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Title: Kindergarten Sabbath School Program, September
23, 2000

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

Date completed: July 15, 2000

Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps
to teach the lesson, ANIMALS OUT OF THE SKY
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Lesson Aim: Everyone is of equal value to God.

Memory Verse: "God does not show favoritism." 
 Acts 10:34, NIV


GETTING THEIR ATTENTION - DAY-DREAMS

Materials needed:
Blanket or large bath towel for each child

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead)
There are no advance preparations necessary.

WHAT THE CHILDREN DO:
Have the children pick a spot on the floor to spread
out their blanket or towel.  This is their bed. Explain
to them what a dream is.  Sometimes when we go to bed
our brains keep on thinking when they're suppose to be
resting.  When we wake up we can remember things our
brain kept on thinking about.  Sometimes dreams are
silly.  Sometimes they are lovely and sometimes they
are scary.  Sometimes we dream at night and we don't
even remember.   Have the children lay down on their
"beds" and close their eyes.  Tell them to imagine they
are having a dream about the things you are telling
them.  If they like what you are telling them and
what they imagine makes them feel good and happy they
are to stand up.  If they don't like it, they are to
remain in their beds with their eyes shut.
1.  Your dream is about a birthday party.  There are
lots of friends, gifts, games and food and everyone is
having fun.
2.  Your dream is about going shopping with your mommy. 
While in the store together you get separated from her. 
There are lots of people around you, but no one offers
to help you.  You sit down where you are and wait for a
long time.
3.  Your dream is about being at the zoo.  All of the
animals are friendly.  You can touch and hold whatever
you like.  None of the animals are afraid of you.  None
of the animals hurt you.  
4.  Your dream is about a room with many doors.  Most
of the doors are locked.  When you go through some of
the doors there is nothing on the other side.  

Comment with the children on how different the dreams
were.  Some were exciting and fun. Some were scary. 
The last one was strange, maybe even a little
confusing. In our Bible story today the disciple Peter
has a strange dream.  At first it is a little confusing
like the dream about the doors.  But since Peter's
dream is from God, he understands later what it means. 
GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY.


GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - BIBLE STORY FOOD FUN

Materials needed:
Animal crackers
 (enough for each child to have a handful)
White dinner napkins
 (Heavy disposable kind; one for each child)
Graham crackers (one for each child)
Licorice sticks
 (braided, twisted kind; one for each child)
Ziploc bags (one for each child)

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead)
There are no advance preparations necessary.

WHAT THE CHILDREN DO:
As you review the Bible story, help the children
re-create it with the food supplies.  The graham
cracker is Peter's bed.  The licorice stick is Peter. 
The white dinner napkin is the sheet and the animal
crackers are the animals in Peter's dream. Give the
children a Ziploc bag to put their food in to take
home.  Before they eat it, they are to share the story
with someone in their family or one of their friends.


GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - MEMORY VERSE PASS AROUND

Materials needed:
Three stuffed animals (they need to all be the same
relative size; one needs to be a skunk or some
other unpopular animal) (Beanie babies work fine)
Bibles

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead)
There are no advance preparations necessary.

WHAT THE CHILDREN DO:
Show the children where the memory verse is found in
their Bibles.  Talk about what it means to show
favoritism.  In the animal kingdom there are certain
animals that are considered "yucky". Maybe it is
because of their looks, maybe it is because of the way
they smell, or maybe it is because of the way they act. 
We tend to want to stay away from those critters. Have
the children sit it a fairly tight circle.  Show them
the three stuffed animals.  Talk about which one is
considered the "yucky" one.  Have the children all
place their hands behind their backs.  Place the three
stuffed animals in three different children's hands. 
When you say, "start" the children close their eyes and
begin passing the animals behind their backs to the
right.  Whenever a child feels an animal placed in
their hands they pass it on as quickly as possible. 
When you say, "stop" all animal passing stops.  The
child holding the "yucky" animal repeats the memory
verse.  The passing begins again.  Make sure the
"yucky" animal lands in each child's hands sometime
during the game so each child has an opportunity to
repeat the verse. Make sure and remind the children
that to Jesus each animal is special and unique and
loved by Him.


ACTING ON SCRIPTURE - HEAVENLY ZOO

Materials needed:
A picture or outdoor background scene depicting a zoo
(xerox one for each child)
Colors or markers
Pens
Animal stickers (at least 8-10 different species)

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead)
There are no advance preparations necessary except for
xeroxing each child a zoo background sheet.

WHAT THE CHILDREN DO:
Give each child colors or markers and a zoo background
sheet to color.  Talk about the different animals that
live at the zoo.  Give children animal stickers to add
to the picture.  Tell the children they're going to
name the animals.  Read the following sentences and
help the children decide which animal they want to give
that name to.  (You will have to print the name for
children who are unable to write letters yet.  Short
names have been purposely assigned to keep writing to a
minimum.) Remind the children that just like Jesus
created all different kinds of people, we must learn to
love
and get along with all different kinds of people right
where we live now then we will be ready to
live together in Heaven.  Heaven will be like a zoo
with all kinds of different animals and people
living there. 
1.  Tim has crooked legs and walks funny.  He is
special to Jesus, let's put him in the Heavenly
zoo.
2.  Sam doesn't have a mommy and a daddy.  He is
special to Jesus, let's put him in the Heavenly
zoo.
3.  Sue's mommy and daddy don't bring her to church
very much.  She is special to Jesus, let's put her in
the Heavenly zoo.
4.  Pat talks funny and no one likes to listen to him. 
He is special to Jesus, let's put him in the Heavenly
zoo.
5.  Pam has trouble sitting still.  Her teachers are
always speaking to her.  She is special to Jesus, let's
put her in the Heavenly zoo.
6.  Tom looks dirty and his clothes are torn and
ragged.  He is special to Jesus, let's put him in the
Heavenly zoo.
7.  Jim doesn't have many nice toys to play with.  It
isn't fun to go to his house.  He is special to Jesus,
let's put him in the Heavenly zoo.
8.  Joe brags and acts like he's better than everyone
else.  He doesn't have many friends.  He is special to
Jesus, let's put him in the Heavenly zoo.