Taming the Tongue Bible Craft for Sunday School
by Karen & Grace Morris
The taming the tongue Bible craft is a fun way to help kids remember to think before they speak. The project is easy enough for preschoolers. But older kids will also enjoy doing the activity.
According to the Blue Letter Bible, the word tongue occurs 129 times in 126 verses in the King James Version of the Bible.
There are no verses that have the words taming the tongue, but there are several verses that talk about bridle the tongue. According to the Merriam-Webster and the 1828 Webster dictionary, bridle means the harness that is put on a horse, but it can also mean to control.
The word Bridle is used nine times and Bridleth is used one time in the King James Version of the Bible.
James 3:1-12 would be a good passage to go over before you make the taming the tongue Bible craft.
In the book of James, it says that a bit is used to control a horse. Today most children don't have a lot of experience with horses, but they have some knowledge about dogs. They know that we walk dogs with a lease. The lease helps control where the dog goes.
You can also mention that forest fires are sometimes caused by sparks from a car's exhaust, cigarette, or campfire that are not completely put out. Our words can cause a lot of damage. We should think before we speak and ask God to help us say the right things.
Taming the Tongue Bible Craft
You will need;
- Lunch size paper bag
- Red or Pink construction page
- Brown or yellow construction paper
- White paper
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- Black marker
Hold the bag so that the flap is on top and the open end is near you.
Draw an 8 by 1-inch rectangle on the pink or red paper. On one end, draw a curved tab that is approximately 1 1/2 inches long by 1/4 inches wide. This will be the end of the tongue and the top lip when you pull the tongue in.
At this point, you could brainstorm with your students what types of words need to be controlled. Some examples are lies, angry words, hurtful words, etc. Older children can write some words on the rectangle tongue before placing it in the bag.
From pink or red paper, cut a 1 1/2 by 1/4 inch rounded rectangle for the bottom lip.
Also cut a 3 1/2 by 1 1/2 inch cloud shape from brown or yellow paper for the hair. You could also use yarn if you wanted to.
Cut two 1 inch circles for the eyes. With the marker, add a dot near the top of the circle. So it looks like the puppet is thinking.
Cut a 1-inch slit in the center of the fold on the bag's flap.
Poke the thinner end of the pink rectangle through the slit in the bag.
Put your hand inside the bag and pull the paper through. When the tongue gets to the slit, fold the tab up to make the top lip.
Glue bottom lip under the flap but out enough that it shows.
Glue the hair to the top of the bag. Glue the eyes on each side of the flap.
The taming the tongue Bible craft is a reminder to think before you speak.
