Scrub-a-Dub, Luther in the Tub

October is Reformation Month.  I know, I know, only Reformation Day is listed on the calendar, but with all of the candy coated excitement of Halloween, why not celebrate the Reformation all month long? 'Round about the same time I start setting out the pumpkins and filling Andy's dish with candy corn, I unpack our Reformation Day goods too. 


Our Luther's Seal bath puzzle was a favorite from last year that came out of the box again today.  It's origin is simple. Adelae has a set of ABC's that are nothing more than colored foam, made fun in the tub when the water suctions them to the bathtub wall.  I thought, why not make more foam bath toys? 



2010

Is there any place better than the tub to share Luther's Seal with your children? Not only do you have a captive audience, but the tub is always an ideal local to share the faith by remembering our baptism.  Martin Luther designed the seal as a summery of his Christian Faith. Introducing Luther's Seal as a puzzle allows children to identify all of the components individually, while we explain the "what does this mean?" of each piece.



2011

To make a Luther's Seal Foam Puzzle for your tub, trace and reduce my template to make each of the pieces. You'll only need scissors, a pencil, large foam sheets (small red, small black, large white, large blue and large yellow), and my template or another image of Luther's Seal, printed on copy paper to the size desired. Ours is 8.5" in diameter.

If you'd like a template, please email me at skoehneke@yahoo.com.  I'll be happy to share it with you, but cannot post a PDF file here. Or, you can try to use the picture of my template, posted above.  Until I come up with a different strategy for posting a template, this will have to do!


First, cut out the paper seal, place it on the yellow foam and trace around the outside. Cut in and around the interior of the paper template "gold ring", then trace the interior line of your ring onto the foam. Cut out the ring from the center of the foam.

Place the reduced paper template on the blue foam, trace, then cut the foam to create the the "sky blue" layer. 

Again, cut your paper template, this time reducing down to the rose.  Place the template on the white foam, trace, and cut out your "white rose" piece. 

Cut the flower off of your template, down the the heart.  Trace and cut the heart out of the red foam.

Finally, cut down to the cross.  Trace and cut your cross out of the black foam. 


Now, all you might need is a tub of water and a quick review of each part of Luther's Seal.  Here's how I explain it to my children:
          Black Cross - Black can be a sad, dirty color that reminds us of our sin.  Jesus took our punishment and died on the cross for our sins.
          Red Heart - God loves us.  He sent Jesus to be our Savior.  The red color reminds us of the blood He shed for our salvation.
          White Rose - Flowers are happy.  The Holy Spirit gives us joy as He brings us to faith, makes us clean and gives a new life in Christ.
          Sky Blue - God gives new life to those who believe and trust in Him. We look forward to going to heaven because Jesus died for our sins.
          Gold Ring - A circle goes around and around forever.  We'll live in heaven with Jesus forever. Everything will be complete and perfect, like gold.

This year are also having fun sounding out Reformation words, such as The Solas, and then posting them on the tub wall.  

There you have it!  Scrub-a-dub, Luther in the tub!  

**More Reformation, Fall and Halloween crafts and activities coming later this month, so please check back!  Thank you for sharing my new little blog with your friends and family! **