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Blowing fire
You will need:yellow, orange and red paint, water, thick paper or card, drinking straws, paint brushes
Water down the paint until it is about the consistency of runny glue. Use paintbrushes to drop splashes of paint onto the paper and then use drinking straws to blow the paint across the page in all directions. Use different colours to see the effects of colours merging with each other. This is a great activity to remember the ‘wind’ and ‘fire’ parts of the Pentecost story and to help children to reflect on the power of the Holy Spirit to move and create.
Fizzy paintings (especially suitable for under-fives)
You will need:bicarbonate of soda, white vinegar, droppers (e.g. eye droppers readily available and cheap from chemist shops), thick paper or paper plates, food colouring
This is great for either individual pieces or as a group piece. There is a lot of liquid involved so it might take some time to dry. Pour some of the vinegar into individual cups and add a different food colouring to each cup. Mix well to make the ‘paint.’ Scatter some bicarbonate of soda so that there is a thin layer over the surface of the paper and then use droppers to drop the vinegar ‘paint’ on top. Give the children time to experiment and watch the fizzy eruptions! This is a great craft to help children reflect on the power of the Spirit welling up inside the disciples and spilling over into their lives. Let the children share their own responses about what is happening and how it might relate to the story.
Melted crayon art
You will need:canvas, strong glue (eg from a glue gun or superglue), wax crayons with paper wrappers removed, hairdryer, a protective sheet
This activity is exciting and helps, in a very visual way, to illustrate the power of the Holy Spirit. Please ensure that there is adult supervision at all times as the hot wax can splatter. It is also advisable for an adult to glue the crayons to the canvas beforehand as strong glue is needed.
Glue the crayons to the top of the canvas and wait until the glue has set firmly. Prop the canvas up against a wall and cover the floor with a protective cloth. It’s a good idea to do this activity outside if you have an extension cable for the hairdryer! Set the hairdryer to the highest level and heat the bottom ends of the crayons until they start to melt (this takes a while). When they have begun to melt, switch the heat down a notch and move the hairdryer over the crayons as they drip down the canvas. The children absolutely love this process and really seem to enjoy taking it in turns to hold the hairdryer and decide where to direct the heat to produce different effects. This craft is very helpful in stimulating discussion about the powerful gifts the Spirit can release inside us, mirroring the release of colour from the crayons through the power of the heat. Let the children reflect and let them lead the direction of the discussion.
Fork flames
You will need:card or paper (black works well for this), red, yellow and orange paint, plastic forks
Use forks instead of paintbrushes to transfer paint to the paper and then use the forks to swirl some flames! Encourage the children to mix the colours on the paper as the ‘flames’ flicker and merge together. This is a very reflective activity and, in contrast to the other crafts, lends itself to being done in silence if this is appropriate. After telling the story, give the children time to create and then invite them to feedback on any insights they might have about the Holy Spirit and the story.
