String Cross Prayers

Here's an idea for a prayer station that is cheap, easy and very kinesthetic for those children who like to use their hands when praying.

You will need: A pinboard (at the moment, Wilkinsons are selling A3 size boards for £2!), push pins, wool, paper, pens.

Push the pins into the board in a cross shape.

Ask children to write or draw on a piece of paper something they want to bring to God- a please, sorry or thank you prayer.

When they have done this, encourage the children to tie a length of wool around one of the pins and use it to weave in and out of the pins within the cross shape.  As they weave the wool, ask them to be thinking about the thing they have written/ drawn on their paper.

 When the length of wool has been used up, get the child to fold up their paper and put it under one of the pins as a symbol of giving that prayer to God for Him to take care of.

Weaving a cross shape helps the children to think about bringing their prayers to Jesus and laying them at the cross.  It also helps us to think about the fact that, sometimes, God works in a confusing, weaving way that we can't quite work out, but He always wants good for us.  Other shapes would work just as well.  A heart would be good to help children visualize God's love for them or could be used to help children to pray, in a similar way for people that they love, bringing them to God's heart.