Bible Crafts and Activities
For Sunday School

Bible Themes:

Ruth and Naomi, Salt, Salvation, Samson, Samuel, Season, Sin, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, I am Special, and Special Abilities (Talents).

Ruth and Naomi

"Friends Stick Together"Bible Lesson about Ruth and Naomi - The following ideas come from The Resource Room. To see the complete lesson and download patterns click on the link above.

Crafts and Activities

1. Color a picture of Naomi and Ruth - The pattern for this craft is available to members only.

2. Make Naomi and Obed paper dolls - Print out the pattern on to card stock (heavy paper) and cut out Naomi and Obed (A pattern for this craft is available to members only. Use a razor blade or Exacto knife to cut a slit above Naomi's arms and hands and below. Cut the Obed paper doll around the hands and arms up to the chest. In class have your children color the paper dolls. After your children have colored the paper dolls show them how to slip Obed in and out of Naomi's arms.

3. Make a "Friends Stick Together" Cat Craft - (The patterns for this craft is available to members only.)

4. Gleaning Wheat or Other Grain - Bring in some sheaves of wheat or other grain. You can buy sheaves of wheat or other grains at a craft store. You can find millet still on the branch at a bird or pet store. Tell your children that one of the women in the story today gleaned some grain from a farmer's field. She had to pick up the grain that was leftover after the farmer had gathered his crop. After she had picked up the leftover grain, she would have to separate the seed from the chaff. Your children may want to do this. If you let your children do this, wet the wheat the night before so that it isn't too dry. If it is too dry, it can be kind of prickly. You can have your children glue some of the grains onto their picture if they would like. Of they can place some seeds in a plastic bag and take it home with their Bible verse card.

5. Gleaning Bible Verse Review - Cut out grain shapes from construction paper. Write one word of the Bible verse on each grain shape. Leave half of the seed shapes blank. Place all the seed shapes on the floor face down.Tell the children that they are going to "glean" the Bible verse. Have them take turns picking up one of the grain shapes. If it has a word on it, they will place it in a basket. If it doesn’t have a word on it, they will turn it back over and leave it on the floor. Tell them how many grain shapes they need to complete the verse. (Use a shortened form of the verse for younger children.) When all the grain shapes have been collected, see if the children can put them in order to figure out the Bible verse.

6. Gleaning Wheat - Before we get started, we are going to talk about wheat and bread. Wheat is a kind of crop. That means it is grown on a farm. Wheat is used to make bread. Gathering the grain is called “gleaning”. We are going to practice gleaning grain so that you will understand what Ruth had to do to get food to eat.

What you will need: Small bowls, storage boxes, sand (or sugar, salt, or cornmeal), grains from dried wheat (or rice or dried peas or beans)

Give each child a small bowl. Divide the children into groups. Give each child a storage box with sand in it. Put grains from dried wheat (available at craft stores) in the sand and mix them together. Instruct the children that their job is to pick out the grains and “gather a bushel”. Explain that they are gleaning grain, just as Ruth did for Naomi.

Note: For this activity, I used 28 qt. storage boxes from Wal-Mart. They came with lids, so I was able to fill the boxes the night before and just put them on the table the next morning. Very little preparation was required, aside from getting the grains from the dried wheat. It is easy, but messy. They fall out easily; it just takes a little time to get them all out. Another option would be to substitute something else for the grains, such as brown rice. This may be a little more difficult for small children. (Tina Russell sent in this idea.)

7. "Stick Together" Relay - Divide your children up into teams of two. Give each team a balloon. Tell your children that they have to get the balloon down to the other end of the room around a chair and back to the beginning to the line, but they can't use their hands, arms, mouths, or feet except to pick up and place the balloon at the beginning of the game. Tell your children they can decide where they want to place the balloon, but they must do it as a team and remember to "Stick Together" just like Naomi and Ruth did in the Bible lesson. They may want to place the balloon between their arms, on their hips, between their shoulders, etc.

8. Make Sticky Rolls - Bring in the ingredients to make sticky rolls. Use dough that has already been prepared and risen once. Let your children help roll them out and add the sticky topping. Teach them this rhyme as you work. Let each children roll and work as long as it takes to say the rhyme once.

Sticky Rolls
Written by Nancy Foss

There were rolls for the oven and they needed some lovin'
So I rolled them to the left and I rolled them to the right.
I sprinkled them with sugar, and squeezed them just right.
I'll eat one, you eat two.
Sticky, Sticky, oh so Sticky.

