Jesus' 12 Disciples

This requires a little prep work on your part if your kids are little, but it makes a really cool bundle of disciples that's fun to fold and unfold as they learn their names.

Lifeways came out with a children's song a few years ago that goes, "James and John, Peter and Andrew, Simon and Thomas, Philip and Matthew, James #2 and Bartholomew, Thaddeus, Judas / These are the names of the 12 disciples, These are the names of the 12 disciples." We've taught it to our kids every year since then, and they love it! And I know they enjoy showing their parents that they've memorized the disciples' names.

Here's another way they can learn their names.

Materials needed:

• Wooden craft sticks, jumbo size if available

• 12 Disciples template

• Masking tape

• Scissors

• Glue sticks

• Crayons or markers

• Rubber bands, if desired

Before class (get some help for this, it goes much faster!):

• For each child, lay out a group of 12 sticks side by side.

• The easiest way to do this (which is NOT the way I did it. Live and learn!) is to have your sticks fold up together in a fan style. So you'll have one piece of tape on the front connecting sticks 1 and 2, then another piece of tape on the back connecting sticks 2 and 3, and so on. Your goal is to have all 12 sticks folding up neatly in a bundle. When the kids glue the disciples art to the front sides, it'll cover up most of the tape.

• Make copies of the template on regular white or tan copy paper. If using regular size popcicle sticks instead of jumbo, reduce the size of your copy.

To make:

• Color and cut out the disciple strips.

• Glue each one to a stick. (We did it in the order of our song, but you can do it in the order they're listed in the Bible OR they can do it in random order--your choice.)

• Fold up your sticks and secure with a rubber band.