Grades 1-3
Introductory Activity – Back Writing
Materials: paper, pencil
Tell kids to sit in a single-file line, with each child 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 G 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 prints the letter on the piece of paper and then moves to the back of the line. Trace the next letter on the child’s back and pass that letter up the line, too. (Spell the sentence God made families.) After all the letters have been written on the page, look at the paper and ask kids to read the sentence. See if the letters make sense. Tell kids that today they will learn about some more about God’s plan for families.
Live It Out
Game – Target Throw
Materials: masking tape, beanbags, marker, paper
Use tape to create a target (3-5 concentric circles). Print a different number of points on each piece of paper and tape points in each circle.
Group the kids into teams. Allow teams to take turns tossing the beanbag. Ask the team a review question. If they answer the question correctly, award the points. After questions are answered, allow teams to toss for points and say the verse or Life Point.
Craft – Verse Flag
Materials: white cotton cloth cut into 4-inch squares, tape, permanent markers
Help kids tape the cloth to a table so it will be easier to write and draw on it. Lead kids to write the verse on their pieces of cloth. They can draw other designs around the verse as they choose. Talk about the Bible story. Talk about families. Encourage kids to think of ways their families can work together and get along.
Grades 4-6
Introductory Activity – On-the-Spot Skits
Materials: box with a variety of everyday objects (phone, book, Bible, keys, wallet, deck of cards, pencil and paper, scissors, football, eyeglasses, etc.)
Group the kids into groups of two or three. Guide each small group to choose an object from the box. The group should use the object and act out a family situation. (Tell kids that the situation does not need to present a problem, but it could.) Call on groups to act out their skits. Tell kids that they will talk about working with family members or get along with family members.
Live It Out
Game – Over/Under
Materials: small balls (one per team), bells (one per team)
Set the bells at the far end of the game area (on a table or chairs). Group the kids into teams and tell teams to stand in single file lines, facing the bells at the far end. Hand the balls to the first player on each team. On your signal, teams pass the balls over and under. (First player passes the ball over his head to next player, that player passes the ball between his legs to next player, and so forth alternating down the line.) When the last player receives the ball, she runs to the far end and rings the team’s bell. Read a review question and the first team to ring the bell answers the question. Tell players with the ball to stand in the front of the line and give the signal to pass over/under again.
Craft – Handprint Peace Sign
Materials: white paper, construction paper, writing utensils, scissors, glue sticks
Help kids trace their handprints on white paper with their four fingers together and thumb stuck out. Kids can cut out the handprints out and glue them onto colored construction paper. The handprint will represent a dove, with the thumb being the head and the larger part being the wings. Tell kids to draw a beak, eyes, and legs so it looks even more like a dove. After creating their dove, encourage kids to write the Weekly Verse somewhere on the paper. Remind kids to display their pictures at home to help them remember to get along and work together with their family members.
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