If you don't want to make sticky rolls, have your children roll around on floor and do actions to the rhyme. Have them stick together at the end of poem by sitting shoulder to shoulder. Rock side to side to see if they all stick together. They will all have to rock the same direction at the same time. Talk about friends sticking together like the rolls.

9. Friends Stick Together Rolls - Cut circles from brown construction paper. Show your children how to make swirls with glue and then sprinkle cinnamon on the raised glue swirls. Write their names on the rolls and have them place them in pan to stick together with their friend's rolls. Tape the pan or sticky rolls to the bulletin board with the saying, "Friends Stick Together".

10. Sorting Grain - Before class mix cotton balls and macaroni noodles together and place half the mixture in one bowl and the other half in another bowl. Divide the children up into two teams. Pick two children to be "Sticky Friends". Place masking tape or duct tape around the "Sticky Friends", sticky side out. Stick the end of the tape to the child then bend it back so the sticky side is out. Bring the tape all the way around the child and back over to the beginning of the tape so that the tape goes all the way around the child. Designate one "Sticky Friend" to be noodles and the other cotton.

The teams must stick and sort the cotton balls and noodles in their bowls to the correct "Sticky Friend". Each team member pick one cotton ball or noodle from the bowl, runs to the correct "Sticky Friend", stick it to the tape and then run back to the starting line. The first team to sort all their noodles and cotton balls wins. Talk about the lesson and how Ruth had to glean the grain and then separate the chaff from the seed in order to make flour.

11. Sticking With My Friends
Written by Nancy Foss
(Sing to the Tune of "I'm Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee"

I'm sticking with my friends 'till the end.
Won't my Jesus be so proud of me.
I'm sticking with my friends 'till the end.
Won't my Jesus be so proud of me.
I'm sticking with my friends 'till the end,
Forever and ever Jesus, Amen.
I'm sticking with my friends 'till the end,
Ahhh, Amen.

12. A Friend Loveth
Written by Nancy Foss
(Sing to the tune of "I May Never March in the Infantry"

A friend loveth at all times,
At all times, at all times,
A friend loveth at all times,
Proverbs 17:17

13. Make a Bread and Wheat Poster - Cut a loaf of bread shape from brown construction paper. Glue a square piece of beige construction paper to the loaf so that it looks like a slice of bread with a crust. Cut out two wheat shapes out of yellow construction paper and glue it on a full sheet of blue construction paper for the background. I glued two wheat shapes on either side of the loaf and wrote the verse around the sides of the background sheet "I pray that the Lord God of Israel will reward you for what you have done. Ruth 2:12" Instead of cutting wheat from paper, some wheat from a florist or craft store can be used. This idea was sent in by Lori.

Wheat and Bread Pattern (Large file or small file)

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Salt

Scripture reference: Matthew 5:13-16

Make salt and light candles. This idea comes from ChristianCrafters.com This idea was sent in by Becky. She used baby food jars with napkin appliqués. The kids to put salt on the jars where the lid screws on. She says that they did not dry at camp because of the humidity (no air conditioning) but they were fine once they got home.

Salvation

New Creation - Being Born Again

Scripture reference: - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Crafts:

Use red and blue play dough to do a "New Color Object Lesson" - Children's Sermons.com has a great object lesson and short sermon to teach children about becoming a new creature.

Make a salvation bracelet - For the directions to this craft go to Pilot Grove Baptist Church web site. You can make the bracelet and send home a copy of what the bead stand for with each child.

Jesus Refuels Us!

What you will need: Two rechargeable batteries (one charged and one not), battery charger, battery operated item.

Show the class the battery-operated item using the charged battery and the uncharged one. Explain to them that without being charged" with Jesus, we are "Dead!" Let the battery charger represent Jesus. When we're "charged", we are "Alive!" Sincerely, Amy

Salvation Message and Craft lesson - Here's a fun way to present the Salvation message. Each child is given a plastic cross frame. You can buy 12 of these for $3.95 from Oriental Trading. They pour different colors of Sandy Candy into the cross as each part of the salvation message is taught. They can take the cross home to remind them of the lesson.

