Dont Miss Church Group
Group Activities

WE ARE THE CHURCH: Divide the children into two teams if there are enough children. When the teacher says GO, the children will try to arrange their bodies on the floor in the shape of a church with a steeple. (A square, a roof, and a steeple. The children can watch one team and then take turns watching, or they can form the church building at the same time.

IN CHURCH-OUT OF CHURCH: The teacher will put a long strip of colored tape down on the floor. The teacher will have the children line up on the right side of the tape. Tell the children that the right side of the line is IN church and the left side of the line is OUT of church. The teacher will start the game by calling out the directions to go IN CHURCH or OUT OF CHURCH, the children will jump from side to side as the teacher the commands. If a child jumps to the wrong side, he is out and the game continues. Speeding up the commands or using the same commands at times to confuse the children for fun.

CHURCH PLACEMAT: Give the children a piece of construction paper or card stock to make a place mat in the shape of a church. The children will decorate the place mat with markers and stickers and write DON'T MISS CHURCH on it. They will then cover their place mat with clear contact paper.

PAPER MACHE CHURCH: Give the children a tissue box and let children put paper mache mixture (One part flour to one part water with some salt added) all over the box. Use a Styrofoam cone to place on the church as the steeple. Spray paint the church at the end of class and let it dry through the week for children to take home the following week.

CRAFT STICK CHURCH: Give the children craft sticks to build a church. Paint or use markers to write ideas on each craft stick for reasons to go to church, BEFORE gluing the sticks together.

CHURCH BOOKLET: Provide the children with small pieces of construction paper to staple or hook together with a hole and paper brad to hold the pages together. Let the children make a title page for DON'T MISS CHURCH and then write one reason for going to church on each piece of the paper. Encourage the children to keep their booklet on their dresser or a living room table to encourage all of the family to go to church each week!

SIDEWALK CHALK CHURCH: Provide the children with sidewalk chalk to draw a picture of a church on the sidewalk and make stained glass windows, doors and people. Have another group of children write in huge letters — DON'T MISS CHURCH!!

WHO'S MISSING IN C-H-__-__C-H: Cut out large letters for two C's and two H's. Then cut out the U and the R in another brightly colored paper. Place the C and H's in the proper place on a bulletin board with the U and R missing. Ask the children, "What is missing in this word?" When they answer, "U-R," place the colorful U and R in the correct place. Explain that YOU ARE important for the CHURCH to be complete.

HERE IS THE CHURCH: (Finger play for the little ones.)
Here is the church (fold your hands with fingers inside)
Here is the steeple (put index fingers up to form the steeple of the church)
Open the doors (move your thumbs apart to see inside the church)
And see all the people. (show fingers inside, moving around but do not turn fingers to outside)

SING A SONG: Praise Him All Ye Little Children

SNACK TIME: Tell the children there is yet ONE more good reason for going to church and let them reach into a candy bag and take out a candy and tell children that "going to church is always a TREAT"!! (Cookies or cupcakes or a cake that is decorated to look like a CHURCH would be great too.)

Song:  "Praise Him All Ye Little Children"

Words and Music (pdf)

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