Craft: Ascension

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ASCENDING BUBBLES

You will need: a plastic bottle or glass jar; water; vegetable oil; food colouring; Alka-Seltzer tablets

This is a simple but visually effective image of ascension. As you watch the bubbles rise, think about the sight of Jesus ascending and what that might have meant for the disciples.

Fill a bottle or jar halfway with water and mix in some food colouring. Now, fill the rest of the bottle with oil leaving a small space at the top. The oil will separate from the water so there are two layers. Drop an Alka-Seltzer tablet into the bottle and watch as bubbles of coloured water start to ascend into the oil layer in the style of a mini lava lamp

CLOUD MAKING

You will need: a jam jar with a lid or a Kilner jar; hairspray; ice cubes; boiling water

This scientific craft helps children explore the awe and wonder of what was happening when Jesus ascended into heaven. Make a cloud with this simple method and use the activity to start a conversation about how the disciples must have felt to witness Jesus disappearing before their eyes.

Carefully pour boiling water into the jar so that it is about one-third full. Spray some hairspray into the jar and then, very quickly, put the lid on firmly. Stack some ice cubes on top of the lid and wait. You will soon see a cloud start to form above the water layer. After watching the cloud form, carefully take the lid off the jar. Watch the vapour ascend and gradually disappear into the air.

WITNESSES TO THE WORLD COLLAGE

You will need: a large circle of paper with a rough outline of the continents drawn on it; different shades of blue, green and yellow paper; glue sticks

This is a group project that will help you open up a discussion about Jesus’ command to the disciples to go and be his witnesses throughout the whole world.

Tear up pieces of paper and stick them onto the world outline so the water is largely shades of blue and the land is largely green and yellow. It really doesn’t matter how rough and ready the torn pieces look, as the slightly messy nature of the picture will be quite symbolic of how we, as disciples and witnesses of Jesus, are not perfect! As you stick the pieces on, chat about the places you and the children have travelled to, what it might be like in different countries and what it means to be a witness of Jesus.

ASCENSION MACHINE

You will need: recycling materials; string; wool; scissors; glue; foil; straws; cotton reels; pipe cleaners; cardboard tubes; yoghurt pots; sticky tape; Lego or Playmobil figures; pictures of pulley systems (for inspiration)

Challenge the children to use recycling materials to make a machine that will raise up a yoghurt pot carrying a small toy figure. Leave room for lots of experimentation, but show them simple pictures of pulley systems in case they need a bit of a head start. They might want to work alone or with others, so let them lead the way.

As they create, use the time to chat about the story and discuss their responses. When the machines have been made, test them out by re-enacting the scene from the story. Extra points to those who can disguise the machine to look like clouds!