Good ears
Children's Activity
Object:
Teachers or Parents: Listening is a skill that has needed
human development from the beginning of time. Jesus wanted his
followers' attention. He wanted them to listen.
*Pair off and have one child read a verse or short story, or tell a short story. Have the listener parrot the story to the teller's satisfaction.
*Pair off and have one child blindfolded while the other gives oral directions. Speaking and listening.
*Try a "gossip circle" by having one child whisper to another one sentence, such as "Jesus loves you and me, the church, and the whole world." Each child then, after hearing just once, passes on what he or she thought he or she heard to the next child. After the last child has heard the "gossip," he or she repeats out loud the sentence. Like real gossip, the words will change from person to person. The lesson should be, first and foremost, listening.
*If you have access to a television set, unplug it from cable or an antenna and use a pair of "rabbit ears." "This is called 'rabbit ears.' Anybody know why?" (Let them answer.) "Many televisions used to have them to pick up the television signal. It helped the television 'hear' the signal. When the 'rabbit ears' worked well, the television reception was good. How are our ears like these 'rabbit ears'?" (Let them answer and follow their answer with a discussion on good listening skills.)
*Ask for the feeling one gets when another does not listen to us as one speaks. Ask, "What would it be like to not be able to hear?"
*Ask, "Why do many people not listen well?" Brainstorm for ways to become better listeners.
*Stop in the middle of everything and ask everyone to be silent. Listen to everything you hear. Do you hear other voices? What are they saying? Do you hear mechanical equipment? Do you hear wind or rain? Automobile traffic? Train whistles? See how many things the class can pick up and write each of these on the board.
*How do we hear God's word?
*Pair off and have one child read a verse or short story, or tell a short story. Have the listener parrot the story to the teller's satisfaction.
*Pair off and have one child blindfolded while the other gives oral directions. Speaking and listening.
*Try a "gossip circle" by having one child whisper to another one sentence, such as "Jesus loves you and me, the church, and the whole world." Each child then, after hearing just once, passes on what he or she thought he or she heard to the next child. After the last child has heard the "gossip," he or she repeats out loud the sentence. Like real gossip, the words will change from person to person. The lesson should be, first and foremost, listening.
*If you have access to a television set, unplug it from cable or an antenna and use a pair of "rabbit ears." "This is called 'rabbit ears.' Anybody know why?" (Let them answer.) "Many televisions used to have them to pick up the television signal. It helped the television 'hear' the signal. When the 'rabbit ears' worked well, the television reception was good. How are our ears like these 'rabbit ears'?" (Let them answer and follow their answer with a discussion on good listening skills.)
*Ask for the feeling one gets when another does not listen to us as one speaks. Ask, "What would it be like to not be able to hear?"
*Ask, "Why do many people not listen well?" Brainstorm for ways to become better listeners.
*Stop in the middle of everything and ask everyone to be silent. Listen to everything you hear. Do you hear other voices? What are they saying? Do you hear mechanical equipment? Do you hear wind or rain? Automobile traffic? Train whistles? See how many things the class can pick up and write each of these on the board.
*How do we hear God's word?
