Gospel Sand Art

Materials

• 4-oz. glass baby food jars with lids, 1 per child spray paint (any color will do)
• 1-in. sticky back foam crosses or cross stickers, 1 per child
• Play sand (see below)*
• Green, black, blue, red, and yellow dry tempera paint
• Cotton balls, 1 or 2 per child
• 12-oz. plastic soda bottles with lids, 5 per table (each rotation)*

*You should base your purchase of sand on the number of sand dispensers you need—one of each color per table (each rotation). Fresh dispensers for each rotation are ideal and will ensure that there is enough of each color for every child.

Tools and Basic Supplies

• Craft glue
• Large plastic container with lid
• Teaspoon
• Funnel
• Masking tape
• Power drill with 1⁄4-in. drill bit

Pre-Prep

1. Spray paint the baby food jar lids.
2. Fill a large plastic container with play sand. Then add 3 or more heaping teaspoons of 1 color of dry tempera paint. Secure the lid and shake.
3. Then, based on the number of sand dispensers (plastic soda bottles) that you need for each color, use a funnel to fill them to within about 2 inches from the top.
4. Repeat this procedure for each color.
5. Drill a 1⁄4-in. hole in the lids of the plastic soda bottles.
6. Screw the lids onto the dispensers. Then place a piece of masking tape over the holes to keep the sand from spilling out.

Class Time Directions

1. Take the tape off the soda bottle lid and pour about a 1⁄4-in. layer of green sand into your jar.
2. Do the same thing with dark sand.
3. Do the same thing with blue sand.
4. Do the same thing with red sand.
5. Finally, do the same thing with yellow sand to the very top of the jar.
6. Carefully place one or two cotton balls on top of the sand. This is to make sure the sand cannot move after the lid is on.
7. Add craft glue to the inside of the lid and then screw on firmly and tightly.
8. Place a foam cross or cross sticker on top of the lid.

Tip Corner

• Use this cool craft to share the gospel! Green stands for the garden of Eden and the perfect world God created in the beginning. The dark reminds us of sin and that we each choose to disobey God. The blue reminds us that God so loved the world that he sent his son Jesus to earth as a baby. He lived a perfect life. The red reminds us that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead to take the punishment for our sin. And the yellow is for the streets of gold that will be in the new heavens and earth. Jesus offers us eternal life with him if we admit we are sinners (repent) and believe that Jesus paid the penalty for our sin.
• Colored sand can be purchased at craft stores.
• Put child’s name on the bottom of the jar before adding sand.
• Encourage the kids to not shake their jars.