Making Choices Group
Group Activities

CHOICE ACTION: Have the classroom laid out with several different "stations of activities" such as an art activity station, exercise activity station, or puzzle station. When the teacher blows a whistle, the children will to to an activity "station" and begin doing that activity together with whoever else has chosen that activity. When the whistle blows again, everyone must make another CHOICE ACTION to another "station". Continue changing stations as time allows.

CROSS CRAFT: The children will tightly wrap yarn around two craft sticks that are glued together in the shape of a cross and glue the end of the yarn CROSS CRAFT: The children will tightly wrap yarn around two craft sticks that are glued together in the shape of a cross. Glue the end of the yarn so it will stay in place.

CROSS NECKLACE: Decorate a piece of heavy cardboard/poster board cut in the shape of a small cross and put yarn through a punched hole so that the children can wear it around their neck. Write our Bible verse on the back to remind them of today's lesson.

FOAM DOOR HANGERS: Children can make a door hanger using craft foam pieces to make a cross and glue it to the "hanger." Encourage the children to hang it on their door at home to remind them to "carry our cross" for Christ.

CHALKBOARD CROSS: The teacher will draw a very LARGE cross on the chalk board. (Use the side of chalk.) Decorate the cross with other colors of chalk. Have lines at the bottom and sides of the cross for children to come to the board and write their name on a line to show that THEY want to follow Jesus. They could draw a small cross by their name if desired!

BIBLE VERSE CROSSES: The teacher will write words of the Bible verse on paper crosses and then hang them randomly around the room. Have the children put the words in the correct order on a Bible Verse POSTER on the wall. If crosses can be removed easily, the teacher can remove one at a time to see if children can remember the Bible verse.

COUNT THE COST $$$$$$..... FOLLOW JESUS POSTER: The teacher will put small foot prints on a poster with the title of this activity: On each foot print, let the children write something on each footprint that represents "counting the cost." (The teacher can write for a younger children.) Examples: giving up a friend who makes bad choices; moving; not having a big house, going away, leaving family behind, not driving a fancy car.

CARRYING A CROSS: Create an obstacle course around chairs, under tables, in and out of various areas, for the children to "carry a cross" on their back or their head, as the teacher desires. It can be a small cut out wooden cross, or a poaster board cut out cross. If the cross falls off their head, or their back (if the teacher desires the children to crawl around the obstacle course), they must start at the beginning of the obstacle course again. After this activity, children can sit in a circle and talk about today's lesson and use a marker to color a small wooden cross from a craft section of a retail or Christian book store. Hang the cross around their neck with a piece of plastic string or yarn!

PAINTED CROSS: Class project could be to use various colors of paint and paint a very large cross for the classroom. Children could write FOLLOW JESUS or CARRY HIS CROSS or BE JESUS' DISCIPLE or our Bible verse for today around the painted cross!

FROSTED CROSS: The teacher could bake a cake and cut it in the shape of a cross and let children frost and decorate it.( with sprinkles, etc,) Eat the cake at the end of class for a special treat. While eating the cake, discuss today's lesson!

Song:  "Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus" - Charles Kirkpatrick

Sheet Music (PDF)

Accompaniment (MP3) Right click and save to your computer.

This above song may be freely downloaded and reproduced for religious or educational use by churches, schools, home schoolers, and other non-profit organizations.

Song:  "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus" - Traditional

Sheet Music (PDF)

Piano Accomaniment (MP3)