Story Idea: Watch it or Act it!

Watch the following youtube video about the lost son:

OR

Act it out:

- Before the lesson gather, a crown, fake beads, some plastic coins, a coin purse (all in cupboard), as well as some sheets to wrap kids in for Bible-style robes

- Dress three kids in robes (father and two sons)

- Have the kids act out the story as you tell it, covering the following main points, the crown, coins and jewels can be used as props (things bought by the prodigal son):

- A man had two sons

- One day the youngest son asked for half of his dad's money

- He took the money, went away from his dad and spent it ALL on having parties and doing the wrong thing

- Pretty soon he was poor and very hungry, even the yucky food that pigs were eating looked good to him!

- He was SO hungry that he decided to go back to his dad and see if he would let him be a servant and earn some food

- His dad saw him in the distance and was SOO excited!!

- His dad ran to him and hugged him, then he threw a BIG party because he was SO happy that his lost son had come back

- The other son was cranky that his little brother got a party even though he did the wrong thing

- The dad reminded him that he still loved his Son, even though he had done the wrong thing, and he was excited that he had come home and was no longer lost

- Jesus is like the dad and we are like the son

- We have all been lost from Him and we have done the wrong thing, but when we decide to come back and follow Him, He is always excited because he loves us and wants us to love Him too

Quiz Questions:

1. What did the youngest son ask his dad to give him?

Money

2. What did he do with the money?

Wasted it all on parties

3. What happened to the son after he ran out of money?

He was hungry

4. Did he realise that he had done the wrong thing?

Yes

5. What did he plan to do to get some food?

Ask his father if he could work as servant

6. What did has father do?

Ran to meet him, hugged and kissed him, threw a party for him

7. How did his brother feel?

Angry

8. Why was he angry?

Because he had always done the right thing and his brother didn't, but his brother got the party

9. Who is like God?

The Father

10. Who are we like?

The lost son

11. Have we done the wrong thing against God?

Yes

12. How does God feel when we decide to come back to Him?

Excited/happy

Game Idea: Coming Home!

- Before the lesson, download and print the house outline on four sheets of paper

- At four corners of the play area, put a hula hoop with a house picture in it

- Split the kids into teams and have each team line up behind a hoop

- Put a pile of objects in the centre (small plastic balls or bean bags from the cupboard work well)

- Have the kids take turns racing in to get an object, then bringing it back to their home hoop, once all the objects are gone from the middle, they can steal from other teams hoops

- The team with the most in their hoop at the end wins!

Remind the kids that God created us to have a relationship with Him, to be like His children! We have all straedy from Him and done the wrong thing, but He is always overjoyed when we come back home to being His children!

Craft Idea: Home Craft!

- Before the lesson, gather paper, pencils, glue, and tissue paper (from cupboard)

- Download and print the house craft template on white paper and the door template on coloured paper, cut the house sheets in half to separate and cut out the doors

- Have the kids colour in their houses

- Help them fold a narrow strip at the edge of the door and glue it on, so that it opens to reveal the message

- If there is time, have them create a sky and some bushes by gluing crumpled tissue paper around the house as shown