Grades 1–3
Introductory Activity—Never Have I Ever
Materials: no materials needed
Gather kids into a circle and encourage kids to hold out 5 fingers (or ten if time allows). Go around the circle and, one at a time, each kid should announce something he has never done, starting the sentence with “Never have I ever…” A kid might say, “Never have I ever eaten Brussel sprouts.” For each statement, all the other kids drop a finger if they have done what was said. So, if three other people have been to Europe before, those three people must put down a finger repeatedly until they have none remaining. Remind kids that some people may never choose to do some of the things listed! We all make choices every day, and this unit will be about how we can honor God with our choices.
Live It Out
Game—Bubble Wrap Relay
Materials: 12-by-12-inch squares of bubble wrap per child (enough to for each word of the Weekly Verse times 2), tape
Tape two bubble wrap paths, each with enough squares for the Weekly Verse. Form kids into two teams and line each team behind a path. Practice saying the Weekly Verse with the kids several times. Tell kids that when you say “Go,” the first person on each team should shout out the first word of the verse and flatten the first square of bubble wrap. They can go to the end of their lines and play continues with the next person. When both teams have finished, remind the kids that Isaac made a choice to keep peace with his neighbors instead of fighting.
Craft—Make a Peace Sign
Materials: paper, scissors, markers or colored pencils
Show kids how to cut a circle out of paper and draw a peace sign. If kids are comfortable enough with scissors, they can cut out the inside part of the peace sign, too. Encourage them to write the Life Point around the outside of their peace sign then decorate it however they would like. Kids can hang their peace sign wherever they will see it throughout the day—in their bedrooms, on their bathroom mirrors, or wherever they like—to remind them to pursue peace with others!
Grades 4–6
Introductory Activity—That’s Not Yours, It’s Mine
Materials: several small blankets or towels, several small foam balls
As kids arrive, form them into teams of two to four. Tell them to work together to toss the ball while holding the blanket or towel. After a few minutes, say, “That’s not yours, it’s mine!” Kids should drop the blanket and move to another group. Continue in this way for several turns. Ask the kids to help you fold and put away the blankets and balls. Ask how they felt having to leave their groups for another. Explain that today they will hear about a person who heard those words and made a choice on how to deal with it.
Live It Out
Game—Weekly Verse Toss
Materials: ball, dry erase board and markers
Gather kids into a circle and write the Weekly Verse on a board in the front of the room. Toss the ball to someone and tell them to say the first word of the Weekly Verse. He should then toss the ball to someone else, and she says the second word. Keep the ball going around the circle to people who have not had the ball yet until the group has said the entire verse. Say the verse together again. Erase the verse from the board. This time, if someone doesn’t know the word, he steps out of the circle to cheer everyone else on. Play as long as time allows.
Craft―Community Brainstorm
Materials: poster board, coloring utensils, decorating supplies including stickers, gems, etc.
Create groups of three to four kids and give them each a poster board. Tell kids they will have a short time to create a poster board of ideas to create peace within their community. Tell them to think about the specific areas where they live. If they need help, give them some general ideas like volunteering, being kind to people at school, and so on. At the end, allow each group to share and consider if there is anything your group can do together at some point throughout the unit. Post the boards up in your space for the rest of the unit as a reminder to choose peace with others.
I think you could have come up with a better activity than using the peace symbol. Just sayin’.