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Title: Kindergarten Sabbath School Program, July 21,
2001

From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Lisa Seeders)

Date Completed: June 15, 2001

Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps
to teach the lesson, PRAYING TO A GOLDEN CALF
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Lesson Aim: God is loving and forgiving.

Memory Verse: "You shall have no other gods before me." 
Ex. 20:3, NIV


GETTING THEIR ATTENTION - LET'S MAKE A DEAL

Materials needed:
2 boxes (the same size and shape)
One donut in a Ziplock bag
Small box of 6-8 crayons
Stick of gum
2 dimes
Bible game

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead)
Set the two boxes up front on a table.  

WHAT THE CHILDREN DO:
Have the children close their eyes.  Place the donut
under one of the boxes.  The other box remains empty. 
Ask a child to lift the covers off of both boxes.  Ask
the question, "Would you rather have this donut that
you can see to take home today or would you rather have
a box of donuts I bring later?  Continue hiding the
above items from the materials list under one or the
other of the boxes and asking the following questions:

1.  Would you rather have this box of crayons to take
home or a bigger box that I will bring later?
2.  Would you rather have this stick of gum to chew now
or wait for a whole pack later?
3.  Would you rather keep these two dimes or have two
quarters that I bring later?
4.  Would you rather play this Bible game today or play
two together next week?

(Depending on your size of class and time allotted,
think up more items to put in the box.)  The object of
the activity is to get the class to understand how hard
it is to wait; how hard it is to choose something you
can't see and you can't be sure of.  In our story today
the Israelites built a golden calf to worship because
they wanted to worship something they could see.    GO
STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY.


GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - STONE STORIES

Materials needed:
Large flat rocks (one for each child)
Permanent markers (thin-line)

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead)
With a permanent black marker draw lines on each large
flat rock to divide them into four sections.

WHAT THE CHILDREN DO:
Give each child a large flat rock.  They will draw
pictures in the sections to represent things in the
Bible story as you narrate it.  (When you get to the
section of the lesson that talks about how God wrote
the 10 commandments with His finger on tablets of
stone, have them imagine what it would be like to carve
the pictures into the rock without using something like
markers.)  In the top left-hand section have them draw
a picture of a mountain to represent Mount Sinai in the
story.  In the top right-hand section have them draw a
picture of the 10 commandments.  In the bottom left-
hand section have them draw a picture of a calf on a
box to represent the golden calf idol.  In the bottom
right-hand section have them draw a cross to represent
God's love and forgiveness.  Encourage the children to
take the rocks home and share the story with their
friends and family using the rock as an illustration
and reminder of the events.


GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - FINGERPAINT MEMORY VERSE

Materials needed:
Fingerpaint
Artist's paper
Smocks, large shirts or aprons
Wipes
Bibles
Small paper plates
Pencil

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead)
For younger Kindergarten children lightly write the
memory verse on a sheet of the artist's paper with a
pencil.  Place the fingerpaint on small paper plates, a
different color on each plate.

WHAT THE CHILDREN DO:
Show the children where the memory verse is found in
the Bible.  Talk about how only God can write with his
finger.  The things He writes or tells others to write
for us to read are very important.  Our memory verse is
an example of this.  Have the children dip their index
finger into some finger paint and trace over or write
the words of the memory verse onto a sheet of artist's
paper.


ACTING ON SCRIPTURE - POTATO PASS

Materials needed:
Cassette recorder or piano player
6-8 potatoes
Permanent marker
Pan with lid

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead)
Write the following words on the potatoes, one word to
a potato.  Put the potatoes into a pan and cover them
with a lid.
1.  TV
2.  Clothes
3.  Friends
4.  Toys
5.  Money  
6.  Play time
7.  
8.

WHAT THE CHILDREN DO:
Have the children sit in a circle on the floor.  Show
them the pan with the potatoes in it.  Ask them the
following question:

1.  Are potatoes good or bad?  (It depends on what you
do with them.  If you cook them and use them for food
they can be good for you.  If you use them to throw at
people or break windows they could be bad.) Lots of
things in life are that way.  They can be good or they
can be bad.  It depends on how you use them. Sometimes
when we use things the wrong way people say those
things are like idols to us.  When things become like
idols to us Jesus wants to help us get rid of those
things.  Remember that is what our memory verse says. 
"You shall have no other gods (or idols) before me."
Have a child choose a potato from the pan.  As the
music plays they pass the potato around the circle. 
Whoever ends up with the potato when the music stops,
leaves the circle with the potato. Choose another
potato and begin passing it around the circle. 
Continue in this fashion until all the potatoes have
been "thrown out".  Emphasize that we need Jesus to
help us know when something in our life is becoming
like a god or idol.