Grades 1-3
Introductory Activity— What’s Missing?
Materials: several building and construction related materials (hand tools, brick, piece of board, piece of pipe, roof tile, floor tile, etc.)
Arrange the items on a table or the floor. Lead kids to name each item. Tell kids to turn their backs and close their eyes. Remove one item and rearrange the items slightly. Ask kids to turn back and look at the items. Challenge them to name what it is missing. After they name the item, return it to the grouping. Ask kids to look away again and remove another item. Repeat as time allows. Ask kids to tell you what these items have in common. Tell kids that building and repairing are some key actions in today’s Bible story.
Live It Out
Game—Temple Review
Materials: pennies, cup
Form two teams with your children. Explain that you will ask them review questions from the lesson, and the team that gets the answer right will earn a penny. The team that earns the most pennies wins! Tell your children that after the game, each team will make a “Temple Deposit” by placing their pennies in the cup. Explain that the people gave money from what they earned so that the temple could be restored. Have everyone say the Weekly Verse together.
Craft—Offering Jar
Materials: empty canned food cans, washi tape, white paper, scissors, tape
Before class, gather and collect enough empty canned food cans so every child in your class can have one. In class, give every child one can, one piece of white paper, and scissors. Instruct them to cut a strip of paper to cover their can. Have them wrap the paper around the can and tape it to the can; use the washi tape to decorate their can and to write their name and OFFERING on the can (ex.—JENNIFER’S OFFERING). Encourage them to place money in the can every time they earn money so they can give it the next time they’re at church. Have everyone say the Weekly Verse together.
Grades 4-6
Introductory Activity— Coin Drop
Materials: cups, coins
Stand a cup on the floor at a child’s feet. Give the child a coin. Challenge her to hold the coin at her nose and drop the coin into the cup. Allow three tries. Then another preteen can attempt to do it. (Provide several cups and coins so several kids can do the activity at once.) Tell kids that they will hear about people dropping offerings in a chest.
Live It Out
Game— Here’s the Answer; What’s the Question?
No materials
Tell kids that you will review the Bible story in an opposite way. You will give them an answer and they must ask a question to go with the answer. Say: “The answer is a chest.” Call on a preteen to supply a question. (For example, What did Joash put outside the temple?) Questions may vary but should be considered correct if it corresponds to your answer. Continue giving answers and calling for questions. Your answers can be as specific or general as you choose but should be related to the Bible story, Life Point, or related application previously discussed. As time permits, group kids into pairs or threes to play the game. Kids can alternate giving answers and supplying questions.
Craft— Dollar Reminder
Materials: green paper, scissors, fine-point black pens or markers
Challenge kids to create something that resembles a dollar. They can cut the paper into an appropriate size and draw designs on it to look like dollars. Suggest they incorporate the Life Point or related words in their dollar designs. Recall the Bible story and the verse as kids work. Suggest kids place their dollars in their wallets or purses to remind them about honoring God by giving offerings.
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