The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Group Activities

Sermon Title: "Headed for a Fall"

Scripture Reading: Luke 18:9-14

PAPER CHAIN ACTIVITY:

Print out a sheet of paper with sentences from the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector for each child. (

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HEAD BLOCKS RELAY:

Children can be divided into teams for a relay. Each time a child goes to the other side of the room, he/she will place a block on top of his head and try to walk quickly but carefully back to the team. The next player will put that block on the head and walk carefully but quickly to the other side of the room and will place another block on his head and continue to play until all the players have had a chance to carry the blocks. If one player cannot carry the blocks, he will just go back to the team and let the next player try to walk with the blocks on the head.

BLOCK KICKING:

Divide children into teams and give each team a large lightweight block (foam, if you have them). Each team player can see if they can kick the block to the finish line and run back to the team with the block, for the next player to kick the block. When a player has completed the block kick run, they will FALL down behind their team line.

FALL DOWN FOLLY:

All the children can run, hop, skip, jump, around a designated area until the teacher blows the whistle and says, "ALL FALL DOWN!" The last one standing will be out and the game will continue - children will stand again and do whatever exercise the teacher tells them to until ALL FALL DOWN is called out again.

BLOCK BUILDING:

Children can divide into groups. Each group will be given building blocks and a timer will be set to see which group can have the tallest building when the timer goes off. If any blocks FALL, the building must start over. After the game is completed, let all the BLOCKS FALL DOWN!! As a group when the blocks have fallen down, the teacher could allow children to come up to put a block on the table or floor and answer one question about today's lesson and then another child can come up and add a block with another question until the blocks fall down.

HUMBLE HANDS:

Let children trace their own hands and lightly color and decorate their hand. Then add ways to be humble or words from today's Bible verse on each finger and glue the hand to a colorful piece of construction paper.

HUMBLE PIE:

Give each child a big round circle for them to divide into pie pieces. Color the pie and write words in each pie piece from today's lesson to help children remember ways to be humble like Jesus.

HAND "H" PAINTING:

Let children paint a large "H" on each other's hands or on a large piece of paper. Add little dots or decoration around the "H" and remind children the "H" stands for HUMILITY! Others will ask the child what the "H" stands for and children can be encouraged to tell today's lesson.

FINGER PAINTING BLOCKS:

Give children finger painting supplies and an old shirt or apron, as well as wet rags to wipe clean when the project is done. Tell the children to form blocks with their fingers and write ways to be humble like Jesus inside each block!

"H" STARS:

Give children construction paper and small colored stars. Children will trace a large H and then put the stars over the tracing to form an H for HUMILITY. Give children a pencil and tell children to write humility as many times as they can in one minute. Let children discuss Humility in their own lives.

SING A SONG:

Children can form an "H" with their bodies standing in the correct formation and sing a song such as JESUS LOVES ME. Then have children get out of "that" formation and run around the room until the teacher says to form another "H" formation. Children will stand in the shape of an "H" and sing another song such as JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN. If time allows, let children run and then form another "H" for humility and sing another song of their choice.

SHARE A SNACK:

The teacher can have a small snack for each child INSIDE a small "block" that the teacher has made out of construction paper. Another idea would be to have small boxes with a small snack inside each little box and the SNACK BOXES could be piled up on top of each other. The children will take turns going to the "block building" and take the top box and continue until all children have a snack.

Song: "To Be Like Jesus" - Traditional

Sheet Music (PDF)

Piano Accompaniment (MP3)

This song is in the public domain and may be downloaded and reproduced for religious or educational use by churches, schools, home schoolers, and other non-profit organizations.