Shavuot Kids Crafts

Here are kids crafts and activities for the Biblical holiday of Shavuot or Pentecost. As a believer in Messiah, Shavuot is a time to remember and celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. Crafts related to the Holy Spirit or fruit of the Spirit are appropriate for Shavuot, as well as things like the ten commandments, story of Ruth, loaves of bread, or even the number 50! Making crafts like these can be fun and memorable ways for kids to learn about what the Bible says and celebrate this Biblical holiday!

Please note that I am recommending the craft, and not necessarily every detail of the lesson that goes with it. The crafts are great starting points, and I'm sure we can come up with appropriate Biblical lessons to go with them if needed. If you're not sure what that lesson could be - please reach out!

Shavuot kids crafts:

Fire Headbands for Pentecost from Crafting the Word of God

Fruit of the Spirit Necklace from Mrs. Jones' Creation Station

Ruth Barley Harvest Bookmark from Jesus Without Language 

White Dove from Crafting the Word of God

Parable of the Banquet Guests from Jesus Without Language

Pentecost Coloring Page from Crafting the Word of God

Ten Commandments Gummies from Land of Honey

Acts 2 Fire Sun Catchers from Crafting the Word of God

Bread of Life Pinwheel from Jesus Without Language

Acts 2 Flame Spinners from Jesus Without Language

Ten Commandments craft from Mrs. Jones' Creation Station

Ruth Harvest Basket from Jesus Without Language

If you're struggling to come up with a lesson regarding a certain craft, please comment below and we can all share ideas to encourage each other!

More Shavuot fun:
DIY Shavuot Basket
Celebrating the Fruit of the Spirit at Shavuot
Shavuot Surprise Gift Exchange Game

Shavuot Surprise Gift Exchange Game

At Shavuot we celebrate the giving of both the Torah and instructions for living, and the giving of the Holy Spirit. Giving our own gift to someone else can be a fun way for believers to commemorate these significant gifts from the Creator. Note that giving gifts at any of the holidays is not a commandment; this is strictly optional and meant to be an enjoyable activity to make Shavuot special or memorable. It always brings out the laughs at our congregation!

Shavuot Surprise Gift Exchange Game

This is played similarly to white elephant or Yankee Swap gift exchanges. You can play this with your congregation, Bible study, family, or even coworkers if you'd like! Often gag gifts are given during white elephants. You could go that route if you wanted, but our congregation likes to give inexpensive gifts that are still nice. Set a dollar limit per gift and make sure everyone playing is aware of that. Setting the limit at $5 or $10 has worked well for us - no one expects the gifts to be amazing, and it takes the pressure off having to find something that a specific person will definitely like. The expense is low enough that it's not a financial stress for most people to participate.

Gift ideas:
Chocolate bar
Small plant
Refrigerator magnet with Bible verse
Handmade soap bar
Mug
Ingredients for a recipe
Handmade greeting cards
Framed Bible verse
Dried herbs
Homemade cookies, etc.
Bible book tabs
Kitchen towel
Stickers

To play the game:

Have each person bring their gift wrapped up. Place the wrapped items in the center of your group - on the floor or a table.

Assign numbers to each participant - we opt to draw them out of a hat. There should be the same number of gifts and participants. (If you're hosting, think about having an extra gift or two in case someone forgets or you have an unexpected visitor.)

The person with number one gets to choose one gift to open. The next person can opt to 'steal' that gift from them, or choose a new one to open. If a gift is stolen from player one, then they get to choose another gift to open. Once that round is settled, it's on to player three, and so on. A gift can only be stolen once per round. Once a gift is stolen three times it cannot be stolen again - so strategy is part of the fun!

Once everyone has a gift, player one can opt to steal from someone else or to keep the gift they have. Player one's decision is the final round.

This game would work well at any of the Biblical holidays, and can be easily modified as you see fit!

More on the Shavuot:
Reasons Why Believers Should Keep the Biblical Holidays
Shavuot Provision: Celebrating Enough
DIY Shavuot Basket

Questions and Answers on Shavuot

I want to take the time to address some frequently asked questions about the Biblical set apart time of Shavuot, and how it pertains to us as believers in Messiah.

Are Shavuot and Pentecost the same thing?

