“There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” 1 Samuel 2:2
Did you know that in the King James version of the Bible the word rock (noun and plural) is mentioned 143 times? The word “stone” occurs in 367 places and is mentioned 430 times.
Why so many times? Well, in the Biblical context, the term “rock” is primarily symbolic of God and His unchanging and reliable nature. Rocks are solid, unmovable and enduring elements. This makes them the ideal metaphorical reference to God’s stability, strength and unwavering characteristics.
To bring this home to kids (of all ages) we have a fun and easy craft, and some read-aloud book ideas about rocks.
It turns out that the library has tons of books for kids about rocks. There are fact-based books and fun, illustrated picture books. I checked a few out from my local library and had a blast reading them. I did find one that had an evolutionary view so be careful (it is not listed here).
Here are the ones I thought were cute.
What Can You Do With a Rock? By Pat Zietlow Miller – This cute book had sweet illustrations and a wonderful story about rocks and friendship.
Scribble Stones by Diane Alber – This was another cute book with bright pictures. It would be a great tie-in for a rock painting craft.
A Rainbow of Rocks by Kate DePalma – This one has a lot of rock facts written in rhyme. There’s also a nice fact sheet on the back page.
Ricky, the Rock That Couldn’t Roll by Mr. Jay – This was a sweet book about friendship. It was written in rhyme and there was a tiny ladybug on each page that your kids can search for.
Now, for our craft: EDIBLE ROCKS!* That’s right, edible rocks. My grandkids had fun making these with me (and eating them!).
Ingredients:
- 2 Oreo cookies (or three to four chocolate wafer cookies).
- 7 oz. white chocolate, chopped (or 1 cup of white chocolate chips)
- 6 tbsp. sweetened condensed milk.
- Pinch of salt.
- 1/8 tsp., or a big pinch, of cocoa powder.
- Cashews, almonds, dried cranberries and/or chocolate chips.
Instructions:
Open the Oreos and scrape off the cream center.
PC: Ann Kirsten
Put the brown cookie shells in a sandwich bag on top of a cutting board and crush them finely with a rolling pin or a hammer.
PC: Ann Kirsten
In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the white chocolate, sweetened condensed milk and salt. Stir until smooth.
PC: Ann Kirsten
Remove from the heat and stir in HALF of the chocolate cookie crumbs.
Divide the mixture between three small bowls.
Stir the remaining crumbs into one bowl, the cocoa into another, and leave the third as is.
Let the bowls sit covered on the counter for 15 minutes. If the mixture is still gooey just let it sit for another 15 minutes. If you let it sit too long, pop it in the microwave for 5 seconds.
Scoop out small amounts of the mixture and flatten it slightly in your hand. Place a raisin, dried cranberry, nut or chocolate chip in the center. Push the dough around your center and roll it into a ball shape. The balls don’t have to be perfect, in fact it’s better if they’re not!
Place your rocks on a parchment or waxed paper lined cookie sheet. Let them sit at room temperature until perfectly set.
PC: Ann Kirsten
NOTE: This craft should only be done with age-appropriate kids. We don’t want little ones thinking they can go out and eat rocks!
We took ours outside and took pictures. Look how closely ours resembled real rocks! (Hence, the warning above).
PC: Ann Kirsten
With so many mentions of rocks in the Bible, it’s hard to choose a favorite verse. A quick search online will give you hundreds to choose from. Older kids can do the search and share the results.
Little ones can play with the rocks while the Bible verses are read. My granddaughter had fun making circles and rockpiles with our rocks.
Here are a few verses to get you started:
“He said: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior – from violent people you save me.” 2 Samuel 22:2-3
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“He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He.” Deuteronomy 32:4
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“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.” Matthew 7:25
PIN THIS!
*This recipe was gathered from the cookbook: BAKELAND Nordic Treats Inspired by Nature by Marit Hovland.
Read more of Ann’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.
