Grades 1-3
Introductory Activity – Step It Out
Materials: paper, marker, tape (optional)
Print the Life Point on paper, one word per page. On an additional page, draw a star. Mix the pages together and lay them in a 3-by-3 grid on the floor.
Guide a kid to step onto the star and then step on the words of the Life Point in order. As he steps on the last word, the next kid steps on the star. Challenge the group all to complete the Point as quickly as possible. If a kid missteps, she moves off the grid and back into line. Tell kids they will hear more about the Bible telling God’s plan for Jesus.
For larger groups or to increase the challenge of the game, make several grids around the room. When kids complete their grid, they move to another one to complete that. Challenge all kids to make a complete circuit of all the grids.
Live It Out
Game – Scroll Relay
Materials: paper, marker
Make a scroll for each team—Print the Life Point on a piece of paper. Roll up the paper to resemble a scroll.
Group the kids into two (or more) teams. Place half of each team on either end of the relay area. Hand the scroll to the first player of each team. On your signal, the players run to the other end of the relay area and hands off the scroll to a teammate. The teammate unrolls the scroll, reads the Life Point aloud, rerolls the scroll, and runs to the opposite end of the relay area. The player hands off the scroll and the next player unrolls, reads, rerolls, and runs. Teams continue back and forth until all team members have run the relay (or until time is called). Say the Life Point together. Ask review questions about the Bible story. Mix the group to form new teams and run the relay again.
Craft – Blueprint Reminders
Materials: white paper, white crayons, blue watercolor paint (or thinned blue tempera paint), paintbrushes
Talk about the Life Point. Say: “Plans for buildings are blueprints. The blueprints show people what the architect planned for the building’s construction. Let’s make blueprints today to remind us about God’s plan for Jesus.” Using the white paper and white crayons, kids can write the Life Point, today’s verse, or other messages about the Bible and God’s plan. They can add designs or pictures related to the Bible story. When a child has completed his writing and drawing, he paints thin blue paint over it. The paper will become blue and the white lines of the crayon will appear (as the crayon resists the paint). Suggest kids place their blueprints in a place at home to remember that the Bible tells of God’s plan for Jesus.
Grades 4-6
Introductory Activity – Prophet Shuffleboard
Materials: poster board, markers, coin
Draw 12 different-sized circles on the poster board, in random locations. Print a letter in the center of each circle: A, D, E, H, I, J, M, N, O, Z. Place the coin on the board. Lead kids to take turns using a fingertip to flick or slide the coin. After one preteen moves the coin, the next must flick it from wherever it last landed. When the coin touches a circle, ask the preteen to name a prophet whose name begins with that letter. Tell kids they hear about prophets in today’s Bible story.
Live It Out
Game – Search and Spell
Materials: beanbags (one per team), letter tiles or letters printed on paper squares
Hide these letters around the room: a, a, a, a, a, a, b, b, c, e, h, h, h, I, i, i, i, l, M, n, o, o, p, p, p, r, r, S, s, t, v, y
Group kids into teams. Guide each team to sit in a circle. Tell teams to pass the beanbags around the circle. Say: “Stop.” The kids holding the beanbags can get up and search the room for letters. Each kid should take only one letter back to his team. Start passing the beanbags again when all the kids have returned to their teams. Continue until all letters are found. Challenge teams to create words about the story with the letters they found. Make a list of the words they create. Then tell teams to pool all the letters together and make additional story words. Talk about God’s plan for Jesus that is in the Bible.
Words that can be made: prophet, Isaiah, Micah, baby, Savior, plan
Craft – Prophet Verse Wheel
Materials: paper plates, construction paper, markers, brad fasteners, scissorsDistribute the paper plates.
Guide kids to divide their plates into 4-6 wedges like a pie. (Draw lines across the plate, intersecting in the middle.) Lead kids to print a verse or portion of a verse from Isaiah or Micah in each wedge. Tell them to print the appropriate prophet’s name along the side of the plate at the head of the wedge. When kids finish their verses, give each a piece of construction paper. Guide kids cut the paper into a circle slightly smaller than the plate (so that when you lay the circle on the plate, you can see the names along the edge but verses are covered). Help kids draw a wedge shape on the paper that matches the wedge shapes on the plate. Cut out the wedge from the paper. Kids can use a brad fastener to attach the paper circle to the plate in the middle. Tell kids they can turn the circle to see the different verses that the prophets wrote about God’s plan for Jesus. Suggest kids print the Life Point on the top of the paper. If they choose they can add designs on the paper or the back of the plate.
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