The words Shavuot and Pentecost are used interchangeably in Scripture. Shavuot is the Hebrew word for "Feast of Weeks," whereas Pentecost is Greek for "fiftieth." Both are referring to the set apart time that happens fifty days after the counting of the omer begins during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Of course, different people mean different things by each, but in Scripture they are the same.

Is Shavuot a Sabbath day?Yes, Shavuot is no-work day, and should be treated like the weekly Sabbath. So avoid professional work, shopping, home maintenance, etc. More information on no-work days can be found here.

How do you celebrate it? This is my first year celebrating the feast days.To anyone celebrating for the first time - yay! - I am so proud of you for taking this step of faith and cheering you on as you do it!Take the pressure off of yourself to do everything perfectly and shoot to have a nice day of rest, while remembering the incredible gifts we have been given - the written word and the Holy Spirit!Have some good food, read your Bible, get together with other believers if possible, give an offering to YHWH, give gifts if you wish, pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and make or buy two loaves of bread to remember YHWH's abundant provision that we celebrate during this time.

What day is it?It varies depending on what calendar you go by, but most people will celebrate Shavuot from the evening of May 25 to the evening of May 27. Others will celebrate it May 28. (These dates are for 2023!) Shavuot always happens fifty days after the First Fruits offering after Passover.

What kind of bread or other foods do you make?I like to make strawberry salad or strawberry shortcake! Strawberries are great in my area at this time of year and I like the reminder of the fruit of the Spirit!Milk and honey are often used to symbolize the sweetness of Scripture in our lives, so desserts like cheesecake or fruit tarts are popular as well. See this post for milk and honey dessert recipes!

I also think it's fun to do two loaves of bread of any kind in honor of Leviticus 23:17 that says to offer two loaves to YHWH. This is a great reminder that he provides more than enough for our needs. You could make or buy fancy breads made with herbs or olives or cheese or you an ultimate make your own grilled cheese bar, with lots of different cheeses, veggies, and condiments! Babka is another fun bread for Shavuot.

What Bible passages are good for this time?Great things to study during Shavuot would be the covenant, and the Holy Spirit. The book of Ruth is traditionally studied at this time of year. Leviticus 23:15-21, Acts 2, 1 Corinthians 12, Exodus 20:1-17, and Galatians 5:22 are some of my favorites.

Here are some more verses to check out! See this post.

What do you do to celebrate?Take the day off work, spend time with loved ones, talk about the ways you have seen the Holy Spirit at work in your life, read Acts 2, go see wheat being harvested if possible, make a big fruit salad to symbolize the fruit of the Spirit, get immersed, host a Bible study!

What verses tell us that believers in Messiah should observe the feasts?Exodus 34:22 - "You shall observe the festival of Shavuot."We should celebrate Shavuot because Scripture tells us to! Nowhere in Scripture does it tell us that the set apart times are done away with! This post goes into more details about why we as believers in Messiah should keep the feasts.

Or as Torah Sisters says: the giving of the law and the giving of the Spirit are big deals!

When do we actually start counting?Scripture instructs us to count fifty days and then celebrate Shavuot. Our starting point for that is the Sunday after Passover, which is known as First Fruits. This is the day the Messiah rose from the grave!

Ways to celebrate with toddlers?Crafts and Bible stories around the fruit of the Spirit, the giving of the Holy Spirit, and the ten commandments are all very appropriate!Bible Pathway Adventures has free activity and coloring sheets for kids too!

Does the lamp stand all over the Bible have any significance with this?The lamp stand that the Bible talks about is a seven branched menorah! This correlates with the seven Biblical holidays.

How to celebrate?This is a day to remember the giving of Scripture and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit! I enjoy getting together at a lake with other believers (the lake is a great opportunity for immersion), we share a meal and read/discuss Bible stories related to these times.I also like finding ways to 'give the word' to others - sharing a printable Bible verse, memorizing a passage to share with others, gathering Bibles to donate etc.

What is the meaning of it?On Shavuot we remember both the giving of the written word and commandments, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. It is also a time when we celebrate that YHWH provides for our needs! Shavuot happens when wheat is being harvested. During Bible times, wheat was a significant part of the daily diet, and the harvest being brought in was a tangible reminder of YHWH providing for them! On Shavuot we look back at the ways YHWH provided in Scripture and in our own lives.
More on Shavuot:
Celebrating the Fruit of the Spirit at Shavuot
Shavuot Provision
Seven Ways to Celebrate Shavuot

Celebrating the Fruit of the Spirit at Shavuot

Here's a great theme idea for Shavuot: fruit! Since Shavuot is a celebration of the giving of the Holy Spirit (as well as the giving of the Torah), what better time to celebrate the fruit of the Spirit?

