Add in games to get kids running, jumping and skipping, or try competitions, such as dropping items into a bucket or a treasure hunt. Teach kids to love and know God and about His desire to know them—to have a personal relationship with them. Teach them to honor God and respect His commandments. Training children up in the way they should go will help them avoid or navigate future troubles, receive guidance for good decision-making, have peace of mind and be more like Jesus.

Fishing Boats

Activity: Make colorful boats out of craft foam and float them in a kids’ pool. Layers of foam glued together make a sturdy vessel.

Lesson: Share the story of Jesus Calms a Storm from Mark 4:35–41. After a serious squall came up and waves washed over the boat the disciples were afraid. They woke Jesus and rebuked the wind. He said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!”

Crowns

Activity: Make crowns from sparkle or plain craft foam and add ribbon ties.

Lesson: Share the story of King Josiah: the boy who became a king at 8 years old. His dad was an evil king, but Josiah wanted to do the right thing and show God he loved Him. At 18 he had God’s temple restored. In the process he found the lost Scriptures and learned they were the Word of God. He taught his people who no longer loved God to follow the Lord and keep His law. 2 Kings 22:1–23:29; 2 Chronicles 34:1–35:26.

Jonah & the Whale

Activity: Cut a water bottle to look like a whale, paint it with craft paint and add a googly eye. Make Jonah out of a clothespin and wooden craft stick. Connect the two with a string.

Lesson: Share the story of Jonah, an Israelite prophet who God called to go and preach to the people of Nineveh, who were wicked. Jonah didn’t like the people of Nineveh, so he disobeyed God and got on a boat to go to another place far across the sea. A storm came up and the people on the boat learned Jonah had disobeyed God. They threw him into the sea. God sent a big whale to swallow Jonah to keep him from drowning. For three days he prayed. God had the fish throw up Jonah on the shores of Nineveh. Jonah told them God’s message and they turned from their wickedness and were saved. Book of Jonah.

Noah’s Ark Animals

Activity: Glue packaged foam animals to craft sticks and make grass from construction paper or card stock for them to “walk through” to the ark.

Lesson: When Noah lived people behaved in very wicked ways and this made God unhappy. Noah loved God because he followed His laws. God told Noah a great flood was coming and to build an ark—a huge ship—and to load onto the ship two each, male and female, of every kind of animal. It rained for 40 days and nights and the water covered the earth for many months. When a dove brought Noah an olive branch,
he knew the flood was almost over and it would soon be time to leave the ark and live on land. Genesis 5:32–10:1

God's Promise Bag

Activity: Paint a canvas bag with washable craft paint and cover it with craft glue sprinkled with glitter. 

Lesson: After Noah and his family left the ark Noah prayed to God and thanked Him for safety. A bright rainbow filled the sky. This was God’s promise to never flood the earth again. Genesis 9:8–17.

Fishing Game

Activity: Make a portable fishing game from felt. Tie a string on a pencil or dowel for a fish rod. Place a dot of one side of hook-and-loop tape at end of string. The fish are made of ¼-inch-thick felt and adhesive felt decorations.

Lesson: Jesus saw brothers Simon and Andrew when they were casting their nets into the sea of Galilee for fish. He said, “Come, follow me and I will send you out to fish for people.” Jesus wants us to share the message of the Bible and make disciples of all people. Matthew 4:19 NIV

Verse Cards

Activity: Print memory verses cards on colored heavy paper. Trace a heart-shape cookie cutter around the verses onto colored paper and cut out the hearts. Fold the hearts in half and glue them together in pairs around a piece of yarn.

Lesson: People have a desire to know God. The Bible tells us God’s law is written on our hearts. (Romans 2:14–15 NIV) To help us to know God better we need to learn what His Word says and follow it. The best way is to memorize Scripture, so you can know it in your heart and mind whenever you need an answer on how to behave or believe.

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”