Children ages 7 years-old and up can make a three-dimensional representation of the disciples story using construction paper, string, tape and pop sticks. Children can draw their own fish or let them use a fish stencil for tracing. Help them cut out their figures and tape each fish to varying lengths of string. X-shaped pop sticks taped together make an effective mobile anchor from which to tape the fish strings.
Mesh nets of tiny paper fish let children experiment with different mediums without requiring significant fine-motor skills. The mesh nets cover the tops of open shoe boxes, which the children can paint or draw to represent Jesus' boat. Let the kids position several pre-cut paper fish throughout the net using glue or rolled-up pieces of sticky tape. Explain the significance of harvesting the fish and its connection to the resources God provides.
Plastic bowls make effective, water-ready boats that the kids can practice floating across the small streams or even a sink filled with water. Glue half-cut straws inside the bowl center and let them dry before class so the kids can begin making the mast immediately. Light-colored fabric cut into triangles for the boat masts allows kids to decorate the fabric with crosses or pictures of other disciple-related images. Once the straws dry, the kids can tape or glue the fabric triangles along the side of the straws to form a mast.
Older children can turn empty shoe boxes into story-telling shadow boxes. Encourage the children to draw the ocean scenery using marker or paint inside the box and let the paint dry if necessary. Cardboard cut-outs of the boat and disciples will stand upright with the support from behind of toothpick or cotton swab connecting the cutout to the shadow box. Other options for shadow box figures include foam shapes or stenciled sponge pieces from the craft store.