Galatians 5:22-23 tells us the the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control. Take time to reflect on these and where you're seeing fruit in your life. And then consider incorporating fruit into your celebration of the Biblical holiday of Shavuot! 

DIY Fruit Slice Balloons from Studio DIY

Fruit Pizza from Pinch of Yum

Fruit Infused Water from Studio DIY

Dragon Fruit Soap Popsicles from A Beautiful Mess

Fruit Slice Cakes from Studio DIY

Agua Fresca from Cookie and Kate

DIY Fruit Necklaces from Sugar & Cloth

Tropical Papaya Bowls from Minimalist Baker

DIY Fruit Balloon Garland from Studio DIY

Strawberry Salsa from Cookie and Kate

DIY Foldable Paper Strawberry Garland from Studio DIY

Fruit Honeycombs from The House That Lars Built

Lemon Ginger Fruit Salad from A Beautiful Mess

DIY Fruit Koozies from Sugar & Cloth

DIY Fruit-Inspired Mini Party Hats from Studio DIY

May the fruit of the Holy Spirit be seen in your life!

Want to learn more about Shavuot and the other Biblical holidays?
-Here's an introduction of the Biblical holidays.
-What is Shavuot all about?
-Shavuot is found in the New Testament!
-Learn about ideas for celebrating Shavuot here.
-These Scriptures are great to read at Shavuot.

Seven Ways to Celebrate Shavuot

When the omer count finally makes it to fifty it's Shavuot! Then what? Here are a few ways you can celebrate this year.

-Watch the wheat harvest. Shavuot is about the wheat harvest and celebrating the bread of life. Get in touch with a local farm or farmer to see when they will be harvesting their wheat, and if you can visit. Seeing cows and beehives would also be fitting. If nothing else, go for a drive or bike ride to see if you can find a farmer gathering their wheat. Usually the timing is just about right here in the Midwest and farmers harvest the wheat around Shavuot. Or think about taking family pictures in front of a wheat field.

-Give the word to someone. On Shavuot we celebrate the giving of the Torah, why not keep that gift going? Purchase a Bible for someone who doesn't have one or would benefit from a different translation. Or gather Bibles to give to a nonprofit like a soup kitchen or homeless shelter so they can share them with their clients. Children (or adults) could memorize a verse to recite to grandparents or the congregation as a way to share the word with others.

-Have two loaves of bread. Leviticus 23:17 says to bring two loaves of bread as a wave offering to YHWH. Why not try your hand at baking bread or purchase a couple of delicious loafs from a bakery? Maybe a new recipe or trying an unusual kind would make it even more wonderful. Serve them with different spreads and toppings to make a bruschetta bar or do-it-yourself grilled cheese. Seeing not one, but two loafs of bread is a reminder that YHWH takes care of our needs. Thank him for the provision before digging in.

-Get immersed. In Acts 2 believers were baptized in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Shavuot. Spend your Shavuot at the lake or on the beach and get immersed. This would be a great opportunity for meditation on that passage of Scripture or a group discussion about it.

-Throw a painting party! Get together a group of friends and render Bible verses to canvas. Paint or handwrite the words to a favorite verse or the fruit of the Spirit or the ten commandments. Even if it doesn't turn out a masterpiece it's still a fun way to focus on Scripture and spend time with others. Provide canvases, brushes, paint, and lots of newspaper to keep things clean. A painted or printed out Scripture would also make a great Shavuot gift for a friend. Another way to give the word.

-Study Scripture. Aren't we celebrating that we received YHWH's word? That could look like having friends over for a late night Bible study, having a picnic near a wheat field to read the book of Ruth, kids acting out a Bible story, or a dramatic reading. Delving into Scripture is a foundational part any feast and it should be a joy!

-Provide for the poor. At the end of the instructions for Shavuot in Leviticus 23:22, we are reminded to not use all of our resources on ourselves but leave some for those in need. Could you donate clothing to a women's shelter at this time of year or non perishables to a food pantry? How about volunteering as a family at a local nonprofit? Putting together action packs for Voice of the Martyrs was a memorable Shavuot activity for our congregation. Donate financially to a missions cause you believe in.

Have a very happy Shavuot!