Staying Within the Lines
Group Activities

Sermon Title:"Staying Within the Lines"

Scripture Reading:Exodus 20:1-17


Let children form a line and "obey the leader" in hopping, skipping, jumping or whatever the "leader" says to do.


Before classtime, the teacher can draw chalk lines on a large area outside if available and children will be told to walk INSIDE the line. If they cross over the LINE drawn, then they will be out and continue to run, hop, skip, jump, walk INSIDE the line as time allows!


Tape inside or colored chalk outside, can be used to make squares in different colors for a game of hopscotch. Tell children they have to stay inside certain colors each time they jump and cannot go outside the lines. Then children can sit down to hear today's Bible story about walking in the lines, etc.


Play this game like SIMON SAYS and let children take turns being SIMON and telling the classmates what to do as they line up against the wall. If "SIMON SAYS" something the children will OBEY, but if there is a command without SIMON SAYS, the children will stand still against the wall. Play before telling today's story about obeying God's commands!


Give children paper and a pencil or pen. Children will draw squiggles all over the paper for about 10 seconds. Then pass that piece of paper to the person to their right. Each children will have only one colored marker or crayon and will color in ONE circle or inside the lines of just one squiggle. Then pass the papers to the right once again and children will continue to color in just ONE squiggle circle/shape each time the paper is passed. Tell children to make sure to stay INSIDE THE LINES. At the end of the paper passing time, children can write words from today Bible lesson.


Provide children with 2 pieces of gray construction paper. Children can use scissors to round the top 2 corners off the gray paper to form the tablets of stone. Show children how to write the roman numerals (I,II,III,IV,V on the left tablet of stone and VI, VII, VIII, IX, X on the right tablet of stone.) Encourage children to know and to obey the ten commandments in order to make their own lives better, as God planned.


Give each child or a group of children two envelopes of puzzles they need to piece together. The first envelope will be a messy picture where the teacher has colored outside the lines, and a pretty picture where the teacher has colored very neatly inside the lines. Children will have a contest to see who can put the puzzles together the quickest. Another option would be to put the messy and pretty puzzle pieces together for the children to sort out and THEN put the pieces together. Glue the pieces of puzzle together on a sheet of construction paper and write, OBEY GOD'S COMMANDMENTS AND STAY WITHIN THE LINES, etc at the top of the puzzle paper.


Let children draw or trace a Bible. Outline the Bible tracing with bright colored marker and then children can write OBEY GOD'S COMMANDS on the picture of the Bible. Give children happy face stickers, if available, to stick in various places on the Bible picture to show how we look and feel when we DO obey God's commands. If happy face stickers are not available, children can use various colored markers to draw different types of happy faces.


The teacher can give each child a paper with a line drawn around the paper. The teacher can put some of the words from today's Bible verse on the lines but leave a word out now and then and a space for the child to fill in the correct word of the verse. Make sure today's Bible verse is written on a poster board or the chalk board for the children to use as a reference as they write the verse. Tell children to make sure their words that they insert are ON THE LINE. When everyone has completed the Bible verse, the children can read the verse together.


The B-I-B-L-E; or children can do a chant or do a cheer for today's lesson, such as, O-B-E-Y, OBEYING JESUS, THAT'S MY CRY; O-B-E-Y, TO OBEY HIS COMMANDS IS WHAT I'LL TRY! Let children form groups to work together to do some actions as well as the "cheer words".


The teacher can tell the children to OBEY some commands and they will be able to find their snack for today (a cookie or cupcake, or sucker, etc). The teacher can tell the children to stand against a line, take 3 steps forward, 4 steps to the right, 2 steps backward, etc -- until they have reached the hiding place for a box of goodies to choose from, if teacher desires!!!!!

Song: "The B-I-B-L-E"

Words and Music (pdf)

MP3 Piano accompaniment Track (right click to save to your computer)

Song: "Trust and Obey"

Words and Music (pdf)

