They Are Precious Group
Group Activities

WELCOME MAT RUN: If possible, take all the children outside of the church building and give them certain places that they need to RUN to and then come back to the doorway and wipe their feet on the welcome mat and see how many times the children can take the RUN until the time runs out and the teacher blows the whistle. Each time around the "track area", children must wipe their feet. Tell children the welcome mat will have something to do with our lesson, and it will also let the children run off some energy before classtime!

DRESS UP RELAY: Have children form teams and then take turns at the whistle, to run to the basket that will have clothing items in it. Each child will quickly grab just ONE of the items and run back to the team while wearing that item and not taking it off. When everyone has finished and is wearing one of the items, take a picture of the group and let children know that we'll learn from our lesson today how many different ways that people will look as they come into our church but that ALL ARE PRECIOUS IN HIS SIGHT. If time allows, start the game over but have each child pick out TWO items of clothing to put on and complete the relay race! Another picture for the children to see later would be fun!

CUT OUT CHILDREN: Give each child a piece of construction paper and fold back and forth like an accordian. Then draw half a person on the outside layer and cut around the tracing withOUT cutting out the front of the foot and not cutting out the hand. When the paper is UNfolded, the children cut outs will be attached. Hang the children on the wall and let the class color the hair and color on clothes, etc.

WELCOME MAT: Provide children with a piece of heavy construction paper and supplies to decorate their own welcome mat. Children can write parts of the Bible verse or LEARNING TO LOVE AS JESUS LOVED, WE ARE ALL PRECIOUS IN HIS SIGHT, etc. Children could also draw pictures of other nationalities on their welcome mat and take the mats home... or place in front of other classroom doors.

HEART CHILDREN: Give children construction paper and markers and stickers, etc, to draw hearts and then add legs and arms to the hearts and decorate. Write on the "heart children" -- LOVE AS JESUS LOVED, or JESUS LOVED ALL THE CHILDREN, and other ideas from our lesson today as children desire. Hang the "heart children" around the room and have children talk about letting ALL children be part of their circle of friends!

POPCORN CHILDREN: Show the children a bowl of UNPOPPED corn and tell them that stands for all the children in the world. Then pop some corn and tell them that will stand for all the children that the LOVE of Jesus warms their heart because He thinks all children are precious in His sight and they'll BURST OPEN with God's love!!.

NAME TAGS: Let the children cut out name tags in the shape of a heart. Write their name on the name tag and write I AM PRECIOUS IN HIS SIGHT and decorate. Pin the heart name tag to the child's shirt with a safety pin.

THUMBPRINT CHILDREN: Let each child press a finger or a thumb into some colored ink pad and stamp on a piece of paper. Each child can do several thumb prints and then draw different faces on each print with different slanted eyes or kinds of hair, etc and then add arms and legs. Children can write over the top of their thumbprint children -- ALL ARE PRECIOUS IN JESUS' SIGHT!!

SING A SONG: JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD

SNACK TIME: Give each child 2 small sandwich bags with stickers to decorate the little mini-plastic sandwich bags. Then give children choices of small candies to place in each bag. One bag will be for the child and another bag can be fixed up to give to an older person in the church. Have children put a small written piece of paper in that bag that says... JESUS LOVES YOU. ALL ARE PRECIOUS IN HIS SIGHT. Encourage children to find an older person in the church or a neighbor who hasn't received a bag from anyone else.

Song:  "Jesus Loves the Little Children"