Build an Ark

• Cut a polystyrene foam plate in half and place one half flat and the other face down on top of it. Staple the rounded edges together. Create a stand by turning a second plate upside down and cutting a slit to fit the curved ark. Wedge the ark into the stand and place one or two clean juice boxes inside. Paint the ark and juice boxes brown, to resemble wood. Paint the stand blue with white waves for the water. Decorate the ark with crayons, markers or paints.
  
  

Assemble the Animals

• Make stand-up paper animals for the ark. Draw simple animal shapes of elephants, giraffes, lions and birds, in pairs, along the folded edge of paper. Use decorative scrapbooking papers or construction paper to create patterned or colorful animals, or white paper glued to card stock for kids to color. Position the animal on the fold so it can open up and stand, once cut. As an alternative, cut out pictures of animals from magazines and glue to folded card stock as stand-ups. Cut the card stock around the shape of the animal image.
  
  

Hang the Rainbow

• Create a rainbow to hang in the window or place in a diorama with the ark and animals. Cut a paper plate in half and draw a rainbow design around the curve. Let preschoolers color the rainbow and the blue sky with crayons, finger paints or watercolors. Punch a hole and add a string to hang the rainbow. Alternatively, let preschoolers trace their hand several times onto different colored construction paper, then arrange the hands, one color per row, in a rainbow pattern on blue construction paper. Mount the rainbow on the wall over the ark and animals.
  
  

Create a Storybook

• Make a keepsake storybook of the story of Noah and the ark. Fold decorative or construction paper and draw the shape of an ark, with the top at the fold. Cut out and use as a cover. Cut additional plain papers for the book pages. Cut out images of various animals from old magazines, use animal stickers, stamps or drawings to decorate each page. Assemble the book pages inside the cover and punch holes along the folded cover edge through all pages and cover. Lace yarn or ribbon through the punched holes to secure the pages.