Grades 1-3
Introductory Activity – Pom-pom Pickup
Materials: lots of pom-poms of different sizes; chopsticks, spoons, tweezers, small tongs, and/or other “tools” for picking up things; plastic cups
Set the cups around the sides of the game area. Scatter the pom-poms throughout the game space.
Guide each kid to choose a tool to use for the game. On your signal, kids scramble to pick up the pom-poms, one at a time, and place in a cup. They may not use their hands to pick up pom-poms but must use one of the tools. (Allow kids to swap tools as available.) Continue for a designated period of time or until all pom-poms are cleared. Say: “Today you gathered things for fun. In our Bible story today, God told the people to gather something to help them survive.”
Live It Out
Game – Pop the Verse Words
Materials: paper, marker, play parachute or flat bed sheet
Print the words of the Unit Verse (or Weekly Verse) on paper, one or two words per page. Wad the paper into balls. (For more of a challenge, wad a few blank pieces of paper, too.)
Guide kids to stand around the parachute or sheet, evenly spaced. Tell them to hold a side of the parachute. Kids should back up until the parachute is fully level to the floor (but not too taut). Toss the paper wads onto the parachute. Guide kids to move the parachute up and down until a few paper wads pop off. Check the words that fell off the parachute. Find the first word of the verse. Wad the words that are not the first word and toss them back on the parachute. Continue to pop off the words and find each word in order. Say the verse together. Talk about how God showed His power. Say the Life Point and discuss how God showed His love for the people. Wad the words and play the game again as time allows.
Craft – Wristband
Materials: 2-inch-wide paper strips, markers, colored tape, scissors, hole punch, thin ribbon
Talk about the Bible story and say the Life Point. Distribute the paper strips. Lead kids to write the Life Point on the paper strips. They can decorate the strips as wristbands. When they have completed their designs, help them punch a hole in each end of the strip. Cut lengths of ribbon and help kids tie a ribbon in each hole. Then help them use the ribbons and tie the wristbands around their wrists. Say the Life Point again together and lead kids to pray and thank God for His love and kindness.
Grades 4-6
Introductory Activity – Blind Scavenger Hunt
Materials: gift bags (one per team), variety of small items (markers, crayons, small blocks, coins, cotton balls, small books, pencils, pens, notepads, and so forth; use whatever items you have on hand)
Place the small items around the room, easily visible but not all in the same area. Group the kids into teams and give each team a gift bag. Tell teams to collect 10 items. They can have only 10 items in their bags; each individual item counts as 1. On your signal, tell teams to gather their items. After a few minutes, stop the gathering, if needed. Each team should group together in a different area of the room. Call out a characteristic, such as: “Something yellow.” Teams will search in their bags to see if they have something yellow. Each team that has a yellow item gets a point. (Keep track of points on a white board or ask an adult to keep score.) Call out other characteristics for teams to search for. Say: “Today you gathered things for fun. In our Bible story today, God told the people to gather something to help them survive.”
Teaching Tip: Decide if teams can use the same item multiple times or only once. For example, can a team use a yellow marker for something yellow and something that writes? State your rule at the beginning of the search game.
Live It Out
Game – Bin Basketball
Materials: ball of tape or large paper wad ball, trash can
Group the kids into two or more teams. Ask Team 1 a review question. If the team answers the question correctly, award 3 points. After a correct answer, give the ball to a team member to shoot into the trash can. If the ball goes into the can, award 2 more points to the team. Ask Team 2 a question. Continue to alternate between/among teams to review the story. Talk about how God showed His kindness and love to the people. To extend the game, tell teams to alternate shooting the ball into the can. If a ball lands in the can, ask the team to say the Life Point; award 2 points after they say the Point.
Craft – Verse Flag
Materials: paper cut into pennant shapes, markers, colored tape, thin dowels or unsharpened pencils
Guide kids to print the Weekly Verse or Unit Verse on the pennant shapes and decorate around the verse. Talk about the Bible story and the Life Point. Suggest the kids draw a picture on the back of the verse to illustrate the Bible story or Life Point. When finished, kids can tape their flags onto dowels or pencils. Thank God for His power and offer praises that no one else is like God.
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