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1-6 Graders

Graders Lesson Activities

graders lesson activity.png
The lesson activities on this page are from the
Believe In Jesus Teacher Guide 
These are fun activities to reinforce the Word lesson 
of the Believe In Jesus
Curriculum lessons.

Click on the curriculum covers to preview and buy.

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Believe In Jesus

Teacher Guide

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Believe In Jesus

Puzzle BLAST! Level 1

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How to Use the Graders Lesson Activities

The graders lesson activities are follow up activities for the lessons on the Graders Lessons page. Instructions are given for the teacher on organizing lively and engaging activities to build on the Word lesson for the preschoolers collectively, in teams or individually to take part in. Some are well known games that have been modified for the lesson. 
The purpose for the activity, preparation before class and class activity with examples where necessary are presented. These activities require some preparation on the part of the teacher. Most of the materials needed are printable templates from the Believe In Jesus Teaching Resources Download and easy to get household materials. 

List of activities

Graders Lesson Activities

Narrative Skit

Follow up activity for Lesson 1—God Loves You

from the Believe In Jesus Teacher Guide

Download: Narrative skit.

Click here for the download.

Purpose: To act out the Word story with words.

This is a skit where the narrator do ALL the talking and the actors do the acting without any talking. Depending on the number of children, divide the class into different teams to comprise of the number of characters needed for the skit. Use as many children as possible for the characters with asterisks (so that every child in the class gets to participate in the skit).
For orderliness, make sure that it is only the team acting is being read that stands in front of the class. Instruct the children about the characters they are playing and to pay attention to the narrative to act accordingly. Encourage them to put their individual flair to their acting to make it interesting.
It is important to read the script ahead of time to know how to position the children and when to cue them if necessary. As the narrator, put as much passion as possible in the reading of the script. Add exaggerated emphasis on some of the parts to make your narration engaging. Be prepared to pause the narrative to cue the children to play their roles. Feel free to modify the skit script in any way that will work for your class.
 

Props

Throw pillow tied with a sheet for pregnant Mary and wrapped up doll to be baby Jesus.

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Characters

Angel, pregnant Mary, Joseph, Jesus, baby Jesus, angel, shepherds* and angel choir*. Optional: Sheep*.

Narrative Skit
(Have pregnant Mary and Joseph stand on opposite sides of you. Turn the class attention to pregnant Mary)
This is Mary. She is pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. Wow, Isn’t God powerful?
(Motion for pregnant Mary to leave and turn the class attention to Joseph.)
Now here is Joseph. Remember he is engaged to Mary. He just learned that Mary is expecting a baby. She is pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is worried, see him walking up and down, his hand on his chin wondering what to do. Now he is tired from all that thinking, so he lays down to sleep.
Here comes an angel from the Lord to talk to Joseph in his dream. 
The angel says, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to accept Mary to be your wife. The baby inside her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son. You will name Him Jesus.”
(Have Jesus come and stand on the other side of you and direct the class attention to him.)
This is Jesus. God says for Joseph to give Him the name Jesus because He will save His people from their sins.
(Motion for Jesus to leave and have the shepherds and their sheep take their place)
Today baby Jesus is born. At night, some shepherds are sitting out in the fields near Bethlehem watching their sheep. 
Here comes an angel of the Lord who appears to them, and the glory of the Lord is shining around them. 
The shepherds become very afraid. And the angel says to them, “Don’t be afraid. I have some very good news for you—news that will make everyone happy.”
The shepherds stop being afraid, and they are getting excited.
The angel continued telling them, “Today your Savior was born in David’s town. He is the Messiah, the Lord. This is how you will know Him: You will find a baby wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feeding box.”
Then a huge army of angels from heaven join the first angel.
All the angels start praising God, saying, “Praise God in heaven, and on earth let there be peace to the people who please Him.”
The angels leave the shepherds and go back to heaven. 
The shepherds say to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this great event the Lord has told us about.”
And the shepherds leave their field.
(Have Mary carrying the wrapped up doll and Joseph sitting on the floor.)
Here is Mary and Joseph with the baby Jesus. The shepherds come running in. When the shepherds see the baby, they are so excited to see the Savior of the world. And the shepherds started praising God and thanking Him for everything they had seen and heard. It was just as the angel had told them.

Narrative Skit

Affirmation Exercise

Follow up activity for Lesson 2—God Made You

from the Believe In Jesus Teacher Guide

Purpose: To tell each other how special you are.

