Grades 1-3
Introductory Activity – Tent Builders
Materials: blankets, pillows, chairs, tables
Tell the kids they are going to build tents to sit in during today’s Bible story. Hand out blankets and allow them to use the chairs and tables in your classroom. Afterward, explain that Isaac, a person in today’s Bible story, and his family always lived in tents because they often had to move. Challenge your children to count how many times Isaac had to move in today’s story.
Live It Out
Game – Well Digging Relay
Materials: large buckets, sand, trowels, small toys, large dropcloth
Fill two buckets with sand and place small toys in the sand. Lay a dropcloth on one side of the room. Place the two sand-filled buckets on one side of the room and place two empty buckets next to them, on the dropcloth. Form two teams of kids. Inform them of the rules of the relay race: each team will stand across from the buckets; one team member at a time will run to the bucket and use the trowel to find a toy; kids can dump sand into the empty bucket; each toy represents one point. Add that the team that spills the least amount of sand receives 4 extra points. The team with the most points is the winner! Explain that people kept arguing with Isaac when he dug wells, but each time, he chose to respond peacefully. Say the Life Point together.
Craft – “Open Spaces” Well
Materials: small cardboard tubes, green construction paper, markers, tape
Give every child a cardboard tube, a piece of construction paper, and some markers. Explain they are going to create a well, one like Isaac would dig to find water. Instruct them to decorate their tubes to look like it’s covered in bricks. They can stand the well in the middle of the construction paper and tape it to the paper. Instruct them to write the Life Point on the paper.
Grades 4-6
Introductory Activity – Water Tasting
Materials: flavoring, water, pitchers, cups
Make three pitchers of water using different flavorings for each. Using a clear pitcher, create a fourth container of water with dirt at the bottom. In class, set out cups of each flavoring of water (not including the dirt-infused water) and allow the children to drink each flavoring. Allow the children to vote on their favorite flavor. Next, bring out the dirt-infused pitcher and ask if any kids would like to drink water with dirt in it. Explain that when Isaac lived, people always had to dig holes in the ground to find water, so finding clean water was a huge problem to solve! Tell your children they will see how Isaac had to build multiple wells in today’s Bible story.
Live It Out
Game – Well Water Relay
Materials: buckets, water, cups
Take your children to a large outdoor area. Form two teams with your children and line them up. Place a bucket by the first person on each team. Place two buckets filled with water 30 feet away from each team. Give each team a cup. Tell the teams that one person at a time will scoop water out of the bucket and dump it into the empty bucket. After everyone has participated, the team that transferred the most water will be the winner! Afterward, explain that Isaac had to dig multiple wells before people would stop arguing with him. In each instance, he chose the peaceful route and did not fight against them. Say the Life Point together.
Option: If it is not possible to go outdoors, play indoors using paper balls, table tennis balls, small blocks, or other small items instead of water.
Craft – “Find Peace with Others” Posters
Materials: white cardstock, markersExplain to your children that they will make posters to remind others that they can find peace with other people. Give everyone a piece of cardstock and some markers. Instruct them to rotate their paper vertically and write FIND PEACE WITH OTHERS across the top. Tell them to draw a picture from today’s Bible story that represents how Isaac chose peace. Direct them to write the Life Point at the bottom their picture. Allow volunteers to share their posters with the class.
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