Lost Sheep Sunday School Craft for Kids
An easy cotton ball lost sheep craft for kids in three levels, preschool to 5th grade, with a free printable sheep template, supply list 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 30 minutes
- Scripture
- Luke 15:1–7
- Bible story
- The Lost Sheep
What you need
- The printed sheep template, one per child (cardstock is sturdiest)
- 10 to 15 cotton balls per child
- 1 paper plate per child for the field
- Crayons or markers, including black or gray and green
- Scissors, a glue stick and white school glue
- The printed house and door page, one per child (harder level)
- Crayons in tan or light brown and brown (harder level)
Steps
- Color the sheep's head, ears and legs black, brown or gray. Draw a happy face on the head.
- Cut out the body, head, ears, legs and the memory verse strip on the dashed lines. Help younger children with the cutting.
- Color the bottom side of the paper plate green for the field.
- Glue the tops of the four legs behind the bottom of the body, then glue the sheep onto the plate. Glue the head at the front of the body and the ears at the top of the head.
- Pull each cotton ball apart a little so it looks woolly. Put dots of white glue on the body and press the cotton balls on until the body is covered.
- Glue the memory verse strip on the back and read it together. Let the glue dry flat.
This lost sheep craft turns a printed sheep template and a handful of cotton balls into a fluffy little sheep standing in a paper plate field. Kids color the head and legs, glue the sheep together and cover it in cotton-ball wool. It costs under 50 cents a child, takes about 20 minutes and comes with a free printable template and memory verse strip. 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: one printed page, a paper plate, cotton balls and crayons.
- It retells the story: every child makes the one sheep the man went looking for.
- It carries the verse home: the template includes Luke 19:10 (KJV) on a strip to glue on the back.
Three ways to make it
- Easy (preschool, ages 3–5): you cut out the sheep pieces ahead of time and put the glue dots on. Kids color the plate and the pieces, glue the sheep together and press on the cotton balls. No scissors.
- Medium (grades K–2): the craft in the photo. Kids color and cut out the pieces, build the sheep on a green plate field, cover it with cotton-ball wool and glue the verse strip on the back.
- Harder (grades 3–5): kids make the medium sheep, then add a paper house at the edge of the field with a door that opens. Behind the door they draw the friends and neighbours the man called together to rejoice with him (Luke 15:6). They say the verse from memory.
Questions to ask
While kids work, ask how many sheep the man had, how many he left and which one he went after (Luke 15:4). When he found it, he laid it on his shoulders, rejoicing, and called his friends and neighbours to rejoice with him (Luke 15:5–6). Jesus said there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth (Luke 15:7).
Tips for the classroom
For preschoolers, cut out the pieces before class and put the glue dots on for them. For the harder level, print the house and door page too. While the glue dries, hide a finished sheep and let the class find it, then say Luke 15:6 together.
Teaching the story first? Use the free Lost Sheep Sunday school lesson and the Lost Sheep word search.
Frequently asked questions
How do you make a lost sheep craft with cotton balls?
Cut out the printed sheep body, head, ears and legs, glue them together on a paper plate, then cover the body with fluffed-up cotton balls using dots of white glue. It takes about 20 minutes.
How much does this lost sheep craft cost?
Under 50 cents a child: one printed page, a paper plate, 10 to 15 cotton balls and crayons you already have. The template is free to print.
What Bible verse goes with a lost sheep craft?
Luke 19:10 (KJV), "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." It is printed on the verse strip in the template. The parable itself is in Luke 15:1–7.
How can older kids make this lost sheep craft harder?
Use the harder level for grades 3–5. Kids make the cotton-ball sheep, then add a paper house at the edge of the field with a door that opens. Behind the door they draw the friends and neighbours the man called together when he came home, because he said, "Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost" (Luke 15:6). They say Luke 19:10 from memory.
