God is a masterful artist, and we have the awesome opportunity to soak in the wonders of creation whenever we watch a breathtaking sunset, take a stroll along the beach, or admire a deer drinking from a cool stream. You’ve probably heard the creation story a hundred times, but let’s take a look the marvelous beginning of our world with a different lens—through the eyes of an artist!
Each day this week, put on your artist hat and tell the story of creation by making your own works of art.
Day 1: Light
Make a candleholder to shine the wonderful light God made on the first day of creation. Find an empty glass jar and cut out shapes—circles, hearts, squares, or whatever you like—out of aluminum foil. Glue these foil shapes to the jar and let the glue dry. Then place a small candle inside the jar and ask an adult to light the candle. Watch the light from the fire reflect and sparkle through the glass!
Cool Creation Fact: The speed of light is exactly 299,792.458 kilometers per second. This is approximately 186,000 miles per second!
Day 2: The Sky
Peek through your window and look at the sky. Do you see any clouds? Is there a sunset? Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Take out a sheet of white construction paper, watercolor paints, and a paintbrush, and paint a picture of what the sky looks like today. If you don’t have watercolor paints, shake a few drops of blue food coloring into a small paper cup. Add a little water to the cup, and use a cotton ball or Q-tip to paint your picture.
Cool Creation Fact: The sky—earth’s atmosphere—is made up of many different gases (air molecules) like nitrogen and oxygen.
Day 3: Land, Seas, Plants, and Trees
Follow the salt dough recipe to make a sculpture of land and water. Add toothpicks and colored construction paper to make plants, trees, and flowers in your “land.” When you’re finished with your sculpture, let the dough air-dry.
Salt Dough Recipe
Combine 1 cup of salt, 2 cups of flour, and 1 cup of warm water in a bowl. (If you’d like to color the dough, add food coloring to the water.) Mix together to make a soft dough. To make the dough look more like dirt for the land, add a few teaspoons of cinnamon.
Cool Creation Fact: The highest mountain in the world is Mount Everest in Nepal, reaching almost 30,000 feet (9,144 meters) above sea level!
Day 4: Sun, Moon, and Stars
Tear or cut small pieces of white or yellow paper. Arrange them on a sheet of black construction paper to create a paper mosaic of a sun, moon, and stars. Then carefully glue the paper pieces to the construction paper.
Cool Creation Fact: Scientists do not know exactly how many stars are in the universe—some say there may be trillions!
Day 5: Birds and Sea Creatures
Take two dry sponges and use a marker to draw a simple outline of a fish on one sponge and a bird on the other. Cut the outline of each animal out, and dip the sponges into paint to make animal stamps. (If you don’t have paint, use food coloring and water). Press the stamps on a sheet of construction paper to make fun designs.
Cool Creation Facts: The world’s largest bird is the ostrich. An ostrich can grow up to nine feet tall and weigh nearly 350 pounds (158 kilograms)! The world’s largest sea mammal is a blue whale. Some blue whales have been known to grow almost 100 feet (30 meters) long!
Day 6 (Part 1): Wild Animals
Use colored pencils (or regular pencils) to draw sketches of your favorite wild animals. If you’d like, find pictures of animals in magazines and place a sheet of white paper over the pictures to trace the animals. Then color them in with colored pencils or markers.
Cool Creation Fact: The world’s largest animal on land is the African bush elephant. These massive beasts have been known to weigh up to 20,000 pounds (9000 kilograms)!
Day 6 (Part 2): People
God saved the best part of creation for last when he created human beings in his image. Take a look in the mirror and you’ll see one of God’s most prized possessions—you! Psalm 139:13-14 says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Draw a picture of yourself (also called a portrait) by carefully tracing over a recent photograph or by looking in the mirror while you draw.
Day 7: Take a Break!
Just as God rested from creating the world on the seventh day, enjoy the beauty of God’s creation by doing something you love—take a bike ride, go for a hike, or watch tonight’s sunset! Thank God for all he has made, and honor the great Artist by living your life with joy and thankfulness.
About the Author
Christin Baker is a full-time stay-at-home mom who also writes for Faith Alive. She is a member of Resurrection Fellowship Church in Grand Rapids, Mich.
