When my kids were young, we lived near a zoo. Every Christmas, my mom would gift us a yearly pass, and we’d visit the zoo often. It was a great way to get everyone out for a walk.
Of course, the main draw was the animals. I’ll never forget standing in front of a wall of thick glass with my boys and their friends. We were in the Pacific Northwest forest section, and no one was expecting a black bear to charge the glass, stand, and put his paws on the glass. There were screaming boys running in all directions! Once we all recovered, several hours and all of our snacks later, the story became one of legend. The boys had faced a black bear attack–and they lived.
God’s creatures are amazing. I loved those years of wandering the zoo, pointing out how creative our Creator God truly is. Think about all the types of bears he created, with their own special habitats, all over the world!
Kids have a special love for land animals, don’t they? It’s as though they instinctively understand that the Lord made us to be the caretakers of the earth and its creatures. Or, it could just be that his creatures are unbelievably cute and cuddly, amazing and fearsome. Who isn’t fascinated by penguins or elephants?
As your 8-12 year olds work through their copy of the puzzle-based Bible study, Bible Investigators: Creation, they will spend an entire chapter (out of 30 chapters) of the study learning about day 6 of God’s Creation event, when he made land animals. Your kids will solve 90 brain-teasing puzzles, work through 40 Bible passages, and learn 30 amazing truths about God’s Creation. They’ll definitely need a few bookmarks to keep track of their progress in their 272-page book!
This fun Bible verse bookmark craft will help children celebrate God’s wonderful creation of animals!
God Created Animals | Genesis 1:24
As a family, read Genesis 1:24 before you begin your craft. In the ESV it says:
And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so.
Your child can cut out the verse frames in ESV or KJV to glue onto the back of each of their bookmarks. As you make your bookmark craft, discuss:
- What do you think “according to their kinds” means?
- Do your kids like cats? Think about how many types of cats there are–from cougars and lions to Siamese and Tabby cats.
- The earth is full of God’s many and various creatures. What are some of the strangest or most amazing animals you can think of?
- How does God’s creation show his wonderful wisdom?
Our Creator God is wise–and very creative! The earth is full of all of God’s creatures. It’s one way we can see God’s majesty.
God Created Animals Craft
Check out this quick video showing you how to construct your Genesis 1:24 craft:
God Created Animals Craft | Genesis 1:24 Template Printable
The God created animals craft template printable, with step-by-step instructions is available in the Thinking Kids Press store. Grab your free craft for the household license, or get 50% off for the classroom license.
Supplies Needed to Create Your Bookmark Craft
- Your God Created Animals Craft Templates
- Colored Cardstock
- White Cardstock
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Glue Stick
- Permanent Markers
Creating Your God Created Animals Craft for Kids
1) Print Your Templates and Bible Verse Templates.
2) Create Your Arctic Animal Bookmarks.
Glue the pink inner ears into the ears on the head.
Glue the lower face onto the head as shown.
Use a permanent marker to draw eyes, a mouth, and a nose.
Glue the furry chest to the top of the body.
Glue one of the legs to the top right side of the body. Don’t glue the leg and paw to the body–the legs will be slipped over the corner of the page to hold your place.
Glue the other leg to the left side of the body.
Glue the head of the fox on the top of the body.
Repeat the steps for each arctic animal bookmark.
2) Create Your Safari Animal Bookmarks.
Glue the pink inner ears into the ears on the heads.
Glue the lion’s head onto the mane. Glue the lower face onto the head of the zebra as shown.
Glue the lion head on top of the mane. Glue the zebra mane on top of the hear. Glue the tufts to the end of each tail.
Glue the legs to the top right and left sides of the body. Don’t glue the legs and paws to the body–the legs will be slipped over the corner of the page to hold your place.
Glue the heads to the bodies of the animals.
Use a permanent marker to draw eyes, a mouth, and a nose. Use a pink permanent marker to add cheeks, if you wish. Decorate the zebra with stripes, as shown.
Repeat the steps for each safari animal bookmark.
4) Apply the Bible Verse Frames to the Backs of the Bookmarks.
Glue a Genesis 1:24 Bible verse frame to the back of each animal corner bookmark.
Use your Genesis 1:24 bookmarks to mark your child’s pages while they work through their Bible Investigators: Creation puzzle-based Bible study!
Bible Resources for Your Kids
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Puzzle-Based Independent Bible Study for Kids!
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” – Romans 12:2, ESV
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- Observe: They pay attention to what they’re reading.
- Interpret: They figure out what the Bible means in that section.
- Apply: They decide how the truth of God’s Word impacts their life today.
There are a great many truths in life to be found—some interesting, some boring, and some that really matter. You can be the kind of investigator who spends time puzzling out important truth so that you can know all the knowable knowledge that God has given us. That’s right. God, the Creator of the Universe, gave you a great big letter from him to explore and study so that you can discover the truths that really matter to your life!”
Bible Investigators: Creation, (The Good Book Company, 2024), page 7
The Bible Investigators: Creation Bible study for kids, written by Danika Cooley and published by The Good Book Company, is 272-pages of learning, puzzles, and fun activities designed to help your kids become amazing independent Bible investigators–observing, interpreting, and applying God’s Word as they learn what the Bible teaches on a particular subject.
Bible Puzzles for Kids
Middle grade kids, aged 8-12, love puzzles. After all, their brains are just built for figuring things out and memorizing facts. Puzzles are a wonderful way to help kids develop logic skills and retain important information. And, the book is written in a fun, conversational tone your children are sure to love!
What types of puzzles and activities will you find in Bible Investigators?
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- Word Searches
- Crosswords
- Rebus Puzzles
- Dot-to-Dots
- Logic Puzzles
- Missing Letter Puzzles
- Cryptograms
- Word Sudoku
- Mazes
- How-to-Draw Pages
- Matching Pairs
- Word Scrambles
- Journal Pages
Every child is sure to find activities they’ll love!
Elementary-aged kids need hands-on middle grade resources that engage them and equip them to process important truths.
Bible Investigators is the perfect resource to teach your kids about an important biblical doctrine, while helping them apply God’s Word to their lives today.
Books Make Great Gifts!
Teach the kids about the Bible and Christian history…
…with fun books they’ll love reading!
Introduce your children to engaging stories written in an engaging narrative they’ll want to read. As they learn more about God’s Word and gain real-life heroes, they will learn to apply Scripture to their own lives. And, give yourself the gift of a book that will help your kids learn and love the Bible.
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