Craft

Achan Craft for Kids

A free Achan craft for kids in three levels. Hide the robe, silver and gold in the earth under Achan's tent, then lift the flap (Joshua 7:21–22). Free template.

Preschool–Grade 5

📌 Save to Pinterest

Download

⬇ Craft template + instructions (PDF) · 5 pages

Free to print and copy for your church, classroom, VBS and home. Please don't resell or re-post our files; link to the page instead.

Ages: Preschool (3–5), Early Elementary (K–2), Upper Elementary (3–5)
Time: 15 to 30 minutes
Scripture: Joshua 7:1–26
Bible story: Achan's Sin

What you need

The printed template (page 2), one per child (cardstock is sturdiest)
Crayons or markers in light blue, tan, black, brown, gray, red and yellow
Scissors and a glue stick
The printed tent door page (page 3), one per child (harder level)

Steps

Color the card: the sky light blue, the tent tan, the doorway black, the earth brown and the pebbles gray. Leave the dotted spot under the tent white.
Color the pieces: the garment red, the wedge of gold yellow, the silver gray, and the earth flap brown with gray pebbles.
Cut out the card, the earth flap, the garment, the wedge of gold, the silver and the verse strip on the dashed lines.
Hide the things in the white spot: glue the silver on its dotted outline at the bottom. Glue the garment on its outline so its bottom edge lies over the silver, "and the silver under it" (Joshua 7:21). Glue the wedge of gold on its outline.
Put glue only on the dotted strip at the top of the earth flap. Press it on the earth just above the white spot, so the flap hangs down and covers the hiding place.
Glue the verse strip on the back of the card. Read it together.
Tell it: Achan hid the things "in the earth in the midst of my tent" (Joshua 7:21): close the flap. Joshua said, "hide it not from me" (7:19). The messengers ran to the tent (7:22): lift the flap, and there it all is, "and the silver under it."

This Achan craft turns one printed page into Achan's tent and the hiding place under it. Achan saw "a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold," took them, and hid them "in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it" (Joshua 7:21). Kids hide the paper robe, silver and gold under an earth flap. Then they become the messengers who ran to the tent (7:22) and lift the flap: sin can't stay hidden. The memory verse, Proverbs 28:13, goes on the back.

The finished craft, easy and medium level

The finished craft, harder level

What it looks like finished: easy and medium (first photo) and harder (second photo).

Why this craft works

Cheap and simple: one printed page, a glue stick, crayons and scissors.
Kids tell the story with their hands: they hide the things the way Achan did, with "the silver under it" (Joshua 7:21), close the flap, and lift it like the messengers who ran to the tent (7:22).
It teaches the big idea: you can't hide sin from God, so be honest with Him. Joshua said, "hide it not from me" (7:19).
It stays gentle: no person is drawn, and nothing of the hard ending is shown.
It carries the verse home: Proverbs 28:13 (KJV), the memory verse for the whole set, is glued on the back of the card.

Three ways to make it

Easy (preschool, ages 3–5): you cut out the pieces and glue the earth flap on. Kids color, hide the things, close the flap and lift it. No scissors.
Medium (grades K–2): the craft in the first photo. Kids color, cut out the pieces, hide the things and glue on the flap.
Harder (grades 3–5): the craft in the second photo. Kids also cut out two tent doors from page 3 and glue them over the doorway, so the things are hid in his tent (Joshua 7:22) behind the doors and under the flap.

Questions to ask

While kids work, ask what God said about the silver and gold of Jericho (Joshua 6:19), who took of the accursed thing (7:1), what happened at Ai (7:4), what Achan took (7:21), where he hid it (7:21), what Joshua told him (7:19) and how the messengers went to the tent (7:22). Then read Proverbs 28:13 together.

Tips for the classroom

For preschoolers, cut out the pieces and glue the earth flaps on ahead of time, so all they do is color, hide the things and lift the flap. Cardstock keeps the flap and doors sturdy. Say only that Achan's sin cost him his life (Joshua 7:25), the way the lesson does, and spend the most time on telling God the truth.

Teaching the story first? Use the free Achan lesson and the word search.

Frequently asked questions

How do you make a simple Achan craft for preschoolers?

Cut out each child's pieces ahead of time and glue the earth flap on the card for them. Preschoolers color the card, glue the robe, the silver and the gold in the white spot under the tent, then close the flap and lift it to find them. It takes about 15 minutes with no cutting by the kids.

How much does this Achan craft cost?

Under 50 cents a child: one printed page, a glue stick and crayons you already have. The template is free to print. The harder level adds a second page.

What Bible verse goes with this craft?

Proverbs 28:13 (KJV), "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." It is the memory verse for the whole Achan set, and it is printed on the verse strip that kids glue on the back of the card.

How can older kids make this craft harder?

Use the harder level for grades 3–5. Kids cut out two tent doors from page 3 and glue them over the doorway, so the tent closes. The things are hid in his tent (Joshua 7:22): open the doors and lift the earth flap to find them.