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12 Disciples Craft for Kids: Mountain with Name Flaps

An easy 12 disciples craft for kids in three levels, a mountain card with twelve lift-up name flaps (Mark 3:13–19), with a free printable template.

Preschool–Grade 5

12 Disciples Craft for Kids: Mountain with Name Flaps
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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
Mark 3:13–19; Luke 6:12–16; Matthew 10:1–4
Bible story
The Twelve Disciples

What you need

  • The printed template (page 2), one per child (cardstock is sturdiest)
  • Crayons or markers in light blue, yellow, green, red, blue, orange and purple
  • Scissors and a glue stick
  • The printed night sky page (page 3), one per child, and a dark blue crayon or marker (harder level)

Steps

  1. Color the mountain card: the sky light blue, the sun yellow and the mountain green. Leave the twelve name boxes white.Color the mountain card: the sky light blue, the sun yellow and the mountain green. Leave the twelve name boxes white.
  2. Color the name flaps on the three strips. Each flap gets the color printed under it: red, yellow, blue, orange, purple, starting again with red on every strip.
  3. Cut out the mountain card, the three strips and the verse card on the long dashed lines. Then snip up the short dashed lines between the flaps, only as far as the dotted line, so each flap lifts by itself.
  4. Fold the top band of each strip back on the dotted line.
  5. Glue strip 1 (3 flaps) in the top row, strip 2 (4 flaps) in the middle row and strip 3 (5 flaps) in the bottom row: put glue on the folded band only and press it onto the dotted glue line, so each flap covers one name. Say each name as you lift its flap.
  6. Glue the verse card on the back of the mountain card and read it together.Glue the verse card on the back of the mountain card and read it together.

This 12 disciples craft turns one printed page into a mountain card with twelve lift-up flaps. Jesus "went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God" (Luke 6:12). When it was day, He chose twelve (Luke 6:13), "that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach" (Mark 3:14). Kids color the sky, the sun and the mountain, glue three strips of colored flaps onto the mountain, and lift each flap to find one of the twelve names from Matthew 10:2–4. The memory verse, Mark 3:14, goes 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, a glue stick and crayons.
  • Kids learn the twelve names: every flap hides one name, so kids practice them each time they lift a flap, at church and at home.
  • No one is drawn: Jesus and the twelve are not pictured. The names are printed under the flaps instead.
  • It carries the verse home: the template includes Mark 3:14 (KJV) on a card to glue on the back.

Three ways to make it

  • Easy (preschool, ages 3–5): you cut out the pieces, snip between the flaps and fold the bands. Kids color and glue the strips with your help. No scissors.
  • Medium (grades K–2): the craft in the first photo. Kids color, cut, snip between the flaps and glue the strips onto the mountain.
  • Harder (grades 3–5): kids add a night sky flap from page 3 that folds down over the sky, to retell how Jesus prayed all night and chose the twelve when it was day (Luke 6:12–13).

Questions to ask

While kids work, ask what Jesus did all night on the mountain (Luke 6:12), how many He chose (6:13), why He chose them (Mark 3:14), what new name He gave Simon (3:16), what He called James and John (3:17) and what Matthew's job was (Matthew 10:3). Then read Mark 3:14 together.

Tips for the classroom

For preschoolers, cut out the pieces ahead of time and count to twelve together as you lift the flaps. Matthew 10:3 calls one man "Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus," so both names are on his flap.

Teaching the story first? Use the free 12 disciples lesson and the twelve disciples word search.

Frequently asked questions

How do you make a simple 12 disciples craft for preschoolers?

Cut out each child's mountain card and three flap strips ahead of time, snip between the flaps and fold the bands. Preschoolers color the sky, the sun, the mountain and the flaps, then glue the three strips in their rows with your help. Lift each flap and say the name together. It takes about 15 minutes with no cutting by the kids.

How much does this twelve disciples craft cost?

Under 50 cents a child: one printed page, a little glue and crayons you already have. The template is free to print.

What Bible verse goes with this 12 disciples craft?

Mark 3:14 (KJV), "And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach," It is printed on the verse card that kids glue on the back of the mountain card.

How can older kids make this craft harder?

Use the harder level for grades 3–5. Kids add a dark blue night sky flap from page 3 that folds down over the sky. Jesus "continued all night in prayer to God" (Luke 6:12): keep the night sky down, then lift it at "when it was day" (Luke 6:13) and open the twelve name flaps.

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