Grades 1-3
Introductory Activity – Make a Plan
Materials: none
As kids arrive, consider a non-profit or local need in your own area (homeless shelter, women and children’s home, drug rehab center, etc.) Ask kids to help you make a list of things that might be needed for that problem or ministry. Remind kids that God uses the church to help provide needs in our communities for people. In this session, kids will learn that God provides for His people. This week, they will learn about a time God used someone to help provide for someone in need.
Live It Out
Game – Cotton Ball Relay
Materials: petroleum jelly, four paper plates, cotton balls
Create groups of about five kids and put a dab of petroleum jelly on the end of each person’s nose. For each group, set a plate of cotton balls on one end of a table, and set a second empty plate on the opposite end of the table for each group. Line up each group behind a plate of cotton balls. When you say “Go,” kids should put their hands behind their back, and one at a time, use their nose to pick up a cotton ball, walk it to the other end of the table, and drop it on the empty plate. The first team to move all their cotton balls wins! After the game, ask kids how hard it would have been to do the whole thing by oneself. In this game, the teams had one another to help move all the cotton balls. Remind them that God provides for His people, and in today’s Bible passage, God provided Elisha to help the widow and her sons.
Craft – What’s Your Name?
Materials: chenille stems, fishing line or twine
Invite kids to use the chenille craft stems of various colors to form their first names. Instruct kids to connect the letters in a cursive style or with extra pieces of craft stems. Help kids cut lengths of fishing line or twine and tie it to each end of their name signs so they can hang them wherever they would like. Remind kids that just like God knew all our names before we were born, He knows all our needs and provides for them, too.
Grades 4-6
Introductory Activity – Want or Need
Materials: paper, marker, tape
Print Want and Need on separate sheets of paper. Tape them to opposite walls. When kids arrive, start calling out different things that might be considered a want or a need. Kids can then walk to sign they think that thing falls under. Tell kids that they will be learning today that God supplies all our needs! In fact, in today’s Bible story, hear how God used Elisha to help provide for someone in need.
Live It Out
Game – We Need Each Other
Materials: masking tape, candy bars
Before kids arrive, tape candy bars onto the wall high enough so kids can’t reach them. Tell kids the goal of the game is to reach the candy bars without the help of furniture or other people. Let kids try to grab the candy bars. Once they’ve given up, form groups of three and allow them to work together to reach the candy bars. After the game, ask kids how hard it was to get the candy bars by themselves. Then ask them how hard it was when they were provided teams. Remind them that God provides for His people, and in today’s Bible passage, God provided oil for the widow to help her keep her sons.
Craft – Make Oil Jars
Materials: water, liquid glue, small disposable bowls, various colors of tissue paper, paintbrushes, small mason jar for each child
Add glue to the bowl and thin it with water. Give each child a mason jar, a paintbrush, and distribute the glue and tissue paper among kids. Kids can tear tissue paper apart into small pieces and use the paintbrush to glue those pieces onto the mason jar. Kids can layer the tissue paper and cover the whole jar with tissue paper. Tell kids they can keep these jars as a reminder of the widow’s oil jar and that God provides for His people!
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