This perspective image is a wonderful way of summing up the Parable of the rich fool. One direction shows the delighted farmer with his abundant harvest spilling out from the barns, the other sees the landscape unchanged but instead of a smiling character, a sheet covers a shape on the ground.
To make this craft, you will need the 1-page template printout, scissors, and some double-sided tape (or paper glue).
Cut out your pattern pieces.
Take the image piece and fold the two tabs towards you. This will help you monitor which way to fold next.
Fold the remaining image in alternating directions to concertina the paper.
Add 2 lines of double-sided tape to the background.
Stick the round end pieces in place gently, allowing the folded edges to catch on the double-sided tape or glue.
(Adjust to get the best results)
View the image from the side to form the new picture.
Here is the other side view.
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The parable of the Rich fool has so much imagery we can use. It’s a great story for harvest about the power of sharing rather than hoarding resources, it’s also a parable that comes from a very common question that rabbi’s would be asked. These games use both those ideas to give you a range of activities, choose the best for your space, age range and time available.
This is a building game: click on the image for the full post with instructions and PDF download. Older children can use the template to make simple barn structure pieces. Once they have made their towering barn, get them to repeat it on a slight slope, one-handed or with another ‘handicap’. For younger children, find smooth building blocks and challenge them to make a tall tower.
Question treasure hunt
All Ages
Any size group
Requires setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
This is a lovely, simple activity, but it does take some time to set up. Children search and find a question whose answer tells them where to find the next piece of treasure, alongside the piece of treasure (a jigsaw piece works well) is another question whose answer is the location of the next piece of treasure and so on. Link to questions leading to truths.
Divide and share
Under 7’s
Any size group
No Setup time
Quiet game
Can be seated
Sit the children in a circle or round a table and give each child a piece of paper. Ask them to fold it in half as many times as they can. 8 is the limit. Talk about how small we managed to make the piece of paper by keeping it together. Now get them to open their piece of paper up and tear it in half, placing one half in the middle of the circle. Repeat this until you have just a tiny piece of paper. How many times did they tear their paper when they give it away?
Lean on me
Ages 7+
Big group
No Setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
A bit like a human domino tumble, this exercise relies on sharing the strength of those next to you, so is ideal for a group of kids with a similar build. Have everyone stand in a circle and join hands (hold each other’s wrists if hands are unsuitable for your group). Slowly have the group lean to the right, left, or backwards supporting each other’s weight.
Pass the parcel
All Ages
Any size group
Requires setup time
Noisy game
Can be seated
This classic game is a great exercise in sharing, both because the game doesn’t work unless everyone plays, but also because in sharing you don’t always get the big reward at the end. Try to make the main prize an item that the ‘winner’ has the option of sharing out or keeping for themselves.
The big action the rich fool does in this parable is to build barns, and this game / creative challenge lets your youngsters do the same. Stacking up layers using these little flimsy paper barn pieces can be a real challenge. There are many suggestions at the end of the post to make this a little tougher for older groups, many that may make them look more fool-ish.
To make this craft, you will need the 1-page template printout, scissors, and some paper glue.
The construction is a simple. Cut out the walls and the floor/roof pieces.
Fold the walls – this is optional, you could have round barns if you prefer.
Add a touch of glue to the tab and complete the tube shape.
Little barns are made of one tube shape and a roof/floor piece
Keep stacking, how high can you go…
Ways to make it more interesting – one hand, one eye, using your feet, kitchen tongues or chopsticks, sloping surface, blindfolded and directed by others…
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Each JWL lesson has a collectable card alongside high-quality character images and a colouring page that links to each lesson. Click on the images below to see a larger version. Save the images by right click + ‘save image as’ (computers) OR long press + ‘save image’ (mobile).
These images are NOT copyright free.
These resources are provided for personal/classroom use only. Use can use them for teaching, games, publicity, decor, big screen presentations, flannelgraphs, stickers, or any other non-commercial activity in your church, school, home, or organised group. You may not use them in products you are going to sell – both printed and digital, or to upload the original images online, on websites, social media or in YouTube videos. Any questions, please reach out to me using the contact page link at the end of the page.
The rich fool is a parable about answering a painfully predictable plea to any Rabbi. There are age-old questions you know every youngster will ask one of those day, it may be a simple as the incessant “why?” from preschoolers, the “can I still do bad things if God will forgive me?” from the older child, or the “how far until I break the rules?” of a young teen. Ninety percent of Jesus’ world lived in poverty, two thirds in extreme poverty — the death of the father figure and division of his estate could easily result in the life of a day labourer or beggar. With the oldest receiving a double portion, many younger sons would seek the authority of religious leaders for help.
