Craft

Peter and Cornelius Craft for Kids

An easy Peter and Cornelius craft for kids in three levels. Let the great sheet of animals down to the housetop and up again (Acts 10:11–16). Free template.

Preschool–Grade 5

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⬇ 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: Acts 10
Bible story: Peter and Cornelius

What you need

The printed template (page 2), one per child (cardstock is sturdiest)
Crayons or markers in light blue, blue, tan (or light brown), brown, pink and green, plus crayons for drawing Peter
Scissors and a glue stick
A craft knife or pointed scissors for the grown-up who cuts the slit
The printed three men piece (page 3), one per child, plus a yellow crayon (harder level)

Steps

Color the card: the sky light blue, the house tan, the gate brown and the sea blue. In the oval on the housetop, draw Peter praying.
On the sheet, color the bird blue, the pig pink, the bear brown and the lizard green. Leave the sheet and its tab white.
Cut out the card, the sheet with its long tab, and the verse strip on the dashed lines. A grown-up cuts the slit in the sky.
From the front, push the tab up through the slit, so the tab goes behind the card and pokes out above the top. The sheet hangs on the front.
Turn the card over and glue the verse strip on the back, low down, so the tab can still slide. Read it together.
Tell it: Peter went up upon the housetop to pray (Acts 10:9). He saw heaven opened, and a great sheet came down to him (10:11): hold the top of the tab behind the card and slide it down, and the sheet comes down to the housetop. Pull the tab up, and the sheet goes back into heaven through the slit. Do it three times, because "this was done thrice" (10:16).

This Peter and Cornelius craft turns one printed page into a card where the great sheet comes down from heaven. Peter "went up upon the housetop to pray," and he "saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners," full of beasts, creeping things and fowls (Acts 10:9–12). Kids let the sheet down to the housetop and pull it back up into heaven, three times, because "this was done thrice" (10:16). Then God showed Peter "that I should not call any man common or unclean" (10:28). 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, crayons, scissors and a glue stick.
Kids act out the vision: the sheet comes down to the housetop and goes back up into heaven, three times (Acts 10:16).
It teaches the big idea: the sheet was about animals, but God was teaching Peter about people: "God is no respecter of persons" (10:34).
It follows the Bible closely: the housetop, the sea side, the four corners and the kinds of animals all come from Acts 10. The angel is not drawn.
It carries the verse home: Acts 10:34 (KJV) is glued on the back of the card.

Three ways to make it

Easy (preschool, ages 3–5): you cut out the pieces, cut the slit and put the sheet in. Kids color, draw Peter and move the sheet. No scissors.
Medium (grades K–2): the craft in the first photo. Kids color, draw and cut out the pieces themselves; you cut the slit.
Harder (grades 3–5): the craft in the second photo. Kids also draw the three men Cornelius sent from page 3 and glue them beside the gate, because they "stood before the gate" (Acts 10:17).

Questions to ask

While kids work, ask who Cornelius was (Acts 10:1–2), who told him to send for Peter (10:3–5), where Peter prayed (10:9), what was in the sheet (10:12), what the voice said (10:15), how many times the sheet came down (10:16) and what happened while Peter spoke (10:44–46). Then read Acts 10:34 together.

Tips for the classroom

Cut the slits before class with a craft knife, or fold the card gently and snip with pointed scissors. Glue the verse strip low on the back, so the tab slides freely. Cardstock keeps the card and the sheet stiff.

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

Frequently asked questions

How do you make a simple Peter and Cornelius craft for preschoolers?

Before class, cut out each child's card, sheet and verse strip, cut the slit in the sky, push the tab through it, and glue the verse strip on the back. Preschoolers color the card and the animals and draw Peter. Then they let the sheet down and pull it up three times. About 15 minutes, no cutting by the kids.

How much does this Peter and Cornelius 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 10:34 (KJV), "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:" 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 also draw the three men Cornelius sent in the three ovals on page 3 and glue them on the house beside the gate, because "the men which were sent from Cornelius… stood before the gate" (Acts 10:17).