******************************************************* Title: Kindergarten Sabbath School Program, April 24, 1999 From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Lisa Seeders) Date Completed: March 15, 1999 Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps to teach the lesson, SWALLOWED BY A FISH ******************************************************* Lesson Aim: Jesus will be with us when He asks us to work for Him. Memory Verse: "The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love........" Numbers 14:18, NIV GETTING THEIR ATTENTION - IMAGINATIONS THE LIMIT (An auditory activity) Materials needed: Dark closet OR Large appliance box WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) There are no advance preparations necessary. WHAT THE CHILDREN DO: Have the children sit with you in the dark closet or appliance box. Fit as many in as possible so there isn't any room to move or shift about. Ask them to pretend they are inside a fish's stomach. Imagine what it must be like. Ask the following questions: 1. What does it smell like in here? (Seaweed, rotten food, salty, stale water etc.) 2. What does it feel like in here? (Slimy, slippery, wet etc.) 3. What does it look like in here? (Probably pitch black) 4. What can we hear in here? (Gurgling, digestive noises, echos etc.) In our Bible story today a man spent three days in the belly of a fish. Let's get out of here and see how he landed there. GO BACK TO SEATS AND GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - YOU ARE THERE (An auditory & kinesthetic activity) Materials needed: None WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) There are no advance preparations necessary. WHAT THE CHILDREN DO: The children are going to pretend that they are Jonah. As you tell the following version of the story of Jonah, they supply the necessary actions as indicated in parenthesis. The actions are done all together as a group. 1. One day a man named Jonah, who was a special prophet of God's, received a message from God. He wanted Jonah to go and preach to the wicked city of Nineveh. 2. Jonah didn't like that assignment at all.(EVERYONE SHAKES THEIR HEAD NO) 3. He was afraid it was a job he couldn't do, so he decided to run away and hide from God. (EVERYONE MAKES A RUNNING SOUND AND THEN COVERS THEIR HEAD WITH THEIR ARMS.) 4. He got on a boat that was sailing the opposite direction. He fell asleep in the bottom of the boat. (EVERYONE CLOSES EYES AND SNORES LOUDLY.) 5. While he was sleeping a terrible storm blew up. Lightening flashed and thunder crashed. There were huge waves and plenty of rain. The sailors tried throwing things overboard to lighten the ship, but they were still afraid they would sink. 6. When they woke Jonah up, he told them the storm was his fault. If they would throw him overboard, they would be safe. They didn't want to do it, but finally they had to. Jonah sank down into the ocean. EVERYONE MAKES SWIMMING MOTIONS.) 7. The storm stopped immediately after Jonah was tossed from the ship. God sent a large fish to swallow him. He sat in the belly of this fish and did some thinking. (EVERYONE TAPS FOREHEAD WITH INDEX FINGER.) 8. Jonah told God he was sorry (EVERYONE FOLDS HANDS IN PRAYER) and he was ready to go to Nineveh to preach. 9. Jonah began walking back to Nineveh. (EVERYONE MAKES WALKING SOUNDS WITH FEET) He preached to the people in Nineveh and they repented and asked God for forgiveness. 10. God had used Jonah in a special way. He helped Jonah and He will help you too. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - MEMORY VERSE REVIEW (A multi-sensory activity) Materials needed: Card stock, a heavy paper (1 sheet for each child) Hole punch Yarn (2' piece for each child) Plastic needle (1 for each child) Wiggly eye (1 for each child) *optional WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Draw or trace a large fish so that it fills half the sheet of card stock. Fold the card stock in half. Cut the fish out, so you end up with a front and back fish. Holding the fish together punch holes around the peripheral about 1" apart. DO NOT PUNCH HOLES AROUND THE HEAD AREA. Do this for each child's fish. Thread a plastic needle with yarn for each child. Save the colored dots that are leftover from hole punching. WHAT THE CHILDREN DO: 1. Each child sews the back and front of his fish together. 2. Each child glues a wiggly eye on or draws one on. 3. Show the children where the memory verse is found in the Bible. Repeat it together several times. 4. Give each child 10 colored dots leftover from the hole punch. They are "fish food" 5. For each word of the memory verse that they can remember, they can feed their fish a dot. Begin with them repeating the words after you, then move on to remembering several words at a time. (The dots go in the fish's mouth). Explain to the children that the memory verse is a wonderful promise that Jonah learned while he was "fish food" in the belly of a fish. It's one they need to learn and remember too. ACTING ON SCRIPTURE - RUNNING AWAY FROM GOD Materials needed: None WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) There are no advance preparations necessary WHAT THE CHILDREN DO: Explain to the children that you don't have to get onto a boat, or fly in an airplane or get in a car to run away from God. God knows where you are at all times. People run away from God when they decide they don't want to obey and follow His plans. Have the children stand in a horizontal line, in front of you but facing the opposite direction. As you read the following statements to them, if they think the child is running away from God, they are to take three steps away from you. If they think the child is listening and obeying God, they move three steps toward you. 1. Janie knows God doesn't want her to lie. One day she lies to her mother because she doesn't want to be punished. (Three steps away) 2. George knows God wants him to obey his dad. Even though he feels mad he obeys dad and stays in the car when dad asks him too. (Three steps back) 3. Louise knows God wants her to say a thank-you prayer before she eats. She is afraid her friends at school will laugh at her so she skips praying before lunch each day. (Three steps away) 4. Barbara knows God wants her to show His love by sharing. One day she gives up her turn on the swing even though she would really like to swing some more. (Three steps back). Point out to the children that you never moved. Only they did the moving. God does not move away from us. When we run away from Him it's usually because we don't want to obey what He has told us. He is always waiting to forgive us when we ask Him.