Memory Stones

Joshua 3 and 4 – Story of Joshua as he commanded the priests to lead the people of Israel with the Ark of the Covenant. The flooding Jordan River separated and the people crossed on dry land. Joshua told twelve men (one from each tribe) to bring a stone and pile them as a reminder of what God had done that day for them.

Joshua 4:5-7 “…[Joshua] said to them, ‘Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.’”

One smooth stone per person
Assorted colors of poster paint
Paint brushes for each person
Sharpie marker
Optional – wiggly eyes, yarn, pom-poms or anything else you want to decorate your stones with.


In advance: Pick out stones ahead of time or let your children pick them out. Wash and dry them. Read Joshua 3 and 4 so that you are familiar with the story.

☺ Words that are written in bold are when you, the parent, are speaking. Feel free to use your own words.

A. ACTIVITY #1: As a family, let each person paint and decorate their stone however they desire. Use the sharpie marker to draw faces on the rocks or you could use wiggly eyes, yarn and pom-poms. Decorate as much as you desire or have time for. As you decorate, talk about the rocks: What are some different things we can do with rocks? Give children time to think of some things, if needed, prompt them with suggestions such as building homes or wall fences.

B. In your own words, tell the story from Joshua 3 and 4. Many times in the Bible, the people piled a pillar of stones as a reminder of something God had done for them, just as Joshua had the Israelites do after crossing the Jordan. Stones are often used as a reminder of something or someone. Graveyards have headstones to remind us of who was buried in that spot so that we won't forget that person. Whenever we see stones that were placed somewhere for a special reason we ask what they mean if we don't know the story. Read Joshua 4: 5-7. God intentionally told the Israelites to place the stones beside the Jordan so that when the children asked about them, they could tell them of God's greatness.

C. ACTIVITY #2: We are going to use our stones as a reminder of what God has done for our family. Think of something that will be a memory for your stone and tell the rest of us. Let each person tell something they want to remember to the rest of the family. Ahead of time determine where to pile the rocks and then have each person place their rock on the spot as a reminder. If the children can't think of something on their own remind them of times that God provided for your family in a special way. Try to think of several things, enough for each stone.

When friends come over and see our stones, they will ask what they mean. We can then tell our friends about God and what He has done for us just as God inspired the Israelites to do with their children and others who asked.

NOTE: If you are unable to exhibit these in a prominent place together, let your children keep their stone in a prominent place in their bedrooms as a daily reminder to them. You may want to add to the stones as God continues to work in your family.

A pillar of stones for all to see
What God does for our family.

Pray and ask God to bring to your mind another family that would benefit from this activity. Make an extra copy of this lesson and pass it on. You may also know a children’s minister who would like to share this lesson with other families.