Bible stories, crafts and creative ideas for toddler groups, children's ministry and families
To Make
Hang up in the kitchen!
While you are making talk about the names of the fruit and vegetables, their colours and where they grow (in the ground, on trees etc). When you eat something that is on your picture you could add a smiley face 🙂
A 3D harvest picture made from a cereal box is a different craft to the usual – it takes a bit of effort to prepare but is well worth it. You need a cereal box for each child. We asked our church to donate boxes over several weeks. So to do this craft for harvest we started asking for donations in July. It didn’t matter that the boxes were a variety of sizes. If you are running a church toddler group asking people to donate items for the craft is a great way to get the church involved with your group.
To make a harvest 3D cereal box picture, you need
Preparation to do ahead – you need to put the cereal boxes back together by taping the top together. The box should be able to stand up. Then cut a window (I used a craft knife for this). Make sure you leave a rim, a bit like having a frame around the window. Prepare the grass by cutting green paper to the width of the box. Print out the tractors.
The children can then add all the other bits and bobs. They need to start off with the pictures inside the box and then add the grass, sun, cloud, rain etc..
Here’s a link to another Harvest/Autumn blog post with an activity and a scarecrow craft
Here is a song to enjoy. Simple lyrics, great tune! This is a great song for toddler group as you could easily add actions for everyone to join in with.
One of the great things about blogs and facebook groups is the sharing of ideas. My facebook friend Rhoda posted some pictures of her toddler group looking at autumn leaves and it looked so great that I ordered some magnifying glasses and tweezers from amazon and went into the garden to collect fallen leaves and pine cones (and inadvertently quite a few woodlice). Today the children and parents had a great time looking at these autumn finds. Thank you Rhoda!
Our Bible story was based around harvest. We thought about how God sends the sun and the rain (visual aids below) and then we looked at various fruit and veg from a shopping bag. As they are taken out of the bag each fruit or veg is named and then we decide if it grows on a tree or in the ground.
We sang –
‘I love the sun it shines on me. God made the sun and God made me. I love the rain it falls on me. God made the rain and God made me.’
Our craft was paper plate scarecrows. I love the way the children have made their own versions 🙂
It’s harvest celebration time! At toddler group we often mark this event at story and craft time. The story is usually focused on saying ‘thank you’ for our food. I have a basket of various fruit and veg (all real) to show to the children and as I take the fruit and veg out of the basket we name them and I mention what we can use the veg for – eg potatoes can be mashed or made into chips! And sometimes where the fruit or veg grows; potatoes in the ground, apples on a tree. It’s also good to have some wheat or flour and a loaf of bread. But choose things that suit where you are. Our aim is to say thank you for the food that God gives us.
This is a paper plate craft of a basket with fruit and veg inside (these can be made from card) – The two plates are cut beforehand to create a handle. Then at toddler group they are glued together so that the paper fruit and veg can slot inside and be carried in a harvest ‘basket’. The basket can be decorated – we used tissue paper and foam stickers. You need fairly sturdy paper plates so the handle doesn’t tear. PVA glue is best for sticking the plates together. You could have some cellotape to hand if needed.
Here is another harvest craft idea here.
