As a parent, I’m always looking for creative ways to make Bible stories stick in my kids’ minds. The days of creation (Genesis 1) are foundational, but reciting them can sometimes be tricky. I wanted something tactile, surprising, and memorable—something that would spark curiosity and tie each day to a sensory experience.
The Setup:
I grabbed seven wooden craft boxes and painted them all solid black. Why black? It creates uniformity and mystery—providing no clues from the outside. On the lid of each, I painted a bold number: 1 through 7.
Inside each box went things that represents what God created on that day. Here’s the breakdown:
- Light and divided the light from the dark- A small light on one side of the box and black to represent darkness on the other side of the box.
Sky and air – I used a hot glue gun to make lines on the bottom of the box to represent water, This made it more tactile than just painting water. On the top half of the box I painted some clouds to represent the sky.
- Gathered the water and land together, and made grass tree’s and fruit – I filled the box with fake plants (the ones used in fish aquariums as they come in lots of different colours and shapes and are a good size to go with our Bible peg dolls, to represent plants. I also put some rocks and gem stones in this box. Our play mat also goes with this box, as it represents the water and land being gathered together to form land and rivers.
- Sun, moon, and stars –Fairy lights with stars, moon and sun glued inside the box. I used some battery powered lights and glued the switch inside so that the kids could turn the lights on and off.
Sea creatures, birds and winged animals – Animal figurines of fish and birds.
Animals that walk on the land and people – Small animal figurines, Adam and Eve peg dolls.
Rested and blessed the 7th day & made it special – This box often changes with different items that we connect with sabbath. Some of the items we include are a small Bible, Jesus peg doll, little model church etc.
How We Play (and Learn)
- Line up the boxes in order.
- Let the kids guess what’s inside based on the number and what they remember from the story.
- Open one at a time, reading the corresponding verses from Genesis.
- Touch, shake, explore—the sensory element locks the memory in place.
The black exterior is key: it forces them to think and recall before the big reveal. After a few rounds, they start reciting the sequence without any prompts.
The Result
My kids now rattle off the days of creation like a favorite song. “Day 4—sun, moon, stars!”
The boxes live on our shelf, ready for review or to share with friends.
If you try this, tag your photos—I’d love to see your versions. Sometimes the simplest tools create the deepest memories.
