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Wise Men Craft for Kids

An easy wise men craft for kids in three levels, a paper house with a door that opens, the star above it and three gifts, with a free printable template.

Preschool–Grade 5

Wise Men 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 2:1–12
Bible story
The Wise Men

What you need

  • The printed house, star and gifts template (page 2), one per child (cardstock is sturdiest)
  • 1 sheet of dark blue construction paper per child (9 by 12 inches)
  • Crayons or markers in light brown, brown, yellow and orange
  • Scissors and a glue stick
  • The printed treasure flaps page (page 3), one per child (harder level)

Steps

  1. Color the house light brown and the door brown. Color the star yellow. Color the gold chest yellow, the frankincense pot brown and the myrrh jar orange.
  2. In the oval on the window card, draw the young child with Mary his mother (Matthew 2:11).
  3. Cut out the house, the window card, the star, the three gifts and the verse strip on the dashed lines. Help younger children with the cutting.
  4. Cut the door on its two dashed sides, starting at the bottom edge of the house. Fold the door open on the dotted line.
  5. Turn the house over. Put glue on the border of the window card, where it says glue, and press it on the back of the house behind the door, bottom edges even, so the oval shows through the doorway.
  6. Glue the house near the bottom of the dark blue paper. Don't put glue on the door. Glue the star above the house, and close the door.
  7. Glue the three gifts in a row below the house.
  8. Glue the verse strip on the back and read it together.

This wise men craft turns one printed page into the scene from Matthew 2: a house with a door that opens, the star that "stood over where the young child was" and three gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh. Kids color the pieces, draw the young child with Mary in the window behind the door and glue everything on dark blue paper, with the memory verse 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, one sheet of construction paper and crayons.
  • It tells the story the way the Bible does: the star went before the wise men "till it came and stood over where the young child was" (Matthew 2:9), and they came "into the house" and saw the young child with Mary his mother (2:11). Kids open the door to see their own drawing.
  • It carries the verse home: the template includes Matthew 2:10 (KJV) on a strip to glue on the back.

Three ways to make it

  • Easy (preschool, ages 3–5): you cut out the pieces and the door and glue the window card in place. Kids color, draw in the window and glue the house, star and gifts on the paper. No scissors.
  • Medium (grades K–2): the craft in the first photo. Kids color, draw, cut out the pieces, cut and fold the door, glue the window card behind it and build the scene.
  • Harder (grades 3–5): instead of the flat gifts, kids make three treasure flaps from page 3 that lift up to show the name of each gift, because the wise men "opened their treasures" (Matthew 2:11). Then they say the verse from memory.

Questions to ask

While kids work, ask what the star did (Matthew 2:9), where the wise men found Jesus and who was with Him (2:11), and what gifts they gave (2:11). The wise men came to worship Him (2:2), and when they saw the star, "they rejoiced with exceeding great joy" (2:10).

Tips for the classroom

Print page 2 on cardstock if you can. For preschoolers, cut out the pieces and the doors ahead of time and glue the window cards in, so all they do is color, draw and glue. Remind kids to keep glue off the back of the door. Matthew doesn't say how many wise men there were or mention camels, so the craft shows only what the passage gives: the star, the house and the three gifts.

Teaching the story first? Use the free wise men Sunday school lesson and the wise men word search.

Frequently asked questions

How do you make a simple wise men craft for preschoolers?

Cut out each child's pieces and the door ahead of time, and glue the window card behind the door. Preschoolers color the pieces, draw in the window and glue the house, star and three gifts on dark blue paper. It takes about 15 minutes with no cutting by the kids.

How much does this wise men craft cost?

Under 50 cents a child: one printed page (cardstock is best), one sheet of construction paper and crayons you already have. The template is free to print.

What Bible verse goes with a wise men craft?

Matthew 2:10 (KJV), "When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy." It is printed on the verse strip that kids glue on the back.

How can older kids make this wise men craft harder?

Use the harder level for grades 3–5. Instead of the three flat gifts, kids make three treasure flaps from page 3. Each flap lifts up to show the name of the gift, because the wise men "opened their treasures" (Matthew 2:11). Then they say Matthew 2:10 from memory.

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