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John the Baptist Craft for Kids

An easy John the Baptist craft for kids in three levels, a wilderness road card where a crooked flap lifts to show the way to the Lamb of God. Free template.

Preschool–Grade 5

John the Baptist 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 3; Luke 3; John 1
Bible story
John the Baptist

What you need

  • The printed template (page 2), one per child (cardstock is sturdiest)
  • Crayons or markers in light brown, yellow, blue and gray, plus any colors for drawing John
  • Scissors and a glue stick
  • The printed hill page (page 3), one per child, plus a brown crayon (harder level)

Steps

  1. Color the card: the ground light brown, the road yellow and the Jordan River blue. Leave the sky and the oval window white. Color the crooked road flap light brown and the crooked road on it gray. Leave the lamb white.
  2. In the window, draw John the Baptist in his clothes of camel's hair with a leather belt (Matthew 3:4).
  3. Cut out the card, the crooked road flap, the lamb and the verse strip on the dashed lines. Help younger children with the cutting.
  4. Fold the flap on its dotted line. Put glue on the back of the glue tab only. Press the tab on the dotted box above the road, so the flap hangs down over the middle of the road. The rest of the flap stays loose, so it lifts up.
  5. Glue the lamb on the dotted oval at the end of the road.
  6. Glue the verse strip on the back of the card and read it together.
  7. Tell it: with the flap down, the road is crooked. John said, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight" (Matthew 3:3). Lift the flap: the road is straight, and it leads to the lamb. Point to the lamb and say, "Behold the Lamb of God" (John 1:29).

This John the Baptist craft turns one printed page into the wilderness where John preached, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight" (Matthew 3:3). Kids draw John in his "raiment of camel's hair" (3:4), then lift a crooked road flap to find the way made straight (Luke 3:5), leading to a lamb, because when John saw Jesus coming he said, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). The memory verse is on the back. 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, crayons, scissors and glue.
  • Kids act out the message: the crooked road lifts away to show a straight road, the way John told people to "make his paths straight" (Matthew 3:3) by turning from sin (3:2).
  • It points to Jesus: the road leads to the lamb, from John 1:29, "Behold the Lamb of God." Jesus is not drawn; the lamb stands for the verse.
  • Every child draws John: in his clothes of camel's hair with a leather belt (Matthew 3:4), at the start of the road.
  • It carries the verse home: John 1:29 (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 glue the flap on. Kids color, draw John, glue on the lamb with your help and lift the flap. No scissors.
  • Medium (grades K–2): the craft in the first photo. Kids color, draw John, cut out the pieces and glue on the flap and the lamb.
  • Harder (grades 3–5): the craft in the second photo. Kids also add a hill from page 3 that stands up across the road and folds down flat: "every mountain and hill shall be brought low" (Luke 3:5).

Questions to ask

While kids work, ask what John wore and ate (Matthew 3:4), what he told the people to do (3:2), what he said to get ready for the Lord (3:3), what he said about sharing coats (Luke 3:11) and what he said when he saw Jesus coming (John 1:29). Then read John 1:29 together.

Tips for the classroom

For preschoolers, cut out the pieces and glue the flaps on ahead of time, so all they do is color, draw and find the straight road. Cardstock makes the flap lift best.

Teaching the story first? Use the free John the Baptist Bible lesson and the John the Baptist word search.

Frequently asked questions

How do you make a simple John the Baptist craft for preschoolers?

Cut out each child's card, flap, lamb and verse strip ahead of time, and glue the flaps on for them. Preschoolers color the pieces, draw John in the window and glue on the lamb with your help. Then they lift the crooked road to find the straight road to the lamb. It takes about 15 minutes with no cutting by the kids.

How much does this John the Baptist 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 John the Baptist craft?

John 1:29 (KJV), "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." 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 add a hill from page 3 that stands up across the road and folds down flat, because "every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight" (Luke 3:5).

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