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Journey labyrinths
You will need: paper plates, pencils, foil, PVA glue
Meeting God in the burning bush is the start of a story that leads Moses on a long and amazing journey with God. This craft helps children to focus on the concept of journeying with God. Take the paper plate and draw a spiral from the middle to the edge of the plate. It can be a wiggly line, taking detours, if you want. Scrunch up some lengths of foil and stick them with PVA along the spiral so that the line has a raised surface. Wait for them to dry. Children can now use the labyrinths as a reflection tool, tracing the line of the spiral and thinking about their life journey so far. How do they pray their life will go in the future? What do they think God might be saying about that? They might want to decorate the plate with pictures of their thoughts. Give time for children to trace the line and reflect in silence or with quiet music in the background, and then share any reflections the they may have had.
Holy place collage
You will need: foam sheets, foil, pipe cleaners, lolly sticks, buttons, matchsticks, feathers (or any kind of loose objects that might make interesting alternatives)
God tells Moses to take off his shoes because he is standing on holy ground. What does a holy place look, feel, smell, and sound like? Get children to choose a colour of foam sheet that represents their idea of holiness. Then ask them to use a selection of items to make a collage exploring their ideas. They can use the texture and sound of items as well as their appearance. Some children might need a little encouragement to get started, but when they are happy with the concept, it is amazing what insights they come up with. Allow time for children to share their reflections and reasoning with the group.
Who is God?
You will need: air-drying clay, plastic knives, plastic forks
Children of all ages love the tactile potential of clay and it gives them plenty of opportunities to explore symbols and ideas. God shows amazing power in the burning bush and calls himself ‘I Am’. There is much to explore here about the character of God. After reading the story, speak with the children about the character of God that comes across to them. How did they feel about God in this story? What else do they know about God from their lives and other stories? What words might they use to describe him? Give each child some air-drying clay and ask them to make a model showing something about who they think God is and what they think he is like. Children can use plastic knives and forks to create textures and patterns and, given the space to reflect and experiment, will often come up with some profound ideas!
Spinner flames (for under-5s)
You will need: a salad spinner, yellow, red and orange paint, paper plates
This is an active craft to help younger children reflect on God’s transformational power. Put a paper plate into the drum of the salad spinner and ask children to put spots of paint onto the paper plate. Now put the lid on and let the child spin the spinner. You might need to help by holding the spinner down! After a time of spinning, take off the lid and the paint should have transformed into a unique masterpiece. If it’s not quite ready, try another spin. Use this craft to help talk to the children about God’s power to change something ordinary into something extraordinary, eg the burning bush and Moses himself, who thought that he couldn’t do the job that God wanted him to do.
