Abraham Assembly (Changes)

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This assembly is based on the story of Abraham being called by God to leave his homeland and journey to a distant land (Genesis 12) and fits with the SEALS theme of ‘changes’.

5 mins  Game-get 10 yellow ball pool balls, 5 red and 5 blue and share them out as follows into 3 baskets spaced out across the front of the hall:

Left basket: 5 yellow balls, middle basket 5 red and 5 blue balls, right basket 5 yellow balls.

Get two volunteers to stand by the left hand and right hand baskets.  Shout ‘go’ and get the volunteers to run backwards and forwards between their basket and the middle basket, changing their balls one by one until the left basket has 5 red balls and the right basket has 5 blue balls and all the yellow balls are in the middle basket.  The first to change all of the balls in their basket is the winner.  This introduces the idea of ‘change.’
5 mins Talk about God calling Abraham to leave everything behind to journey to an unknown place (mirroring what would happen after the summer when Y6 move to secondary school). Invite a child up to the front to become ‘Abraham’ and give them a rucksack and a map as if they are going on a journey.  Then take the map away and gave them a blindfold to wear and lead them around following only the direction of your voice.  This is hard because they really have to trust!

Then talk about Abraham having to trust God when everything he knew was changing and how we have people we can trust to help us when things around us are changing.  Share with the children who some of your trusted people are
5 mins  Object lesson- check out the original idea here on this blog of object lessons using natural laws.

Stand about 10 feet away from ‘Abraham’ and aim an inflated but untied balloon at him.  Let go and the balloon will go a little bit crazy in the air as it deflates.  This is like us when we get stressed about things and don’t let others help us.  Next, blow up another balloon (still without tying the end) and sellotape it to a piece of straw with a long string running through it (see picture).

Get ‘Abraham’ to hold on to one end of the string and you hold the untied balloon/ straw at the other end.  Let go and the balloon will fly straight to its destination at the end of the string (Abraham)!   This shows us how, if we trust God or those around us to help when things are changing and we are worried then, like the string, they will help to keep us on track!
2 mins  Light a candle and ask the children to think of all those people in their lives who they can trust to help them when changes are happening- the people who will keep them going in a straight line.  Say a brief thank you prayer for those people.

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.

David and Goliath Assembly (Good to be me)

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This is an assembly to go with the SEALS theme ‘Good to be me.’

5 mins Game- bring a child to the front and put a post it note on their head with the name of a famous person on it (don’t let the volunteering child see it).  The child has 2 minutes to ask questions to try and find out who the famous person is.  Make sure everyone else in the room doesn’t give the game away!  The point of the game is that knowing who we are is important!
5 mins story- Read the story of David and Goliath from a good Children’s Bible.  See here for some useful links, or get the children to act it out.
5 mins Talk and illustration- talk about the fact that it is sometimes hard for other people to know who we actually are.  Sometimes there are things we are good at that only we and God know about. Though others thought that David had no chance against Goliath, David trusted God and God was able to use him and the skills he had.  We all have things that we were good at (sometimes things that no one else but God and ourselves know about) and we can all be used by God to help others.

Before the children arrive, take a balloon and fill it with about a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda. It’s quite easy to make the balloon seem as though it is empty as long as the children don’t get close enough to touch it! Fix it to the neck of a bottle containing some white vinegar (this will look like water).  Talk about how it would seem impossible for me to inflate the balloon using just what is in the bottle.  You might think I was silly to even think it…

But…
At this point lift up the balloon and let the bicarbonate of soda be released into the bottle and explain that, even though no one else could see it, I knew there was something inside the balloon that could do the job.  Watch the balloon inflate!  Then talk about how God gives everyone special gifts and talents and sometimes no one else knows except you and God that they are there.  When you use those special gifts, God can help you to do things that others might think you would never be able to!
2 mins Light a candle and give the children time to think about the gifts and talents that God has given them and why it is good for them to be who they are.  End with a short prayer saying thank you to God for each person.

Lego Prayers

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If you have lots of bits of lego lying around then this prayer activity is for you!

This way of praying involves lots of colour and touch so it’s great for visal and kinesthetic learners…

You will need: A lego baseboard, lego bricks, lego people, lego accessories of any and every kind!

Make a cross shape on the baseboard using some bricks to symbolise bringing your prayers to Jesus.

Use bricks to pray! Here are some ideas:

  • Use different colours to represent different types of prayer e.g. sorry, thank you, healing.
  • Use colours to pray for different people or places
  • Use accessories to pray e.g. flowers as thanks for nature
  • build bricks on top of each other to pray for groups or families
Do this over a period of time, either in a family, on your own or as a prayer station.  See how long it takes to fill the cross with prayer!

5-7s: David and Goliath Session Ideas

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Here are some ideas for exploring the story of David and Goliath with 5-7s.

Tell the story from a children’s Bible or use items in a story bag…

Challenge the children to walk in ‘Goliath feet’ made from cardboard and string (see picture above).

Have a bean bag target throw competition (as a reminder of David’s throwing skills).

Have a go with some paper ball catapults.   Click here to see the original idea.

Decorate some stones to remind the children that something so small had such a great impact. .

Talk about times when we need to be brave.   How do you feel? What or who helps you? Talk about times when you have trusted God to help you (it’s great for adults to share their expriences with the children!)

Prayer: Write each child’s name on a different stone and give them out so that each child has thier own name.  Children hold their stone and ask God to help them when they need to be brave.  Swap stones with someone and pray that God will help that person to be brave.  Take that person’s stone home and remember to pray for them in the coming week.

5-7s: The Good Samaritan Session Ideas

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Here are some ideas for exploring the story of the Good Samaritan with 5-7s.

Tell the story with felt shapes: Click here to see the idea.  Alternatively, tell the story with fruit.  This gets a bit messy!

Let the children play with toy doctor’s kits

Draw out the themes of being good neighbours and helping and encouraging others.

  • Make ‘Get well soon’ cards
  • make hand print art work to help children think about being ‘helping hands’ to their neighbours.
  • draw pictures of the characters, cut them out and stick them onto lolly sticks to make stick puppets and retell the story

Pray for people who are ill using the healing board

Take home a ‘Helping Hands’ challenge sheet and encourage children to be good neighbours during the week!