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David Spares Saul Craft for Kids

A David spares Saul craft for kids in three levels, a cave card where kids cut off the skirt of Saul's robe (1 Samuel 24:4). Free printable template.

Preschool–Grade 5

David Spares Saul 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
1 Samuel 24:1–22
Bible story
David Spares Saul

What you need

  • The printed template (page 2), one per child (cardstock is sturdiest)
  • Crayons or markers in light blue, gray, brown, yellow and blue
  • Scissors and a glue stick
  • The printed sheepcote page (page 3), one per child (harder level)

Steps

  1. Color the card: the sky light blue, the rocks gray, the inside of the cave brown and the ground yellow.Color the card: the sky light blue, the rocks gray, the inside of the cave brown and the ground yellow.
  2. Color the robe blue, and its belt and hem band yellow.
  3. Cut out the card, the robe and the verse strip on the dashed lines. Help younger children with the cutting.Cut out the card, the robe and the verse strip on the dashed lines. Help younger children with the cutting.
  4. Cut off the skirt: cut along the short dashed line across the bottom corner of the robe, and keep the little piece. Say, "David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily" (1 Samuel 24:4).
  5. Glue the robe inside the cave, because Saul went into the cave where David and his men were hiding (24:3). Then glue the little skirt piece on the dotted shape on the rock outside the cave, because David went out and said, "see the skirt of thy robe in my hand" (24:11).
  6. Turn the card over. Glue the verse strip on the back and read it together.
  7. Tell it: point to the robe in the cave and the piece outside as you say David's words, "mine hand shall not be upon thee" (24:12).Tell it: point to the robe in the cave and the piece outside as you say David's words, "mine hand shall not be upon thee" (24:12).

This David spares Saul craft turns one printed page into the cave in the wilderness of En-gedi. King Saul went into the cave where David and his men were hiding, and David "cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily" (1 Samuel 24:4). Then he went out and said, "see the skirt of thy robe in my hand" (24:11), "mine hand shall not be upon thee" (24:12). Kids color a cave card, glue Saul's robe inside the cave, really cut off its skirt, and glue that piece outside on the rock. 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. No brads or extra supplies.
  • Kids do what David did: they cut off the skirt of the robe themselves (1 Samuel 24:4) and hold it up like David (24:11).
  • It follows the Bible closely: the cave, the rocks, the robe, its skirt and the sheepcotes all come from 1 Samuel 24:2–4, and nothing is added.
  • It teaches repaying evil with good: David could have hurt Saul, but he spared him, and Saul said, "thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil" (24:17).
  • It carries the verse home: 1 Samuel 24:17 (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 cut off the skirt corner. Kids color and glue. No scissors.
  • Medium (grades K–2): the craft in the first photo. Kids color and cut out the pieces and cut off the skirt themselves.
  • Harder (grades 3–5): the craft in the second photo. Kids also add a stone sheepcote from page 3, because Saul "came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave" (1 Samuel 24:3).

Questions to ask

While kids work, ask who was looking for David (1 Samuel 24:2), where David and his men were (24:3), what David cut off (24:4), why he would not hurt Saul (24:6), what he held up outside the cave (24:11) and what Saul said to him (24:17). Then read 1 Samuel 24:17 together.

Tips for the classroom

Cardstock keeps the card stiff. The skirt corner is small, so have kids cut it off over the table and glue it down right away. For preschoolers, cut out all the pieces ahead of time. Talk about a time someone was unkind, and how to pay them back with good.

Teaching the story first? Use the free David spares Saul lesson and the word search.

Frequently asked questions

How do you make a simple David spares Saul craft for preschoolers?

Cut out each child's card, robe and verse strip ahead of time and cut off the skirt corner yourself. Preschoolers color the card and the robe, glue the robe inside the cave and glue the little skirt piece on the rock outside. It takes about 15 minutes with no cutting by the kids.

How much does this David spares Saul craft cost?

Under 50 cents a child: one printed page (cardstock is best), a glue stick 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?

1 Samuel 24:17 (KJV): "And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil." 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 a sheepcote, a pen for sheep, from page 3 and glue it on the ground beside the rock, because Saul "came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave" (1 Samuel 24:3).

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