Have the children in a circle and take turns affirming one another. Let a child turn to the next child to tell them two affirming things about why they are special.
The first must be: (the child’s name), you are special because God made you special like Himself.
The child must come up with the second affirmation: (the child’s name), you are special because…
Depending on the class size or/and time, you can do more rounds or have more than two affirmations per child.

Affirmation Exercise
Scenarios

Scenarios

Follow up activity for Lesson 3—How Sin Started

from the Believe In Jesus Teacher Guide

Download: Scenarios cards.

Click here for the download.

Purpose: To show that sin is a disobedience of God’s Word and to come up with scenarios for sins and corresponding Word of God. 

Create, fold and put the scenarios cards in a container.  Divide the class into two team. Have a child come to the front from each team and one of them picks a card from the container. The first team child comes up with a scenario for the sin and the other team child comes up with the opposite scenario for God’s Word. When they are done, set aside that card, and call up the next pair of children to choose a card and tell their scenarios. Be sure to alternate the teams doing the sin and Word of God scenarios. When the five pairs of children are done, put the scenarios cards back in the container and start again until all the children have had their turns. 

 

You may give this example to the children to start them off:
 
Scenarios card: Steal—Ephesians 4:28 Example
Sin scenario: A boy was going to school when he saw a toy car lying on the ground. He picked it up and put it in his bag. He was happy that he now had a new toy to play with.
God’s Word scenario: A boy was going to school when he saw a toy car lying on the ground. He wanted to pick it up but he remembered God’s Word in Ephesians 4:28 that says not to steal. So he didn’t pick up the toy car and walked away.
 
Scenarios Cards

SIN: Steal (to take what does not belong to you)
GOD’S WORD: Ephesians 4:28 (ERV) Whoever has been stealing must stop it and start working. They must use their hands for doing something good. Then they will have something to share 

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SIN: Cheat (to act unfairly to get something)
GOD’S WORD: Proverbs 20:17 (ERV) It may seem to be a good thing to get something by cheating, but in the end, it will be worth nothing.
 

SIN: Gossip (to say bad things about others)
GOD’S WORD: Ephesians 4:29 (ERV) When you talk, don’t say anything bad. But say the good things that people need—whatever will help them grow stronger. Then what you say will be a blessing to those who hear you.
 

SIN: Envy (to want something that belongs to another person)
GOD’S WORD: James 4:2-3 (ERV) You want things, but you don’t get them. So you kill and are jealous of others. But you still cannot get what you want. So you argue and fight. You don’t get what you want because you don’t ask God. Or when you ask, you don’t receive anything, because the reason you ask is wrong. You 

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SIN: Lie (to not tell the truth)
GOD’S WORD: Ephesians 4:25 (ERV) So you must stop telling lies. “You must always speak the truth to each other,” because we all belong to each other in the same body.
 

Opposite Game

Opposite Game

Follow up activity for Lesson 4—Sins Separate

from the Believe In Jesus Teacher Guide

Purpose: To show that pleasing God is to do the opposite of the sinful self.

The opposite game involves calling out actions for the children to do and them doing the opposite actions instead. Before starting the games, demonstrate the actions and their opposite actions so they everyone is on the same page. 
To make it more fun for the older children, make it an elimination game where whoever does the same action you call out gets out of the game until you have a winner.


Below are example of actions and their opposite to use for the game. It is more effective to call out one word actions. The words in italics explain the actions.
 
Actions - Opposite Actions
Jump - Squat (down, knees bent)
Walk (in circles) - Freeze
Up (raise hands up) - Down (hands on sides)
Clap (hands) - Fold (hands across chest)
Left (turns the body) - Right (turns the body)
 

Experiment

Experiment

Follow up activity for Lesson 5—Lamb Of God

from the Believe In Jesus Teacher Guide

Purpose: To show through an experiment how the blood of Jesus takes away sins with one sacrifice

To show what the blood of animals does to sin, pour the water in glass cup 3 into the iodine solution in glass cup 1. For effect, pour a little, stop and count, keep pouring, stopping and counting until the water is gone. 
Result: The solution is still brown.
This shows that the sin still remains even though X number of animals were sacrificed.


To show what the blood of Jesus the Lamb of God does to sin, pour the entire bleach in glass cup 4 into the iodine solution in glass cup 2. 
Result: The solution become clear.
This shows that sins are gone with one sacrifice of the Lamb of God.

