Grades 1-3
Introductory Activity – Count and Sit
Materials: none
Lead kids to stand in a circle. Indicate which kid should start. Kids count off up to 10. The child who says “10” sits down. The next child starts again with 1. Continue going around the circle, the standing kids counting, until only one kid remains standing. Ask kids to tell you what Bible stories they think of when they hear the number 10.
Live It Out
Game – Team Tic-Tac-Toe
Materials: tape, 3 beanbags of 2 colors each
Use tape to create a large tic-tac-toe grid at one end of the game area. Group the kids into teams. Ask Team 1 a question. If the question is answered correctly, a member can run down to the grid and place one of the team’s beanbags in a space. Then ask Team 2 a question. Repeat until all six beanbags are placed. If there is no three in a row, continue the game. After answering, a team member runs down and moves a team’s beanbag to a new spot. Continue until one team gets three in a row.
Craft – Diptych
Materials: heavyweight paper (two sheets per kid), wide transparent tape, markers, scissors
Distribute the pairs of paper to kids. Lead kids to print the Life Point on one of their pieces of paper. Talk about the Bible story and what the Commandments say about God. Tell the kids to draw picture of the Bible story to help them remember the story and the Point that God is holy. They may also want to print some or all of the Commandments around their pictures. When finished, guide kids to lay their two pages facedown side by side and use wide tape to attach them together along the long side. Tell kids to flip over their taped papers and carefully fold together along the taped side. Open and stand up the diptychs. (As needed, add tape to the front sides along the fold to reinforce.)
Grades 4-6
Introductory Activity – Bounce 10
Materials: plastic cups, unsharpened pencils with erasers, marker, timer (optional)
Set 3-5 cups in a line on a table. Lay a group of pencils with each set of cups.
Guide kids to take turns bouncing the pencils on their erasers and into the cups. The entire group of kids can work together to bounce 10 pencils into the cups. Or form teams and lead each team to bounce 10 pencils into their own cup. If you choose, set the timer for 1 minute (or another length of time) and challenge teams to get the pencils in the cups before timer sounds. Tell kids that they will hear a story that has 10 of something in it.
Live It Out
Game – Commandment or Not
Materials: 11 pieces of paper, plastic cone or large cup
Lay the pieces of paper in a line on the floor (to make the gameboard). Place the cone on the middle piece of paper. Group the kids into two teams; lead teams to sit at either end of the gameboard. Tell kids that you will make a statement and the team will need to tell whether or not that is a Commandment. Start with one team. If the team answers correctly, a player moves the cube one space toward the team’s end zone. Give a statement to the other team. If correct, that team moves the cone back toward their team’s end zone. Continue until one team moves the cube into their end zone. To extend the game, ask the teams review questions about the Bible story.
Teaching Tip: “Non commandments” can be statements that may represent correct actions but are not one of the specific Ten Commandments, such as “Do not hit your brother” or “Take turns with a game controller.” Explain that these are things you may do that may support the Commandments but they are not one of the Commandments given by God.
Craft – Fidget Toy
Materials: small clear containers (one per kid), small river rocks, rice or birdseed, colored tape, thin-line permanent markers
Give each kid 2-3 rocks and invite them to write the Life Point, one word per rock. Talk about the Life Point and the Bible story. Encourage kids to think of times God has shown that He is holy. Tell kids to place their word rocks in clear containers and fill the containers with rice. Help them seal the lids with tape. Tell kids to place their fidget toys on their desks at home; they can move the containers around to see the words. Lead kids to pray and praise God for His holiness.
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