Grades 1-3
Introductory Activity – Worry Graffiti
Materials: large pieces of paper taped around the room, markers, pens
Write worry on each piece of paper, leaving room for kids to add words or pictures. Guide kids to draw pictures and write words on the paper about worry. They can write what worry means, draw pictures of times they worry, or write words to describe other things they worry about. Say the Life Point and tell kids they will learn what Jesus said about worry.
Live It Out
Game – Scramble and Match
Materials: index cards, marker, scissors
Write the words of the Bible verse on cards, one word per card. Cut each card in half; use wavy or zigzag lines to make each card’s cut distinctive. Make two or more sets of cards. Mix the card pieces.
Distribute the card pieces to kids. Say: “Go!” Kids should search to find who has the other halves of their cards. When pairs find each other, they should move to the side with their words. When all the pairs have been found, lead partners to stand in order to make the Life Point. (The same words can stand behind one another to make lines.) Talk about the verse and what else Jesus taught about worry.
Craft – Door Hanger
Materials: craft foam, stickers, address labels with the Life Point written on them, washable ink pads, hand wipes, hole punch, chenille stems
Guide a kid to cut foam into a rectangle or another shape. He can place a Life Point sticker on the shape and decorate with other stickers. Talk about the Bible story and what Jesus taught about worry. Suggest the kids use the stamp pads to make flowers with their fingerprints to remember what Jesus said about God’s care for the flowers. (They could press fingerprints on blank stickers to add to the hangers or press them directly on the foam shapes.) When a child finishes, help him punch a hole in the shape and add a craft stem loop as a hanger. Tell kids to hang their shapes on their doors to remind them what Jesus taught.
Grades 4-6
Introductory Activity – Back Writing
Materials: paper, pencil
Tell kids to sit in a single-file line, with each kid facing the back of the person in front of him. Lay the pencil and paper at the front of the line. Tell kids you will send a message from the back of the line to the front of the line, one letter at a time. Trace a letter D on the back of the last child in line. He traces what he thinks you made on the back of the person in front of him, and so on up the line. The child in the front of the line writes the letter on the piece of paper and then stands and moves to the back of the line. Trace the next letter on that child’s back and pass that letter up the line, too. (Spell Do not worry.) After all the letters have been written on the page, look at the paper and ask kids to read the message. See if the letters make sense. Tell kids that today they will learn what Jesus taught about worry.
Live It Out
Game – Throw Worries Away
Materials: paper, masking tape, pencils
Use masking tape to divide the game area into four square areas. Wad paper to make some paper balls. Give at least one piece of paper to each preteen. Tell kids to write some of their worries on the paper; they should not write names on the paper. They can write different worries on separate pages as they choose. Lead them to wad up all the paper into paper balls.
Group the kids into 4 teams. Divide all paper balls between teams. Tell kids that on your signal they should start tossing the paper balls into the other teams’ spaces. The goal is to toss away all the worries. After a minute or so, call time. Redistribute the balls and play again. Talk about what Jesus said about worries. Tell kids that they can give all the things they are concerned about to Jesus. Guide the kids to place all the paper balls on the crossed lines in the middle of the game court. Pray together, giving worries and concerns to God.
Craft – Bag Tag Reminder
Materials: heavyweight paper, scissors, gel pens, hole punch, plastic lacing, clear contact plastic
Invite kids to use the materials to create bag tags for their backpacks. Tell kids to cut a shape from the paper. Lead them to write the Life Point on the tags. They may want to make symbols or other designs to remind them that Jesus taught not to worry (rather than or in addition to writing the words). They can use the pens to add other details and cover the finished designs with clear contact plastic. They can punch holes to tie plastic lacing through the tags and hang these on their bags. If they choose, they could punch several holes along the sides of the tags and weave the lacing through the holes before making the ties for the bag tag. Recall what Jesus taught about worry and God’s care.
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