Paper Cross Craft

Paper Cross Craft

Follow up activity for Lesson 6—Jesus Died

from the Believe In Jesus Teacher Guide

Purpose: To remind you that Jesus died on the cross for you.

Needed

A4 Paper and yarn/thread

 

Depending on the size of the cross, use either A4 size paper or half of A4 size paper. To make a more attractive cross, use sheet of old colored magazine or cut up wrapping paper or get the children to design the paper before use. See the diagram.
 

Instruction
a. Fold and cut the paper in equal halves. 
b. Roll up one half of the paper along the shorter side and set it aside. Put a weigh on it to keep it folded. 
c. Then roll up the other half of the paper along the longer side. 
d. Join the 2 rolled up paper together to form a cross. 
e. Then use the yarn/thread to fasten them together.

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Diagram

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Song

Song

Follow up activity for Lesson 7—God Raised Jesus 

from the Believe In Jesus Teacher Guide

Purpose: To rejoice that Jesus has risen from the dead and He is forever alive.

Teach the children the Jesus is alive song. If you don’t know the song, there is a YouTube video of the song by Cedarmont kids. 


Jesus Is Alive Song Lyrics
Alive, alive, alive for evermore
My Jesus is alive, alive for evermore
Alive, alive, alive for evermore
My Jesus is alive
Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah
My Jesus is alive for evermore
Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah
My Jesus is alive
(Repeat all)
My Jesus is alive

Telephone Line Messages

Telephone Line Messages

Follow up activity for Lesson 8—To Be Saved

from the Believe In Jesus Teacher Guide

Purpose: To share the good news about Jesus message.

Have the class form a circle and use the telephone line game to pass across the good news about Jesus messages. The end result of each telephone line message is to have it intact. If the message was repeated word for word correctly, then telephone line was intact. If not, then it was broken. To avoid confusion, it is better to read each message to the child at the beginning of the telephone line, so that you can accurately compare the end message.
The telephone line game starts with you whispering a message to the child next to you (either on your left or right), then that child whispers the same message to the next child in line, and the whispering continues down the line until the last child. At the end of the line, the last child says the message aloud. You will then let the class knows if the message was intact or broken. For each message, move to a different place in the circle to start from, so different children are at the beginning and end of the line. 
You may combine the phrases to make it more challenging if the children are older.
 
Good news about Jesus messages

  • I believe that God loves me 

  • and sent Jesus for me 

  • to save me from my sins to live for Him. 

  • I believe that I am a sinner, 

  • separated by my sins from God 

  • and unable to live for Him. 

  • I believe that Jesus died to save me 

  • from my sins, 

  • and God raised Him from the dead 

  • for me to live for Him. 

  • I believe in Jesus 

  • to be saved from my sins 

  • to live for God. 

One Truth, Two ‘Lies’

One Truth, Two ‘Lies’

Follow up activity for Lesson 9—God’s Word Promises

from the Believe In Jesus Teacher Guide

Purpose: To show that whatever God says in His Word is the truth;

not what you think, feel or do, nor what people say.

Pair up the children and give each child paper and pen. Have them write a truth—one thing about themselves (have them put an asterisk beside it).  Then they exchange their papers and add two ‘lies’—two things to the list about the other person. Once completed, let them exchange back the paper so that each child is holding their own paper. Then divide the class into 2 teams (paired children must belong in the same team).
Instruct the class that you will be calling them out, alternating between the two team, and reading out each child’s paper. The other team is to guess which is the truth about the child and they only one chance for their answer. Let them know that it doesn’t matter if all the 3 things are true to the child, the truth is the one the child wrote about themselves. Be sure to mix up the truth and ‘lies’ on each child’s paper randomly when reading it. 
You may turn it into a team competition by keeping scores.

Stand Up If You…

Stand Up If You… 

Follow up activity for Lesson 10—Believer Through Jesus

from the Believe In Jesus Teacher Guide

Purpose: To show that you do or do not cannot make you a believer.

Have the children seated and tell them that you will be calling out some activities and actions that children do. As you call out an activity or action, if they have ever done it before, even once, they stand up. But if they have never done it before, then they remain seated. After each activity or action call out, instruct the standing children to sit down. Then start the process all over again until you have gone through the activity and action list.
Make sure to inform them that there is no prize involved and they should be honest. And the end, ask that any child who stood up for ALL the call outs should stand up. Of course, no child will stand up. Then reiterate that being is a believer cannot be achieved through doing or not doing an activity or action except by believing in Jesus to be saved from their sins to leave for God.
 