Salvation Marble Maze - This is a great activity for older children. Give each child a cardboard box lid and have them draw a maze inside the lid. Then have them cut strips of card stock (Heavy paper) to glue along the lines of the maze to make it 3D. Have your children label the end of the maze "salvation". Talk about things that may keep people from accepting Jesus as their Savior such as thinking they can be good enough, unbelief, false teachings, thinking the world has more to offer, etc. Have your children write these things on stickers and stick them to paths in maze that are dead ends and don't lead to "salvation". They can also write things such as: Bible study, prayer, asking for forgiveness, truth, Holy Spirit, Jesus, etc. on the path to "salvation." To play place a marble at the beginning of the maze. Move the box so that the marble travels through the maze until it reaching "salvation'. This idea was sent in by Jeanette Boxall

Faith Key Chain Craft Kit

Oriental Trading Company offers this craft kit including an instruction sheet describing each color. You can buy one dozen kits for only $3.95. Just type in 48/3031 in the search box on the left of the page. They also have kits to make faith bracelets, shoelace pins, and necklaces. Type in 48/2290, 48/1432, 48/1433, or 48/15 in the search box on the left.

 

Oriental Trading Company offers easy, inexpensive, ready-to-assemble Vacation Bible School and Christian Crafts! To check them out click the picture above.

Lessons:

"He Will Make You Clean!" Mark 1: 40-42, "A Man with Leprosy" - Sunday school lesson on The Resource Room - In this lesson children learn that sin is like a sickness that separates us from God and if we ask God to forgive us, he will forgive or heal us of our sins and make us clean again. Children make Soap Air Fresheners from a bar of soap. This lesson is available to Resource Room members only.

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"New Creation Butterfly"-Sunday School lesson on The Resource Room Children learn that they were born for a purpose. When you become a Christian you become more and more like Jesus as you grow in your faith. Children can make a Changing Picture - This picture looks like a picture of a caterpillar when you look at it from one direction and a butterfly when you look at it from another direction. This lesson is available to Resource Room members only.

"Child of God"- Sunday School Lesson on The Resource Room - In this lesson children learn how to become a child of God. They learn that God is like our fathers here on earth -- he takes cares of us, guides us, protects, and comforts us, but that only God can meet all of our needs. Craft: ABC steps of “How to become a Christian” Bible Verse key chain. This lesson is available to Resource Room members only.

Butterfly Magnet with a Dry Erase Board for the refrigerator - This craft is available through Oriental Trading Company,. All the supplies are precut and packaged into separate projects. Type in 48/2539 in the search box to find this craft. It costs $6.00 to make 12 butterflies. about 50 cents each. I provided other foam pieces so the children could make theirs different if they wanted to.

Samson

The following ideas come from a lesson about Samson on The Resource Room.

How Strong Are You? - A Story About Samson - Bible Lesson Ideas

Crafts and Activities:

1. Make a Hairy Samson - (Prepare a sample craft at least two weeks before the lesson so the grass has a chance to grow.)

What you will need: A paper cup, fast germinating grass seeds, dirt, nylons (optional) if you have them.

What to do:

1. Have your children draw a face on one side of the cup and write the Bible verse on the other, and then fill the cup with dirt.

2. Have them sprinkle grass seed on top and water. Place a piece of plaster wrap over the top and secure with a rubber band.

3. Tell them watch Samson's hair start to grow in a few days.

You can also make this craft using nylon stocking - Go to DIY for pictures and instructions.

2. Make a "How Strong Are You? Book - This book teaches children that God not only gives us physical strength, but can give us strength to do what is right.

Children color the pictures in the book and then draw arrows on the "weak to very strong" gage on the right side of the paper in the appropriate area depending on how strong or weak they feel they are at doing the specific task on that page.

The book can also be assembled so that there is only one gage on the back page and the arrow is moveable. A pattern for this book is available to members only on The Resource Room.

3. Illustrate the Story Using a Demonstration - You will need empty aluminum soda pop cans. Show your children an empty pop can, place it on the floor, and put your foot on it and balance your weight over it while holding onto the back of a chair. Let your children step on it and try to balance their weight on it also. Comment on how strong the can is.

Tell the children that Samson didn't always do what he was supposed to do. He did a bad thing when he wanted to please Delilah more than God. God cannot be around sin, and didn't help him to be strong when the bad men came and put him in prison. Putting a dent in this can is like letting sin into your life. (Place a dent in the can.) Now what do you think will happen if I try to step on this can? (Show your children how the can cannot hold your weight any longer.) This is what sin does to our lives, and what it did to Samson's life. But remember, when we ask God to forgive us, he takes away our sins and it is like we have no more dents. (Show your children a new can.) God makes us strong again. (Let your children try the demonstration on other cans.) (This idea was sent in by Narita Roady.)

