you can learn more here.
If you are looking for a live outreach event for your community, send me a note, and let’s talk.
