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Ascension of Jesus Craft for Kids

An easy ascension of Jesus craft for kids in three levels, a hanging paper cloud and earth for the Great Commission, Matthew 28:19 on the back. Free template.

Preschool–Grade 5

Ascension of Jesus 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
Matthew 28:16–20; Acts 1:1–11
Bible story
The Great Commission and Ascension

What you need

  • The printed cloud, earth and verse template (page 2), one per child (cardstock is sturdiest)
  • Crayons or markers in light blue, blue and green (and gray, brown and green for the harder level)
  • Scissors and a glue stick
  • Clear tape
  • Blue yarn, one 8-inch piece and one 12-inch piece per child
  • The printed place strip and Acts 1:8 strip (page 3), one per child (harder level)

Steps

  1. Trace around the edge of the cloud with light blue and leave the middle white. Color the sea of the earth blue and the land green.Trace around the edge of the cloud with light blue and leave the middle white. Color the sea of the earth blue and the land green.
  2. Cut out the cloud, the earth, the cloud verse and the earth verse on the dashed lines. Help younger children with the cutting.
  3. Glue the cloud verse on the back of the cloud. Glue the earth verse on the back of the earth.
  4. Turn both pieces over. Tape one end of the 8-inch yarn to the bottom of the cloud and the other end to the top of the earth, so the earth hangs under the cloud.
  5. Tape both ends of the 12-inch yarn to the top of the cloud to make a loop for hanging.
  6. Hold it up by the loop. The cloud is at the top, like the cloud that received Jesus out of their sight (Acts 1:9), and the earth hangs below, where Jesus sent His disciples to teach all nations (Matthew 28:19). Turn it over and read the verses together.Hold it up by the loop. The cloud is at the top, like the cloud that received Jesus out of their sight (Acts 1:9), and the earth hangs below, where Jesus sent His disciples to teach all nations (Matthew 28:19). Turn it over and read the verses together.

This ascension of Jesus craft turns one printed page into a hanging cloud and earth for the Great Commission. Before Jesus was taken up, He told His disciples, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations" (Matthew 28:19); then "a cloud received him out of their sight" (Acts 1:9). Kids color a cloud and an earth, join them with yarn and glue Matthew 28:19 and Jesus' promise, "lo, I am with you alway" (28:20), on the backs. It costs under 50 cents a child, takes about 20 minutes and comes in three levels, from preschool to 5th grade.

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, two pieces of yarn, a little tape and crayons.
  • It tells the story without drawing Jesus: the cloud is the cloud that received Him (Acts 1:9), and the earth is where He sent His disciples to teach all nations (Matthew 28:19).
  • It carries the verses home: Matthew 28:19 and 28:20 (KJV) are printed on pieces kids glue on the back.

Three ways to make it

  • Easy (preschool, ages 3–5): you cut out the pieces, glue on the verses and tape the yarn. Kids color the cloud and the earth. No scissors.
  • Medium (grades K–2): the craft in the first photo. Kids color, cut out the pieces, glue on the verses and tape the earth under the cloud.
  • Harder (grades 3–5): kids also color a place strip from page 3 with four pictures for Acts 1:8, Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria and the uttermost part of the earth, glue Acts 1:8 on its back and hang it under the earth. Then they say Matthew 28:19 from memory.

Questions to ask

While kids work, ask where the eleven disciples met Jesus (Matthew 28:16), who He told them to teach (28:19) and what He promised (28:20). Point to the cloud and read Acts 1:9 together, then ask what the two men in white apparel said (Acts 1:11). Talk about one person each child already knows that they could tell about Jesus this week.

Tips for the classroom

Print page 2 on cardstock if you can. For preschoolers, cut out the pieces, glue the verses and tape the yarn ahead of time, so all they do is color. Cut the yarn before class. For the harder level, print page 3 too. Hang the finished crafts on a string across the room as a reminder to "go and tell."

Teaching the story first? Use the free ascension of Jesus Sunday school lesson and the Great Commission word search.

Frequently asked questions

How do you make a simple ascension of Jesus craft for preschoolers?

Cut out each child's cloud, earth and verse pieces ahead of time, glue the verses on the backs and tape on the yarn. Preschoolers color the cloud's edge light blue, the sea blue and the land green, then hold it up by the loop. It takes about 15 minutes with no cutting by the kids.

How much does this ascension craft cost?

Under 50 cents a child: one printed page (cardstock is best), two pieces of yarn, a little tape and crayons you already have. The template is free to print.

What Bible verse goes with a Great Commission craft?

Matthew 28:19 (KJV), "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" It is printed on the round verse piece that kids glue on the back of the earth. The cloud carries Jesus' promise from Matthew 28:20, "lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."

How can older kids make this ascension craft harder?

Use the harder level for grades 3–5. Kids also color a place strip from page 3 with four pictures for Acts 1:8 (Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria and the uttermost part of the earth), glue Acts 1:8 on its back and hang it under the earth.

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