Paint Stirrers Crafts

Repurpose, Reuse, Recycle

Character Bridge
Another thing you may want to try is to make a bridge from your old life to your Christian walk. Write qualities that Christian should have on the paint stirrers, one quality per stick. Then build a wall scene or an actual bridge replica using these stirrers as the planks of the bridge. If you do this as a wall decoration, make a paper character(s) on one side of the bridge. Have this person in normal clothes. On the other side of the bridge have the character(s) in a white robe and a sign that says "God's Child." Depending on how many planks (stirrers) you use you could develop a lesson on each of these Christian qualities. If you develop this into lesson plans, you might want to consider having a character that you can move to the different planks of the bridge (character traits) as you talk about each Christian quality. Extra stirrers can be used as fillers if you need more room for your character to stand on.

Have Fun,
Connie G.

Fans
I used them to make fans using hard cardstock stapled to the sticks . I used statements with related click art. for example a picture of lemonade and ice in a glass with the statement, "Life's Cool With Jesus,"

Loretta

Fan or Paper Puppet
I have used paint stirrer's to make animal fans when talking about Noah's Ark. Simply find some coloring books or internet pictures of animals that can be colored in. Print these pictures on card stock paper. Let the kids color the picture, cut out if appropriate and then glue or tape the picture to the paint stirrer. 

Note: Look for pictures that have a nice border around them or has only the animal. Once the fans are made, they can be used as paper puppets to tell the story. Then send them home with the kids.

Game Signs
Make little signs out of construction paper or card stock, with A, B, C, and D on them. You will need 4 of each letter to make two sets of answer cards. You can do this on the computer or you can have the children make the signs.

Place the signs on the Paint Stirrers using them as handles. For 2 contestants or teams you will need 8 sticks. Place the Letter A on both sides of one stick, the letter B on both sides of one stick, etc. Divide the group into teams or they can play as individuals. (You can also use more than 2 teams or 2 individuals.)

Make up review questions with multiple choice A - B - C - D answers. Invite children (2 or more) at a time to come forward to be contestants or to sit in the hot seat. Place a table in front of the children. Lay the A-B-C-D signs on the table in front of the children. Ask the contestants a question. 

For example:
What do we celebrate on Palm Sunday?
A. A Tropical Vacation
B. Jesus' triumphant entrance into Jerusalem
C. The reading of the book of Psalms.
D. The palm tree of Deborah

Obviously it is best if they can’t see what sign the other child picks up. Let the children raise the letter they believe is the correct answer to the question. Give them a 10 second time limit to raise the card. If they don't raise the card the answer is wrong. Remind them it is best to raise a card even if they don't know the answer. If they raise a card, they might get it right. If they don't they will get it wrong.

Have someone keep score, if they both get it right, both children or teams get a point. If only one child gets it right that child or team gets a point. Each child could answer for a round of three questions, or just one question at a time. The child or team with the most correct answers wins the game.  This can be used with just one child as a review, or with a large group of children. If doing this as a team you or the team can decide if the other team members (those not in the hot seat) will be allowed to shout out answers to their team members. If so, will they shout out the correct answer to their team members or the wrong answer to confuse the other team? Will they do both?

Shirley V. 
Tulsa OK

Puppet Props
You can use paint stirrers to attach props to tell a story. Use Velcro or glue dots to attach figures or other items to the stirrers. Give them to the children and let them hold up the appropriate one during the story. You can also attach masks (print pictures of faces, cut out the eyes), one for each person in the story. Students act out the story. If you do not want to do masks, attach smiles, frowns, etc. and let he child hold them up to their face.

We attach puppet props to them.
Teresa

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