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Baby Moses Craft for Kids

An easy paper plate Baby Moses craft for kids in three levels, preschool to 5th grade. Baby Moses slides in and out of his basket in the reeds. Free template.

Preschool–Grade 5

Baby Moses Craft for Kids
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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
Exodus 1:22–2:10
Bible story
Baby Moses

What you need

  • 1 paper plate per child
  • The printed basket and reeds template (page 2), one per child (cardstock is sturdiest)
  • Crayons or markers, including blue, green and brown
  • Scissors and a glue stick
  • The printed woven basket page (page 3), one per child (harder level)
  • Brown or tan construction paper (harder level, optional), or brown crayons to color the printed strips

Steps

  1. Color the bottom half of the paper plate blue, with wavy lines, for the river.
  2. Color the two reed clumps green and their cattail tops brown. In the oval on one reed clump, draw Moses' sister watching (Exodus 2:4).
  3. Color the basket brown and the blanket any color you like. Draw baby Moses' face in the oval on the blanket.
  4. Cut out the two reed clumps, the basket, the baby and the verse strip on the dashed lines. Help younger children with the cutting.
  5. Glue a reed clump on each side of the plate so the bottoms of the reeds stand in the river.
  6. Put glue only on the sides and bottom edge of the basket, and press it onto the middle of the river. Leave the top open, like a pocket.
  7. Slide the baby into the basket. Pull him back out and say, "I drew him out of the water!" (Exodus 2:10)
  8. Glue the memory verse strip on the back of the plate and read it together.

This Baby Moses craft turns a paper plate into the river where baby Moses was hidden in a basket among the reeds. Kids color the river, add two clumps of reeds with Moses' sister peeking out, and glue on a basket that works like a pocket, so baby Moses slides in and is "drawn out of the water" again and again. It costs under 50 cents a child, takes about 20 minutes and comes with a free printable template and memory verse strip. It comes in three levels, from preschool to 5th grade.

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: a paper plate, one printed page and crayons.
  • It retells the story: the river, the reeds, his sister watching, the basket and the baby all end up on the plate, and kids act out Exodus 2:10 every time they pull the baby out.
  • It carries the verse home: the template includes Psalm 91:11 (KJV) on a strip to glue on the back.

Three ways to make it

  • Easy (preschool, ages 3–5): you cut out the pieces ahead of time. Kids color the river on the plate, color the pieces, glue them on and slide the baby into his basket. No scissors.
  • Medium (grades K–2): the craft in the first photo. Kids color and cut out the reeds, basket and baby, draw Moses' sister in the reeds and the baby's face, glue the basket on as a pocket and glue the verse strip on the back.
  • Harder (grades 3–5): instead of the printed basket, kids weave their own from the basket shape and three paper strips on page 3, just as Moses' mother made an "ark of bulrushes" (Exodus 2:3). Then they finish the scene and say the verse from memory.

Questions to ask

While kids work, ask how long Moses' mother hid him (three months, Exodus 2:2), who watched the basket (his sister, Exodus 2:4) and what his name means. Pharaoh's daughter named him Moses, "Because I drew him out of the water" (Exodus 2:10). God was watching over Moses the whole time, and He watches over us too.

Tips for the classroom

For preschoolers, cut out the pieces before class, so all they do is color, glue and play. Remind older kids to glue only the sides and bottom of the basket so the baby can slide in. For the harder level, print page 3 too, and use brown paper for the strips if you have it.

Teaching the story first? Use the free Baby Moses Sunday school lesson and the Baby Moses word search.

Frequently asked questions

How do you make a simple Baby Moses craft for preschoolers?

Cut out the reeds, basket, baby and verse strip ahead of time. Preschoolers color the river on a paper plate, color the pieces and glue them on, then slide baby Moses into his basket. It takes about 15 minutes with no cutting by the kids.

How much does this Baby Moses craft cost?

Under 50 cents a child: one paper plate, one printed page and crayons you already have. The template is free to print.

What Bible verse goes with a Baby Moses craft?

Psalm 91:11 (KJV), "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." It is printed on the verse strip in the template, which goes on the back of the plate.

How can older kids make this Baby Moses craft harder?

Use the harder level for grades 3–5. Instead of coloring the printed basket, kids weave their own: they cut slits in the basket shape on page 3, weave three paper strips over and under, and glue the ends. Exodus 2:3 says Moses' mother made an "ark of bulrushes," a basket woven from tall water plants.

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