Grades 1-3
Introductory Activity – Cup Up
Materials: disponible drinking cups (for a five level high pyramid you will need 15 cups)
Guide the kids to work together to stack the cups into a pyramid shape. If you choose, allow two teams to race to see who can make their pyramid first. Explain to the kids that at the Passover meal Jesus used a cup to teach his disciples about what He was about to do.
Live It Out
Game – Pass the Bread
Materials: beanbag or ball
Tell the kids that the beanbag represents a loaf of bread. Explain that Jesus used bread a the His last supper to represent His body. Direct the kids to sit on the floor in a circle and pass the beanbag around the circle as fast as they can until you say, “Stop.” Read the Weekly Verse or say the Life Point each time you stop, encouraging the kids to repeat with you. Continue the game as time allows.
Craft – Banner
Materials: construction paper, scissors, markers, tape, yarn or ribbon
Talk about the Bible story. Guide each child to cut six squares or triangles. Tell kids to write Jesus is God’s plan of Salvation on their shapes. When a child finishes, help her cut a length of yarn (long enough to fit all of her shapes). She can lay her shapes face down, next to one another, and lay the yarn along the tops of her shapes. She can tape the shapes to the yarn and tie loops at both ends of the yarn. Tell kids they can hang their banners somewhere at home to remind them that Jesus is His promised Messiah.
Grades 4-6
Introductory Activity – “Write It” Relay
Materials: markers, large pieces of paper, tape
Group kids into teams. Teams should stand in a line, one behind the other, facing their paper. Hand a marker to the first player on each team. At your signal, players step to the paper, write something Jesus did, hand off the marker, and move to the end of the line. Guide kids to write different things from their teammates. After teams complete their lists, review what was listed. Tell kids that Jesus is God’s plan for salvation and today they will talk more about that.
Live It Out
Game – Gimme a T, Gimme an F
Materials: none
Make statements about the Bible story. Guide kids to use their bodies to make the letter T is the statement is true or F if the statements is false. Kids can lie on the floor or make their letters standing. They can work alone or with friends to make the letters. After each statement, talk about the answer and guide kids to stand again before making the next statement. Say the Life Point.
Craft – Magnetic Puzzles
Materials: heavyweight paper (cut into six-inch squares), gel pens, markers, magnetic tape, scissors, ziplock bags
Distribute squares of paper to the kids. Lead kids to write the Life Point in large colorful letters on their squares. They may want to add additional designs or embellishments around the words. Lead kids to cut their squares into several pieces (6-8) and attach magnetic tape to the backs of the pieces. They may also want to initial the backs to identify any wayward pieces. Challenge kids to work their own puzzles and then trade and work friends’ puzzles. Talk about God’s plan for salvation. Tell kids to place puzzles on their refrigerators or magnet surfaces at home to remember why Jesus came. Store the puzzles in ziplock bags to go home.
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