Arise!
Children's Activity
Object:
SHARING THIS WEEK'S GOSPEL THEME
AT SUNDAY SCHOOL AND AT HOME
Materials:
Playing cards (separate out face cards)
M&Ms (or jelly beans)
Directions:
1. Give each child a handful of M&Ms and put a bowl in the center of the table. The game works like this: if you draw a red card, you have to put two M&Ms in the center bowl. If you draw a black card, you may take one M&M and put it in your pile. If you draw a face card, you get to take ten M&Ms from the center bowl. The M&Ms that you have at the end of the game are M&Ms you get to keep.
2. Put a pile with only numbered cards facedown in the center of the table. Have them take turns choosing cards.
3. When most children are nearly out of M&Ms, pause, and ask how they feel about the game. Ask them if they are disappointed in how well they are doing.
4. Reshuffle the cards. Discreetly shuffle in face cards and remove most of the number cards.
5. Play another round. As their fortunes improve, ask them how they feel about the game now that they are winning. Was it a nice surprise?
6. Talk about how Jesus' love is constantly surprising us. Just when we feel like we've run out of luck, when everything is against us -- when we feel like Mary Magdalene in the garden on Easter morning -- Jesus is there with another surprise.
AT SUNDAY SCHOOL AND AT HOME
Materials:
Playing cards (separate out face cards)
M&Ms (or jelly beans)
Directions:
1. Give each child a handful of M&Ms and put a bowl in the center of the table. The game works like this: if you draw a red card, you have to put two M&Ms in the center bowl. If you draw a black card, you may take one M&M and put it in your pile. If you draw a face card, you get to take ten M&Ms from the center bowl. The M&Ms that you have at the end of the game are M&Ms you get to keep.
2. Put a pile with only numbered cards facedown in the center of the table. Have them take turns choosing cards.
3. When most children are nearly out of M&Ms, pause, and ask how they feel about the game. Ask them if they are disappointed in how well they are doing.
4. Reshuffle the cards. Discreetly shuffle in face cards and remove most of the number cards.
5. Play another round. As their fortunes improve, ask them how they feel about the game now that they are winning. Was it a nice surprise?
6. Talk about how Jesus' love is constantly surprising us. Just when we feel like we've run out of luck, when everything is against us -- when we feel like Mary Magdalene in the garden on Easter morning -- Jesus is there with another surprise.
