Craft: Rahab

Rahab is recognised by the writer of Hebrews as a woman of faith, and her story in the book of Joshua has a number of threads for us to explore creatively.

The following craft ideas will help children look at the themes of strength, bravery, friendship, hiddenness and identity.

 

STRONG HEARTS 

You will need: Lego blocks; pictures of Lego hearts to help children with building (see above) 

Rahab is brave, strong and clever. She helps the spies, but also makes sure that she and her family will receive protection from them in return. This craft builds a strong construction that is very securely put together. It can also be used as a starting point to discuss what it means to be brave, to protect and to be kind. 

Use Lego blocks to build hearts. There are many ways this can be done. The photo shows two different examples, but children will no doubt find their own ways as well! Use the construction time to talk about strength and bravery. 

 

RELATIONSHIP CORDS 

You will need: ribbons in at least three colours (roughly 20cm long) Rahab shows her friendship to the spies in hiding them, but she is also concerned about her family when they return. This story is all about relationships with different people and with God. This craft helps to explore that intertwining of people. 

Ask the children to choose lengths of ribbon to correspond with the characters in the story. Plait them together and use the time to discuss the relationships in the story, the relationships children have with others and what it means to have a relationship with God.

 

WINDOW SIGNS 

 

You will need: sticky-backed plastic; plain and patterned paper; paper shapes; feathers; sequins; pens; scissors; glue 

When the spies leave Rahab they tell her to put a scarlet cord in her window as a sign to keep her and everyone in her house safe. This craft lets children create a sign to go in their own windows that will tell other people something about who they are. 

Cut pieces of paper to A6 size and get the children to decorate them as an expression of their personalities. Cut out A5-sized pieces of sticky-backed plastic. Take the cover off the plastic and place the decorated paper, face up, on top of the sticky side. You will now have the decorated paper facing you, surrounded by a sticky margin. Use the margin to stick the creation face-to-window so that people outside can discover something about the identity of those living in the house. 

 

HIDDEN SURPRISE BISCUITS 

 

You will need: 100g plain flour; 50g butter; 20g sugar; pinch of salt; eight small squares of chocolate; a mixing bowl; a wooden spoon or electric mixer; a baking tray; an oven 

Rahab reveals her friendship and bravery by hiding the spies in her house. These biscuits are a hands-on way to explore this theme of hiding. 

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then mix in the flour and salt until a dough is formed. 

Split the dough into eight pieces and flatten each piece out. Put a square of chocolate in the centre of each piece of dough, then close the dough around the chocolate until it is completely covered. Make sure there are no gaps or the melted chocolate will seep out and spoil the surprise! 

Place them on a greased baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool. Bite the biscuits open to reveal the hidden chocolate.