Craft: Joseph and his brothers

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ANGRY EXPLOSIONS 

You will need: white vinegar; water; food colouring; bicarbonate of soda; a washing-up bowl or deep tray; cups Fill a third of a cup with vinegar and add a little water. Mix in some food colouring to give some colour.   Put the cup in the washing-up bowl. Talk about the anger building inside the brothers when Joseph tells them about his dreams, and gradually add some bicarbonate of soda to the cup, teaspoon by teaspoon. The liquid will eventually bubble up and explode over the top of the cup, making a sticky mess. Use the mess to think about what happens when we let ourselves get worked up and angry, as the brothers did. 

FUZZY FELT DREAM COATS 

You will need: felt scraps; felt cut into coat shapes 

Let the children decorate the coat shapes with felt scraps. During the creative time, open up a conversa- tion about the story and the feelings of the various characters. How might the brothers have felt about Joseph’s dreams and the fact that he had been given a special coat? How might Joseph have felt when   he was sold to the Midianites? How might the characters have behaved differently in the various parts of the story? What might have happened if they had? 

EASY TIE-DYE FABRIC 

You will need: A5-sized white or pale fabric (you could cut up an old pillowcase, for example); liquid food colouring in various colours; elastic bands; water; bowls; cover-up and clean-up equipment 

Pour food colouring into separate bowls for the individual colours and water them down slightly. The   food colouring should still be fairly bright in colour for this craft to work well. Take your fabric and fold it up, scrunching it in various places and tying it with elastic bands. (Look for examples of how to tie-dye    on the internet and you will get some ideas!) 

Take the tied-up fabric and dip the corners and other parts of it into the various bowls of food  colouring. When you are satisfied, carefully take the elastic bands off and unfold the fabric. Hang it up to dry and admire the coloured designs your folding and scrunching have made. 

Think about the fate of Joseph in the story so far. He is tied up like the fabric, but this is not the end  of his story. Even though something bad has happened, God is with him. Look at the tie-dyed patterns and think about the hope that this bad situation will not leave Joseph hurt and tied up for ever. 

SKITTLES TEARS 

You will need: a plate; Skittles sweets; warm water 

By the end of Genesis 37, the actions of the brothers mean that Jacob is left devastated and crying    for his lost son. This craft helps to explore the idea that our actions can sometimes cause sadness in others, but that we have the chance to be forgiven (this, of course, comes much later in the story). 

Arrange the Skittles in a ring around the edge of the plate. Use any pattern of colours you want. Carefully pour some warm water onto the plate to cover its surface so that the sweets stay in place. Wait a few moments and the Skittles will gradually release their colour. As the Skittles ‘cry’, talk about times when we have done things to upset others, or vice versa, and how that makes us feel. Speak about the fact that we can always say sorry and find forgiveness. Add more sweets to the plate and think about being forgiven. 

MINA MUNNS 

is founder of Flame: Creative Children’s Ministry flamecreativekids.blogspot.co.uk.