You will find even more activities relating to Samson on The Resource Room.

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Samuel

Samuel Grows on the Inside and the Outside Sunday School Lesson

(Click on the link above for the complete lesson and craft patterns) .Children enjoy this lesson because they get to help the teacher with it. They repeat simple rhymes whenever Samuel speaks.

"Look, Mom, look!
Look what I can do.

I can open the doors
and sweep the floors."

The rhymes also help them to remember the story.

1. Samuel's coat craft - Children make a book of coats in which everytime they open a page the coat gets bigger and bigger. They will enjoy seeing more and more of the background design revealed as Samuel's coats get bigger and bigger each time Hannah comes to visit him. They can also make the same craft used by the teacher in this lesson. Children color the material design pattern and then place a large coat pattern which has the center cut out so that the design shows through the coat. They tape a smaller coat pattern with the inside cut out over the larger pattern. And then tape an even smaller coat pattern over that one. As they lift each coat pattern, the coat gets bigger and bigger revealing more and more of the design below.

Children love this lesson because they can relate to Samuel and how he learned to do more and more things as he grew. They enjoy sharing with the class what they have learned to do over the past year.

Games and Activities

1. Talk about babies. When babies are first born they can't do very much. They can cry, and drink a bottle and grab on to things. They can't talk or walk, or even sit up, and they can't even see very well. It isn't long though before they can sit up by themselves. Ask the children what they can do now that they couldn't do when they were a baby. Make a list on the board. Ask them what they know now that they didn't know before and write those on the board. Or let each children share something.

2. Color a picture of Samuel and Hannah - (Available to members only.)

3. Pretend to be babies - Younger children will have fun pretending they are babies again. Tell them to roll over, scoot on their stomachs, get up on their knees, rock back and forth, then crawl, then stand and hold on to things, then walk.

4. Organize coats in order of size - Young children will not only enjoy organizing the coats, but will also enjoy seeing all the different patterns and feeling the different textures of the different materials in this activity.

Before class print out the patterns (Available to members only) and cut them from card board. Then cut the same patterns from patterned paper such as wall paper samples or material. Glue the material or patterned paper to the card board patterns. Glue on buttons and other decorative items if you wish.

In class have the children place the coats in order according to size. Starting from the smallest to the biggest. If you have older children, you can play a game to see who can organize them the fastest.

5. Make Samuel's Coat - Precut dryer sheets in the shape of a coat and have the children drop diluted food coloring on them with an eyedropper. (You could also use heavy duty paper towels if you don't have dryer sheets.)

6. Sing "Samuel the Boy" by Nancy Foss
(Sung to I'm a little Teapot)

Samuel's a boy short and stout.
Watch him grow inside and out.
When he gets all grown up, look about
Praise the lord and give a shout. (Shout)

7. Samuel Grew Inside & Out by Theresa Bostick
(to the tune of “I Will Make You Fishers Of Men”)

Sam - u - el grew inside and out (begin by squatting and stand all the way up--pull hands into chest and move them out)
Inside and out (pull hands into chest and move them out)
Inside and out (pull hands into chest and move them out)
Sam - u- el grew inside and out (begin by squatting and stand all the way up--pull hands into chest and move them out)
He learned to please God (touch temple with finger, as if thinking and then to God)

I am growing inside and out (begin by squatting and stand all the way up--pull hands into chest and move them out)
Inside and out (pull hands into chest and move them out)
Inside and out (pull hands into chest and move them out)
I am growing inside and out (begin by squatting and stand all the way up--pull hands into chest and move them out)
Learning to please God (touch temple with finger, as if thinking and then to God)

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8. Measure Up

Measure the height of each child using yarn. Stretch out the piece of yarn on the floor. Have the children hop, skip, and jump to the other end of the yarn. Save each piece of yarn in an envelope for each child to take home. Print on the outside "Measure up like Samuel" and the Bible verse. You may also want to include a note to the parents telling them about what the children learned.

9. Please bring me a coat! - Provide a picture or object for each rhyming word below. Place them on the floor in the front of the room. As you recite the rhyme, point to a child to come up and choose the object you are saying. Keep repeating the rhyme until all the children have had a turn to pick up an object.

