Grades 1-3
Introductory Activity – Mary and Martha Tag
Materials: ropes or masking tape
Use ropes or tape to mark the middle of the game area and the two ends of the game area. Group the kids into two groups. Name one group “Mary” and the other group “Martha.” Lead teams to line up at the middle line, back to back, with Marys facing one direction and Marthas facing the other direction. Call: “Martha!” The Martha team should start running to get to the line at their end of the area. The Mary team should turn around and try to tag the other team. Any person tagged joins the other team. Regroup in the middle as before. Randomly alternate calling the team names. Tell kids they will hear about two women named Mary and Martha today.
Live It Out
Game – Spatula Trivia
Materials: spatula
Form two teams with the kids and line them up on opposite sides of the room. Place a spatula on a small table in the middle of the room. Tell your kids you will ask review questions from today’s lesson or previous lessons. The team that sends their volunteer to grab a spatula, flip an imaginary pancake, and answer the question correctly first gets a point. The team with the most points at the end of the game is the winner!
Craft – Sock Puppet Creations
Materials: white tube socks, markers, yarn, glue, scissors, wiggle eyes
Give each child a tube sock and ensure they have access to the other supplies. Tell them they are to make a sock puppet of Mary, Martha, or Jesus. After everyone has made their puppets, form small groups where they can act out the Bible story with their sock puppets. Encourage the kids to listen to and trust God. Say the Weekly Verse together.
Grades 4-6
Introductory Activity – Verse Up and Down
Materials: no materials needed
Say the Bible Verse together. (Display the verse on a board or poster if needed.) Group the kids into two teams. Tell teams to stand and sit as they say each word of the verse. Tell Team 1 to stand on the first word and Team 2 to sit on the first word. Then Team 1 will sit on the second word and Team 2 will stand on the second word. Continue alternating standing and sitting as they say the words. Repeat a few times, increasing speed in saying the verse. Switch roles and do it again. Tell kids they will think about spending time with Jesus in today’s session.
Live It Out
Game – Chores Relay
Materials: small buckets, index cards, pens
Before class, write typical household chores on index cards, one per card. Make enough for the number of kids in your class, and place an equal amount in each bucket. In class, place the two buckets on one side of the classroom and form two teams with the kids. Tell the teams they will send one person at a time to their bucket and draw out a card. They must act out the chore for five seconds and then return to their team. The first team to finish their chores is the winner! Afterward, explain that serving Jesus is important, but encourage them to listen to Him daily.
Possible chores to write on the index cards:
SWEEP, MOW, WEED THE FLOWER BEDS, VACUUM, CLEAN TOILET, DUST THE TABLE, CLEAN THE MIRROR, WASH WINDOWS, MAKE YOUR BED, PICK UP TOYS
Craft – Journal
Materials: construction paper, white paper, markers, hole punches, chenille stems or binder rings
Talk about the Bible story and the Life Point. Comment that some people like to use a journal when they read the Bible or spend time with Jesus. Lead kids to decorate a piece of construction paper to be the journal cover. Show kids how to punch two holes on the side of the cover and a few pieces of white paper. Kids can use the chenille stems or binder rings to attach the pages to together to make the journal. Lead kids to print the Weekly Verse on the first pages of their journals. Tell kids they can write down Bible verses or prayers in their journals. They can punch holes and add paper when their journals are full. Pray and ask God to help you and the kids spend time with Jesus this week.
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