VBS HQ
Menu
Craft

Barnabas Craft for Kids

An easy Barnabas craft for kids in three levels. Two arched panels fold to stand side by side, because "Barnabas took him." Free printable template and steps.

Preschool–Grade 5

Barnabas Craft for Kids
📌 Save to Pinterest

Download

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
Acts 4:36–37; Acts 9:26–31; Acts 11:22–26
Bible story
Barnabas

What you need

  • The printed template (page 2), one per child (cardstock stands best)
  • Crayons or markers in light blue, green, yellow and brown, plus any colors for drawing Barnabas and Saul
  • Scissors and a glue stick
  • The printed apostles panel page (page 3), one per child, plus a gray crayon (harder level)

Steps

  1. Color both panels: the sky light blue and the grass green. On the left panel, color the three coins yellow. On the right panel, color the road brown. Leave the ovals white.Color both panels: the sky light blue and the grass green. On the left panel, color the three coins yellow. On the right panel, color the road brown. Leave the ovals white.
  2. In the left oval, draw Barnabas. In the right oval, draw Saul.
  3. Cut out the two joined panels and the verse strip on the dashed lines. Do not cut on the dotted line between the panels. Help younger children with the cutting.Cut out the two joined panels and the verse strip on the dashed lines. Do not cut on the dotted line between the panels. Help younger children with the cutting.
  4. Fold on the dotted line between the panels, drawings inside, and open it again like a book.
  5. Glue the verse strip on the back of the left panel (Barnabas's side). Read it together.
  6. Stand the panels up on the table like a book opened wide, so both drawings face you side by side, like two friends standing together.
  7. Tell it: the disciples "were all afraid of him" (Acts 9:26). Move Barnabas close beside Saul: "But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles" (9:27).Tell it: the disciples "were all afraid of him" (Acts 9:26). Move Barnabas close beside Saul: "But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles" (9:27).

This Barnabas craft turns one printed page into two arched panels that stand side by side: Barnabas and Saul. When Saul came to Jerusalem, the disciples "were all afraid of him," but "Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles" (Acts 9:26–27). Kids draw both men, color three coins for the money Barnabas brought and "laid it at the apostles' feet" (Acts 4:37) and the road where Saul "had seen the Lord in the way," then fold the panels so they stand together.

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, glue, crayons and scissors.
  • Kids act out the story: the panels stand together the way Barnabas stood by Saul when everyone else was afraid (Acts 9:26–27).
  • It tells the whole story: the coins show Barnabas giving (4:37), the road shows how Saul had seen the Lord in the way (9:27).
  • It teaches the big idea: be an encourager. Barnabas means "The son of consolation" (4:36).
  • It carries the verse home: Acts 11:24 (KJV) is glued on the back of Barnabas's panel.

Three ways to make it

  • Easy (preschool, ages 3–5): you cut out and fold the panels. Kids color, draw Barnabas and Saul, and stand them up. No scissors.
  • Medium (grades K–2): the craft in the first photo. Kids color, draw, cut out and fold the two panels themselves.
  • Harder (grades 3–5): the craft in the second photo. Kids add a third panel from page 3, the apostles at Jerusalem, so the three panels stand in a zigzag: Barnabas "brought him to the apostles" (Acts 9:27).

Questions to ask

While kids work, ask what the name Barnabas means (Acts 4:36), what he did with the money from his land (4:37), why the disciples were afraid of Saul (9:26), what Barnabas told the apostles (9:27) and where the disciples were first called Christians (11:26). Then read Acts 11:24 together.

Tips for the classroom

Cardstock helps the panels stand. For preschoolers, cut out and fold the panels ahead of time. Keep Saul's past simple: he fought against the believers before he met Jesus (Acts 9:21), and Barnabas stood by him when others were afraid.

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

Frequently asked questions

How do you make a simple Barnabas craft for preschoolers?

Cut out and fold each child's two panels and verse strip ahead of time. Preschoolers color the sky, grass, coins and road and draw Barnabas and Saul in the ovals. Then you help glue the verse on the back and stand the panels up side by side. It takes about 15 minutes with no cutting by the kids.

How much does this Barnabas craft cost?

Under 50 cents a child: one printed page, a little glue, 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?

Acts 11:24 (KJV), "For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord." It is printed on the verse strip that kids glue on the back of Barnabas's panel.

How can older kids make this craft harder?

Use the harder level for grades 3–5. Kids add a third panel from page 3, the apostles at Jerusalem with the city wall, glued on beside Saul. The three panels stand in a zigzag: "Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles" (Acts 9:27).

More for this Bible story