Adventist Adventurer Awards and Answers/My Friend Jesus

Listen to a book about Jesus.
There are many books about Jesus. The important thing is to choose one that meets the Little Lamb interest and vocabulary level.

Bible App for Kids is a ministry of Youversion Bible Inc. and provides nearly 50 interactive Bible stories for kids. There is an animated storybook app with vivid illustrations and sound as well as interactive touch screen interactions. The games and activities help kids remember what they learn. There are 11 stories about Jesus. Navigation is simple for kids and there are no in-app purchases. There is also a printed Bible that has the same stories and graphics. See your device’s app store.

Bibleforchildren.org has illustrated and color pages for sixty different Bible stories available for download and printing in 132 different languages. There are 18 stories about Jesus (including Powerpoint, coloring pages, and storybook pages) http://bibleforchildren.org/ or your device’s App store.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPFluibj7ZY

Sing a song about Jesus.
There are thousands of children's songs about Jesus.

Idea: To the tune London Bridge is Falling Down) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWHw4UTA_sAJesus is My Friend Today

Jesus is my friend today,

Clap your hands,

Shout hurray

Jesus is my friend today,

We love Jesus.

Jesus is my friend today,

Stomp your Feet,

Shout hurray

Jesus is my friend today,

We love Jesus.

Jesus is my friend today,

Turn around,

Shout hurray

Jesus is my friend today,

We love Jesus.

A group can even do motions with this. Jesus (pointer fingers at alternating palms), is my friend today (hug self), Stomp your feet (stomp your feet), Shout hurray (shout hurray), Jesus (pointer fingers at alternating palms), is my friend today (hug self), We (flat hand touch right shoulder and arc to left shoulder, love (draw heart over heart), Jesus (pointer fingers at alternating palms). Another fun song:

A-B-C-D-E-F-G Jesus Died for You and Me (Unknown)

A-B-C-D-E-F-G,

Jesus died for you and me

H-I-J-K-L-M-N,Jesus died for sinful men, AMEN!

O-P-Q-R-S-T-U,

I believe God’s word is true,

V-W,

God has promised you

X-Y-Z,

A home eternally.Link

Other song titles include:
 * "Jesus Loves Me"
 * "You are my All"
 * "Jesus' Love is a Bubblin' Over"
 * Use your favorite search engine: kids songs my friend Jesus.

Play a game about Jesus.
Several simple games could be used: Idea: Sermons4Kids has several "Jesus' love" games appropriate for 4 year olds.

LOVE RUN: Before the class begins, the teacher will hide some paper hearts around the room that have GOD'S LOVE or another love quote such as, JESUS LOVES ME, LOVE ONE ANOTHER, JESUS LOVES ALL THE CHILDREN written on the heart. The teacher begin the game by saying something like, "All the children wearing something RED, run and find a heart and bring it back to your circle" or "Children who have shoe strings, run and find a heart"; "Children with blue eyes run and find a heart". Continue the game until all children have found a heart. Have the children tape their hearts to a large poster and spend several minutes talking about today's lesson and what Jesus taught about loving others.

HEART BOOK MARK: Let each child draw and cut out a heart from a sheet of construction paper. Write today's Bible verse (John 13:34) on the heart and decorate it with stickers and a ribbon at the top. Look up today's Bible verse and place their hearts in their Bible as a book mark.

SUCKER PUPPET: Give each child a sucker and a square piece of white cotton cloth. Have the children wrap the piece of cloth around the candy part of the sucker and place a small rubber band at the bottom of the candy sucker to make it look like the head of a person. Use a marker to draw eyes and mouth and nose on the cloth. You may want to glue on a few strands of yarn for hair or a small piece of colored felt. Have the children tell today's Bible story using the sucker as a puppet.

HEART NECKLACE: Provide the children with a heart to cut out, color, and decorate. Hole punch the top of the heart and let children put a piece of yarn through the hole and add some plastic beads on the string and tie it loosely around their neck to make a necklace that can be easily taken off without untying the string.

PAPER PLATE LOVE HEARTS: Give each child a paper plate. Draw hearts with a marker or glue paper hearts around the edges of the paper plate to form a border around the plate. Write today's Bible verse in the middle section of the paper plate.

HEART BANNER: Give the children supplies to trace and cut out FOUR hearts. Let the children choose different colors for each heart if they wish. Tape the four hearts together and on the first heart write JESUS; on the second heart write LOVES; on the third heart write US; and fourth heart write, ALL. Hang the heart banners around the classroom.

SUCKER BALLOON BOUQUET: Give each child several suckers to rubber band together and add a ribbon. Stick a small balloon on a stick in the middle to form a bouquet and also serve as their treat for the day

Learn how Jesus grew up helping/obeying his parents.
There is very little information in the Bible about Jesus' growing up years. Luke 2:51-52 is the summary of how Jesus helped and obeyed his parents. The New International Version states:

"Then Jesus ... was obedient to them. ... And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man."

