Open the Book website resources
Story 11: The Fall of Jericho
This section contains:

Photograph of tabard.

Ideas for basic soldier props, including costume armour

Keep checking the website for good ideas from other teams.
Children in tabards for walls
Some teams have used empty boxes (painted to look the part) to make walls but
boxes are quite bulky to transport, and difficult to control. Here is another idea based
on tabards (simple pop-over tunics) for children to wear.
A human “wall “ of four – though the tabards should be worn on their backs not as in
the photo!
Copyright ©The British and Foreign Bible Society 2014
All our material, including that on our website, is protected by UK and international copyright
laws. This includes, but is not limited to graphics, logos, images, icons, text and software
and is the property of Bible Society. Our resource pages may only be used for Open the
Book assemblies/acts of collective worship. Unauthorised use of our material is prohibited,
including reproduction, storage, modification, distribution or republication, and may not be
used without prior written consent from Bible Society.
Open the Book website resources
Materials for 10 children’s semi-tabards to form a circular wall.

The fabric in the photos was silver imitation leather at a bargain price in a
sale. Such fabric is not a common find so use medium weight grey fabric or
white fabric with spray-on paint.

The following fabric will make ten semi-tabards with full length at the back and
a shorter section at the front (for economical use of fabric). If you prefer, you
can make them the same length back and front. However, a shorter front does
make it easier to walk.

6½ metres of fabric with minimum width of 137cms (54”) but preferably
150cms (60”) wide.

Velcro for fastening

Black permanent marker felt pen.

(Optional) spray-on paint if you need to colour the fabric grey.
Construction

Mark out and cut out the basic oblong shape shown in the diagram. Use the
full width of the fabric for the length of the tabard. This means that 10 tabard
each 64cms wide fit onto 6 metres 40cms.

At 120cms from one edge mark the shoulder line at 123cms (length 120 cms
+ 3cms hem allowance) for the back of the tabard.

The remainder of the width of the fabric forms the front of the tabard. The
wider the fabric the longer front piece of the tabard you are able to have.

Cut out the section for the neck as shown. Keep the spare fabric for the crosspiece at the front.

Turn under raw edges of the tabard and stitch a narrow hem all round.

Trim the piece kept for the cross-piece to give straight edges. Turn under raw
edges and stitch.
Copyright ©The British and Foreign Bible Society 2014
All our material, including that on our website, is protected by UK and international copyright
laws. This includes, but is not limited to graphics, logos, images, icons, text and software
and is the property of Bible Society. Our resource pages may only be used for Open the
Book assemblies/acts of collective worship. Unauthorised use of our material is prohibited,
including reproduction, storage, modification, distribution or republication, and may not be
used without prior written consent from Bible Society.
Open the Book website resources

Stitch cross-piece onto one side of the front of the tabard. Stitch Velcro onto
the loose end to fasten it across the chest.

Draw lines in a building block pattern with a permanent felt marker on the
back of the tabard.
Wearing the tabards

In the photo the teacher lined them up to demonstrate the wall without
appreciating that they are designed to be worn on their backs! They can then
collapse safely inwards as the walls of Jericho in Story 11 or rise up slowly in
Story 17: A time to build.

Standing with hands on hips and feet slightly apart also means the ‘wall’
sections hold their full width.
Ideas for basic Soldier props

Sword: Plastic swords and shields can often be cheaply bought from toy
shops or at museums and historic sites. Someone skilled might prefer to
make weaponry from scratch out of lightweight wood or strong board, but
always be mindful of the potential for children to get hurt!

Armour: this can be done in a number of ways : adapt the simple pop-over
tabard idea above by shortening the tabard, and painting to look like a
breastplate. Ceral box sides covered in foil with elastic to attach them across
the solders can be effective and the same principle with fantasy foam or silver
fabric are also effective ways of making simple armour.
Copyright ©The British and Foreign Bible Society 2014
All our material, including that on our website, is protected by UK and international copyright
laws. This includes, but is not limited to graphics, logos, images, icons, text and software
and is the property of Bible Society. Our resource pages may only be used for Open the
Book assemblies/acts of collective worship. Unauthorised use of our material is prohibited,
including reproduction, storage, modification, distribution or republication, and may not be
used without prior written consent from Bible Society.