A Joyful Celebration
Group Activities

Sermon Title: "A Joyful Celebration"

Scripture Reading:Matthew 21:1-11 or Mark 11:1-11

PRAISE MARCH:

Give children flags, balloons and noise makers and praise the LORD with special words that they can repeat after the teacher -- with words from today's lesson and Bible verses!!

PRAISE BALLOONS:

Children can run a relay with 2 teams with popping balloons and reading the PRAISE word inside and continuing popping as time allows.

PRAISE MOBILE:

Give children supplies to make and trace pictures of balloons, music instruments, etc and hang from a large circle that will say CELEBRATE JESUS in bright colored markers. Children can also write words of PRAISE on their mobile pieces as well. GLITTER on each mobile hanging would be great. Streamers hanging from the mobile is a MUST for the celebration!!

NECKLACE BELL:

Provide children with a bell and yarn to hang around their neck or add letter beads to the bell necklace to say JESUS or CELEBRATE JESUS.

BALLOON PRAISING:

Give each child a strong balloon and small pebbles or beads to place a few inside the balloon. The children can have a bright colored marker to write CELEBRATE JESUS or words from our lesson on the outside of their balloon. Then blow up the balloon and tie so children can shake the balloon while praising the Lord with song or Bible verse.

DRUM CANS:

Each child could be given a tin can and construction paper to roll around the can, after decorating and writing words on the paper. Tape the paper to the can and turn it over to use as a drum during the PRAISE TIME, using craft sticks or small items to tap on the drum.

BOWL PRAISING:

Children can be given 2 styrofoam bowls to color and decorate. Place a few pennies or small beads inside and place the bowls together with the top edges touching and staple together. Children will enjoy shaking their noise makers while singing praises to the Lord today.

CELEBRATION STICKS:

Each child can be given a tongue depressor or craft stick. Color their sticks and then glue thin pieces of paper or crepe paper to the top end and children can raise their celebration sticks over head while reciting a Bible verse from today's lesson, or to march around the room, using their homemade instruments and their celebration stick.

PRAISE COLLAGE:

Magazine pictures and other papers to color or draw on can be given to children to glue onto a piece of construction paper with ideas of praise to the Lord -- praising him for friends, or family, homes, cars, toys, weather, nature, etc. Title the collage as children desire, such as PRAISE THE LORD, or CELEBRATE JESUS.

SING A SONG:

PRAISE HIM, PRAISE HIM; THIS IS THE DAY THAT THE LORD HAS MADE; HO-HO-HO HOSANNA

SHARE A SNACK:

Make a celebration circle and let children pass various bags of treats around the circle, taking one snack and passing it on. Every snack will mean another praise circle song or celebration sounds with their instruments.

Song: "Praise Him, Praise Him"

Words and Music (pdf)

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

Song: "This Is the Day that the Lord Has Made"

Words and Music (pdf)

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

Song: "Ho - ho - ho Hosanna"

Words and Music (pdf)

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