10. Sing Hannah, Hannah by Nancy Foss

Hannah, Hannah bring me a goat!
Hannah, Hannah bring me a boat!

Hannah, Hannah bring me some soap!
Hannah, Hannah bring me some rope!

Hannah, Hannah no time for rhymes,
Bring me Samuel's coat this time.

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11. Guess the baby - Tape all the baby pictures the children brought in on the wall. Tell all the children the name of one of the children who brought in a baby picture. Have the children look at the pictures and decide which one they think is a picture of that child. Keep going until all the children who brought in pictures are named.

12. Play a memory game - Divide the children up into groups with one adult. Separate them so that they can't hear each other. Give each group one minute to see if they can write down the five things that Samuel told Hannah he could do: Open the doors, sweep the floors, say his prayers, clean the stairs, and do his chores.For even more craft and activity ideas and printable patterns join us in The Resource Room

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Samuel Listens to God Sunday School Lesson - In this lesson children learn how God talked to Samuel; and they learn how God can talk to them today. (Click on the link above for the complete lesson and craft patterns)

Bible Verses: "The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground." 1 Samuel 3:19 and "Speak, for your servant is listening." 1 Samuel 3:10

Crafts:

1. Make a pillow that will be used in an activity to reinforce the lesson.
2. Make a picture of Samuel in which his face changes when he hears God calling him.

Activities:

1. Sing a song about Samuel to the tune of Frère Jacques.

2. Bible Verse Review - Children listen to hear their names. When they hear their names, they sit up and say the Bible verse.

3. Play a balloon game to remind the the children that Samuel didn't let any of God's words fall to the ground.

For more details about these crafts and activities and printable patterns for this lesson join us in The Resource Room.

Seasons

Colors of the Church Year - How the Church Tells Time - By Vicki Wiley - This lesson uses Clear Cross Sand Art Frames and Sandy Candy. Children fill the crosses with different colors of Sandy Candy as they learn about the different Seasons of the Church.

The church has seasons called Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, and Easter. Each season has a different color to represent it. Click on the link above for the complete lesson.

Sin / Forgiveness

Scripture reference: 1 John 1:9, Psalms 51, Romans 1:21 (their foolish hearts where darkened)
Concepts: If we confess our sins and ask for forgiveness, God will forgive us and cleanse us from sin. All have sinned and need forgiveness. We are in darkness when we Sin.

Activities and Crafts:

1. Make a wipe-off heart. Cut out hearts from poster board. On the shinny side write a memory verse pertaining to forgiveness with a permanent marker. Melt a black crayons (Crayola work the best) in a 200 to 250 degree oven. With an old paint brush, paint the melted crayon over the heart and let dry. During class explain how sin makes us blemished and impure, but when we ask for forgiveness, God cleanses us or makes us pure again.

2. Make something Clean - Bring in something dirty and have the children help clean it.

3. Sin Object Lesson - Jerriath Lejeune in Oakdale LA E-mailed me with this great object lesson. (Some of the words have been deleted, changed and rearranged)

I talked about how sin makes your heart black. I had a glass of water and every time the students named a lie or sin, such as stealing or not listening to their parents, I would drop dark blue food coloring in the water. I said this is what your heart looks like when you sin. It gets black. I then told them, if they would repent of their sins, Jesus would forgive them and that God can clean their heart. I took bleach and poured it in the black water and it cleaned it all up and made it white. (Make sure you put a lot of bleach into make sure it comes clean.)

Next I told them how God will fill you with the Holy Ghost.I took a glass almost full of water and put vinegar in it and dropped a tablespoon of baking soda in it. It boiled out of the glass. I explained that when God fills you with the Holy Ghost you overflow with love, joy, peace. Then I dropped some more soda into the glass and it bubbled over again. I told them every time they tell somebody about Jesus their heart will fill up and bubble over with joy. God Bless you all. Thanks, Jerriath, for sharing with us.

4. Object Lesson about Prayer for Preschool children - You will need bubble blowing soap, a super bubble blower and a small one.

Talk to the children that no sin is too small or too large to be forgiven by God.

Take the giant bubble blower and begin making big bubbles. As the children pop the bubbles, discuss what some big sins might be: breaking the law, hurting someone, killing someone, stealing, etc. Let the children think of sins they think are big while they pop the bubbles. Make sure all the children have a chance to pop a bubble. (It is important to keep control and let them know there can be no shoving or running.)

