The man born blind

The story of Jesus healing the man who was born blind in John 9 contains themes such as truth, healing, sight, and the miraculous works of God. These crafts will help children to explore some of these themes creatively. 

 

OPENING EYES 

You will need: white cupcake cases; felt-tip pens; a large container of water 

Opening of eyes in the story happens on many levels. The blind man sees physically and spiritually, and the Pharisees and other questioning people have their understanding challenged by Jesus. This craft allows ‘eyes’ to physically open and gives a chance for children to think about who in the story sees and doesn’t see. 

Fold the top and bottom of the cupcake case into the middle so that the case is more or less divided into thirds, with the top third covering the bottom third. Open out again and, in the centre, draw an eye. On the top and bottom thirds, draw eyelashes on the inside and outside. Fold the case into thirds, as before and place face up in a container of water. Watch as the eye slowly opens! 

 

 

MUD PLAYDOUGH 

 

 

You will need: two cups plain flour; half cup salt; two tablespoons oil, one heaped tablespoon cocoa powder, one and a half cups hot water; a large bowl; people cookie cutters; play knives; rolling pins 

A favourite part of this story is always when Jesus spits on the ground to  make  mud and then puts it on the man’s eyes. Mud 

playdough is slightly less messy, but always a versatile craft tool! 

Mix all the dry ingredients, then slowly add the liquid until the dough combines. Let the dough cool and then knead it. It will be quite sticky, so knead it until all of the stickiness is gone and add extra flour if needed. When ready to use, let children play with the ‘mud’ dough to explore the story. Spend the creative time chatting to them about their thoughts on what they have heard. 

 

 

ILLUMINATIONS 

You will need: hollow plastic balls of the kind used in a ball pool (ping-pong balls would also work); tissue paper; PVA glue or decoupage glue; paintbrushes; scissors; battery-operated tea lights 

Jesus tells the disciples that he is the light of the world and brings that light by doing the work of his father. This craft illuminates something that looks opaque on the surface, showing the power of light to break through darkness. 

Cut a small X in the bottom of a ball-pool ball and make sure that it will fit over the top of the ‘flame’ of a battery operated tea light. Next glue cut-up pieces of tissue paper on to the ball, covering it completely. Locate the X you cut at the beginning (which may now be slightly covered by tissue paper) and place the ball on top of the tea-light flame. Light the tea light to illuminate the colours. 

 

HOMEMADE SCRATCH ART 

 

 

You will need: patterned paper or card; holographic or shiny card; sticky-back plastic; paint; washing-up liquid; paintbrushes, skewers or cocktail sticks 

This craft will help children to think about seeing colour emerging from darkness, just as the blind man cleans the mud from his eyes and begins to see for the first time. Scratch art cards are fairly cheap, but there’s something special about making your own! 

Make a mixture of two thirds paint and one third washing-up liquid. Cut patterned paper to the desired size and cover with sticky-back plastic. You could also use any kind of drawing that children have made. If you are using shiny or holographic card, there is no need to cover with plastic. Paint the liquid mixture over the surface and leave to dry. This covering is likely to be patchy! When dry, cover the paper with a second coat of paint and leave to dry again. Use skewers or cocktail sticks to scratch away the paint and reveal the colour below.