The Twelve Disciples of Jesus: Activities for Kids
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Teach about the twelve disciples of Jesus with activities for kids your whole family will love. Give kids a new view of the life of Jesus.
I like to think about learning as a child examining an object.
We want our kids to pick up the object and turn it over and around in their hands, so they are feeling, smelling, and experiencing it.
As Christians, there is no subject we want our kids to learn, know, and understand better than the life of Jesus Christ. After all, our faith rests on him as our Lord and Savior, the One who taught us how to live, who died to take the punishment for the sin of believers, and who rose from the dead. One day, Jesus will return for all who believe in him, confess him with their mouth, and repent of their sins. Believers will live forever with Jesus on the new earth. We want our kids to know this amazing truth backward and forward.
One neat way to help our children better understand the life of Jesus is to help them learn about his closest friends, the twelve disciples. After all, the disciples lived with Jesus, learning from him, for around three years during his ministry. Eleven of these men witnessed the Risen Jesus after his death and Resurrection. They saw Jesus ascend to heaven. Then, they spent the rest of their lives sharing the good news of Jesus Christ–the gospel.
Each one of the men Jesus called to follow him were changed by the time they spent learning from their Savior. Check out this fun study of the men who followed Jesus!
The Twelve Disciples of Jesus Activities for Kids
As children learn about Jesus’ closest friends, they’ll learn more about the life and teachings of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
- Who Were the Disciples? by Danika Cooley | Who Were the Disciples? (Christian Focus Publications, 2025) is a fun way for kids to learn about the twelve men Jesus called to be his special disciples. Your kids will learn about each many’s personality, his interactions with Jesus, and about how of the eleven faithful disciples shared the gospel as apostles after the death and Resurrection of Jesus.
- Jesus’ 12 Disciples Craft | Your children will create toilet paper roll busts to represent each of the twelve disciples. They’ll be sure to recall the lessons they’ve learned about the disciples in Who Were the Disciples?.
- Fishing for Men Matthew 4:19 Craft | Your kids will create an underwater fishing scene to remind them of Matthew 4:19.
- Fishers of Men Copywork Craft | This fun quilling crafts will give kids a fun way to copy and remember Mark 1:17
- Who Were the Disciples? Lapbook | The lapbook completes your unit study of the disciples, allowing your kids to record what they’ve learned about:
- The impact of the disciples 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.
- The people involved in Jesus’ biblical, historical story.
- Vocabulary from the story of the disciples.
- The timeline of each story.
- The geography of each Resurrection story.
- Theology: Luke 5:10b.
This hands-on study of the men who followed Jesus is one your children will remember for a lifetime!
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.
