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Lydia Craft for Kids

An easy Lydia craft for kids in three levels: lift the purple heart the Lord opened to find her house, "come into my house" (Acts 16:14–15). Free printable.

Preschool–Grade 5

Lydia 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
Acts 16:11–15
Bible story
Lydia

What you need

  • The printed template (page 2), one per child (cardstock is sturdiest)
  • Crayons or markers in purple, light blue, light brown, dark brown and green
  • Scissors and a glue stick
  • The printed river side card (page 3), one per child, plus blue and gray crayons (harder level)

Steps

  1. Color the heart purple, because Lydia was "a seller of purple" (Acts 16:14).Color the heart purple, because Lydia was "a seller of purple" (Acts 16:14).
  2. Color the card: the sky light blue, the house light brown, the doorway dark brown and the grass green.
  3. Cut out the card, the heart and the verse strip on the dashed lines.
  4. Fold the heart on the fold line, so the bottom part of the heart lifts up. Then open it flat again.
  5. Put glue only on the back of the top part of the heart (above the fold line). Press it on the dotted heart on the card. The bottom part stays loose.
  6. Glue the verse strip on the back of the card. Read it together.
  7. Lift the heart: "whose heart the Lord opened" (Acts 16:14). Under it is Lydia's house. Say together what she said: "come into my house, and abide there" (16:15).Lift the heart: "whose heart the Lord opened" (Acts 16:14). Under it is Lydia's house. Say together what she said: "come into my house, and abide there" (16:15).

This Lydia craft turns one printed page into a card with a purple heart that lifts up. Lydia was "a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God." When she heard Paul by a river side outside Philippi, "the Lord opened" her heart (Acts 16:14). Then she opened her home: "come into my house, and abide there" (16:15). Kids color the heart purple, glue it on the card by its top, and lift it to find Lydia's house underneath. 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, a glue stick, crayons and scissors.
  • The heart really opens: kids lift the purple heart for "whose heart the Lord opened" (Acts 16:14).
  • It teaches the main point: the Lord opens hearts, and an open heart listens and obeys.
  • It shows what Lydia did next: under the heart is a house, because she said, "come into my house, and abide there" (16:15).
  • It carries the verse home: Acts 16:14 (KJV) is glued on the back of the card.

Three ways to make it

  • Easy (preschool, ages 3–5): you cut out and glue the pieces. Kids color and lift the heart. No scissors.
  • Medium (grades K–2): the craft in the first photo. Kids color, cut out, fold and glue the card themselves.
  • Harder (grades 3–5): the craft in the second photo. Kids also make a river side card from page 3, with the city wall and gate, a path and the river, because Paul "went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made" (Acts 16:13).

Questions to ask

While kids work, ask what city Paul came to (Acts 16:12), where they went on the sabbath (16:13), what Lydia's work was and where she was from (16:14), who opened her heart (16:14), what happened next (16:15) and where Paul and Silas went after prison (16:40). Then read Acts 16:14 together.

Tips for the classroom

Show kids the fold line before they glue: only the top of the heart gets glue, or it won't lift. For preschoolers, cut out and glue the cards ahead of time, so all they do is color and lift the heart. Cardstock keeps the card stiff.

Teaching the story first? Use the free Lydia lesson and the word search.

Frequently asked questions

How do you make a simple Lydia craft for preschoolers?

Cut out each child's card, heart and verse strip ahead of time, and glue the top of the heart on the card. Preschoolers color the heart purple and the house brown. Then they lift the heart to find Lydia's house while you say, The Lord opened her heart (Acts 16:14). About 15 minutes, no cutting by the kids.

How much does this Lydia 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 craft?

Acts 16:14 (KJV), "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul." 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 color and cut out the river side card from page 3, with the city wall and gate, a path and the river, because Paul "went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made" (Acts 16:13). Lydia's card is glued on it.

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