Left Behind Group
Group Activities

HIDE AND SEEK: Let the children play hide and seek for someone that is chosen to be LOST! Give all the children an opportunity to be LOST and then found!

LOST ANNOUNCEMENT: The teacher will HIDE various objects in a designated area and then make an annoucement for a lost item - one at a time, letting children find the object that has been announced as LOST and then continue the LOST ANNOUNCEMENTS as time allows, with children running to find each object.

TAPING AN ANNOUNCEMENT: Let each child take a turn being recorded as they ANNOUNCE something or someone who has been lost! After they are recorded, let them listen to their announcement. Tell children that someone is lost in today's lesson and share our Bible story today.

JESUS HUNT: Give the children ideas of where to find the LOST JESUS (which could be part of a nativity set) and let children scurry around the area to look for Jesus! The first child to FIND JESUS can shout out, JESUS HAS BEEN FOUND, and then will put baby Jesus back in the correct place in the nativity scene/set. As the teacher begins to tell the story and walks around the room with baby Jesus in her hand, the baby Jesus can be hidden again while the children are listening to the story (have children look to other parts of the room to look at something about the story when secretly hiding the baby Jesus again). Let the children try to FIND Jesus again. Continue as time allows.

JESUS IS SHINING: Let children cut out letters to spell J-E-S-U-S and glue onto a piece of construction paper. Give the children glue and glitter and make the letters SHINE. Hang the pictures on the classroom wall in the shape of a Christmas tree. At the top of the tree, on a decorated STAR, write "LET JESUS SHINE -- DON'T LEAVE HIM BEHIND".

JESUS AT THE CENTER: Give the children a large circle to cut out. Tell children to write the word JESUS in the VERY CENTER of their circles. Write this in bright colors or gel markers, etc. Decorate the circle with stars and stickers. Tell the children to write as SMALL as they possibly can around the very outside "edge" of the circle with names or things and people that might take their attention off of JESUS at the center!

Snack Time: PRETZEL M&M HUGS (photo)

Ingredients: square pretzels; Hershey's Hugs; red & green M&Ms

Instructions: Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Align pretzels on cookie sheet in a single layer then top each pretzel with one Hershey's Hug chocolate. Bake in preheated oven for 4 - 5 minutes, until the chocolate is shiny and soft (but NOT melting, the chocolates should still hold their shape). Remove from oven and carefully place one M&M in the center of each soft Hug and press down on M&M to spread the chocolate. Place in freezer or refrigerator and allow to rest until chocolate has set, about 5 - 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container.

Song:  "In the Temple"

Words and Music (PDF)

Accompaniment (MP3

Song: "I Was Glad"

Words and Music (PDF)

Accompaniment (MP3)