The Cross Crafts & Activities for Kids

The Cross of Jesus is central to our Christian faith. Teach kids about the Cross with crafts & activities they’ll remember for a lifetime!

The Cross of Jesus is central to our Christian faith.

That isn’t because we Christians just love the symbol of the Cross, or we are fond of the way that ancient torture device looks on necklaces. In fact, early Christians worked to find an alternative symbol to represent the Christian faith. They tried a number of symbols, including a peacock (I’m still not sure why that was a significant bird), and a laurel wreath (like the victorious Olympian competitors received).

In the end, the Cross was deemed to be the symbol that best represented our faith.

It’s not the Cross itself, but the work Jesus did on the Cross, that we celebrate. On the Cross, Jesus took the punishment for all who believe in him, confess their belief with their mouth, and repent of their sin.

Believers are forgiven forever. We are saved from the punishment for our sins. One day, we will live eternally with Jesus.

What an amazing reason to teach our kids about the Cross of Jesus!

The Cross Crafts & Activities for Kids

Kids learn best when a subject is approached in a variety of ways. You can teach your kids about the Cross of Jesus through engaging, biblical story, with hands-on lapbook activities, and with simple crafts. Together, these make a fun unit study your children will love.

Your child’s study of the Cross of Jesus includes a fun, 95-page biography, What Was the Cross?. Your children will learn about how the whole Bible points to the work Jesus did on the Cross, about God’s great plan for salvation, and about the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.

• What Was the Cross? by Danika Cooley | What Was the Cross? (Christian Focus Publications, 2025) is a fun way for kids to learn about how the Old Testament pointed to Jesus as the Messiah, about God’s plan for salvation, the work Jesus did on the Cross, and about what the Cross means for us today.
• The Cross of Jesus Christ Craft | Your kids will create a representation of the Cross of Jesus and the crosses of the criminals on either side of his.
• Jesus’ Death and Resurrection Craft | Your kids will construct two scenes–one of the Cross of Jesus, and one of the empty tomb.
• Women at the Cross Craft | Your children will create toilet paper roll busts to represent each of the named women who followed Jesus. They will learn who the Bible names as the women as the Cross, and add two of his female followers.
• What Was the Cross? Lapbook | The lapbook completes your unit study of the Cross, allowing your kids to record what they’ve learned about:
  • The impact of the Cross on the New Testament world, on the Church, and on your child’s world.
  • The New Testament world. Your child will learn about what it was like to live during the time of Jesus.
  • Biblical stories that point to the story of Jesus’ work on the Cross.
  • Vocabulary from the story of the Cross.
  • The timeline of each story.
  • The geography of each Resurrection story.
  • Theology: Colossians 2:13-14, how the Bible points to the Cross in Genesis, Exodus, Isaiah, and the Gospels.

Teach your kids how the Cross of Jesus changed the world, and the life of every believer, through story and fun, hands-on learning!

Danika Cooley’s Who What Why Christian history series is perfect for your 7-12 year olds. Your children will better understand the history of the Christian faith, the people who loved Jesus, and what the Bible says about really important issues! Danika is an award-winning children’s author and Bible curriculum developer. Her popular Bible Road Trip™ is used by tens of thousands of families.

Learn more about the Who What Why series and grab your free history lapbooks here.