STAR BISCUITS
Abraham shows extravagant hospitality to the three men who appear at the oaks of Mamre to tell him about his son who is going to be born. Bake and decorate some simple biscuits with the children. Use the time to chat about the story and discuss what hospitality means.
Preheat the oven to 180°C and cover the baking tray with greaseproof paper. Cream the butter and sugar together, then mix in the flour until a dough is formed. Roll out the dough and use the cookie cutters to cut shapes from it. Put the dough shapes on the baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the biscuits start to brown at the edges. Transfer the biscuits onto a cooling rack. When they are cool, ice and decorate them. Then either serve to each other or put them in bags so they can be given away.
RECYCLED SEED POT
Even though Abraham and Sarah are old, God has a special plan for them and gives them Isaac: a new life. This craft explores the theme of life coming from something that would otherwise be considered used up.
Give each child a yoghurt pot as the base for their creation and line the bottom of it with cotton wool. Invite children to use the recycling materials to create something amazing. There is no limit to the possibilities! The only stipulation is that the yoghurt pot must remain upright and must be open to the air. When the children have finished their creations, dampen the cotton wool in each yoghurt pot with a little bit of water and sprinkle some cress seeds onto it. Over the next few days, keep the cotton wool damp and watch the cress grow out of the recycled creation.
SPECIAL GIFT BOX
Isaac is an amazing gift to Abraham and Sarah. Create some matchbox gift boxes so that the children can explore the ‘specialness’ of the gift.
Give them a range of papers and materials to choose from to decorate their boxes. Use the creating time to talk about gifts, including people who are like gifts to us in lots of ways. When the gift boxes are finished, the children can choose whether to place a peg doll inside it to represent Isaac or a person they feel God has given as a gift to them, or if they’d like to draw or write about another kind of gift God has given them.
MARBLE PATHWAYS
Abraham and Sarah have to fully trust that God will do what he says, even when it’s something they don’t understand. They have to let God guide them. This craft helps children reflect on God’s guidance and presence with them on their life journey.
Take a handful of playdough and flatten it out on a firm base. Use a pencil end or finger to make a pathway through the playdough. This could be a completely random pathway or a copy of a labyrinth taken from the pictures. Take a marble and guide it with a finger along the pathway you have made. Think about who and what leads us through life, who we trust and how God leads us.
