Tie Snake

Materials

• Men’s neckties, 1 per child
• Plastic grocery sacks, approximately 3 per child
• Large wiggle eyes, 2 per child
• 3/8-in. red ribbon, one 3-in. piece per child
• Glue dots, 2 per child

Tools and Basic Supplies

• Scissors
• Stapler
• Craft glue
• Dowel rods, rulers, or yard sticks

Pre-prep

1. Use scissors to shorten the ties to about 40 inches long. Cut from the narrow end. Then glue the narrow end shut.
2. Remove the tags/labels from the undersides of the ties.
3. Make any other necessary cuts so the ties can be easily stuffed from the wide end.
4. Cut the ribbon into 3-in. long “forked tongues” for each child.

Class Time Directions

1. Take a plastic grocery sack and use a dowel rod to force one end of it down the mouth of the snake. Keep pushing until it nears the end of the snake.
2. Repeat this with a couple more grocery sacks until the snake is filled. It isn’t necessary to overstuff the snake. Three sacks should just about do it.
3. Close up the wide end and staple the center seam, if necessary.
4. Glue the tongue to the underside of the mouth so it extends about 1-inch beyond the nose of the snake.
5. Attach the eyes with glue dots.

Tip Corner

• Ask them what a serpent reminds them of that we’re talking about today. (Answer: Adam and Eve listened to the serpent and didn’t obey God, resulting in sin entering the world.)
• You may want to thread a 40-inch piece of floral wire into each snake so they’ll bend and curl. Be sure to bend the ends of the wire first to prevent it from poking through the fabric or injuring someone, and put duct tape around the bent ends.
• Old ties can be found at thrift stores, or ask people in your church to donate them.