Nature Walk It! Have children sit in a circle. Open the Bible to Acts 16, and show kids the words. SAY: The Bible is God s special book. It says Paul and Silas were in jail. They prayed and sang to God while they were in jail, and the other prisoners heard them. Lead kids in folding their hands as if praying. Those prisoners learned from Paul and Silas that WE PRAISE Suddenly there was an earthquake. The prison doors flew open, and everybody s chains fell off. The prisoners were free now! Lead kids in jumping around. Weather permitting, take the children on a thankful walk outside. Otherwise, walk around your church or room. Let kids point out things they re thankful for. Pause after each item the children point out, and lead the children in saying, Thank you, God. ASK: Why are you thinkful for the things you found? What has God done that you re thankful for? SAY: God did an amazing thing when he sent the earthquake to help Paul and Silas get out of jail! God does amazing things for us, too. That s why we thank God and GOD FOR HIS POWER. God had shown his power by sending an earthquake, so they thanked him. But they didn t leave the jail just yet. We ll find out next week what happened after their chains fell off. Now that Paul and Silas didn t have chains on their feet, they could walk around! Let s go on a walk and find things God made that we re thankful for. 16
Self Whisper It! Take out Squiggles the worm. SAY: Let s take a minute to think about things we re thankful for. Allow time for the children to reflect. SAY: Squiggles is going to come around to each of you. When he comes near you, whisper to him what you re thankful for. Lead Squiggles around the room like a dog on a leash, pausing in front of each child. Let kids quietly whisper to Squiggles. ASK: What did you whisper to Squiggles? What kinds of things do you thank people for doing? What have you told other people that shows you are thankful to God? SAY: It s good to give thanks to God for all he s done for us. And we can tell others what we re thankful to God for, just as we told Squiggles. Paul and Silas thanked God did when there was an earthquake. When we thank God, 17
Body Play It! Have children sit in a circle for a variation of Duck, Duck, Goose. Choose one child to be the Jailer. Tell the Jailer to walk around the circle and tap children on the head, saying jail, jail, jail. Then the Jailer will tap a child and call out Earthquake! The tapped child will jump up and chase the Jailer around the circle back to the empty space. Each time a child returns to the empty space, have the child pause as you SAY: WE PRAISE Thank you, God! The earthquake child will now become the Jailer, and you can continue this pattern until everyone has had a turn to be tapped. After the game, ASK: How was this game like what happened in the Bible? How was it different? What s an answer to prayer you want to thank God for? SAY: GOD FOR HIS POWER when we thank him for the awesome things he s done for us! 18
Music Sing It! SAY: We ve been learning about the prayer Jesus taught us called the Lord s Prayer. We re going to listen to a song about the Lord s Prayer. Encourage children to move around to the music any way they want. Tell them they need to listen carefully and when the music stops, they ll freeze. Play How You Should Pray (Matthew 6:9-13) (track 2) on the CD. Try to pause the music after the following phrases. After the phrase hallowed be your name, pause the CD and repeat the phrase to the children. Ask children to call out names they know for God. They can also make up names that praise God. for God to protect the children. When the song is over, gather the children near you. ASK: Why are you thankful for God? Why are you thankful for food? Why are you thankful for God s protection? SAY: When we thank God, it helps us remember that Paul and Silas thanked God when they saw his power through the earthquake. After the phrase give us today our daily bread, pause the CD and repeat the phrase to the children. Ask them to think of their favorite foods and call out, Thank you, God, for. After the phrase lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, pause the CD and repeat the phrase to the children. Then pray 19
Picture Sculpt It! Give each child a lump of the Buzz Boing Putty. SAY: Paul and Silas thanked God for what he did for them. They knew that WE PRAISE God uses his power to help us. He also uses it to make things for us to enjoy. Roll your putty into a ball, and bounce it to show you re happy and thankful to God. Then get your ball, and shape the putty into something you re thankful for. When children have finished their sculptures, encourage them to tell each other about their creations. Finish this activity by having the children hold their sculptures and thank God for what he has made. 20