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Title: Kindergarten Sabbath School Program, March 27,
1999

From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Lisa Seeders)

Date Completed: January 31, 1999

Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps
to teach the lesson, LEPERS BRING GOOD NEWS
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Lesson Aim: When we love God we are thankful for His
gifts, especially His Son, Jesus.

Memory Verse: Every good and perfect gift is from
above......."James 1:17, NIV


GETTING THEIR ATTENTION - STARVING SIMULATION (A
multi-sensory activity)

Materials needed:
Small toaster oven
Muffin mixes (Enough for each child to make a muffin)
Mini-muffin tins
Ziploc bags

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead)
There are no advance preparations necessary.

WHAT THE CHILDREN DO:
Let the children help add the necessary ingredients and
mix-up the muffins. Pour into mini-muffin tins and bake
for 10 minutes. While mixing, talk about what it would
be like to starve. Ask the children if they have ever
had to go without a meal. Have they ever forgotten
their lunch somewhere? Have they ever had to watch
someone else eat in front of them when they were
very hungry? (By now the smell of the muffins should be
causing a tantalizing aroma.)

Ask them what they would do if they knew that there was
food close by, but they couldn't have any? When the
muffins are finished, take them out to cool on a rack.
Ask the children, "How would you feel if I told you I
was not going to let you have one of these muffins to
take home? After you helped me make them and you had to
sit and smell them cooking, do you think that would be
fair or nice of me? That's what happened to the
Israelites in our story today. They planted gardens and
vineyards. There was plenty of food for them to eat
outside of their city walls, but they could not get to
it. An enemy planned to starve them while they sat
around eating their food." When the muffins are
sufficiently cool, put them in Ziploc bags for the
children to take home.

GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY.


GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE -BIBLE STORY IN SOUND (An
auditory activity) 

Materials needed:
Cassette recorder
Blank tape
Silverware
Rhythm sticks
Poster board

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead)
Mark in your quarterly the places throughout the story
where the children will provide sound
effects. Ideas include:

Clashing of silverware - when the Syrian soldiers are
feasting at Elisha's and again when the Israelites are
allowed out of the city into the Syrian camp.

Foot stomping - When the king goes to Elisha's house;
when the Syrians run away from their camp and when the
Israelites rush out of the city to eat.

Rhythm sticks and sand blocks - when God sends the
sounds of approaching chariots into the Syrian camp.

Crying - When the mothers find there is no food left in
their cupboards for their starving children.

On a poster board draw the following symbols:
silverware, sticks, foot, sad, crying face.

WHAT THE CHILDREN DO:  
Explain to the children that you are going to make a
Bible story tape together. You will tell the words of
the story and they will provide the sound effects at
the appropriate time. The objects to be used for sound
effects are placed under the children's chairs. As you
tell the story point to the correct sign on the poster
board so the children know what sound to make without
you having to stop and tell them. Listen to the tape
together after it is completed.


GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - MEMORY VERSE SONG (An auditory
& kinesthetic activity)

Materials needed:
Music to the song, "If You're Happy And You Know It."

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead)
Practice singing the alternate words of the following
verse to the tune of "If You're Happy
And You Know It."

Every good and perfect gift is from above (clap, clap)
Every good and perfect gift is from above (clap, clap)
I am thankful for the things 
     that dear Jesus to me brings
Every good and perfect gift is from above. (Clap, clap)


WHAT THE CHILDREN DO:
Show the children where the memory verse is found in
the Bible. Practice singing it to the alternate tune.
Invite the children to tell a gift from Jesus that
they're thankful for. When a child volunteers an answer
such as family or home, change the words to the song
and let them decide what to do at the end of the song.

Example:
Every home and fam-il-y is from above (stomp, stomp)
Every home and fam-il-y is from above (stomp, stomp)
I am thankful for the things
   that dear Jesus to me brings
Every home and fam-il-y is from above (stomp, stomp)

All the flowers and the trees are from above (nod, nod)
etc.
All good things to eat and drink are from above (turn,
turn) etc.


ACTING ON SCRIPTURE - GOOD NEWS TELEPHONES

Materials needed:
Tin cans (2 cans for each group of six children or
less) (Campbell's soup style)
Boot-lace shoestrings, longest length possible (1 for
each group)
Nail
Hammer
Masking tape

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead)
With the hammer and nail punch a hole in the bottom of
each can large enough for the shoestring to poke
through. (Make sure and file down any sharp edges.)  

WHAT THE CHILDREN DO:
Give each small group of six children 2 tin cans. Have
one child hold one of the cans while another child
pokes the shoestring through. The third child tapes it
to the inside of the can. A fourth child holds the
second can, while the fifth child pokes the remaining
end of the shoestring through the hole in the bottom.
The sixth child tapes it to the inside of the can.
The end result is a "telephone system".

Remind the children that the lepers had good news to
share with the Israelites. What was it? (The Syrian
army was gone and there was food outside the city.)

We have good news to share with other boys and girls.
What are some things we can tell others about Jesus?

Whenever a child thinks of some good news to share,
they speak it through the "telephone system" to another
child within the group. Continue sharing good news
messages.

Some good news ideas are:
Jesus loves you.
Jesus died to save you.
Jesus wants to be your best friend.
Jesus forgives you.
Encourage the children to share these same messages at
home and in their neighborhoods.