Grades 1-3
Introductory Activity – Which Way?
Materials: signs Old Testament and New Testament, tape
Tape the signs on two sides of the game area. Ask kids to stand in the middle between the two signs. Call out a book from the Bible. Tell kids to move to the correct sign showing where the book is located in the Bible. Quickly call different books from the Bible and allow kids to move. Play for several minutes. Call “Jeremiah” last. Tell kids they will hear a story from this Bible book that is about the Bible itself.
Live It Out
Game – Covered Message
Materials: large piece of paper, marker, self-stick notes
Print the Unit 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 to remove. Then the team can try to say all of the message correctly. Continue playing until a team says the complete verse correctly. Talk about the Bible story and how Jeremiah knew what words to write on the scroll. To play another round, use the Life Point or another verse as the covered message.
Craft – Scroll Writing
Materials: manila paper, black tempera paint in small cups, bamboo reed pens, string (You can use orange sticks or wooden skewers instead of bamboo pens.)
Guide kids to dip reed pens into the paint and write the words of the Life Point or Unit Verse onto manila paper. As they work, talk about the Bible story. Talk about the role of a scribe in Bible times. Many people did not write so a scribe would write words for others. That’s the job of Baruch. Jeremiah told Baruch what to write but God told Jeremiah what to write. God through the Holy Spirit inspired all the words in the Bible. When they finish, they can gently blow to dry the paint and roll up the paper like a scroll. Provide string to tie the scrolls closed.
Grades 4-6
Introductory Activity – Timed Scribing
Materials: Bibles, pencils, lined paper, timer
Give kids paper and pencils. Tell them that you would like them to copy as much of the book of Genesis as they can in 2 minutes. However, the copy must be as neat as possible. Help kids locate Genesis 1 and prepare to write as you set the timer. On your signal, kids can copy the passage. Call for kids to stop when the timer sounds. Note how much of the passage kids were able to write. Repeat with Jeremiah 36 as time permits. Tell kids that a person in the Bible story today was a scribe, a person who wrote words for others. The words this man wrote were God’s words.
Live It Out
Game – Roundabout
Materials: verse printed on large piece of paper or a white board (optional)
Guide kids to stand in a circle. Choose someone to start the game. That kid looks to her right and says the first word of the verse. The next kid looks right and says the second word. Continue around the circle. If a word is missed, the direction reverses and kids will look left as they continue the verse. Also, randomly call out “reverse,” and the game switches direction again. Repeat the verse a few times. Talk about the Life Point and discuss that all of the Bible is God’s Word. Challenge the kids to see how fast they can go all around the circle and say the whole verse with no mistakes.
Craft – Verse Door Hanger
Materials: index cards or construction paper squares, markers, other art materials, yarn, scissors, hole punches
Give each preteen two or more cards or paper squares. Tell them to write the Bible verse on their cards, spreading the words over the cards they have. As they work, talk about the Bible story. Talk about what God did, what Jeremiah and Barak did, and what the king did. When preteens complete the verse and any designs they want to add, help them punch a hole near each corner of all her cards. They can cut lengths of yarn and tie the cards together (top to bottom) in order. On the top card, tell them attach a longer length of yarn for a hanger. Suggest kids hang the verses on their room or closet doors to remind them that the Bible is God’s Word.
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