The children could be taught the words with hand motions. Jesus (pointer fingers point to opposite alternating palms) was obedient to them (nodding head in agreement) and he grew in wisdom (tap forehead with first finger) and stature (palm starts at hip, palm flat and facing down. Then "grow" it upward to the shoulder) and in favor (clap hands twice) with God (flat palm, fingers pointed up, palm towards center, palm descends across center face line) and mankind. (first finger points towards other people)

The goal is to learn that Jesus obeyed his parents, learned, and grew physically. There are a number of children's story books that have beautiful illustrations that show his growing process and use age appropriate language.

Learn to be friends with peers as Jesus was
This is a good discussion requirement that gives children a chance to think about how to treat others their own age (peers). Adult leaders can ask questions to a small group such as: "How do I like to be treated by other children?" "When a friend has a toy that I would like to play with, how do I act like Jesus?" "When a friend takes something from me, what would Jesus like me to do?"

Role-playing is very good with this age group, especially if adults role play the scenarios first, then have children copy them. ALWAYS use situations where love and respect for each other is displayed. Remember that many in this group are still developmentally "solo players," meaning that they don't know HOW to play WITH other children, but only how to play along side other children. Patience with them as they learn a new developmental skill is important!

One Activity Idea to go along with this concept -- Bring a pillowcase or bag full of toddler / little child items, ad discuss what each was used for (stuffed animal, toy truck/tractor, toy tool(s), child costume, etc.). Afer discussion of each item, lay them out on a table, then have them close their eyes and remove an item and see if they know which one is missing..

Make a friend craft.
Search your favorite search engine with these terms: "christian children craft friends Jesus"

If you have reviewed a story about Jesus' friends (disciples) you could search for a themed craft. The Good Samaritan "who is my neighbor" also is a great story starter for some great online craft ideas.

TP ROLL Lazarus: Provide children with an empty toilet paper roll and tissues or toilet paper to wrap around the roll, like Lazarus was wrapped for burial. The children can leave a small open section for the eyes. Glue on two moveable eyes from craft store.

Graveside poster: Let the children can work together on a large poster board to paint a large dark tomb, some grass and trees. Give each child a cut out of a man's figure for them to glue tissues to the human figure and then tape or glue onto their painted picture as Lazarus rising from the grave.

Lazarus Mask: Give each child a white paper plate, and a tongue depressor. Children can cut a wide slit for their eyes and hold up to their face and tell the story today. Pieces of tissue paper can be glued onto the plate and black lines drawn across the plate. Another option would be to staple two plates together and cut a small oblong opening so that this would look like the tomb and a figure of Lazarus could be placed into that opening. The children will color the plates as a tomb and wrap the man figure with tissue paper.

FRIENDS CIRCLE: Have children get in a circle and play a FRIENDS Game. Each child can take a turn at saying another child's name and WHY he is a good friend. Encourage children to name children who have not been named yet. Children may need ideas of what to say, such as "you are kind, you obey your parents, you smile, you come to SS, you helped me," etc. After playing the game for a little while so everyone gets called on, have children PRAY in that circle and THANK JESUS for being their BEST FRIEND! And then begin class!

"HELP MY FRIEND" GAME: Teacher can have a few identical items in 2 bags if there will be two teams. This game can be run like a relay race if teacher desires. The rule of the game is that a "friend" on the team has to put the items on the other child. The child can NOT put the items on himself. Encourage children to talk about helping each other as FRIENDS and then how JESUS helps us all the time and what a FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS! Close the game time with children singing WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS or taking turns in reading the words of that song.

"DRAW A FRIEND" CHART: Have children draw a "friend" on a FRIEND CHART. Then have the children or the teacher write words around the chart about what they enjoy about that friend that they drew. Bright colors will make the chart fun to look at during the class time and the friends' qualities can be shared during class again. Let children know that JESUS is all those qualities and much, much more!!

CONNECTED FRIENDS: Roll out a long sheet of paper from a paper-roll so that children can draw friends HOLDING HANDS. Make a colorful title: WE ARE FRIENDS. JESUS IS OUR BEST FRIEND, or a bright title of teacher's choice that will lead children to discuss today's story.

FRIEND'S BIBLE VERSE COLLAGE: Give all the children a "child" cut-out with a word on each cut out. Children can work together to put their words in order on a large poster. Depending on the size on the S.S. class, (larger class)... GREATER LOVE HAS NO ONE THAN THIS, THAT HE LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS, or (smaller class)... JESUS IS A FRIEND IN TIME OF NEED.

M & M ART: Children can be given a sheet of paper to draw Mary and Martha, as well as a tomb with Lazarus standing beside it with his arms UP with excitement! After children complete their M & M art, let children have some M & M's to eat, and discuss what the M and M stand for with Mary and Martha calling for Jesus - their friend, to help them!

FRIENDS LIST: Have children write JESUS IS MY BEST FRIEND at the top of their poster. Then let them write names of their friends. Encourage the children to TELL their friends about JESUS and that HE is our BEST FRIEND!