Grades 1–6: How to Treat Others — Session 3: Samson (February 16)

Grades 1-3

Introductory Activity – Domino Fall

Materials: dominos 

Gather the kids around a large table. Instruct them to create a long line of dominos standing on their ends. When all the dominos have been set, select a child to knock over the first domino, resulting in a chain reaction throughout all of the dominos. Afterward, explain how every decision has consequences, like knocking over one domino led to another falling over. Tell the kids that in today’s lesson, they will see how Samson’s decisions led to certain negative outcomes. Write the Life Point on the board and say it together. 

Live It Out

Game – Spin and Tell

Materials: Lazy Susan (turntable), tape

Use tape to create an arrow on the lazy Susan. Guide kids to sit in a circle around the lazy Susan. Spin the arrow. When it stops, determine who the arrow is pointing toward. Ask that kid to answer a review question or tell how to do what is right. After a few turns, ask the chosen kid to say the Life Point or the Life Verse.

Craft – True Strength Bracelets

Materials: yarn; yellow, red, and blue beads

Before class, cut yarn into eight-inch pieces. In class, give each child a piece of yarn and one bead of each color. Direct the kids to tie a knot just to the left of the middle of the yarn. Tell them to thread the three beads onto the yarn in the order of yellow, red, and blue. Direct them to tie a knot to the right of the beads. Help each child tie the bracelet onto their wrist. Explain that true strength comes from honoring God in your actions as you interact with other people. Tell the kids that they can honor God in how they treat others by being kind (yellow bead), speaking the truth in love (red bead), and exercising self-control (blue bead). 

Grades 4-6

Introductory Activity – Samson Workouts

Materials: no materials needed

Inform the kids that they are going to get “Samson Strong” today during class. Direct them to follow your workout instructions. Lead them through a series of bodyweight exercises, such as squats, jumping jacks, and push-ups. Afterward, explain that in today’s lesson, they will learn how Samson led the people of Israel. Challenge them to examine whether he made decisions that honored the Lord or not throughout the lesson. 

Live It Out

Game – Bounce the Verse

Materials: beach ball (one per team)

Display the Weekly Verse and say it together. Practice the verse several times. Group the kids into two (or more) teams. Lead each team to stand in a small circle. Tell kids that the teams will gently bat the ball back and forth across the team circle. As each person hits the ball, the team will say a word of the verse. The team should keep batting the ball up and saying the words of the verse until the entire verse is said. If the team misses or drops the ball, they must start at the beginning of the verse as they restart the ball. The team who can complete the verse first without any misses wins. Talk about what it means to treat others in ways that honor God. Discuss the Bible story. Say the Life Point. Then repeat the game with teams saying words of the Life Point instead of the verse.

Craft – Wristband Reminders

Materials: cardboard tubes, colored masking tape and washi tape, large wiggle eyes, permanent markers, scissors

Say the Life Point with the kids. Talk about how people should make right choices and do right things, even when no one else is watching. Cut a slit down the length of a cardboard tube. Cut widths of cardboard tube for each kid. (The cardboard will curl around a kid’s wrist.) Guide kids to wrap the cardboard with colored tape to create designs. Suggest they print the Life Point on the wristband. Pray and ask God to help kids make right choices and treat people in a way that honors God.