We are featuring letter “R” for the ABCs of the Bible crafts this week. This is a wonderful series of Bible School Craft Ideas for children of all ages to enjoy!
This “R is for Rebekah at the Well” hands-on craft activity is simple and affordable to assemble. It utilizes a recycled milk carton, cardboard box, wooden peg people, and blue beads.
Materials Needed to Assemble the Well:
- Empty “Square” Milk Carton
- Scissors
- Plastic Medicine Cup
- Twine/Ribbon
- Hole Punch
- Straw
- Brown Paper
I found the inspiration to make the well on Pinterest. I cut the sides out of the milk carton, leaving a 1-2 inch strip on each side as pictured below. Then I punched a hole on either side, with a paper hole puncher, for the straw to pass through. I used a straw with a bendable end so it could be used as a handle for turning. Next I punched holes in a plastic medicine cup and tied twine through the holes to create a bucket. I tied a little piece of twine on the straight end of the straw to prevent the straw from falling through the holes. Then I tied a ribbon to the middle of the straw and to the handle (twine) of the bucket. This created a fun mechanical way to windup the ribbon around the straw and pull the bucket up out of the well. The last activity for creating the well, was to tear brown paper and glue it onto the surface of the well. This was my attempt to make the well look more like it was made of natural materials, like wood and rocks. Plus, my toddler loves to tear paper and glue it onto something.
Materials Needed to Assemble the Wooden Peg People:
- 2-3 Wooden Peg People (Girl and Boy – optional)
- Goggly Eyes
- Markers – Brown, Black, Red
- Finger Paints – Optional Colors
My son, Little Bee, really enjoyed creating the wooden peg people. We designed a girl for Rebekah and a boy for Isaac’s servant who visited the well with his camels. (Please scroll to the end of the post to read the Biblical story found in Genesis 24.) I drew hair, nose, mouth and/or beard onto each peg doll with brown and red markers. An older preschool aged child could enjoy drawing the hair and facial features onto each doll. Little Bee helped to glue the goggly eyes on each doll and finger paint the body of the doll for clothes.
If you have an older child who would enjoy using a hot glue gun and felt for the Biblical clothes on the wooden peg dolls, please visit, Biblical Wooden Peg People Craft Tutorial.
Materials Needed to Assemble the Cardboard Camels:
- Cardboard
- Pen & Scissors
- Brown Marker
- Camel Printable
I selected a plain cardboard box (without writing) and used the camel printable to trace a camel onto the cardboard. Then I cut the camel out of the cardboard. I used a brown marker to draw eyes, ears, nose, and a mouth on each camel. I cut out little rectangular cardboard pieces to place perpendicular on the camel’s legs, so that the camel would stand up on its own. For a more detailed description on how I created the camels, please visit, Cardboard Animals for Kids.
Finally, we filled up the well with blue beads to represent water. Little Bee dipped the bucket into the well and drew out a bucketful of blue beads. He helped the wooden peg doll, Rebekah, pour the beads into a little bowl for the camels to “drink.” Little Bee loved transferring the beads back and forth between the well, bucket, and bowl. This is a lovely hands-on activity to help a child learn the story of Rebekah at the well.
The Story: A Bride for Isaac
The Entire Story can be found in Genesis Chapter 24
10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, for all his master’s goods were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. 11 And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. 12 Then he said, “O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”
15 And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. 16 Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up. 17 And the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.”
18 So she said, “Drink, my lord.” Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink. 19 And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” 20 Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. 21 And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.
If you liked this ABCs of the Bible craft idea – P is for Peace Dove – be sure to pin it for later, or share it with your friends if you think they’d enjoy doing it with their children.
Our previous Bible School Craft Ideas for this series have included:
- A is for Angel (coffee filter craft)
- B is for Basket (weaving craft)
- C is for Cross (paper scrolling craft)
- D is for David’s Harp (representational craft)
- E is for Elijah’s Fiery Chariot (card board craft)
- F is for Fisher of Men
- G is for God’s Eye
- H is for Heaven Art Collage (fine motor craft)
- K is for King of Kings (crown craft)
- N is for Noah’s Ark (shoebox craft)
- S is for Sheep (toddler/preschooler craft)
- V is for the Vine Craft
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Renae says
What a fun set up. I love that Little Bee helped with every aspect of the project!