The Happy Puppy
Group Activities

Sermon Title: The "Bee Attitudes"

Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:1-12

HAPPY GAME RUN:

Let children divide into teams if large number of children in class (or as individuals if this is a small class); and each team will run for "Be HAPPY" slips of paper to place on their teams' poster board. Each slip will have one of our lesson's 8 BE HAPPY sentences. See which team or individual can fill up their poster board the quickest. Make sure that there are enough BE HAPPY sentences for each team to complete all 8 for their poster boards. Let children work together to decorate their poster boards and title BE HAPPY.

HAPPY BEE BUZZING:

Children can be divided into teams. Each player will take turns "buzzing and flying" to the opposite line and then RUN back to the team, for the next player to do the same until all the team players have had a chance to buzz and fly. If children buzz and fly with a HAPPY FACE smile, they can sit down at the end of their team line, but if there is no happy face, the player must buzz and fly another time.

HIDING BEES:

The children will play Hide and Go Seek around a designated area. While one child is blindfolded, the other children will BUZZ around the blindfolded player while he tries to reach out and catch or find the buzzing bees. Give many children a turn at being blindfolded. Let children sit in a circle after playing the game and listen to our story about the BEE Attitudes.

BEE ATTITUDE BEES BOOKLET:

Give children paper and supplies to make a small booklet with stickers or pictures or tracings of bees. Children can draw a picture or write words for each of our BE HAPPY statements today.

BEE CUP:

Each child can be given a styrofoam cup and decorate with markers or happy face stickers. Give each child an envelope of 8 slips of paper with the BE HAPPY statements. Children can use crayons and lightly color each slip of paper and then place into their BEE CUP to take home and read the BE HAPPY slips of paper through out the coming week. Children might be encouraged to place their BEE CUP in their living room or kitchen table for other members of the family to learn the BEE ATTITUDES, as well.

BEE COLLAGE:

Have as many pictures of bees as possible from old books or magazines or from internet searches, for children to tape or glue onto a piece of construction paper. Encourage children to write that "HAPPINESS IS NOT A FEELING THAT IS BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN TO US, BUT AN ATTITUDE THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE OF WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR HEART, or WE NEED TO BE LIKE THE BEE, BUZZING HAPPILY THROUGH LIFE BECAUSE OF WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US.

HAPPY HEART:

Give children 2 large cut out hearts, or tracings for the children to cut out if they are older children. Let children decorate the heart with stickers and markers. Hole punch around the edges and allow children to take string or ribbon to "lace" the 2 hearts almost together except at the top of the hearts (to leave open). Give children cut out letters for H-A-P-P-I-N-E-S-S, or older children can cut out their own HAPPINESS letters and place inside the HAPPY HEART and tape the top together. On the back of the Happy Heart, children can write or tape another heart that will say our prayer for today -- DEAR FATHER, HELP US TO HAVE THE HAPPINESS THAT COMES FROM INSIDE OF US.

FLOWER POTS AND BEES:

Children can either use various colors and shapes of construction paper to make a flower pot and have flowers taped to the pots with chenille wire, etc, or dried flowers in an inexpensive plastic pot. Small bees or puff balls from the craft section of a store can be glued to the flowers. Use markers to write on the flower pot to BE HAPPY FOR ALL THAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US.

SHARE A SNACK SACK:

Make a light HAPPY SNACK for children to take home. Write HAPPY BEE SNACK SACK for each child and put in little candy snacks, or chips, or a cupcake, etc.

SING A SONG:

IF YOU'RE SAVED AND YOU KNOW IT... OR IF YOU'RE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT (Say AMEN, Stand and shout - PRAISE THE LORD... with hands up; GIVE A SMILE ... smile big and say EEE EEE).

Song: "I'm Happy All the Time"

Words and Music (pdf)

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

Song: "If You're Happy"

Words and Music (pdf)

MP3 Accompaniment Track