Grades 1–3
Introductory Activity – Fish in the Net
Materials: tissue paper, scissors, masking tape, paper plates
Cut large fish
shapes from tissue paper. Use tape to create a large “net” on the floor at one
end of the game area. Tape a start line at the other end of the game area.
Guide a child to place a fish at the start line. Then he can use a paper plate
to fan air to move the fish forward. He should keep fanning the fish until the
fish is in the net. Play as a large group or create teams for a relay. Comment
that fish and nets are in today’s Bible story.
Live It Out
Game—Tic-Tac-Toe Review
Materials: tape, 3 beanbags of 2 colors each
Use tape to create a tic-tac-toe grid at one end of the game area. Group the kids into teams. Ask Team 1 a question. If the question is answered correctly, a member can run down to the grid and place one of the team’s beanbags in a space. Then ask Team 2 a question. After all six beanbags are placed, if there is no three in a row, a team member runs down and moves a team’s beanbag to a new spot (after answering a question). Continue until one team gets three in a row.
Craft—Sun Catcher
Materials: clear contact plastic, tissue paper scraps, scissors, permanent marker
Lead kids to cut two rectangles of contact plastic that are the same size. Help a child peel the backing from one of her rectangles and lay the paper with sticky side up. Tell her to cover the rectangle with tissue paper pieces as she chooses. When she finishes, help the child peel backing from the other rectangle and lay the sticky side down on top of the tissue paper design. Talk about the Bible story and note that Jesus has the power to return again and will return one day. Talk about possible shapes that could help the kids remember this promise. Lead them to draw an outline of a particular shape on the completed design and cut it out to make the sun catcher. (Shapes could be a letter J, a cross, or a crown.) Tell kids to stick the shape to a window in their home to remind them about today’s Bible story.
Grades 4–6
Introductory Activity—Net Toss
Materials: inflated balloons, decorative fishing net or small tablecloth
Scatter the inflated balloons in the game area. Lead kids to take turns tossing the net (or tablecloth) and pulling it in to catch the balloons. Count how many kids catch at a time. Challenge them to catch all the fish in one or two tosses. Tell the kids that In today’s Bible story, men fished but caught nothing.
Live It Out
Game—Race to the Chairs
Materials: Paper, 4 chairs, pencils, markers, tape
Print point values on 4 pieces of paper; tape one of the point values to each chair. Scatter the chairs along one end of the game area. Create two teams. Give each team paper and pencils. Choose two players from each team to play first. Ask a review question. Each player must write down the answer and then race to the chairs and sit in one. After all four chairs are filled, ask each player to show his answer. If the answer is correct, his team gets the points for that chair. All correct answers are given points. (But the answer must be written down and readable.) Choose two more players from each team to answer the next question. Talk about ways Jesus showed His power.
Craft—Power Stand-Ups
Materials: heavyweight paper, colored tape, scissors, markers, glitter pens or other decorative pens
Lead kids to cut 5 squares of paper, approximately 6 inches square. Tell them to print the letters of the word power on the squares (one letter per square). They can use decorative letters or add other embellishments around the letters. Show kids how to lay the letters side by side and use tape to connect the squares together. Fold on the tape accordion style and stand up the word. Talk about Jesus’ power and say the Life Point. Suggest kids print the Life Point on the back of their stand-ups.
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