Activity (Series A2 - Lesson 1): Wheat & Basket

Sunday Schoohouse Series Activity- Unit A2
Lesson 1: Ruth Cares for Naomi (Ruth 1:1-18)

As part of this lesson the children will make wheat and a basket:
For this project you will need yarn, glue, scissors, a piece of brown construction paper for each child and markers. The children will make yarn wheat using several pieces of yarn approximately 5 inches in length. Braid the yarn together leaving the top inch unbraided. Tie a small piece of yarn at the bottom of the braided wheat shaft and at the end of the braid near the top to stop unraveling. Make several pieces of yarn wheat. Cut the constructions paper into a large oval shape and make a slit in the middle lengthwise. This is the basket for the wheat. Under the slit on the basket write, "Lord, help us to be faithful and loyal friends." Then tuck the yarn wheat into the slit. Glue the bottom of the wheat on the back of the basket under the slit and the top of the wheat on the front above the slit. Make crisscross marks on the basket to make it look woven.

For younger children, braid the yarn for them ahead of time or have them cut wheat out of construction paper. They can cut several slits on the top inch of the shaft for the wheat top look.

Sola Christmas Program

Sola’s new Sunday School Christmas Program is patterned after the style of a traditional children’s Christmas pageant, centering on the biblical narratives of Jesus’ birth as found in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew. The program allows for children to lead in music and scripture readings, but also features participation by the gathered congregation and adult leaders.  The program is intentionally simple and “generic” — allowing for modifications and additions according to local custom, but focusing on the primary function of telling the story of Scripture.

The program in this booklet was created to accompany Year A (blue) materials in Sola Publishing’s Sunday Schoolhouse series, but it may be used as a stand-alone resource for use with children in any congregation. The Year A program is based around five main Scripture lessons, with a familiar Christmas song associated with each lesson.  The program is printed as a 8.5 x 5.5" booklet.

REPRODUCIBLE TOO!   It is recommended that each Sunday School teacher have a copy of the complete booklet.  Purchase of this booklet provides permission to reproduce the internal pages for students in their class — as a script for rehearsals and song sheet for performances.  Go HERE to order.

Activity (Series A1 - Lesson 7): Horn & Walls

Sunday Schoolhouse Series Activity - Unit A1
Lesson 7: Joshua and the Walls of Jericho (Joshua 6:1 - 21)

As part of this lesson children will make horns and knock down the walls of Jericho:
For this project you will need an empty paper-towel roll for each child, along with things to decorate the horn (markers, glue, scissors, stickers, streamers).  Also needed are building blocks such as cardboard/foam bricks, wooden toy blocks, or blocks from a popular building game. 

Each child should decorate their paper-towel roll horn, and together use the blocks to build a large tower. When everyone is ready, act out the Bible Story by having the children march around the structure seven times.  Then together, have them blow the horns and knock the tower down.  Younger children will like simply knocking things over. Older children might actually play the a brick-stacking game and remove blocks from the tower until it crumbles. If an adult or older child plays a horned instrument, it may be fun to have them play a song for everyone and see how closely the other children can replicate the song with their horns.

The Case of the Missing Page 25!

It has come to our attention that some of the Sunday Schoolhouse Classroom Resource Books (A1) went out with a missing page 25 (or an additional page 24, depending on whether you are one of those glass-half-full or glass-half-empty people).

You may download the missing page by clicking HERE.  It is the coloring page picture of Moses and the Golden Calf.

Speaking of "the lost has been found" -- it reminds me of the parable:  “What woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”  (Luke 15:8-10)

The good thing about Jesus is that the lost can be found and that what is wrong can be made right.  Please let me know if you need a new copy of the A1 book.  Write to: solapublishing@charter.net

Thanks, Pastor Steve King

Activity (Series A1-Lesson 6): The Ten Commandments

Sunday Schoolhouse Series Activity - Unit A1
Lesson 6: Commandments and the Golden Calf (Exodus 32:1 - 24)

As part of this lesson, have the children make the Ten Commandments:
For this project you will need one large piece of tag board (12x18 or so) or heavy construction paper per student, one paper bag per student, glue, and markers or the Ten Commandments printed out for each child. Have the children cut two tablet shapes out of the paper bags - you may need to trace them for the younger children. Crumple the tablets encouraging the children to smash them really well to make them look old and weathered. Smooth the tablets and glue them onto the tag board (make sure they put the blank side up). Glue on the printed commandments five on each tablet or write the commandments on the tablets with markers.

It may be useful to list the commandments in a language more easily understood for the younger children. The following come from Sola's "Luther's Small Catechism: Children's Version". 1. I am the Lord your God, do not trust in any other Gods. 2. Do not use God's name in any worthless way. 3. Take a day off each week, and set it aside for God. 4. Pay attention to your dad and mom. 5. Do not kill. 6. Be loyal to the person you are married to. 7. Do not steal. 8. Do not lie about other people. 9. Do not wish to have someone else's house. 10. Do not wish to have what belongs to someone else.

Options: The younger children could draw pictures for some of the commandments, such as a picture of their mom or dad to represent honoring their mother and father. The older children could use Roman numerals for the numbering. Also, the class could make one very large set of commandments to hang in the classroom.

Activity (Series A1 - Lesson 5): Parting of the Red Sea

Sunday Schoolhouse Series Activity - Unit A1
Lesson 5: The Parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:1 - 31)

As part of this lesson the children will make Moses parting the Red Sea:
For this lesson each child will need a large piece of brown construction paper, glue, blue tissue paper, 1 pipe cleaner, sea life stickers, markers, scissors, yarn and a copy of the prayer listed in the Classroom Resource Book Year A-Unit 1 for this lesson (page 20).

The children will hold the large piece of brown construction paper horizantally and fold it into thirds. Tear the blue tissue paper and glue it in bunches over the two outside thirds of the paper representing the parting waters of the Red Sea. Glue a copy of the prayer listed in the Resource Book to the middle third at the bottom of the paper. Using markers the children can draw a picture of Moses in the middle of the paper above the prayer. The pipe cleaner will be glued onto the paper as if Moses were holding it as his staff. The yarn can be cut in small pieces and glued onto Moses face as his beard. Add sea life stickers for further decoration. [Option: Give the children scrap fabric so they can make a robe for Moses.]