This last week we unpacked the story of Noah's Ark and really focused on God's promise at the end and the rainbow. Here's a quick lesson idea with activities and a song to pull it all together. Modify it to fit your time and your kids personalities. :)
Praise and Worship: We like to sing 2-3 songs each week. It doesn't require any big set-up... we use a laptop hooked up to a TV! The kids love doing motions - it keeps them engaged and helps them connect with the words they are singing. A great song for this lesson is "Rainbow" by Hillsong Kids. You can find the video online (YouTube) for free!
The Story: Everyone loves a good story! You don't have to do anything elaborate - just tell them the story. You CAN (of course) add props or actors but do NOT feel like you have to! I just told them the story (expressively) and they stayed engaged. While telling the story I focused on the promise that God made at the end. We talked about how God never forgot about Noah, his family, or the animals and how He never forgets about us - OR His promise. Everyone has seen a rainbow! The kids could all recall a time that they saw a rainbow and we agreed to remember God's promise every time we see a rainbow from now on!
Snack: It's not ALL about the animals - but they are a fun part! We ate animal crackers for snack and talked about the different animals in our pile.
Activity: The favorite activity of the day was by far the paper plate candy rainbows. This was actually a modified activity at the last minute! Originally the plan was to create a rainbow on halved white paper plates using tissue paper squares... but the store I stopped by (on my way to church!) was out of tissue paper! So I had to improvise! I decided to grab some big bags of Skittles and M&Ms. (I also grabbed some fun size bags for the kids to take home) We reviewed the story while the kids colored a rainbow on their plate and then glued M&Ms and Skittles to create a 3-D rainbow! (I asked them comprehension questions to make sure that they really grasped the story and gave them the opportunity to ask questions) Knowing they could take home their own bags of candy helped prevent them from eating the craft supplies! ;) Our kids range in age from K-5th grade and they ALL enjoyed the activity.
EXTRA: We used this time of talking about promises to make some group promises to each other (aka class rules). We talked about what we should promise each other to create the best environment on Sunday mornings. With a little guidance from me they came up with the promises! We promised to listen while someone else is talking, to ask permission before we leave the area (for bathroom, water, etc), to walk quietly through the halls, etc. We put them up on a poster board and every one signed their name! We can now display this list of group promises each week which will not only help with classroom management but will also remind them of Noah and God's promises to us! Win-Win!
What is your favorite activity for the story of Noah's Ark?
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