This retold version of the Bible passage is supplied for inspiration, feel free to omit or embellish to give it your personal voice.
The crowd was huge, thousands of people were trampling others, pushing and shoving to get near the teacher Jesus. They all wanted to hear his teaching, some people had even whispered that he may be the messiah. That whisper had brought even more people. In the middle of the chaos, Jesus was teaching his disciples, his closest friends, aware that many people were listening in. As he finished what he was saying, he looked about the crowd that had gathered. In the pause, a voice shouted loudly;
“Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
Jesus sighed, it was an old call, a question every rabbi would be asked at some point. The religious law was clear. When a father died his wealth would be shared between his sons, the oldest son would get twice the amount. Many younger sons would get upset about this and come to the rabbi to seek more. Jesus knew that for some seeking more was a way to survive, but for many it was simply being greedy.
How would Jesus answer? He’d tell a story, a parable.
“One year a rich farmer had a huge harvest. It was so big he didn’t have enough room to store all the crops in his barns. So he made a plan. He would tear down all his barns and build even bigger ones. His barns only stored enough food for 2 years, but his new barns would store enough food for many, many years. Then he wouldn’t have to farm the land, he could sit back and enjoy an easy life.”
Many people in the crowd were smiling. How many of these poor farmers who listened to his words dreamed of a day like that one. A day their struggle with the fields would end. A day when they would be rich.
Jesus continued; “But God said to the man, ‘You fool!’ This very night, your life will end. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”
The people in the crowd started to murmur, calling someone a fool was a very strong insult.
Jesus hadn’t finished. Raising his voice over the crowd, he said; “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
The crowd went quiet again. Perhaps their dreams weren’t as foolish as they sounded. Perhaps this parable was not just about getting rich, but about being generous, about seeing wealth differently, about trusting God’s provision.
Jesus continued teaching the crowd without stories. He talked about how they shouldn’t worry about what they have or what they wear but trust that God would provide. That there was a different kind of treasure you could get, not earthly treasure of money and possessions that would one day be gone, but heavenly treasure that would last forever.
Jesus never did meet the man’s brother and ask him to share his inheritance.
Today’s hero is The Rich Fool because he shows us the gift of HEAVEN’S TREASURE.
When it comes to the story of the Centurion’s Faith, the phrases – ‘One shall tell another’, ‘relaying messages’, and ‘domino effect’ were high on my list of ideas to ponder. The effects of all those little messages meant that though the centurion didn’t meet Jesus face to face, his plea was heard and met. I couldn’t resist, therefore making some dominoes using the characters.
To make this craft, you will need the template printout, scissors, and some paper glue.
There is a 2-page printout if you want to make the full boxes, and a single page printout if you would like to wrap matchboxes or make the simplified tubes. Both work as dominoes.
For Full Boxes : More sturdy dominoes, but slower to make.
Cut out the box shapes.
Fold every fold, so the ink is on the outside. (Mountain folds)
Add glue to the tabs and construct.
For Tube Boxes : for quicker construction, easier cutting or using as wraps around matchboxes
Cut out and fold.
Add glue to the smallest section at the end and secure in a tube, alternatively glue around an existing box.
For BOTH:
Line up a domino run with the Centurion at one end, talk about possible orders. Encourage kids to team up to make the longest run possible.
2-page full box’s template:
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Download your FREE TEMPLATE using the relevant link in this box. Help keep the free items on this site free by donating. This site supports my family as we live by God's great economy.
These felt finger puppets are just adorable to play with and have so many uses. Get the older children to make their own and set up a stage to tell the story or use them as your story props, very young groups will also appreciate them for free play time.
Disclosure : This is an extra craft posted by request. I had struggled to source good craft felt in my location, so used a mixture of thicknesses and scraps.
To make this craft, you will need the 1-page template printout, a pen capable of drawing on material, scissors, various colours of felt, craft glue and some hot glue or needle and thread.
Cut out your pattern pieces.
Lightly glue each piece onto the felt in the colour chosen, then cut out.
Remove the template piece when done cutting.
Once you have all the pieces for a character, you can start attaching them together.
The bodies are attached around the edges. For the centurion, that means folding the large piece in half.
To make the headpiece, you must sandwich the headpiece into the body as shown.
Tip – don’t want to give your kids hot glue or needles, pre-make the craft to this point.
Finish the helmet by cutting the plume into a fringe.
The other decorations, including the faces, can be added with paper glue.
Add on eyes and mouths with a pen.
The pattern contains a centurion, Jesus, a servant and a Jewish elder.
Download your FREE TEMPLATE using the relevant link in this box. Help keep the free items on this site free by donating. This site supports my family as we live by God's great economy.
