Who built the Ark?

I often feel like I never have the time or energy to sit down with my littlest ones and play/learn/make with them. Somehow, it all came together today, in part because Katie actually asked for a craft after lamenting the fact that she didn't have school today (an unprecedented occurrence!). With the filling of our newly-built pool and the storms today, water inspired this perfect rainy day craft for Katie and Anthony. 

We read a Bible story about Noah's Ark, we talked about the animals coming in two by two, we sang a little bit of the song ("Brother Noah built the Ark!"), and we made our own arks and helped the animals get on them. 

I had a bunch of animal stickers that they stuck on strips of yellow construction paper. While they stickered (only two animals of each kind!), I quickly cut out arks from brown construction paper, making two slits in the middle to pass the paper strip through, creating a "window" to see the animals as they boarded the ark.

Then we pulled the paper strip the other way to "help" the animals off the ark once the rain stopped and Noah found dry land. They loved it and wanted to do it over and over again. A Bible story, fine motor skills from sticker placement, animal identification, counting pairs, and creative play all wrapped up into one quickly thrown-together craft. Not bad for a rainy morning.