What you will need:

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• Baseballs...and lots of them...one for each child. Check with the Highschool baseball team...they will probably have exactly what you need. I received two 5 gallon buckets of balls.

• Frames (8X10)...If you can't afford frames then heavy cardboard will work. (If you are making it for the Pastor or for your volunteers...invest in a frame. It makes all the difference)

• Hot glue and a glue gun

• Sandpaper (if you are using frames)

• Black or brown spray paint if you are using frames) 

 

Before You Begin: 

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• Remove the back and the glass from the frames and set them aside. (Adults will be assembling the frames when done...kids WILL NOT be handling the glass)

• Spray paint the frames either black or brown 

• Run copies of the frame tags

• I burn around the edges however, it is a lot of work and you must do it over a sink for the ones that start burning too fast and get away from you. Simple tags are fine...or you can brew a cup of coffee or tea and sprinkle the tags and allow to dry.

• Cut the strings on the balls...Just use a razor blade knife and rin it along the seams.

• Test one of two to see if your kids are old enough to remove the skins from the balls.

• ONE BALL MAKES ONE CROSS...THERE ARE TWO PIECES TO THE BASEBALL SKIN

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Time to create!

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• Give each child some sandpaper and allow them to scuff up their frames (Kids LOVE to sand)

• Give each child the CARDBOARD backing to their frame.

• Allow each child to arrange their ball skins into the shape of a cross, glue them down and press for a couple of minutes.

• Helpers may have to go back later and add some hot glue behind each piece to make sure that it does not fall off. 

• Give each child a tag and allow them to glue the tag onto their craft.​

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What's Next?

After the skin is taken off of each baseball, you will be left with a ball of string. Hidden inside each ball of string is a little tiny rubber ball (See photo below).

 

Have one of the tiny balls available to show the children.

 

Give each child one ball of string and have them locate the starting point of the string.

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On "Go" each child will start unwinding their ball of string. The object is to get to their rubber ball first. You may want to do this in rounds if you have a lot of kids. It takes a lot of room and the balls will be rolling everywhere. 

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NOTE: The string will occasionally break. If it does, they simply find a new starting place on their ball and continue to unwind.

FUN! FUN! FUN!

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Rubber balls are tiny so use your discretion as to whether they go home with the kids or not. You can always give them to the parents and let them be the judge.

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While the children are playing the game, have your helpers work on re-assembling the frames...or send them home later. 

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Use caution when working with the glass!!!