Moses: The Plague of Frogs
Exodus 7:25, 8:1-15
Activity
Construction Paper Frogs ~ With today's scripture, we are (of course!), doing a frog craft. I am drawing two circles, one slightly larger than the other for the body and head. (I draw horrible circles, so I traced around two bowls from my set of dishes - I put the paper down and then put the bowl upside-down on the paper to trace it.) I drew a line across the bottom section of the smaller circle to make the top of the head, and the "chin". I rounded out the corners of the top part of the head. The legs were just a guess; I didn't use a pattern. The same was true of the tongue and the bug. We used large google-eyes, though the eyes could just be drawn on.
Discussion
We're going to do a lot of talking about today's scripture, in addition to our craft. Yesterday we talked about Pharaoh's magicians changing water similar to God turned the waters of Egypt to blood. Today's scriptures clearly state that the magicians also made frogs "come up on the land of Egypt" (Exodus 8:7) I want to make sure the kids understand that it doesn't necessarily mean that the magicians were "creating" frogs. It just means that they were making frogs come, which gave an appearance of them being created. Also, I'm going to have Kiera think about this: Why didn't the magicians make the plagues end? If they were really "magic", why didn't Pharaoh ask them to stop the plagues?
How It Went
While we were reading the passages about Pharaoh's magicians making frogs come up on the land, Kiera actually ask how that was possible - a great time for my planned discussion! Both kids really enjoyed making frogs, which surprised me since I thought this craft would be a little young for Kiera. She did change her frog's design a little; she decided that the frogs God sent couldn't have been cute (probably true!), so she gave hers spots. Andrew decided to color his too.
Other Possible Activities
More Construction Paper Frogs ~ I think that the frogs below would also be cute! This one was made from a square of green construction paper, folded in half diagonally. I added google eyes, nose holes, and a tongue for a super-easy project.
Balloon Frogs ~ I recently saw a balloon frog at Kroger. The one I saw was helium-filled and Mylar, but I'm thinking that any green helium balloon would do (providing it wasn't a choking hazard for little ones). To do this, you could add z-folded green construction paper to create legs. Attach them with packing tape to one side of the balloon (the frogs tummy). Add webbed feet and give the frog eyes on the fatter top-end of the balloon. The weight needed for the legs and feet would depend on the size of the balloon. They would need to be heavy enough to keep the balloon almost, but not quite on the ground so that he would "hop" in the breeze.
Lots Of Frogs ~ I think it would be fun to fill a classroom with frogs for this lesson...stuffed frogs, construction paper frogs (maybe ones that the kids make), frog pictures, balloon frogs...the possibilities are endless!
Scripture Reference
Exodus 7:25, 8:1-15 (NIV)
"Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile. Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. If you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs. The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs. The frogs will go up on you and your people and all your officials.'
Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Tell Aaron, 'Stretch out your hand with your staff over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.'
So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land. But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts; they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.
Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, 'Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go offer sacrifices to the Lord.
Moses said to Pharaoh, 'I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.'
'Tomorrow,' Pharaoh said.
Moses replied, 'It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God. The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people, they will remain only in the Nile.'
After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the Lord about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh. And the Lord did what Moses asked. The frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards and in the fields. They were piled into heaps, and the land reeked of them. But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said."
