Living By The Rules Group
Group Activities

Sermon Title: "Living By the Rules"

Scripture Reading: Mark 1:21-28

SIMON SAYS: Play a game of "Simon Says" for children to follow whatever RULE that Simon tells them to do! Children who don't follow the rule, have to sit out on the side to watch the rest of the game. Let children take turns at being the leader.

TEACHING KIDS: Tell the children to think of a game that they would like to explain the RULES and see if the other children can guess what game they are explaining. Let all the children have an opportunity to share some rules, if they desire to.

RULE PATH: Before class, the teacher can place some pieces of paper down on the floor with various rules on each paper. The children can then follow the RULE PATH and do whatever is on the paper. The teacher can have several RULE PATHS if there is a large number of children to divide the group up as they FOLLOW the RULE PATH. Another OPTION for this game would be to have children walk down the RULE PATH and when everyone has walked far enough, each child can step on ONE rule and then take turns at doing whatever RULE their paper says to do. The children will enjoy watching each other as they obey their RULE.. of jumping, hopping, singing, walking like an elephant, barking like a dog, etc.

GAME RULES: If time allows during classtime, the teacher could have several tables set up with a different game for each table. The children can read the rules and begin to play the game at their table as time allows. (There are several Bible trivia and other such games available for this if desired).

BALLOON RULES: The teacher can have many balloons blown up with a little piece of paper in each balloon with a rule written on it (something that the child must follow as a rule when the balloon is popped). Tell the children to see who can pop their balloon and follow the rule the quickest. (Warn the other classes that there will be alot of noise and balloon popping, that may sounds like guns! :-)).

RULE PRINTS: Let children make ink finger prints on a piece of construction paper and add arms and legs, hair, etc to their ink print. Then write a Bible rule at the bottom or over the top of each print person. Children can title the page, LIVING BY THE RULES.

JESUS EXAMPLE BANNER: Provide the class of children with a long banner to take turns in writing things that JESUS did as our example. Children can write their own names on the banner as well as coloring and decorating the banner with words from today's lesson. HANG the banner vertically on a door or classroom wall. Let children sit in a circle and discuss the banner and how WE can follow Jesus' example.

BIBLE CUT OUT: Give children colored construction paper and markers to draw and cut out a large Bible. Add a small cut out version of the Bible to glue onto the colored Bible and write RULES from God's Word. Help children think of rules or write them on the chalkboard for children to copy onto their own Bibles. The teacher can give children ideas of rules that might be in the Bible for them to consider.

SING A SONG: THE B-I-B-L-E; JESUS LOVES ME; THERE IS A NAME I LOVE TO SING AND JESUS IS HIS NAME (sung to the tune of B-I-N-G-O).

SHARE A SNACK: The teacher can make a cake and decorate it to look like a BIBLE (just some colored decorating gel around the edges to trace it and a red ribbon down the middle with some red decorating gel and some rules written on the Bible cake.

Song:  "The B-I-B-L-E"

Words and Music (pdf)

MP3 Accompaniment Track

Song:  "Jesus Loves Me"

Words and Music (pdf)

MP3 Accompaniment Track

These songs are in the public domain and may be copied and reproduced for ministry purposes.