Grades 1-3
Introductory Activity – Windblown
Materials: balloons (one per child), plastic cups, tape, stopwatch or timer
Use tape to make a line on a table. Set 7 cups in a row on the line. Set up several stations of 7 cups for several kids to participate at a time.
Guide a child to stand at the table. Set the timer for 40 seconds (or whatever time you choose). On your signal, the child will inflate his balloon, hold the end of the balloon near a cup, and use the air to blow the cup off the table. He should try to blow off all the cups in the time allotted. After the time is up, he can reset the cups for the next player. Tell kids that in the Bible story today, a strong wind blew.
Live It Out
Game – Last One Standing
Materials: chairs (one per child), music
Guide kids to get chairs and form a circle. Place chairs facing out from the middle of the circle. Tell kids to stand around the chairs. Remove one chair. Play music and tell kids to walk around the circle of chairs. Stop the music and tell kids to sit. When all are sitting but one, ask a review question; the standing child can answer or ask someone to help her answer. Lead all kids to stand and start the music again. Play several rounds to review the story. Remove another chair (or several). Play the music. When the music stops, ask those standing to repeat the Life Point together.
Craft – Storm Bottle
Materials: small clear water bottles with lids (one per child), water, vegetable oil, blue food color, funnels, blue or silver glitter (optional), construction paper, scissors, glue, towels
Guide the kids to fill their bottles one-third to one-half full with water. Add a few drops of food color and shake to color the water. If you choose, add a small scoop of glitter. Pour oil into the bottle, filling it almost full. Seal the lid with glue. Guide kids to shake their sealed bottles to create a stormy lake or sea. Talk about the Bible story. Tell the kids to cut out boat shapes and sail shapes from the construction paper and glue to the outside of their bottles. (Make sure bottles are dry before gluing paper onto the outside.) Shake bottles again and watch the storm around the boat. (Option: Use permanent markers to draw boats instead of making them out of paper.) Say the Life Point.
Grades 4-6
Introductory Activity – Boat Factory
Materials: Styrofoam pieces, paper, foil, clay, craft sticks, glue, tape, straws, dishpan of water
Challenge kids to make boats. Tell them to create a boat that will float. How big of a boat can they construct that will float? They can use any combination of materials as they build. They can test buoyancy in the dishpan of water. Kids may want to track successes and failures to inform their work. Tell kids that in today’s Bible story, the disciples were in a boat with Jesus.
Live It Out
Game – Life-Sized Ring Toss
Materials: inflatable pool rings
Choose one or more kids to be the “stakes.” They can stand in the middle of the game area. Guide other kids to take turns tossing the pool rings, trying to get the rings on the stakes. The “stakes” can lean and move their bodies to try to catch the rings but feet but stay planted. When a ring lands on a stake, ask a review question or lead the kids to repeat the Life Point.
Craft – Illustrated Verse
Materials: white paper, chalk, pastels, colored pencils
Invite kids to use the materials to make an illustrated verse poster of the Unit Verse (or the Weekly Verse). Kids can use a variety of letter styles, lines, and other flourishes on their posters. As they work, talk about the Bible story and the Life Point. Talk about how Jesus showed His power. Talk about other things Jesus did to show His power. Encourage kids to display the posters in their homes to remind them about Jesus and the powerful things He did.
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