Grades 1-3
Introductory Activity – Is It Hard to Do?
No materials.
Tell kids that you will name things that people do. They can stand if they think it is hard to do or remain seated if they do not think it is hard to do. Name a variety of things with only short pauses; keep the game moving. Possible things: hitting a baseball, jumping out of an airplane, baking a cake, writing a story, reading a book with 100 pages, riding a bike, drawing someone’s picture, building a wall, swimming across a pool, teaching a dog to roll over. (Include things that fit with your kids’ interests.) Tell kids that someone faced a choice to obey God and endure a dangerous consequence.
Live It Out
Game – Roll a Question
Materials: numbered cube, list of review questions (numbered), cleaning wipes
Choose the child to roll the numbered cube. Ask the question that is rolled. The child can answer or ask a friend to help him answer. Ask the child to choose another child (not the friend who answered) to roll the cube next. (Clean the cube between children.) Talk about the choice that Daniel faced. Say that Daniel chose to obey God even though he knew that he may need to go into the lions’ den. Talk about the message that Paul spoke to the people and the people’s reaction. Repeat the Bible verse with the kids.
Craft – Diptych
Materials: heavy paper, tape, markers
Cut paper into 6-by-9-inch pieces. Give two pieces of paper to each child. Tell kids to draw (on one piece of paper) a picture of how God helped Daniel. On the other paper, they can draw a way God helps Christians today. When they complete their drawings, help them lay the drawings side by side and tape together along the side. Then their diptychs will stand. Say the Life Point together. Suggest kids print the Life Point on the back of their diptych.
Grades 4-6
Introductory Activity – Line Walk
Materials: tape
Make two parallel lines on the floor, about 10-12 feet long and 3-4 feet apart. Tell kids that they should try to walk on the straight tape lines. Choose two volunteers. Tell the two volunteers to spin two or three times. Help each person step onto his line. They should try to walk down the tape and back. Continue until all kids have a turn. Ask kids to tell what they thought when you said that they had to walk on the tape lines. Ask how they felt about it after you told them to spin around. Comment that sometimes it is difficult to obey God because of circumstances. Tell them they are going to learn about someone who faced a difficult decision.
Live It Out
Game – Covered Message
Materials: large piece of paper, marker, self-stick notes
Print the Weekly Verse on a large piece of paper. Cover the verse completely with self-stick notes. Display the covered message.
Group kids into teams. Alternate asking teams review questions. If a team answers correctly, the team can choose one note. Remove that note. The team can try to say all of the message correctly. Continue playing until a team says the complete verse correctly. To play another round, use the Life Point or the Unit Verse as the covered message.
Craft – Shoelaces
Materials: shoelaces, thin-line permanent markers
Invite kids to decorate shoelaces with the markers. Talk about the Bible story as kids work. Lead kids to add words about the Life Point as a reminder that God gives His people strength to obey. Talk with kids about making choices and remind them that they should think about the choices they are making and what God wants people to do. Comment that God will help people do the right thing and obey, even when things are difficult. Suggest kids place the shoelaces in their shoes to remind them to think about the choices they make wherever they go.
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