Sycamore Seed Dragonflies - Exploring God's Strength (Philippians 4:13)

This Sycamore Seed Dragonfly craft is perfect for all ages to explore God's unfailing strength & offers a gentle reminder that even when we might not feel strong ourselves, He is with us always.  An ideal nature craft for outdoor church, forest school, or to explore together at home.

I don't know about you, but when I see a dragonfly I'm totally captivated by their design, super speed & ability to hover so gracefully.  Did you know there are more than 6,000 species of dragonfly in the world? How amazing is that?!

I wonder what words you'd use to describe a dragonfly? Small, delicate, graceful, or even gentle?

Have you ever felt small like a dragonfly? Perhaps there have been times when you've felt tired like your wings can't carry you anymore, or you just feel like you're flying from one thing to another with little chance of a rest. Or maybe you've felt small because of our age, or because of things that are happening around you.

I wonder if you would ever describe a dragonfly as strong?

Dragonflies may look like small gentle insects, but they are seriously strong. They, together with damselflies belong to an order of insects called Odonata meaning "toothed one" in Greek which refers to their serrated sharp teeth. Together with their super strong wings, & ability to fly up to speeds of 30mph they are one of the strongest insects on the planet! 

One species called the Globe Skimmer Dragonfly travels 11,200 miles back & forth across the Indian Ocean, making it the longest migration of any insect! That's one powerful set of wings!

Next time you see a dragonfly remember Philippians 4:13; 

"I can do all things through Him who gives me strength." 

We may feel small sometimes, but even in the toughest times God is always there giving us strength to carry on, helping us to stretch out our wings & fly again.

Make Your Own Sycamore Seed Dragonfly:

:: To make a dragonfly with it's own awesome set of wings you'll need a small stick & 2 sycamore seeds.

:: Take one of your sycamore seeds & attach to the stick using either double sided tape or a hot glue gun. 

:: Attach the other sycamore seed to the stick in the same way as before, making sure you've flipped it over so it faces in the opposite direction to the other seed (as in the photo above). We overlapped our seeds slightly to create our wing shape.

:: To add some colour to your dragonfly wings gently paint them with a soft paintbrush & a small amount of acrylic paint. We used some pearlized paint which gave our wings a shimmer effect when they caught the light.

When your dragonfly is dry place it somewhere in your home where you'll see it often, & when you do, remember that whenever you feel small or insignificant, God's unfailing strength will help you through. 

You might like to hold your homemade dragonfly in your hand & say this prayer.

Sycamore Seed Dragonfly Prayer

Creator God, When I feel small or frightened by the big stuff, may I always be reminded I am never alone, for you are with me always. Your love makes me brave & strong. Amen