Breakfast On The Beach Group
Group Activities

Sermon Title: "Breakfast on the Beach"

Scripture Reading: John 21:1-14

FISH NET RELAY: (Before doing this activity the teacher could print different sized fish in various colored paper or cardstock and cut out the fish. To make the cutting easier, draw an oval around the fish and cut around it.) Divide the children into teams. Each team will be given a fish net and when teacher shouts GO, each team will run to the area that the teacher has designated for their team. The team members will fill their net with all the cut out pictures of fish they can gather and then run back to the teacher with their nets! Have each team count the fish they gathered! This activity is great for the younger kids as they can classify them by color and/or size. They can fill out a score board and see how many fish of each color or size each team got.

FISHING POLE RELAY: The children will be divided into two teams and each team will be given a fishing pole with a string with a magnet attached to it tied to the pole. One member from each team will run to a bucket with small metal objects in it and drop the magnet on the end of the pole's fish line to pick up one of the small metal items and carry that item back to their team. (If more than one item is picked up, only one can be taken to the team, the rest have to be dumped back in the bucket.) Each player will take their turn in fishing in the bucket and bring back one metal item to the team until all the items in the bucket have been retrieved. (Suggested items ideas would be paper clips, hair barrette, small metal toys, keys, etc.)

ROD AND REELS: Fill a small mini plastic pool or plastic dish pan with water. Place some plastic toys in each "pool." Tie a plastic S-hook to the end of the fishing line and let children take turns "fishing for a toy" with their rod and reel! Tell children to listen carefully about who is fishing in our lesson today!

NET CHAT: Have the children sit in a circle on the floor. Pass a small fish net filled with fish that the teacher has cut out of construction paper. The fish will have words written on them from today's lesson. After all the children have a fish, let the children read what is written on their fish and share any ideas they might have about today's lesson or about fishing. Another option would be to have words from today's Bible verse written on the fish and let the children try to put the words in the correct order in the middle of the circle.

FISH TYING: Give two cut out fish for each child to color. Write on the fish, "FOLLOWING JESUS BRINGS GREAT REWARDS". Glue a small amount of cotton or tissues on one side of the fish and glue the fish together. Use a single hole punch to punch holes around the outside of the fish (starting on the mouth) and let the children lace the two sides of the fish together. Leave some extra string or yarn for the kids to be able to carry the fish as if they had just fished it out of the water.

FACE OR HAND PAINTING: Provide face paints available for children to paint the sign of the fish (Ichthys) on their hand or on another child's cheek and write JESUS in the symbol.

FISH SNACKS: Before class, the teacher can fry up some small pieces of fish, fish nuggets or fish sticks. Let children sit in a circle and enjoy some fried fish. If it isn't practical to have the fish snacks, Goldfish crackers would make a good snack for today's lesson.

Song:  "Every Day with Jesus"

Words and Music (pdf)

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