Setup: I find it is always helpful to have a map and instructions for number of tables and chairs that are needed. That way, I can hand it to the helpers setting up and they know exactly what is needed.
Groups: As the children arrived we assigned them to a tribe. There are 8 wards in our stake so we asked each ward to supply 2 helpers to be group guides (2 per tribe). They each received a schedule and a group sign in a page protector to help guide their groups.
- Ask child if they have a tribe preference so they can be with their friends.
- Try to keep the tribes even – within 1 or 2.
- Add a tally mark to the tribe.
- Stamp child's hand and book (using Bingo daubers) with the color of the tribe.
Letter to Class Activity Leaders:
You will be playing a video and then leading an activity. Teach with the spirit and expand on the topic as inspired but please keep within the time restraints of the schedule. We will provide everything you need for the activities. We will download and make sure there is a TV and USB drive to play the videos in each room. You may decorate your classroom any way you wish in keeping with the biblical theme, but it is not required. Costumes are also not required. Please let us know if you need any help or any other supplies for your class not listed below. We will be at the building starting at 8:00 am to set up.
We are creating a booklet to remind the children what they learned (see link). We will provide star stickers and ask that at the end of each class, you put a star on your class's page, in the circle that appears in the upper corner.
Your class will be held 6 times and should last 15-18 minutes each. We estimate between 13 and 17 girls and boys per group. Each group will have at least two adult group guides to help. Please be ready to teach the first class by 9:45 am. You may attend the "Friend to Friend" broadcast at 9:00, if you'd like. Please make sure to join us for a pizza lunch!
After 15 minutes in your class, you will hear two short bells. This is your three-minute warning. Please do not dismiss children until you hear the single long bell. Then, be sure to dismiss the children promptly so they can begin the next class on time.
At the end of each class, please put a star sticker on your class's page in the children's booklets.Class A: Enoch (Primary Room)
Video: Enoch the Prophet (1:37)
Incorporate Love, Share and Invite. Explain that Enoch was afraid to speak to the people, just like we are sometimes afraid to speak to our friends about the gospel. We just need to show love, and the lord will give us strength. When we share and invite others to the gospel everyone will be happy like the city of Zion.
Activity: Play the game "Walking with God" (3-legged races). Have students pair up, side-by-side and tie their legs together to set up for a three-legged race. Mark a start and finish line.
Round
1. Cooperation: The Bible said Enoch walked with God.
You can imagine two friends taking a walk and talking together side by side.
So, we’re going to practice walking with someone else. You’ll need to work
together and walk slowly this time.
Round
2. Speed: Sometimes, things in life happen very quickly,
and we still need to be able to walk with God when things get busy. This time, walk
quickly but remember, if you fall down, you have to start back at the
beginning.
Round
3. Hopping: And sometimes, life is crazy, but God is
always right there with us. So, this time, you’re going to walk with God by
jumping together to the finish line.
Round
4. Crab Walking: And sometimes, life is really hard.
Things happen and we get sad, but God is still with us through those hard
times. So, this time, walk like a crab with your partner to the finish line.
When
we walk with God in life, we will eventually get to the finish line. The finish
line that we’re all going for is Heaven. God might not take us away like He
took Enoch, but when we die, God will take us to be with Him in Heaven.
We will provide rope to tie children's legs together (at knee or just below).
Class B: Joseph (Nursery Room)
Video: Joseph’s Inspired Dreams (2:17) – If there is extra time you can show Joseph In Egypt (2:50), and Joseph and the Famine (2:25)
Explain that after Joseph was sold as a slave, he became a trusted leader in Egypt because he was honest and hardworking. When his brothers came to Egypt to ask for help, because there was a famine, Joseph forgave his brothers and sent for the rest of his family to come to Egypt. He gave them land and animals and they lived in peace for a long time. How difficult is it to forgive your siblings or show them love or service? How about asking for forgiveness when you've been wrong?
