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Be Strong and Courageous Craft for Kids

An easy Be Strong and Courageous craft for kids in three levels. Paper sandals by the river Jordan, for "whithersoever thou goest" (Joshua 1:9). Free printable.

Preschool–Grade 5

Be Strong and Courageous 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
Joshua 1:1–9
Bible story
Be Strong and Courageous (Joshua)

What you need

  • The printed template (page 2), one per child (cardstock is sturdiest)
  • Crayons or markers in light blue, yellow, green, blue, light brown, gray, brown and dark brown
  • Scissors and a glue stick
  • The printed scroll page (page 3), one per child, and a pencil to roll it around (harder level)

Steps

  1. Color the card: the sky light blue, the sun yellow, the land and the hills green, the river Jordan blue, the near bank light brown and the stones gray.Color the card: the sky light blue, the sun yellow, the land and the hills green, the river Jordan blue, the near bank light brown and the stones gray.
  2. Color the two sandal soles brown and the two straps dark brown.
  3. Cut out the card, the two soles, the two straps and the verse strip on the dashed lines. Help younger children with the cutting.Cut out the card, the two soles, the two straps and the verse strip on the dashed lines. Help younger children with the cutting.
  4. Make the sandals: on each sole, glue one end of a strap on one dotted box and the other end on the other dotted box, so the strap stands up in a loop across the sole.
  5. Glue the two sandals on the dotted sandal shapes on the near bank, with the toes pointing toward the river.
  6. Turn the card over. Glue the verse strip on the back and read it together.
  7. Tell it: point to the river and say what God told Joshua, "arise, go over this Jordan" (Joshua 1:2). Then point to the sandals and say, "Be strong and of a good courage... for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest" (1:9).Tell it: point to the river and say what God told Joshua, "arise, go over this Jordan" (Joshua 1:2). Then point to the sandals and say, "Be strong and of a good courage... for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest" (1:9).

This Be Strong and Courageous craft turns one printed page into the river Jordan with two paper sandals ready to go. After Moses died, God told Joshua, "arise, go over this Jordan" (Joshua 1:2), and promised, "Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you" (1:3). Kids color the river and the land, make two little sandals with standing straps, and set them on the bank, toes toward the river, because "the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest" (1:9). It comes in three levels, with the template and teacher notes in one free PDF.

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 can tell the story with it: point to the river for "arise, go over this Jordan" (Joshua 1:2), then to the sandals for "whithersoever thou goest" (1:9).
  • It follows the Bible closely: the sandals stand for "the sole of your foot" (1:3), and the harder level adds the book of the law as a scroll (1:8).
  • It points to God: Joshua could be brave because God promised, "I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee" (Joshua 1:5).
  • It carries the verse home: Joshua 1:9 (KJV) is glued on the back of the card.

Three ways to make it

  • Easy (preschool, ages 3–5): you cut out the pieces and make the sandals. Kids color the card and glue the sandals by the river. No scissors.
  • Medium (grades K–2): the craft in the first photo. Kids color, cut out, make the sandals and glue them by the river themselves.
  • Harder (grades 3–5): the craft in the second photo. Kids also roll the book of the law scroll from page 3 and glue it beside the sandals.

Questions to ask

While kids work, ask who led God's people before Joshua (Joshua 1:1), what God told Joshua to do (1:2), what God promised (1:3, 1:5), how many times God said "be strong" (1:6, 1:7, 1:9), what Joshua should do with the book of the law (1:8) and why he could be brave (1:9). Then read Joshua 1:9 together.

Tips for the classroom

Cardstock keeps the card and the sandal straps stiff, so the loops stand up. For preschoolers, cut out the pieces and glue the straps on the soles ahead of time. Let kids "walk" their fingers over the river while they say, "God is with me wherever I go!"

Teaching the story first? Use the free Be Strong and Courageous lesson and the word search.

Frequently asked questions

How do you make a simple Be Strong and Courageous craft for preschoolers?

Cut out each child's card, sandal soles, straps and verse strip ahead of time, and glue the straps on the soles. Preschoolers color the river and the land, then glue the sandals by the river. Glue the verse on the back for them. It takes about 15 minutes with no cutting by the kids.

How much does this Be Strong and Courageous 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?

Joshua 1:9 (KJV): "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." It is printed on the verse strip that goes on the back of the card.

How can older kids make this craft harder?

Use the harder level for grades 3–5. Kids also color and cut out the book of the law from page 3, roll both ends in around a pencil to make a scroll, and glue it on the bank beside the sandals, because God said, "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth" (Joshua 1:8).

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