Grades 1-3
Introductory Activity – Beanbag Balance
Materials: beanbags, masking tape, two dishpans or large plastic bowls
Label one dishpan True and the other one False. (Lay labels inside the dishpans so they can be seen from above.) Set the two labeled dishpans at one end of the game area. Use tape to make a path from the dishpans to the other end of the game area.
Play this game as teams or as one large group. Gather the kids at the end opposite the dishpans. Make a true/false fact statement about an animal. (Keep with generally known information or sillier statements, such as cheetahs are the fastest animal in water.) Choose a child to balance the beanbag on his head and walk along the tape path to the dishpans. Then he can nod his head forward for the beanbag to fall into the correct dishpan. Continue until all kids have had an opportunity to walk the path and drop a beanbag. (You could have more than one child participate for each question; each child would balance a beanbag and drop it in the correct dishpan.) Tell kids that today’s Bible story includes animals.
Live It Out
Game – Rainbow Ring Toss
Materials: chenille stems (different colors), thin chip containers (or large cardboard tubes)
Attach three chenille stems end-to-end, to make a ring. (Ring should be large enough to go around the chip container.) Make rings that are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Stand the chip container at one end of the game area. Mark a tossing line with tape or a rope. Guide kids to take turns standing at the tossing line and trying to toss the red ring around the chip container. When kids ring the red ring, ask a review question. Then toss the orange ring. Continue until all rings have been tossed around the container. Review the Bible story further. Repeat the Life Point together.
Craft – Rainy Paintings
Materials: different colors of washable paint, spray bottles, water, heavyweight paper, thin-line black permanent markers, drop cloth
Mix 2-3 tablespoons of washable paint with water in a spray bottle. Shake the paint and water to mix well.
Give each child a piece of paper. Lead kids to write the Bible verse or Life Point on their papers. They can add designs or other pictures with the words as they choose. Lead kids to bring their completed papers to the drop cloth and lightly spray over it with paint. Talk about the Bible story. Say that God told Noah that the rain would come and it did. Later God promised Noah that He would never flood the entire earth again. God keeps His promises
Grades 4-6
Introductory Activity – Boat Construction
Materials: plastic cups, small boxes, cork pieces, aluminum foil, other items for making boats; large shallow tub with water (about half full)
Challenge kids to work with partners to make boats. Kids will have a few minutes (choose how long – about 5 minutes) to make boats that float. It doesn’t matter what the boat looks like but it needs to float. After the time limit, test the boats. Make waves as the boats float to see if they remain on top of the water. Tell kids that God told Noah to construct a boat and told him just what to do to make it.
Live It Out
Game – Let It Fly!
Materials: balloons (one per kid), paper, marker
On paper, print these (one per page): something God did; something Noah did; Bible Verse; Life Point. Make 2 of each page. Spread these phrases in the game area. Mark a release line (where kids should stand) with tape or a rope. Group kids into teams. One player from each team steps to the release line, inflates his balloon, and releases the balloon to fly around the room (aiming to land on one of the papers). If his balloon does not land on a paper, he retrieves his balloon and moves to the end of his team’s line. If it does land on a paper, the player says something God did in the story, something Noah did in the story, the Bible Verse, or the Life Point (depending on the paper on which his balloon lands). The team gets 1 point and he retrieves his balloon and moves to the end of his team’s line. Continue with each team’s players until all team members have had at least 1 turn. Emphasize that God always keeps His promises.
Craft – Zipper Pulls
Materials: white paper, pencils, markers, lanyard hooks, scissors, clear contact plastic, hole punches, mini cookie cutters (optional)
Guide kids to use the pencils to draw simple animal shapes. They could use mini cookie cutters as stencils if available. Kids can cut out their shapes and draw designs or write messages on the shapes to remind them that God always keeps His promises. When a preteen finishes her work, help her use small pieces of contact plastic to cover both sides of the shape. Trim the edges close and punch a hole in the top of the shape. The preteen can slide her shape onto a lanyard hook to make a zipper pull. As kids work, talk about the Life Point. Tell kids that the zipper pulls can help them remember that God keeps His promises and will always do what He says He will do.
Leave a Reply