Best Is Yet To Come Group
Group Activities

QUICK TRAVELING: Put up signs around the room of places to which the children will be "traveling". One wall could be Paris, France; another wall could be Alaska Frontier: another wall could be Mexico. All children will meet together in the middle of the room to begin the game. As the teacher shouts out where to "travel", the children will run to that place as quickly as possible. The last one to the destination, will join the teacher and will quit traveling. Continue as time allows or until only one child is left as the traveler. That child will be designated as the QUICKEST TRAVELER!

MODES OF TRAVEL: The children will gather in a large open space such as a gym, fellowship room, or a hall way to play this game. The children will pantomime what the teacher says as a modes of travel, such as FLY to Brazil (children will put out arms and pretend to fly as they run); take a TRAIN to the West Coast (children can move arms and shout out chugga chugga choo choo); SWIM in the Pacific Ocean; DRIVE A CAR to Grandma's house; RIDE A HORSE to the ranch.

FOLLOW ME: The teacher can have pictures and words around a large area for the children to follow the teacher to each area and talk about what they see or read on the wall - such as JESUS TURNED WATER INTO WINE (a small container of grape juice could be at this 'stop' for the children to sip on); JESUS HEALED THE BLIND, THE CRIPPLED AND SICK PEOPLE WERE HEALED (teacher could have band aids at this 'stop' for the children to put on themselves); PEOPLE WERE RAISED FROM THE DEAD (teacher could have a cave picture with a door that would open and shut for the children to move up and down and see words behind the door that said that Jesus raised people from the dead; JESUS WALKED ON THE WATER (water could be at this 'stop' for the children to put their fingers in); 5000 PEOPLE WERE FED WITH FIVE LOAVES AND TWO FISH (bread and gold fish crackers could be at this 'stop' for the children to snack on while talking about Jesus; TRIP TO THE MOUNTAIN with Jesus and His disciples (a MT picture that the children could each color a little bit with chalk); DAZZLING WHITE CLOTHES THAT JESUS WAS IN WHEN HE PRAYED (white sparkling cloth that children could touch); and THREE SHELTERS (teacher can have the 3 shelters with the names on each shelter from our lesson and let children read the 3 names); and continue walking to the final TRAVEL PLACE today that will be the CLOUD THAT APPEARED (teacher can have the words written in the cloud that is partially covered with cotton.. and write THIS IS MY SON, LISTEN TO HIM); and then the teacher can have the class FOLLOW back to the classroom and see how many of the TRAVEL STOPS that the children can remember???

WALK AND SING: After telling today's story and enjoying the activities, teach the song EVERY DAY WITH JESUS to the children or hand them the words typed out to follow along with and let children follow the teacher around a designated spot and whenever the teacher stops, everyone gets a SweeTART® candy and continue to sing the song again.

MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES: Give the children some black construction paper and some white and colored chalk to draw a tall mountain. Encourage the children to draw a cross at the TOP of the Mountain and then write their own "Mountain Top Experiences" on the paper. At the bottom of the mountain, write in large letters - THE BEST IS YET TO COME!

HEAVENLY TRAVEL BOOKS: Give the children pieces of construction paper to put together as a book. The front page will have the title HEAVENLY TRAVELS and then each page of their book will consist of pictures they will draw or stickers which will represent what Heaven will be like. (No sickness, gold streets, worship, praising God, crowns, etc.)

PRAYER MOUNTAIN: Draw a MOUNTAIN on poster board and tape it to a wall that isn't usually used by the class. Have the children gather together and sit at the foot of that mountain and say sentence prayers thanking Jesus for everything that He does for us. When everyone has said a sentence prayer, let the group stand and hold hands at the "foot of the mountain" and sing GOD ANSWERS PRAYER IN THE MORNING, GOD ANSWERS PRAYER AT NOON, GOD ANSWERS PRAYER IN THE EVENING SO KEEP YOUR HEART IN TUNE.

FOLLOWING FEET: Have the children trace their foot and cut it out and color it, if desired. The children will write one place that God may lead them on their own foot cut out. Then place the feet in a long line through a hall way or around the classroom. As children slowly FOLLOW THE FEET, they will whisper the word written on each foot that they are following representing ALL of the places that God may lead them. The teacher may give them ideas or have an idea list on the chalkboard to help the children write on their foot (such as "To church, to school, to a friend's home, to a sick person's home, to the Pastor's home, to a hospital, to a nursing home, to a mission field," etc.). Recite the prayer at the end of today's lesson as children stand on one cut-out foot each and ask GOD to lead them to go where HE wants them to GO!

Song:  "Every Day with Jesus" by Wendell P. and Robert C. Loveless, arr. by Charles Kirkpatrick

Words and Music (pdf)

MP3 Accompaniment Track (right click to save to your computer)

Song:  "Climb up Sunshine Mountain" Composer unknown

Words and Music (pdf)

MP3 Accompaniment Track

These songs are in the public domain and may be freely downloaded and reproduced for religious or educational use by churches, schools, home schoolers, and other non-profit organizations.