Big or Small
Group Activities
Sermon Title: "Big or Small, It Doesn't Matter at All"
Scripture Reading: Luke 19:1-10
BALL DRIBBLING:
Children can be divided into teams and take turns dribbling a ball from their team line to the other side of the room and running back with the ball to their team. The next player will then do the same until all players have had a chance to dribble the ball. Tell children it doesn't matter which team gets done first - only that they complete the game. For extra fun, use different size balls.
BALL OVER AND UNDER RELAY:
Children will be in teams and will spread apart enough to have the first (front) player hand the ball OVER head and the next player will hand the ball UNDER (between the legs); the next player will hand it OVER and continue to hand the ball OVER and UNDER until the back player receives the ball and will run to the front of the line and continue the OVER and UNDER. The game can continue until all the players have been at the back of the line and run to the front at least once or as time allows! Tell children our size doesn't matter when we play this game and to listen carefully to our lesson today about Size not mattering.
STAND TALL:
Children can spread around the room and squat or lean over and walk around a designated area until the teacher shouts STAND TALL! Children will stand up TALL and "freeze" in that position until the teacher says to UNFREEZE and children will continue to walk around in leaning over or squatting to the STAND TALL and freeze, etc.
ZACCHAEUS SKIT:
Give all the children a part to play in today's Bible story - some being the people who are following Jesus, someone will be Jesus and someone will be Zacchaeus. Tell children to finish the "skit" with singing ZACCHAEUS and perhaps present it to another Sunday School class.
FOLLOW JESUS FOOTPRINT:
Give children construction paper to trace and cut out one of their feet. If "feet" stickers are available, let children put stickers or feet drawings on the BIG FOOT and write FOLLOW JESUS. Place all the feet in a "walking pattern" on the classroom wall.
NAME PLATE:
Children can be given construction paper and stickers, markers and glitter (if desired) to make a name plate and glue to heavy card stock or card board (from cereal boxes, etc), to glue their name plate onto. Name plate will have child's name in big bright colors and in smaller letters, the children will write JESUS KNOWS MY NAME. Tell children that Jesus knew Zacchaeus' name and knew all about him.
ZACCHAEUS TREE:
Provide supplies for children to build a tree with craft sticks, chenille wire, cut out leaves or cloth leaves from an imitation plant, etc.. Glue the parts of the tree onto a piece of construction paper. Give children an ink pad and let them put a "fingerprint" on one of the branches of their tree and draw the body parts of Zacchaeus from that fingerprint, as children desire! Children can write our prayer for today or parts of our lesson, such as "We are thankful Jesus that you don't care if we are big or small. Help us to be willing to follow Jesus and stand tall for Him.
TABLE PLACARD:
Children can be given heavy card stock and fold the card in half so it will stand on a table or the child's dresser. Write LITTLE IS BIG WHEN GOD IS IN IT, or other words and lessons from today story. Let children color and decorate the card with markers and stickers as well. INSIDE the table card, children can write today's Bible verse.
TREE CLIMBING BIBLE MEMORY:
Children can scatter around the classroom and pretend to be climbing a tree as they recite today's Bible verse. They can recite the verse all together or one word per child as they continue to "climb".
SING A SONG:
ZACCHAEUS WAS A WEE LITTLE MAN; JESUS LOVES ME
SHARE A SNACK; Before class time, the teacher can draw a large tree on a piece of poster board and table small candies or flat pieces of gum on the branches of the tree for the children to share at the end of today's lesson.
Song: "Zacchaeus Was A Wee Little Man" by Brian Howard
Song Sheet (PDF)
Piano Accompaniment MP3 - Right click and save to your computer
This song is 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.
