Family Activities

Activities to Help Introduce the Bible Lesson (Choose one or all options to do with your family prior to reading the scriptures)

Option 1: Wind and waves

Provide a facial tissue to each kid. Instruct kids to spread out around the room so they have

plenty of space to move. Explain that you will give two commands. When you say “Wind!”

kids should blow their tissues into the air, trying to keep them from hitting the ground. When

you say “Waves!” kids should hold their tissues at arm’s length and wave them up and down

like waves on the sea.

Call out commands slowly at first, increasing speed to challenge kids to keep up. You

may choose to eliminate a player whose tissue touches the floor or someone else’s tissue.

Say • When do we usually feel wind? A strong wind often comes before or during a big

storm! Wind is powerful, and it can cause a calm sea to become dangerous.

• Today’s Bible story is about a time Jesus’ disciples found themselves in the middle of

a storm with blowing wind and crashing waves all around them.

Option 2: Boat float

Give each kid a 6-inch square of aluminum foil. Encourage kids to fold and shape the foil to

create small boats.

Allow kids to test their boats by floating them in the pan of water. Supply pennies to

see whose boat can hold the most weight without sinking. Lead kids to discuss what style

of boat floated the best. Which held the most weight?

Say • In today’s Bible story, Jesus’ disciples found themselves in a scary situation. The

waves were filling their boat with water, and they thought the boat would sink!

Activities to Help Review the Bible Lesson (Choose an activity a day)

Option 1: Key passage activity

Display the key passage poster (part of this document). Lead the group to read the key

passage poster together. Then have the kids stand at arms’ length apart to play an echo

game. Begin the game by saying a short phrase from the key passage. Then point to the

first kid. The first kid should echo the phrase you said. Then point to the second kid.

That kid should echo the same phrase, only in a slightly lower volume. If you have a

third kid, point to that kid and prompt him to echo the phrase in the lowest volume.

Continue until kids recite the entire key passage. If time allows, play again.

Say • Did Jesus mean that people who believe in Him will never die physically? (No,

Jesus offers eternal life. For believers, physical death is not the end. God promises

to raise us from the dead.).

Option 2: Origami boats

Give each kid a rectangular piece of paper and a copy of the “Origami Boats” instructions.

Demonstrate how to create origami boats. Assist kids as necessary. You may choose to

provide markers for kids to decorate their boats.

Say • Jesus was sleeping in a boat when a powerful storm came over the Sea of Galilee.

Jesus is more powerful than any storm. Who has power over creation? Jesus has

power over creation because He is God the Son.

• Keep your origami boats in your room as a reminder that Jesus has power over

creation. Jesus is God’s Son, and we can trust Him to take care of us. When you

feel afraid like the disciples did in the storm, you can pray and ask Jesus to keep

you safe.

.

Option 3: Bible skills

Review the timeline in the small group visual pack.

Retell or review the Bible story in your own words, or use the bolded text of the Bible story

script.

Read the review questions one at a time. Guide kids to look at their assigned passages. If

their passage contains the answer to the question, they should remain standing. If not,

they should sit down. Call on one of the standing players to answer the question.

Encourage him to tell the group in which verse(s) the answer is found.

1. Why did Jesus and His disciples get into a boat? (Jesus told them, “Let’s cross over to the

other side of the sea”; Mark 4:35; Luke 8:22)

2. What type of weather came over the sea? (a strong windstorm; Matt. 8:24; Mark 4:37;

Luke 8:23)

3. What did the waves do to the boat? (filled or swamped it; Matt. 8:24; Mark 4:37; Luke

8:23)

4. What was Jesus doing during the storm? (sleeping; Matt. 8:24; Mark 4:38; Luke 8:23)

5. What did Jesus say to the wind and waves? (“Be still!” Mark 4:39)

6. Whom did the wind and waves obey? (Jesus; Matt. 8:27; Mark 4:41; Luke 8:25)

7. Who has power over creation? Jesus has power over creation because He is God the

Son.

Option 4: Activity Page

Lead kids to complete the activity page “Wind and Waves” (part of this document)

Option 5: Activity Page

Lead kids to complete the activity page “Who Is This Man?” (part of this document)

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