Mustard Seeds and Yeast
Group Activities

Sermon Title: "Mustard Seeds and Yeast"

Scripture Reading: Matthew 13:31-33

BALLOON BLOWING:

Give each child a balloon to blow up. Talk about how the balloon starts out small, but gets bigger and bigger as it is filled with air. That is much the same way it is with us. Our influence becomes bigger as we are filled with the Holy Spirit. (Note: If blowing the balloons is too difficult, the teacher could blow up a balloon for them.)

RUBBER BAND BALL:

You will need a large bag of colorful rubber bands for this activity. Each child will have a pile of rubber bands to begin making a rubber band BALL! As the children wrap the bands around each other, the ball will grow. Let the children continue to wrap the bands as time allows and soon a bouncing ball will be enjoyed by the children as they learn from today's lesson that "great things grow from small beginnings." (There are many tutorials for making rubber band balls on YouTube.)

A HANDY MUSTARD TREE:

Give each child a legal-sized sheet of light colored construction paper. The children will use their upper wrist and hand dipped in brown tempera paint to form the trunk and branches of a tree. Use green markers to add leaves on the tree. Use a marker to create birds flying around the mustard tree. Underneath the tree write, "Matthew 13:32"

SEED NECKLACE:

Each child can be given a mustard seed to be laminated and add a string or ribbon for a necklace. (The mustard seed can be glued to a small round piece of card stock paper first before laminating.)

YEAST SPRINKLES:

Give the children supplies to make a YEAST/BREAD poster - Yeast sprinkled onto glue and a picture or drawing of a loaf of bread! Today's Bible verse or words from today's lesson can be written in bright markers. For example: A LITTLE YEAST LEAVENS THE WHOLE LOAF

MUSTARD SEED AND YEAST PARABLE BOOKLET:

Provide several; small squares of various colored construction paper for each child to make a booklet about today's lesson. Each page will represent a part of the lesson. For example: Glue some mustard seeds on one page, draw a large tree or cut a picture out of a magazine to glue on another page. Glue some yeast on another page, draw a loaf of bread or cut a picture out of magazine for another page. Write a key Bible verse on each page to describe the teaching of Jesus.

YEAST ACROSTIC:

Write the word Y-E-A-S-T down the left side of a large sheet of paper or poster board. Let the children create an acrostic using the letters. (For example: "YOUR EXAMPLE ALWAYS SHINES THROUGH"! Colorful markers on neon colorful poster board will make a great reminder of today's lesson. Tape a folded "stand" to the back so this Acrostic can be placed on a table or dresser at home.

SEED ART:

Mustard seeds can be given to each child to add to the glue that has formed a flower on a colorful piece of paper. Write words from today's lesson around the flower to remind children of what we have learned today.

LEAVENED and UNLEAVENED BREAD SNACK:

Give each child a small sample of unleavened bread as well as a piece of leavened bread, as a snack today. Some type of spread could be added to the bread, if desired.

Song: "Little Is Much When God Is in It" - By Kittie L. Suffield

Sheet Music (PDF)

Piano Accompaniment (MP3)