Category: 5-7s

Prayer Cube

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When teaching younger children about prayer, I have found it easiest to concentrate on ‘Sorry,’ ‘Please,’ and ‘Thank you’ prayers.  This cube helps to make prayers fun!  Throw the cube and pray whatever prayer lands face up.  If it is a ‘sorry’ prayer we always tell the children that it’s Ok to say the prayer in your head because sorries are between you and God.  Enjoy!

Click here for a printable version.

Easter Story Pass the Parcel

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This is a good way to tell the Easter story in groups.

You will need: 5 pictures telling the Easter story:  Palm Sunday, Last Supper, Gethsemane, Crucifixion, Resurrection

At the centre of the parcel, wrap up a big bag of mini eggs (so there is enough for each child in the group) and the picture of the resurrection.
In the next layer wrap up the crucifixion picture and a sweet,

The following layers should be…
Gethsemane, last supper and the top layer: Palm Sunday.
Each layer should also contain a sweet- this is important for later!

When you have the finished parcel you can play the game!
As the music plays, pass the parcel and whoever has it when the music stops unwraps the picture and the sweet.  Discuss what the picture shows and start again.  As each layer is opened, speak about the next part of the story and the picture. The children might even predict what comes next.
The final layer will reveal the resurrection picture and the big bag of sweets.  Jesus died so that we could be set free from the bad things we’ve done and the he rose again to show that he was truly God’s Son  It was amazing!!.  He gives us hope and new life and wants everyone to know the good news, not just a few people.  Tell the children that, yes, it really wasn’t fair that only some children got sweets and others didn’t.  He wants everyone who knows the good news to share it, and at that point share the sweets with the children.  Hopefully the point, emphasized by chocolate might stick!

Prayer Rockets!

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Here’s a fun way to get children to engage in thanking God and asking for blessing while also symbolically releasing their prayers into his hands.

First, get children to write and draw their prayers on a small slip of paper (about the size of an average till receipt).
Next, roll the paper tightly round a straw (the long straight part rather than the bendy part!) and secure it with sellotape.  Fold the top of the paper over and secure it with some more sellotape.  The paper will now have made a sealed pocket around the top of the straw.
Talk to children about releasing prayers to God and trusting in His love and His power.  Say a short prayer, giving your prayers to God and then blow on the free end of the straw.  Watch the prayer rocket fly as you release your prayers!

Pentecost: Fork Flame Paintings

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This is a really great idea for all ages.  We ended up working on the kitchen floor and even the adults decided to join in. Some of the children got incredibly creative…
You will need: yellow, red and orange paint, foil (for easy clean-up afterwards!), plastic forks, card or paper (we used black for a great effect).

Use a fork to blob some paint onto the paper and then swirl and pull or brush with the fork!

Encourage colour mixing as the flames flicker together…

Advent Playdough Mat

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Advent is a time of waiting and preparation. To fit with this, here is a play dough mat based around the idea of ‘journeying’ (reflecting the journey that Mary and Joseph went on to Bethlehem).  Print out the mat, laminate it for repeated use and get creative!

Click here to print out the mat.

Easter Story Play Dough Mats

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Play dough mats are a great way to help children to connect with a story.  Print off the sheets, laminate them so that they can be used multiple times and it is easy to clean off any stray play dough and let the children get creating!

Here are some play dough mats to use with the Easter story…

Click here to print the mat.

Click here For the ‘In the tomb’ play dough mat.

Click here for the ‘He is risen’ play dough mat.