Activity: On the cut-out shapes, write things you love about your family or things you can do to show kindness or service to them. Or write a message of forgiveness. Put the hearts around your house to remind you to show love and forgiveness. Make sure kids' names are on them so they don't get lost. We will pick them up at the end of each class and keep them until the end. Kids should not take them out of the class.
We will provide 2 long tables with 8 chairs each, cut-out shapes, markers, paperclips.
Class C: Moses (Young Women Room)
Video: Moses on Mount Sinai (2:55)
Read or paraphrase: The Ten Commandments Teach Me to Love God and His Children - Did you know that by making good decisions, you are following the Ten Commandments? After the Israelites escaped from Egypt, they needed guidance from the Lord. Through the prophet Moses, the Lord gave the people 10 important commandments to follow to live a righteous life. The Ten Commandments teach about respecting God, being honest, honoring our parents, keeping the Sabbath day holy, and being good neighbors. These rules are as important today as they were thousands of years ago. When we follow the Lord’s commandments, we learn to love and respect God and be kind and loving to those around us.
Activity: Memorize the Ten Commandments using the Missionary Method Video (2:08) – finger memorization. If you have extra time, you can quiz them on the different finger signs or sing "Keep the Commandments"
Class D: Joshua (Relief Society Room)
Video: Joshua the Prophet (2:58)
Explain that the ark of the covenant was a sacred chest that contained the Ten commandments and scriptures. The ark, like a temple, was a symbol of deep spiritual meaning and it blessed the Israelites when they were faithful to the Lord and His covenants.
Activity: Roll play! Make a fort using chairs, sheets and clothes pins. March around the fort carrying the Ark of covenant, blow horns and shouting. After 7 rounds, make the walls "fall" down. Put chairs and sheets down for the next group. Throw horns in the trash. Do not allow horns to leave the room!
We will provide ark, sheets, clothes pins, paper to make horns
Class E: Daniel (Multi-Purpose Room)
Video: Daniel and His Friends (1:38) AND Daniel and the Lions’ Den (1:45)
Activity 1: If we live the Word of Wisdom, we’ll receive many blessings. Heavenly Father has promised us that we (D&C 89:20) "…shall run and not be weary and shall walk and not faint." Just as Daniel and his friends were stronger for refusing the King's food. Using the toy food, sort them into 'healthy' and 'unhealthy'.
Activity 2: Daniel had the courage to pray even though it was breaking the law because he knew it was the right thing to do. While he was in the lion's den God sent an angel to shut the lions’ mouths and the lions did not hurt him. Play 'Daniel Says' (like Simon Says) where everyone else is a lion and does what Daniel says. The last one left gets to be Daniel the next game.
We will provide toy food.
Class F: Esther (Overflow)
Video: Queen Esther (2:44)
Esther was brave and believed in God. You can be courageous and stand up for what’s right just like Queen Esther.
Activity: Origami crowns (Instructions or video) Make sure kids' names are on them so they don't get lost. We will pick them up at the end of each class and keep them until the end. Kids should not wear them out of the class.
We will provide 2 long tables with 8 chairs each, 6X6" scrapbook paper.
Water Games
We will end the activity with water games, outside at the pavilion, from 12:45 to 1:00. We hope to have two volunteers helping with each game. One should be prepared to tell the brief story while the children are playing or in line to play. The other volunteer should be helping setup and lead the game. The directions for the game are below.
Tower of Babel (Sounds like 'bay-bull')
After the flood, the people began to disobey God. Some of them did not believe God’s plan. Without asking God, they started building a tower to try to get to heaven. It was a false temple called the Tower of Babel.
God was not happy that the people were building the tower. He changed their language so that they could not understand each other. Because they could not understand each other, they had to stop building the tower.
God scattered the people and sent them all over the earth to live.
Game:
Build a tower to try and reach heaven.
- Stack plastic cups as high as you can, filling every other one with water (1/4 full). Cups should be stacked one on top of the other, not in a pyramid.
- Start on the ground as towers can get pretty tall.
- When the cups fall over, they'll make a splash!
