The Fruit of the Spirit Craft for Kids
An easy paper plate fruit of the Spirit tree craft for kids in three levels, preschool to 5th grade, with a free printable fruit template, supplies and steps.
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 35 minutes
- Scripture
- Galatians 5:22–23
- Bible story
- The Fruit of the Spirit
What you need
- 1 white paper plate per child (9-inch)
- The printed fruit and trunk template (page 2), one per child (cardstock is sturdiest)
- Crayons in green, brown, red, orange, yellow and purple
- Scissors, a glue stick and clear tape
- The printed fruit flaps page (page 3), one per child, and a pencil (harder level)
Steps
- Turn the paper plate upside down. Color the whole bottom of the plate green, the rim too. This is the top of the tree.
- Color the trunk brown. Color each of the nine fruits its real color.
- Cut out the nine fruit circles, the trunk and the verse strip on the dashed lines. Help younger children with the cutting.
- Tape the top of the trunk (the part above the dotted line) to the back of the plate at the bottom, so the trunk hangs down below the green treetop.
- Glue the nine fruits on the green treetop. Say each fruit's word as you glue it, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Galatians 5:22–23).
- Glue the verse strip on the back of the plate and read it together.
This fruit of the Spirit craft turns a paper plate into a fruit tree. Kids color the plate green, add a paper trunk and glue on nine pieces of fruit, one for each part of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22–23: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. It costs under 50 cents a child, takes about 20 minutes and comes with a free printable template. It 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: a paper plate, one printed page, tape and crayons.
- It teaches the passage: nine fruits for the nine parts of the fruit of the Spirit, and at the harder level each fruit lifts up to show its KJV word, what it means and the child's own plan to show it.
- It carries the verse home: the template includes Galatians 5:22–23 (KJV) on a strip to glue on the back.
Three ways to make it
- Easy (preschool, ages 3–5): you cut out the pieces ahead of time. Kids color the plate and the fruit and glue the fruit on the tree, and you add the trunk and the verse. No scissors.
- Medium (grades K–2): kids color the plate green, color and cut out the nine fruits and the trunk, tape on the trunk, glue on the fruit and glue the verse strip on the back.
- Harder (grades 3–5): kids use nine fruit flaps instead of the flat fruit. Under each fruit is its word and its meaning, and kids write one way they will show that fruit this week. They fold and glue each flap, glue it on the tree at the top edge only so it lifts up, and say Galatians 5:22–23 from memory.
Questions to ask
While kids work, ask who grows this fruit (God's Spirit, the Holy Ghost, Galatians 5:22), what longsuffering, meekness and temperance mean (patience, being humble and gentle, and self-control), and how Paul said to treat one another ("by love serve one another," Galatians 5:13).
Tips for the classroom
Print the template on cardstock if you can. For preschoolers, cut out the pieces too, so all they do is color and glue. For the harder level, print page 3 too and give each child a pencil for writing under the flaps.
Teaching the passage first? Use the free Fruit of the Spirit Sunday school lesson and the Fruit of the Spirit word search.
Frequently asked questions
How do you make a simple fruit of the Spirit craft for preschoolers?
Cut out the nine fruit circles, the trunk and the verse strip ahead of time. Preschoolers color the paper plate green and color the fruit, then glue the fruit on the plate. You tape on the trunk and glue the verse on the back. It takes about 15 minutes with no cutting by the kids.
How much does this fruit of the Spirit craft cost?
Under 50 cents a child: one paper plate, one printed page, a little tape and crayons you already have. The template is free to print.
What Bible verse goes with a fruit of the Spirit craft?
Galatians 5:22–23 (KJV), "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." It is printed on the verse strip that goes on the back of the tree.
How can older kids make this fruit of the Spirit craft harder?
Use the harder level for grades 3–5. Instead of the flat fruit circles, kids use the fruit flaps on page 3. Under each fruit is its KJV word, what it means, and lines where kids write one way they can show that fruit this week. They fold and glue each flap and glue it on the tree at the top edge only, so it lifts up to show the word. Then they say Galatians 5:22–23 from memory.
