Grades 1–6: In the Beginning — Session 4: Jacob and Esau Reconciled (August 23)

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 – Roll a Question

Materials: numbered cube, list of review questions (numbered)

Invite kids to sit in a circle. They can toss a numbered cube back and forth or pass the cube around the circle. Randomly call stop. Tell the child to roll the numbered cube. Ask the question with the number that is rolled. Begin tossing or passing the cube again to continue the game. Repeat the Bible verse with the kids.

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 – Mind Map

Materials: large piece of paper (or white board), markers

Print forgiveness in a circle in the middle of paper. Lay markers around the paper. Guide kids to create a mind map with questions about forgiveness or what they know about forgiveness. They can draw lines from the word to write words or questions. Tell them that they will learn more about forgiveness today.

Live It Out

Game – Tabletop Gameboard

Materials: sticky notes, 2 game pieces, numbered cube

Lead kids to make a gameboard with sticky notes. They can create a trail design on a tabletop. After the gameboard is complete, group kids into 2 teams. Alternate asking review questions. Teams can roll the cube and move a game piece on the trail after correctly answering a question. After a team completes the trail game, lead kids to rearrange the notes into a new game formation. Shuffle teams and play again.

Craft – Matchbook Summary

Materials: index cards (4 by 6 inches), colored pencils or pens, glue sticks, large pieces of paper

Show kids how to make a matchbook: turn a card so that the shorter edge is at the top/bottom; fold up the bottom edge about a half inch; fold the top edge to meet the bottom fold; tuck the top edge under the bottom fold to hold it closed.
Guide kids to make 3-5 matchbooks each. On the outside of the matchbooks, kids can draw pictures of the story. On the insides of the matchbooks, kids can summarize the story. Each matchbook can have a portion of the story. After a kid finishes all his matchbooks, he can glue them in order on a larger piece of paper.