Then take out the little bubble blower and blow bubbles for the children to pop. Discuss things they might think are small sins. For instance, cheating, taking an extra cookie when you were only supposed to take one, not doing what you were told the first time, forgetting to pray, yelling at someone, calling someone a bad name.

Next ask children if the big bubbles popped any different than the little one. Explain to them that no sin is too big or too small for God to forgive. God forgives big sins just like he forgives little ones. When we ask for forgiveness, it is like the bubbles. They are gone never to be found again.

If money permits give each child a bottle of bubble soap to take home. 6 usually cost around $1.29 Sent in by Narita Roady

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Comments: I used your sin/forgivness lesson for my children ages 2-4. I had to make a few changes because of the age. What I did was made big hearts which read:

"When I invite Jesus into my heart he forgives me and gives me a fresh start.
His blood covers over all my sins and wrong.
His love and forgiveness helps me be strong.
And in my heart, he put a new song."

It also had a happy face in the very middle of the heart. I laminated all of them and gave one to each child. At the end of the lesson, as they named off a sin (like hitting, not obeying mom and dad, not sharing, calling names), I would put a black mark on the heart with a dry erase marker for every sin. When they covered their heart in sin (or black marks) each child would have to ask God to forgive their sins and then they got to take a paper towel or tissue and wipe off the sin just like God would clean their heart. They loved it.

But be careful my son and another little girl kept calling each other names so they could fill their heart with sin and wipe it off. You may want to add , If they slip and call someone a bad name accidentally.

One of the mothers told me her 3 year old son asked her how he could let Jesus come into his heart and forgive his sins after class and she prayed the sinners prayer with him. It really touched my heart. Ramona

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Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Bible Lesson - The following ideas come from The Resource Room. To see the complete lesson and download patterns click on the link above.

1. Make a picture of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in a fiery furnace. (Preschool children) - Print out pictures of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and loosely cut them out. Tear or cut strips of red, orange, and yellow tissue paper or construction paper so that it is pointy at one end. In class have your children glue the strips of paper onto a piece of red or black construction paper. When they are finished, glue pictures of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the center. Talk to your children about fire and how dangerous it is. Tell them that God protected Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and they didn't get burned. Remind them that they should never play with fire or matches. Write the Bible verse at the bottom of the page. Patterns for this craft available to members only.

2. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Activity Sheet - (Older children) This project is a little more complicated and should be used with children first grade and older. Before class print out the fiery furnace cover sheet and the men in the furnace color sheet. Have your children color the fiery furnace and cut out the door. Tear up pieces of red, orange, and yellow tissue paper and glue them so they cover most of the figures on the second page. Glue the furnace picture over the men picture so that they show through the door. Patterns for this craft available to members only.

3. You can find more coloring sheets for this theme on this web site: http://www.coloring.ws/sma.htm

4. Make a diorama of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. Second grade and older children will enjoy working on this project together. Bring in a box that is at least 12" square, red, and yellow tissue paper or cellophane, glue, tape, and a flashlight. If you are teaching younger children, make one for them and use it during the lesson.

Give your children some ideas, but let them come up with their own ideas and designs also. If you have a lot of children, you may want to break them up into groups of four or five and have each group work on a diorama.

Cut a door out of one end of the box. You can have your children draw where they want the door and then cut it out for them with an Exacto knife. Also cut out a hole in the back of the box so that a flashlight will fit through it. Cover a flashlight with some red tissue paper and place it through the hole. This will make the tissue paper in the box glow. You may want to do this before class if you are uncomfortable about bringing a knife to class. Cut flame shapes from tissue paper. Bunch about 3 or 4 flames together and twist them together at the bottom. Bend down the twisted edge and tape it to the bottom of the box. Straighten out the flames with your fingers. Place some flames in front of the men and some in the back. Glue the paper doll figures (Patterns available to members only) to some heavy card stock and cut them out. Leave some extra paper around the bottom of their gowns. Cut out the feet and bend them forward, bend the extra paper back. Place glue on the feet and the bent back paper so the figures stand up. If you forget to leave some extra paper, just glue some to the back of the paper doll and bend it back. Or just let your children figure out how they want to do it.

