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Title: Kindergarten Sabbath School Program, April 21,
2001

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

Date Completed: March 15, 2001

Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps
to teach the lesson, JACOB DREAMS ABOUT A LADDER
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Lesson Aim: Jesus does not leave us when we make a
mistake.

Memory Verse: "I am with you and will watch over you
wherever you go."  Gen. 28:15, NIV


GETTING THEIR ATTENTION - PLANNING A CAMP OUT

Materials needed:
Creek bed rocks (one for each child)
Walking stick (one for each child)
Pillow case (one for each child)
Large leaves (one for each child)
Berries, wild onions, acorns, seeds 
  (handful for each child)

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead)
Collect all items and place them in a box.

WHAT THE CHILDREN DO:
Explain to the children that they are going on a
pretend camping trip with you.  Give them each a
pillowcase and a walking stick.  Ask them to think
about times when they have gone camping with their
family.  What things did they need?  What did they take
with them?  As they make suggestions replace them with
the following comments and items.  They are to place
each item they receive from you in their pillowcase. 
When they have received all items, the pillowcase is
tied to their walking stick and left beside their chair
for the next Getting Into Scripture Activity.

1.  Did you take sleeping bags on your camping trip?  
    (Give each child a pillowcase and stick.) On this
    camping trip you will not be using a sleeping bag.  
2.  Did you take a tent to sleep in?  On this camping
    trip you will not sleep in a tent.  You will sleep
    out on the hard ground under the stars.
3.  Did you take your pillow with you on your camping
    trip?  (Give each child a rock to put in their
    pillowcase.)  On this camping trip you will use a
    rock as a pillow for your head.
4.  Did you take paper or plastic dishes and silverware
    to eat off of?  (Give each child a large leaf.)  On
    this camping trip you will use leaves to eat off
    of.
5.  Did you take hot dogs and marshmallows to roast
    over the campfire?  What other kinds of food did
    you take on your camping trip?  (Give each child
    some berries, wild onions, acorns or seeds to put
    in their case.)  On this camping trip you will only
    eat what you can find growing wild around you.  

Ask the children if they think they will enjoy camping
with you.  In our story today this is the kind of
camping trip Jacob had to take for many many days as he
traveled back to his mother's homeland.  GO STRAIGHT
INTO THE BIBLE STORY.


GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - BIBLE DRAMATIZATION

Materials needed:
Sticks, pillowcases and items from previous activity
Cardboard boxes (enough to build an altar with)

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

WHAT THE CHILDREN DO:
Have the children become a part of the Bible story by
walking with you around the room, carrying their
pillowcase sticks and following the dramatization
suggestions below.

1.  Pretend you are the mommy.  Those who are
    comfortable can hug you goodbye before leaving
    with their "belongings".
2.  Walk together around the room for a long time. Then
    find a place on the floor to lay down.  Get the
    rock out of the pillowcase.  Pretend to eat some of
    the food on a leaf.  Then lay down with your head
    on the rock.
3.  Get up and move to another spot in the room,
    repeating the whole procedure again. Emphasize how
    sad and doubtful Jacob was feeling concerning God's
    love and care for him.
4.  Have the children close their eyes and pretend to
    be sleeping.  Describe the dream to them as vividly
    as possible.
5.  Have the children put all their "belongings" back
    into their cases except for their rocks.  Using
    the rocks and boxes construct an altar together.  
6.  Talk about how wonderful it was for Jacob to feel
    forgiven.  Have prayer together around the
    "homemade altar".


GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - MEMORY VERSE PILLOWCASE

Materials needed:
One plain white standard-size pillow case for each
child
Fabric paints
Aprons or large men's shirts
Tin foil
Small paint brushes
Star and moon pattern (cut from posterboard)

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead)
Before painting always insert a piece of tin foil
inside the pillowcase to keep the paint from sticking
to the other side of the case.  Using the fabric
paints, on each child's pillowcase print the memory
verse.  Draw 4-5 stars and a moon onto the case on the
same side as the memory verse.

WHAT THE CHILDREN DO:
Show the children where the memory verse is found in
the Bible.  Put an apron or large shirt on each child. 
Give them a pillowcase to decorate.  (Squeeze paint
into the stars and moon and have them use the brush to
spread it around inside the stars and moon.  Trying to
use fabric paints for just outlining is a disaster for
most Kindergartners) Don't forget to place tin foil
inside each pillowcase before painting.


ACTING ON SCRIPTURE - SHOE EXCHANGE

Materials needed:
Piano player or cassette recorder
Any appropriate Sabbath music

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

WHAT THE CHILDREN DO:
Have the children put their chairs into a circle.  Have
them remove one of their shoes.  Review and repeat the
memory verse several times together.  As the music
plays all the children begin passing the shoes around. 
Each child keeps passing whatever shoe is in their
possession to the right.  When the music stops select a
child randomly.  They go to the child who is holding
their shoe.  They repeat the memory verse to that
child.  If they can repeat the verse, they get their
shoe back and give that child the shoe they are
holding.  If they cannot, they sit back down and try
again later.  The object of the activity is for each
child to get their own shoe back.  Remind them of the
words of the verse.  Jesus is with us wherever we go.