Grades 1-3
Introductory Activity – Word Scramble
Materials: index cards with the words of the Life Point printed on them, one word per card
Hide the word cards around the room before kids arrive. Lead kids to search for the word cards. Tell them to work together to try and assemble the words in the correct order to make a sentence. Give hints as needed. (For example, tell them there are 10 cards so they will know if they are missing any words.) Read the Life Point together. Tell kids that this is the focus of today’s study.
Live It Out
Game – Musical Chairs
Materials: chairs, music player
Set up your chairs in a circle, with the chairs facing outward. There should be one less chair than the number of kids you have in class. Tell them they will walk around the chairs and when the music stops, they must sit down in a chair. If they do not get to a chair in time, ask them to share with the class someone they had to forgive recently. (They do not need to share the details, just the name, if they’re comfortable with that.) Be sure to remove a chair after each round. After a winner is determined, remind the kids that Esau forgave Jacob, even though he was really mad. Write the Life Point on the board and have everyone say it together.
Craft – Mosaic
Materials: black construction paper, different colors of construction paper scraps, glue, white crayons
Lead each child to print forgive in large letters on a piece of black construction paper (using the white crayon). Kids can tear pieces of colored paper and glue on the word. They should cover the entire word with the colored paper. (If they choose, they can leave small spaces between the colored paper to have visible black lines between the colors.) As they work, talk about the Bible story. Say the Life Point with kids. Talk about times that family members may need to ask for forgiveness.
Grades 4-6
Introductory Activity – Facial Emoji’s
Materials: no materials needed
Tell your kids that you are going to read a series of scenarios, and they are to make a facial expression that will show how they would feel in that situation. If a situation prompts an angry face, ask that child if they would be willing to forgive that person. After you go through a series of scenarios, explain to your kids that people will do things to hurt their feelings. In those moments, they are faced with a choice to forgive the other person or not. God calls us to forgive others because He offers to forgive our sins. Have everyone read the Weekly Verse together.
Possible scenarios: Mom pulled out ice cream after dinner. Your brother accidentally broke your video game controller. Your little sister jumped out of your closet to scare you. Your dad spent time with just you today. Your brother made fun of you in front of your friends. Your sister snuck into your room and took your favorite book.
Live It Out
Game – Forgiveness Review
Materials: no materials needed
Form two teams with your kids. Explain that you will read review questions from the curriculum, and the first team to yell, “I forgive you!” and answer the question correctly will get a point. If the answer is incorrect, the other team will get a chance to answer correctly. Whichever team has the most points at the end will be the winner. Say the Life Point together. Remind the kids that God can help them to forgive someone.
Craft – Emotional Pictures
Materials: paper, crayons or colored pencils
Hand out the supplies to your kids. Instruct them to write ANGER/HURT at the top of one side of the paper and FORGIVENESS on the top of the other side. Tell your kids to draw the emotion of anger or hurt on one side and draw a picture of what forgiveness feels like on the other side. Afterwards, give kids the opportunity to explain their drawing and why they chose that drawing. Remind your kids that God calls us to forgive others because He forgave us.
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