5. Walk like a statue relay race - (Kindergarten and older) Divide the children up into two teams. Pick one child from each team to be a statue. They should be about the same size. Tell your children that the team that moves their statue to the opposite end of the room first wins, but the only way the statues will move is by it's team members answering questions correctly. When a team member answers correctly, the statue can move one leg forward as far as he can without bending his knee. The team that has their statue reach the other end of the room first wins.

6. Knock over the statue game Bible Verse Review game - (Any age) Print out the statue pattern (Available to members only) and cut them out. Glue them onto thick cardboard and bend the bottom up towards the front of the statue so that the statues stand up. Write one word of the Bible verse on the bottom of each statue. Have the children take turns throwing a beanbag at the statues to try to knock them backwards so that a word of the Bible verse is revealed. Each time a child knocks over a statue, let him take a turn to try to guess what the Bible verse is. The child who can say the whole Bible verse on his turn first wins. Before a child throws the beanbag ask him a question from the story. ( If you have very young children, ask them very simple questions such as "Can we make a god like king Nebuchadnezzar?" Remind the children what each word is every time a child takes a turn. Have the child that is going to take a turn throwing repeat the words that are already revealed. Use only the "The Lord is God" part of the verse for younger children.

7. Play "Musical Statues" - (Any age) Tell your children they are one of King Nebuchadnezzar's statues. Have them all stand up and stand like a statue. Tell them that these statues can move, but only when the music is playing. If the music stops, they must stop moving. Play some music and turn it off every ten or more seconds and then turn around. If a child is still moving when the music stops, have him sit down. Keep playing until only one child is standing.

8. Play "Statue" - This is an outside game. Have the children line up at one end of the room and pretend to be statues. The king stands at the opposite end of the room. Tell the children that you are King Nebuchadnezzar and they are your statues. The "statues" must try to reach King Nebuchadnezzar without him seeing them move. The statues cannot bend their knees or their elbows. The king turns around and faces away from the "statues". The king can yell, "Freeze" whenever he wants and then turns around to make sure none of the statues are moving. If he spots a statue moving, that "statue" has to go back to the start line. When a statue makes it to the king, it becomes the king.

9. Fiery Furnace Experience - (Any age) Tape strands of orange, red, and yellow crepe paper to two small room fans. Tip the fans up toward the ceiling and turn them on so that you have a fiery furnace. Have students re-enact the story, taking turns playing the three brothers, the angel and the king. Make sure that someone always plays Nebuchadnezzar and says, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out!” This idea was sent in by a subscriber.

(You can make this activity fit your age group.) If you have preschool children just pick three children to be Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. You play the king. Tell the children to bow before your God or they will be thrown into the fiery furnace The children then say, "No." Take them to the fiery furnace and then look in and say, "Didn't I throw three men in the furnace? I see four men! Then tell Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to come out. Then say, "There is no other god that can do this!" Keep playing until all your children have had a chance to be Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

If you don't have fans, you can tape crepe paper streamers to jumbo craft sticks. Have the children stand around in a circle to make the fiery furnace and wave their streamers up and down to look like flames.

6. Finger Play for preschool children. Read the following poem and have your children act it out. This poem can also be used with the Fiery Furnace Experience above.

God's the Greatest
Written by Carolyn Warvel

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, (Hold up a finger for each name as you say them.)
When the king said, "Bow', they said, "No". (Bow down and then shake your had no.)

The king yelled, "Then in the pit they go. (Point to the fiery pit.)
You'll be burned from head to toe." (Touch your head and then your toes.)

The king looked in and saw them glow. (Place your hand over your eyes and squint.)
but they weren't burnt, oh no. (Shake your head no and look surprised.)

The king said, "Wow, now I know".
Their god's the greatest, it is so. (Spread your arms out wide and hold them up like you are praising God.)

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Special - I am Special

Scripture reference:Psalm 139:13-14

Sing a song to the Tune of The Farmer in the Dell. Slap your thighs and clap your hands as you sing it.

God made me, God made me, God made everything and God made me.
(Go around the room and use each child's name.)

God made Dustin, God made Dustin, God made everything and God made Dustin.

Then have them tell you something they do well and sing the song again.

God made me a helper, God made me a helper, God made everything and God made me a helper.

Children love songs that have their name in them or something about them. They love the attention, it connects the concept or lesson to them, and they pay attention better because they are a part of what is going on. This song was sent in by Narita Roady.