Noah's Ark
The Lord told Noah a flood would cover the earth if the people did not repent but they would not listen. The Lord told Noah to build a large ship called an ark. The ark would keep Noah’s family safe during the flood.
Noah’s family brought food into the ark. The Lord sent at least two animals of every kind to Noah. The animals went into the ark, and seven days later it started to rain.
It rained for 40 days and 40 nights. A flood covered the earth. When the flood ended, the ark landed on dry ground. The Lord promised to never flood the earth again. He sent a rainbow as a reminder of His promise.
Game:
Race arks through the flood to get to the promised land.
Rain Gutter Regatta boat race - On the starter's command, blow into the sail of the boat with the provided straw to race them through the water. The boat can only be propelled by blowing into the sail using the straw. Once the race has started, you CANNOT touch the boat with your hands, except to right a capsized boat.
Throw straws away when finished.
Deborah the Prophetess
Deborah was a righteous leader who sat beneath a palm tree to listen to and teach the people. The Lord told Deborah to gather an army of Israelites to fight against the Canaanites. The Israelite army gathered on a mountain, and the Canaanites gathered in the valley. The Lord sent rain, and the Canaanites’ were drowned and swept away in the river.
Game:
Israelites vs. Canaanites - tug of war.
- An equal number of players pick up each end of the rope.
- The players begin tugging the rope when the referee gives the signal.
- Each player pulls backwards as hard as they can.
- The teams continue pulling until the center of the rope (flag) crosses where the referee is standing.
- The game ends when the referee declares one team has successfully pulled the past the center.
- The losing team may fall into the pool of water – "drowning" like the Canaanites.
David and Goliath
Goliath, a giant Philistine warrior, challenged any one of the Israelites to fight him. A young boy named David asked if he could fight the man. Goliath made fun of him because he was so young. David had great courage and faith and knew that God would help him. David put a stone in his sling and swung it at Goliath. It struck Goliath’s forehead, and he fell to the ground.
Game:
Smite Goliath.
Form a line and take turns throwing or using the sling shot to hit Goliath (played by Bro. Carnahan) with water bombs. Once they have taken a turn each child should go to the end of the line to try again.
Being too aggressive can result in disqualification at the leaders' discretion.
Jonah
God called Jonah to serve a mission, but he didn’t want to go. He got on a ship to go far away and God sent a storm. Jonah was thrown overboard so the storm would stop and save the people on the boat. But then Jonah was swallowed by a large fish.
Jonah was inside the belly of the fish for three days where he prayed and repented. The Lord heard Jonah’s prayers and made the fish spit Jonah out onto dry land.
The Lord again told Jonah to preach to the people of Nineveh. This time Jonah obeyed. He went to Nineveh and told the people to repent or the Lord would destroy their city. The king and his people repented. The Lord forgave them and did not destroy Nineveh.
Game:
The story of Jonah obstacle course.
- One at a time, start at Nineveh (the cone) and run away to the ship.
- Get on the boat until the storm comes. (Leader lightly sprays kids with sprayer.)
- Jump off the boat, go around the cone
- Go through the big fish (mouth, throat and 2 stomachs and ribs).
- Come out on dry land and run back to Nineveh (the cone). Teach the people of Nineveh by reciting an Article of Faith or favorite scripture.
Rebekah
Abraham sent his servant to find his son Isaac a wife. The servant prayed for God to help him meet a righteous woman. Before he finished praying, Rebekah came. She asked if she could help get him water from the well. She even gave his camels water! It was hard work. The servant invited Rebekah to meet Isaac and they decided to marry. She was blessed for her kindness.
Game:
Get water from the well to give to the camels.
- Two teams of two children play against each other.
- The first child plays the camel and gets on their hands and knees with a bowl on their back.
- The second child gets a ladle.
- When the leader says "Go," the children with the ladles race to the "well" and get water, then race back to their camel and put it in the bowl.
- Continue racing back and forth to the well until one of the teams has filled their bowl to the line.
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