Creation Tree Weaving

 As part of our summer all age series we are looking at big questions about God. The first question we asked was- Why did God create the world?

In the craft zone we made tree weavings and people of all ages joined in!  The time spent weaving gave a great opportunity to chat about the creation story from Genesis 1 that we had just heard.

You will need: Paper plates, scissors, wool (we used brown and green).

1. Cut 7 or 6 slits in the top of a paper plate and 1 slit at the bottom. Thread wool through the slits so that it looks like the picture below.

2. Use the end of your wool to gather the strands together from the bottom...

3. ...tie the wool off to finish making the trunk and branches.

4. Now use another colour of wool to weave between the branches as 'leaves'

Love Your Neighbour Reflective Colouring Sheet

Another activity this week, looking at the theme of Love your Neighbour, was this reflective colouring sheet.  

If you'd like to download and print the sheet, click here  and let me know how you get on!

Think about

• Who is your neighbour?
• What does it mean to be a neighbour?
• How might you show love to others, especially those who are different to you?

Love your neighbour paper people circle

Yesterday we were thinking about the theme of 'love your neighbour', and made these paper people circles as a symbol of all being joined together in the community.

You will need: print out of the 'love your neighbour' sheet or paper, pencil and scissors

Option 1-Download the printable sheet and cut the circle of people out

Option 2-Download the printable and fold it into eighths.  Cut along the marked edges of the front eighth and open up to show your circle

Option 3-Cut out a paper circle and fold it into eighths.  Draw the half people shapes on the front eighth (as shown below) and cut!

Good Samaritan: Love your Neighbour Sensory Bottle

You will need: cooking or baby oil, food colouring and water, jam jars with labels removed or clear plastic bottles and lids/ tops

Mix food colouring into the water and fill each jar or bottle with a ratio of roughly 1/3 oil/  2/3 coloured water. 

The oil will settle on top of the water. Observe the fact that the water and the oil do not mix- just like the Jewish people and the Samaritans in the time of Jesus. 

Put the lid/top very tightly on the jar or bottle and gently shake it. Watch the oil and the water droplets create swirls and patterns as they separate out again. The two substances have worked together to create something quite mesmerising and beautiful. 

Think about what happens when the Samaritan reaches out to help someone he wouldn’t usually mix with. 

How might that work in our own lives and communities?