Activity and Action Call Out List
Stand up if you have:

  • Ever put toys away

  • Ever told the truth

  • Never told a lie

  • Ever said kind words to others

  • Ever obeyed your parents

  • Never taken what belongs to another person

  • Ever made your bed

  • Ever set and/or cleared table

  • Ever emptied wastebaskets/trash bin

  • Never gotten angry

  • Ever kept your bedroom tidy

  • Ever washed dishes

  • Never said a swear word

  • Ever swept the floors

  • Ever helped make food

  • Never cheated

  • Ever mopped the floor

  • Ever ironed clothes

  • Ever died for somebody

Chain Story telling: Unfortunately/Fortunately

Chain Story telling: Unfortunately/Fortunately

Follow up activity for Lesson 11—God Changes You

from the Believe In Jesus Teacher Guide

 Purpose: To show positive changes in people and their situations.

Have the children do a chain story telling that highlights positive changes in people and their situations. A chain story is a collective story that each child contributes to and the next child continues with the story from where the previous child stops. Each child must highlight a negative and a positive aspects in their part of the story by using the words “unfortunately” and “fortunately”.


You may start off the chain story by reading this:


Once upon a time, there lived two children who had a bully in their school. One day they decided to have their lunch on the field instead of the lunch hall. They were scared. Unfortunately, the bully came to them and demanded they hand over their lunch boxes. Fortunately, as they were about to hand over their boxes, they saw a teacher walking towards them and they were no longer afraid of the bully.


Then you continue the story to demonstrate to the children how they can add to it. 

Charade

Charade

Follow up activity for Lesson 12—God Makes New

from the Believe In Jesus Teacher Guide

Download:  Charade Activity/Chore Cards.

Click here for the download.

Purpose: To show the various activities and chores you can do as a new person in Jesus.

Create the charade activity/chore cards, fold and put in a container. Divide the children into 2 teams. Have a child from one team pick a card and faces own team. The goal is to act out the activity/chore without saying a word and have the team members guess the activity/chore. If the child’s team guesses incorrectly, then put it back in the container. If the activity/chore is guessed correctly, set the card aside. The charade game continues until all team members have had a turn. 
To make it more challenging and ensure that each child gets a turn, have a time limit. If the team does not guess correctly within the allocated time, have the other team take over. If it is a competition, give the teams a point for each correct guess and the team with the most points wins the game. 
 
Charade Activity/Chore Cards

  • Picking up toys

  • Putting dirty clothes in basket

  • Dusting furniture

  • Wiping table

  • Emptying garbage bins

  • Folding clothes

  • Vacuuming

  • Washing cloths

  • Cooking

  • Washing the dishes

  • Brushing your teeth

  • Taking a shower

  • Combing your hair

  • Swimming

  • Singing

  • Jumping Rope

  • Bouncing a Ball

  • Getting Dressed

  • Blowing a Kiss

  • Reading a Book

  • Writing

  • Washing Your Hair

  • Making Your Bed

  • Washing the Dishes

Pictionary

Pictionary

Follow up activity for Lesson 13—God With You

from the Believe In Jesus Teacher Guide

Download: Places Cards.

Click here for the download.

Purpose: To show the different places that God is with you.

This Pictionary activity involves using only drawing, no letters, words or other actions, to depict a place and have own team members guess the place. Before the class, create the places cards, fold and put in a container. Divide the class into two teams. Have a child from the first team choose a card and draw the place on the board for their team. Have different children represent their teams each round. Team members shout out guesses. 
To make it more challenging and ensure that each child gets a turn, have a time limit. If the team does not guess correctly within the allocated time, have the other team take over. The team with a correct guess wins a point. The team with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.
 
Places Cards

  • Airport

  • Bank

  • Bicycle

  • Boat/Ship

  • Bookstore 

  • Bus

  • Car

  • Church

  • Cinema/Movies

  • Gas/Petrol Station

  • Gym

  • Hospital

  • Hotel

  • House/Home

  • Jail/Prison

  • Library

  • Mall/Shopping Plaza

  • Park/Playground

  • Parking Lot

  • Pharmacy/Drugstore

  • Plane

  • Police Station

  • Post Office

  • Restaurant

  • Road/Street

  • School

  • Store/Market

  • Train

  • Zoo

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