Matthew 10:30 - "Even the hairs on your head are counted."

1. Make a Grass Head - (for any age)

What you will need: One pair of washed old tights (pantyhose) or stockings, sawdust, grass seed, elastic (rubber) band, 2 stick-on eyes, glue gun, small plant pot or plastic pot.

What to do: Cut off one leg of tights (pantyhose) and put in one handful of grass seed. Then stuff with sawdust to get round shape. Tie knot in bottom. Pinch some of the sawdust and twist elastic (rubber) band round to form nose. Using glue gun, stick eyes and nose into position. Place in a pot and water regularly. Add optional caption Matthew 10:30 "Even the hairs on your head are counted". This craft can last for months with children taking turns to cut and wash hair when needed. Sent in by Kay Lloyd

Special Abilities Sunday School Lesson

God gave Joseph special abilities to help people. God has given you special abilities that he wants you to use to help others. The following ideas come from The Resource Room. To see the complete lesson and download patterns go to the lesson on The Resource Room.

Crafts:

1. "Find the Cow that is different" worksheet.

2. The King's Dream color sheet.

3. Cow puppet made from a paper bag.

4. God Gave Me Special Abilities worksheet. Children color the sheet and circle the pictures of things they think they might be good at.

Activities:

1. Play a game called "Find your mate". Children are given a card with a picture of an animal on it. They try to find another child in the room who has the matching card by making the sound or acting out the animal they have on their card. A print out of these cards are available on The Resource Room.

2. Play "Seven and Seven" Board Game

The patterns for this game are available on The Resource Room. Children take turns throwing a die and moving that many spaces to the right. If a child lands on a skinny cow, he colors one space under the skinny cow on his score sheet. If he lands on a healthy cow space, he colors one space under the healthy cow. If he lands on a talent space, he looks at the picture and tries to figure out what the child's talent might be in the picture and how he or she might use it to help others.

The child who colors in all fourteen spaces on his or her score sheet first wins. To make the game go faster you can write different numbers on the cow pictures and have the children color in that many spaces on their score sheet.

3. Talents Match Game - The patterns for this game are available on The Resource Room. Children take turns turning over two cards at a time trying to match the pictures. When a child gets a match, ask him what talent he thinks is represented on the picture cards and how that child might use his talent to help others. If they find matching cow cards, they say the Bible verse.

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Joseph - God Gave Me Talents Sunday School Lesson

In this lesson children learn that God gave each of us special talents and abilities. We are to use them to do something special to help others and to praise God. (The complete lessons and craft patterns for this lesson are available to members only. Click on the link above to go to the complete lesson.)

Crafts:

1. Make a "God Gave Me Talents" Hanging Picture - Children color picture of different talents they think they might have. They cut them out and tie them to another picture to make a mobile.

2. Children pick from several activities and receive awards for completing the tasks such as the "Busy Bee" award for being a great helper, or the "Fast Feet" award for being a great athlete, or the "Neatness-counts" for being a great organizer, or a "Prayer Warrior" award for being a great prayer, or a "Brainstormer" award for having great ideas, or a "Team Player" award for being a great builder, or a "Crafty Artist" award for making a great craft, or a "Choir Angel" award for being a great singer, or a "Artist-Sketcher" award for making great pictures. (Printable patterns for these awards are available on The Resource Room.)

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God's Masterpiece Sunday School Lesson - (I am Special)

In this lesson children learn about how amazing bees are. He created them for a special purpose. They are perfectly suited for their job. If God created these tiny little insects for such an important job, how much more important is the job you were created for. Just like the bees God has a plan for your life. But you are much more important then an insect. You were created in God's likeness . . . The following ideas come from The Resource Room. To see the complete lesson and download patterns click on the link above.

Bible Verse: “For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

Crafts:

1. Bee and Flower Mobile

2. Plant flowers to attract honey bees and make plant stakes.

3. Make thumbprint bee pictures.

Activities:

1. Taste different kinds of honey.

2. Listen to "Flight of the Bumble Bee"

3. Have a spelling bee.

You can find this lesson on The Resource Room.

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"Jesus Knows Your Name" Bible Lesson about Zacchaeus

In this lesson children learn that they are special to God. He knows their name and even knew them before they were born. See Zacchaeus for more information.

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Free Sample Lessons from
The Resource Room

Free
Scaredy Cat
Daniel in the Lion's Den