My mom used to say, “There’s fungus among us!” It was always good for a chuckle.
My kids and I are obsessed with mushrooms. We love all the different shapes, colors, and sizes. I wrote about them here: The Beauty of Mushrooms and a “Mushrooms Out of Mandarins” DIY Craft
Mushrooms are not named specifically in the Bible, but there have been musings by different scholars about them.
Some believe that manna must have been a form of fungus or lichen. Its shape and the way it covered the ground make it seem possible.
In 2 Kings 4:39-40, a stew is described as being made with “wild gourds”. It was poisonous, leaving some to interpret that wild mushrooms were used.
Some modern interpretations of scripture use mushrooms as a metaphor for the rapid, sometimes invisible work of the Holy Spirit, which can appear suddenly and unexpectedly (just like mushrooms).
Whether these thoughts hold any merit is ripe for debate, but if you research mushrooms, it becomes apparent why many people find ways to link them to Christianity.
Mushrooms are neither plant nor animal. Instead, they belong to their own unique kingdom.
Silently, mushrooms create massive complex networks that communicate messages to plants and trees and nurture them with nutrients.
Mushrooms can appear seemingly instantly and have the strength to lift paving slabs through their growth.
About 100 species of mushrooms give off light.
Mushrooms can digest toxins, including plastic, oil, and even chemical warfare agents.
Humans have used mushrooms for healing for centuries.
There are over 10,000 types of mushrooms but scientists believe that over 90% more haven’t been identified yet.
Fungi can create rain. They release spores that attract moisture, forming clouds that produce rain, ensuring a damp environment for themselves.
Besides that, they are just cute!
Here are some crafts that celebrate the mysterious mushroom!
Wooden Mushrooms
A few years ago I bought wooden mushrooms and painted them. I found mine on Amazon, but I’m sure craft stores have them too. I had fun painting them and placing them among the spool trees I made from my mom’s old wooden spools.
Ann Kirsten
I used simple craft acrylic paint. You can finish them with varnish if you want a shiny look. Nothing could be simpler than painting wooden mushrooms in any colors you want.
Ann Kirsten
Egg Carton Mushrooms
Basically, all you’ll need are old egg cartons, scissors, and paint, plus some twigs from your yard.
Ann Kirsten
Cut the “cups” and spacers from an egg carton. Then, paint them. You can make them realistic or, like me, use bright colors and patterns. If you have paint pens, they are handy for adding patterns and dots. Glue twigs inside for stems.
Ann Kirsten
Pasta Mushrooms
This is another fun and easy one! Buy some orecchiette pasta. It’s the perfect shape for mushroom caps. Small tubular pasta is perfect for stems. I only had twisty pasta so I used that instead. Put hot glue or thick craft glue into the orecchiette cups and then place the stems in. Let them dry upside down. These are cute without paint.
Ann Kirsten
But paint makes the pasta mushrooms stand out even more. Use craft varnish if you want a glossy finish. Paint markers or the flat end of a toothpick dipped in paint will allow you to add dots. These little mushrooms would be perfect in a terrarium or a fairy garden.
Ann Kirsten
Mysterious Mushrooms
Draw mushrooms with a white crayon onto copy paper or colored paper. Let your kids paint with watercolor paint over the whole page. They will see mushrooms magically appear (much as they do in nature). I first tried doing this with a white crayon on white paper and I was horribly lost (your kids might think it funny though to see what appears). Even drawing with white on colored paper was hard for me.
Ann Kirsten
Try using a colored crayon and then paint with watercolor paints. You’ll end up with a fun picture that way too.
Styrofoam Mushrooms
Cut a Styrofoam ball in half. Using mod podge, glue a piece of tissue paper over the ball halves (this allows you to paint easier). Tuck the ends of the tissue paper underneath. It helps if you cut a rough circle from the tissue first. Let it dry. Paint the flat bottom with beige paint and add “ribs” with a paint pen if desired. Paint the tops red. If you want some dimension, paint the top yellow, the middle red, and the bottom edge dark red. Then dry brush from the dark red up into the yellow.
Ann Kirsten
It’s also fine if you just want to paint the whole thing red! Add dots with the bottom of a paint brush dipped into white paint. Or spatter white paint on with a dry brush.
Ann Kirsten
Push a twig into the bottom of the Styrofoam for a stem. I sharpened the sticks first.
Ann Kirsten
Snack Mushrooms
In case you and the kids get hungry while crafting, this simple snack idea is the perfect solution. Cut the top off of some strawberries. Use pieces of banana (or string cheese) for the stems. Yummy and healthy!
Ann Kirsten
Whether you choose to do one of these crafts or all of them, I think you’ll agree that mushrooms are a fun and mysterious part of God’s creation.
Note: Don’t eat any mushrooms you find in your yard! Teach your kids to look and not touch.
“Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.” Exodus 16:4-5
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Read more of Ann’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.
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