******************************************************* Title: Kindergarten Sabbath School Program, May 22, 1999 From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Lisa Seeders) Date Completed: May 1, 1999 Abstract: Activities to use as a supplement to help teach the lesson, THE SECRET HANDWRITING ******************************************************* Lesson Aim: Jesus helps us choose whom to obey Memory Verse: "God is love....We will have confidence on the day of judgment...." 1 John 4:16,17, NIV GETTING THEIR ATTENTION - HANDS (A multi-sensory activity) Materials needed: Colored construction paper (1/2 sheet for each child) Pencils Scissors WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) There are no advance preparations necessary WHAT THE CHILDREN DO: Have each child lay their hand down on their piece of construction paper. Trace around their hand with the pencil. (Older Kindergartners can do their own) Have them cut out the hand. Ask them to place the hand in their lap. They are to pretend it is a live hand, not a paper one. As you ask each of the following questions, if they think the answer is yes they pick up the hand and wave it. If the answer is no, they leave the hand in their lap. 1. Can your hand get up off your lap and go play a piano by itself? (No) 2. Can your hand shake the hand of the person next to you all by itself? (No) 3. Can your hand get a drink for you all by itself? (No) 4. Can your hand pick up a ball and bounce it all by itself? (No) 5. Can your hand do anything all by itself? (No) In our story today God makes a hand do something incredible all by itself. It writes a message on a wall. GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY (Save the paper hands for a getting into scripture activity). GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - BIBLE STORY DOMINOES (A multi-sensory activity) Materials needed: 3 X 5 cards WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Using a permanent marker, draw a line in the middle of each 3 X 5 card to divide it in half. Draw the following symbols or write the words on the 3 X 5 cards according to the following directions. 1. On the top of one card write the words, BIBLE DOMINO. On the bottom of that card write the name, Belshazzar. 2. On the top of one card glue the small picture of Belshazzar (found on p. 30 of the Kindergarten quarterly). On the bottom of that card write the word, furnace 3. On the top of one card glue the small picture of the three Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace (found on p. 26 of the Kindergarten quarterly). On the bottom of that card write the word, image. 4. On the top of one card glue the small picture of the golden image (found on p. 21 of the Kindergarten quarterly). On the bottom of that card write the word, army. 5. On the top of one card glue a piece of the small picture found on p. 40 in the Kindergarten quarterly. Only include the soldiers. On the bottom of that card write the word, wall. 6. On the top of one card draw a wall. On the bottom of that card write the word, wine. 7. On the top of one card draw a bottle of wine. On the bottom of that card write the word, golden dishes. 8. On the top of one card draw some golden-colored plates and cups. On the bottom of that card write the word, hand. 9. On the top of one card draw a hand (or reduce and use the one on p. 31 of the Kindergarten quarterly.) On the bottom of that card write the word, writing. 10. On the top of one card make some alphabet letters. On the bottom of that card write the word, Daniel. 11. On the top of one card glue the tiny picture of the white-haired Daniel (found on p. 30 of the Kindergarten quarterly). On the bottom of that card write the word, judgment. WHAT THE CHILDREN DO: Shuffle the domino cards and pass them out randomly to ten different players. (Keep the #1 card with the words, BIBLE DOMINO on it for the starter card.) Lay that card down in the center of the floor. As you tell the story have each child lay down his/her domino at the appropriate time in the story. If you need to play the game more than once, encourage the children to help you tell the story the second or third time around. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE -MEMORY VERSE APPLICATION (A multi-sensory activity) Materials needed: Construction paper (1/2 sheet for each child) Pencils Scissors Glue Small slips of paper (Enough for each child to have one) WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) On the small slips of paper write little notes such as: You're my friend, I love you, You are special etc. Fold the slips up into small wads. WHAT THE CHILDREN DO: Have each child trace and cut out the opposite hand of the one they made for the Getting Their Attention activity. Put the two hands together. Glue the finger tips and wrists together plus one side of the hand. You are left with one area to peek into the hand through. Set the hands aside to dry. Place all the slips of paper into the cup of one hand and cover over with the cup of the other hand. Tell the children you have some secrets in your hands. Have each one draw a slip out. Read it to them and ask them if they like the secret. Is it a good secret? Is it a secret they could tell someone else? Sometimes we do things we don't want other people to know. We try to keep those things secret too. Show the children where the memory verse is found in the Bible. Explain to them that the judgment is a time when everything we have said or done will be known. There will be no more secrets. Repeat the memory verse several times together. Give each child his/her set of hands. Ask them what kind of secrets they want others to peek inside their hands and see, secrets that show Jesus has helped us with our choices or secrets that show we have let Satan tell us what to do? Turn their slips of paper over and write the words, I CHOOSE TO LOVE AND SERVE JESUS on the back. Have them place the paper inside their paper hands. Ask them what the hands put together remind them of? (Praying) Whenever they are not sure what choice to make, always ask Jesus for help. ACTING ON SCRIPTURE - Materials needed: Roll of butcher block paper or sheets of newsprint pad paper taped together Crayons Tape WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Tape the paper along one wall of the room low enough for the Kindergarten child to be able to back up against and be traced. Supply a small box of crayons at every newsprint sheet or every 2 - 3 feet along the butcher block paper. WHAT THE CHILDREN DO: Line the children up along the wall in front of the strip of paper. Have them back right up to the wall so their figure can be traced right onto the paper. Using the crayons have them add a few features to the figure so they will see it as themselves. Remind them that the handwriting on the wall told everyone what kind of a person Belshazzar was and what was going to happen to him. If God were to write things about each of them, what kinds of things would they want other people to see? Ask the following questions and wait for them to follow through on the response: 1. If you want others to see you as a kind and loving person, color one of your arms red. 2. If you want others to see you as a selfish person, color your hair green. 3. If you want others to see you as someone they can trust, color the other arm red. 4. If you want others to see you as someone who loves Jesus, color your legs blue. 5. If you want others to see you as a bully and someone who doesn't care about others' feelings, color your face purple. 6. If you want others to know that you want to go to Heaven, put a big yellow smilie on your face. If the children wish to take their "bodies" home, they can quickly be cut apart and passed out. Encourage them to remember what happened to Belshazzar. Pray together and ask Jesus to help them make choices that they won't be ashamed of when judgment comes.