Jesus Baptism Craft for Kids
An easy Jesus baptism craft for kids in three levels, a hanging paper dove with a folded fan wing and Matthew 3:17 on the back, with a free printable template.
Preschool–Grade 5
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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
- Matthew 3:13–17
- Bible story
- The Baptism of Jesus
What you need
- The printed dove, fan wing and verse card template (page 2), one per child (cardstock is sturdiest for the dove)
- Crayons or markers in orange and light gray
- Scissors, a glue stick and clear tape
- A sharp pencil to poke the small hole (a grown-up does this)
- 12 inches of yarn per child (we used light blue)
- The printed river and back card page (page 3), one per child (harder level), a blue and a green crayon, and 6 more inches of yarn
Steps
- Leave the dove white. Color its beak orange and its tail tips light gray. On the wing paper, color the feather tips above the line light gray.
- Cut out the dove, the wing paper and the verse card on the dashed lines. A grown-up pokes the small hole near the top of the wing paper with a sharp pencil.
- Fold the wing paper back and forth on every dotted line, like a fan. Pinch the bottom end together and wrap a small piece of tape around it.
- Glue the pinched end on the gray glue spot on the dove's back and tape it down. Open the top out into a wide fan above the dove's back. These are the dove's wings.
- Turn the dove over and glue the verse card on the back. Read it together.
- Tie the yarn through the hole at the top of the wing and hang up your dove. When Jesus came up out of the water, the Spirit of God came down "like a dove" (Matthew 3:16).
This Jesus baptism craft turns one printed page into a hanging paper dove, because when Jesus came up out of the water, "the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove" (Matthew 3:16). Kids color the beak and the feather tips, fold the wing paper into a fan, glue it on the dove's back and hang it up on a piece of yarn. The memory verse, Matthew 3:17, goes on the back. It costs under 50 cents a child, takes about 20 minutes and comes in three levels, from preschool to 5th grade.
What it looks like finished: easy and medium (first photo) and harder (second photo).
Why this craft works
- Cheap and simple: one printed page, crayons, a glue stick, a little tape and a piece of yarn.
- It shows what the Bible names: the Spirit of God came down "like a dove" (Matthew 3:16; Luke 3:22). The craft shows the dove only: no people, and Jesus is not drawn.
- It carries the verse home: the verse card on the back has Matthew 3:17 (KJV), "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Hanging in a bedroom, the dove reminds kids that Jesus obeyed God and that God was well pleased.
Three ways to make it
- Easy (preschool, ages 3–5): you cut out the pieces, poke the hole and fold the fan. Kids color and help glue and tape the wing on the dove. No scissors.
- Medium (grades K–2): the craft in the first photo. Kids color, cut out the pieces, fold the fan wing, glue it on the dove and glue the verse card on the back.
- Harder (grades 3–5): kids add the Jordan River from page 3, hanging below the dove on a short piece of yarn, with Matthew 3:16 on its back. Then they say the memory verse from memory.
Questions to ask
While kids work, ask where John baptized Jesus (Matthew 3:13), why Jesus was baptized when He never sinned (3:15; 1 Peter 2:22), and what came down like a dove when Jesus came up out of the water (3:16). God had promised John that sign, so John would know who Jesus is (John 1:33–34).
Tips for the classroom
Print page 2 on cardstock if you can, so the dove holds its shape when it hangs. Poke the hole in the wing paper before anyone folds it, and use clear tape around the pinched end of the fan.
Teaching the story first? Use the free Baptism of Jesus Sunday school lesson and the Baptism of Jesus word search.
Frequently asked questions
How do you make a simple Jesus baptism craft for preschoolers?
Cut out each child's dove, wing paper and verse card ahead of time, poke the hole, and fold the wing paper into a fan. Preschoolers color the beak and the feather tips, and you help them glue and tape the fan wing on the dove. It takes about 15 minutes with no cutting by the kids.
How much does this Jesus baptism craft cost?
Under 50 cents a child: one printed page (cardstock is best), a piece of yarn, a little tape, and crayons and a glue stick you already have. The template is free to print.
What Bible verse goes with a baptism of Jesus craft?
Matthew 3:17 (KJV), "And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." It is printed on the verse card that kids glue on the back of the dove. The harder level adds part of Matthew 3:16 on the back of the river.
How can older kids make this Jesus baptism craft harder?
Use the harder level for grades 3–5. Kids add the Jordan River from page 3, hanging on a short piece of yarn below the dove, with "went up straightway out of the water" (Matthew 3:16) on its back. Then they say Matthew 3:17 from memory.
