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What If I DID?Categories: Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Esau, Jacob
(Ages 4-5) Materials:
I wanted my children to understand that God's love is so powerful and so special that nothing could separate them from it. I wanted them to understand that God's love is with them always and that He loves them when they are good, and even when they are naughty.* Directions Cut 2x 2-inch squares out of construction paper. Make enough for at least 2-3 per child. Ask each child to whisper to you 2-3 things he or she does that are really good or kind, and write these things on a square. Put the child's name on the square. Talk about how this list indicates times when they have their "listening ears" on, times when they are listening to God. Ask each child to whisper to you something he or she has done that is naughty and write it down on a square. Talk about how sometimes we don't have those "listening ears" on but God still loves us. Take all the squares and put them in a bowl or basket and mix them up. Ask a child to take a square out and give it to you. You will read what is written on the square but add the child's name and ask him if God loves him, and if God still loves him after he did the action. For Example: if the square says, "Played with my little brother," you ask, "If Brandon plays with his little brother, does God love him?" They answer, "Yes!" Then you can draw a happy face on the back of the square and give it to Brandon. If the square says, "Didn't put away his toys," you ask, "If Brandon doesn't put away his toys, does God still love him?" The children answer, "Yes!" Then let Brandon tear up the square and you can explain to him that God loves him no matter what, but that we separate the naughty act from the good boy. God's love redeems us and we are changed. We get rid of the naughty action. Then give him a square with a smile on it and rejoice. Go around the group until each child has at least 2 happy face squares. By the end, the children should see that no matter what they do, God loves them. After you have played the game, help the children make a heart necklace that says, "God loves (child's name) all the time." Have the child decorate the heart and use the string to make it into a necklace. He will have fun wearing this and it will remind him of God's love. — Sally S. Johnston [*Editors note: Why does God still love us "even when we're naughty?" Because He knows that being naughty is like putting on a costume, hiding one's natural goodness, the goodness that God knows and loves no matter what. God does require our obedience - our effort to be the good person He knows us to be - if we want to be happy. (As the teacher or parent, you might use different words to convey this explanation to your young child(ren).) AS] |
