Grades 1-3
Introductory Activity – Hot Potato
Materials: a ball, music player
Instruct the kids to stand in a circle. Tell them they will pass the ball around the circle while you play music. Inform them that the ball is a hot potato, so they must get rid of it as quickly as possible. Randomly stop the music and whoever is holding the ball must say, “God is always with His people,” and then step out of the circle. The last person in the circle is the winner!
Live It Out
Game – Three Out
Materials: chairs, plastic hoops, or tape; music player
Place chairs or hoops randomly around the play area. Or use tape to make Xs scattered around the space. You will need enough chairs/hoops/Xs for all kids except 3. (You should have three less chairs/hoops/Xs than kids.)
Play music and guide kids to move around the room, moving between and among the chairs. Stop the music. All kids should try to sit in a chair (or stand in a hoop or on an X), only one kid per chair/hoop/X. The three kids who do not have a space should stand together and say the Life Point. Repeat several times. Note that three men stood up to the king and did not bow down to his idol. Talk about how God was with the three men. Play the game for several more rounds.
Craft – Fiery Painting
Materials: boxes, paper (that fits in the boxes), tempera paint (red, orange, yellow), bowls, marbles, spoons, large index cards, scissors, pencils, easy-release tape
Cut index cards into large letter G. Pour paint into bowls. Place marbles in each bowl.
Help a kid lay a piece of paper into a box. He can tape a G in the middle of his paper. Lead him to scoop covered marbles into the box. He can hold and move the box around to roll the painted marbles around the paper. As needed, he can drop the marbles back into the paint and back into his box to add more color. When the painting is complete, help him gently remove the G to reveal an unpainted space. In this area, he can print God is here. Talk about how God was with the men and God is with them.
Grades 4-6
Introductory Activity – Get Rid of the Balls
Materials: masking tape, foam balls and beach balls (lots)
Make a tape line in the middle of the play area. Scatter an equal number of balls on each side of the tape. Group the kids into two equal teams and assign a team to each side of the tape. On your signal, kids roll or toss the balls to the other side of the tape. Teams should work to get all the balls from their side of the tape as quickly as possible. If one team gets rid of all the balls, call stop and award points to the team. Otherwise, call stop after two minutes. Count which side has fewer balls. Award points to the team. As time allows redistribute the balls and begin again. Comment that the task is difficult but not as difficult as some things that people must do or not do. Say that the men in the Bible story today faced a difficult situation but God was with them.
Live It Out
Game – Fiery Hoop Relay
Materials: plastic hoops, crepe paper or wide ribbon (red, yellow, orange), index cards, marker, tape
Print Nebuchadnezzar on index cards, one letter per card. Make two sets. Tape the letters at one end of the relay area. Tape lengths of crepe paper or ribbon to hoops to create fiery hoops. Make two fiery hoops.
Group the kids into two teams. Teams should stand at the end of the relay area opposite the letters. Choose two players from each team to hold a hoop in the middle of the course. On your signal, the first 2 players from each team run to the hoop, move through the hoop, run to the letters and take a letter, and run back to the hoop. These players should hand the letters to the hoop holders and take the hoop to hold it. The players now with the letters run back to the team and tag the next players. Repeat this until all the letters have been retrieved. The team should them work together to put the king’s name in order. Talk about the Bible story. Remind the kids that God is always with them.
You can replay the game with the names of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, if you choose.
Craft – Flame Mobile
Materials: craft foam (red, yellow, orange), scissors, yarn, 12-inch dowels or unsharpened pencils, permanent markers, hole punch
Lead kids to cut flame shapes from the foam. They can print the words of the Life Point or words that remind them that God will always be with them. They can punch holes in the flame shapes and use yarn to tie the flames to dowels or pencils. Guide them to tie yarn on the top of the mobiles for hangers. Talk about the Bible story and how God is with His people today. Say the Weekly Verse together.
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