Eli and Boy Samuel: 1 Samuel 1-3

Craft: "Samuel grew" book

Just as Samuel grew in the grace and knowledge of God, so should we!

Supplies: cardstock, felt, yarn, rubber cement, hole punch, scissors, Sharpie

Template: 

Draw three coat outlines on a 9- by 12-inch sheet of cardstock.  Draw a line that divides the cardstock in half horizontally.  Cut out the coats.  Above the smallest coat, write "Samuel grew"; around the middle coat, write "and the Lord was with him."  On the other side of the sheet of cardstock, write "1 Samuel 3:19" above the largest coat.  Cut a 4-1/4 x 4-1/2- inch square of patterned felt.

Direct the children to cut the sheet of cardstock down the line dividing it in half.  Fold each piece in half vertically to make four "pages" and slide the bottom folded half inside the top folded half.  On the last page, instruct the children to paste the felt square.  The felt should be visible through each of the coat outlines on the first three pages, and the coats grow larger as the pages turn.  Punch six holes on the left side of the booklet, and let the children lace them with yarn to hold the book together; tie the yarn on the back side.

Ruth and Boaz: Ruth 1-4

Craft: paper-and-grain stand-up Ruth

God provided for Ruth, even though she was an outsider to his people.

Supplies: cardstock, scissors, tape, glue dots, dried grain

Template:

Print the template on cardstock.

Instruct the children to cut out the pieces.  Affix the cone with rubber cement, glue, and/or tape; then use glue dots to attach the head and arms.  Cut a stalk of dried grain and tape it to the inside of Ruth's encircling arms.

Samson: Judges 13-16

Craft: edible barbell

Samson ate some strange things -- honey from a dead lion? -- but the source of his strength was God.

Supplies: pretzel rods, Fudge Stripe cookies, Gummi Savers

Give each child one pretzel rod, four cookies, and four gummi candies.  Instruct them gently to stretch two of the gummi candies and slide them on the ends of the pretzel rod.  Follow them with two cookies on each side (turn them side to side as you slide them on rather than pressing them on straight, or they will break) and two more Gummi Savers to hold the "weights" on the bar.

Deborah and Barak: Judges 4-5

Craft: tambourine

Deborah praised God in song for giving Israel the victory!

Supplies: small coated paper plates, plastic lace, jingle bells, tiny seashells, hole punch, glue dots

Punch holes evenly around the edges of two plates.  

Give each child two plates, a few tiny seashells, a length of plastic length and four jingle bells. Instruct them to place the seashells inside one plate, then invert the other plate over it so the holes match up.  Use glue dots to secure.  Direct the children to lace the edges closed with the plastic lace, stringing on jingle bells if desired.