s3.amazonaws.com€¦ · web viewteach the children the following rhyme before the story is told....

The Prodigal SonLuke 15:11-32Oct. 2, 2016

Kids will understand: The parable that Jesus told about the loving father. The father celebrated the son’s return. That God celebrates when each person returns to Him.

CraftSupplies:dried beanslarge bowlsmall cups½ c. measuring cup

Pour some dry beans into a large bowl or bucket. Place a 1/3-cup measuring cup in the bowl. Each child will measure out 3 cup of the dried beans and pour those into his cup. Give each child another cup and tape the two cups together.

If you’d like to supply decorating supplies, they can decorate their bean shakers. We’re going to use these bean shakers in our story.

Bible Account Supplies:bean shakers from previous Craft

Teach the children the following rhyme before the story is told. At each highlighted word or syllable, the children will shake their bean shaker. The highlights indicate the downbeats of the rhyme. Go over the rhyme several times until the children have it memorized. Instruct them to repeat

the rhyme when they are signaled and shake their shakers one big shake on each of those downbeats.

Hey Dad, give me my money So I can go away.

I tell you stories, but did you know that Jesus also told stories? He even made up stories. Stories help us understand difficult things when we’re having trouble understanding. The stories Jesus told were called parables. Parables are stories about things that people understand in everyday life but they tell us something about the Kingdom of God. Jesus wanted the people who were listening to Him to understand that even though they did things that didn’t please God, when they realized what they had done, and asked for forgiveness, God would CELEBRATE them coming back to Him. To help the people, Jesus told this parable about a father who had two sons. The father loved both of his sons very much.

The father and his two sons lived on a big piece of land and had many servants who took care of the fields, the animals, and the home where they lived. Everything they needed was there on the farm. The older brother was happy to live on the farm where he had grown up, but the younger brother dreamed of being far away. He thought that it must be nicer … somewhere else. He thought that it must be more beautiful … somewhere else. He thought that it must be more exciting … somewhere else. Day after day, he dreamed of traveling to far away places and getting away from his father’s house. Then, one day he thought of a way he could make that happen. He knew that when his father died, he would receive much of the money his father had saved. Why couldn’t he get that money now? The younger brother didn’t want to wait for his father to die to get his part

of his father’s estate. So, he went to his father and said …

Point to the children to say their rhyme and shake their bean shakers.Hey Dad, give me my money So I can go away.

The father was very sad, but he also knew how unhappy his son was at home. So, he agreed to give his son the part of the money that would be his. The son couldn’t wait to pack his bags and head down the road. He was excited as he thought about the request he had made of his father.


While the younger son saw new places and met new people, his father watched down the road for the day his son might return. But, the young man was busy, too busy to think about the home and family he had left behind. He threw parties for his new friends and had a wonderful time. He bought his new friends gifts and delicious meals. Soon, though, the money his father had given him ran out. There was no more money for parties, or gifts, or fancy dinners. When he went to his new friends, they no longer wanted to be around him. The young man was all alone in a strange city with no friends and no money. He was sad when he thought about the words he had said to his father.


There was no place for him to stay and no food for him to eat, so he found a job. It was an awful job. He had to take care of pigs and feed them garbage! He fed them the empty pods from the carob tree. As he listened to his stomach growl, he wished that he could eat with the pigs. Even the garbage and empty pods looked good to him. Oh, he was so sorry he had ever said those words to his father!


Back home, day after day, the father watched for his son to return. In the pigpen, the young man looked at himself. He realized his father’s servants always had good food to eat and a place to stay. He had an idea! He would go home and ask to become one of his father’s servants! The road home was long. It didn’t seem that he would ever get there. With every step the young man wondered if his father would let him come back. After all, he had said some cruel things and sinned against his father when he said …


One day, off in the distance the father saw someone walking toward the farm. Whoever it was, he walked just like the son who had left home. As the person got a little closer, the father realized it really was his son! The father dropped what he was doing and ran to meet his son, threw his arms around the young man, and hugged him. How excited the father was to see his younger son home! Immediately, the young man spoke up to ask his father if he could come and be

one of his servants. He told his father that he was sorry for the things he had done and the awful words he had said. He asked his father to forgive him for ever saying …

Point to the children to say their rhyme and shake their bean shakers. Hey Dad, give me my money So I can go away.

The father called for his servants to bring a ring to put on the young man’s finger, shoes to put on his feet, and the best robe to wrap around him. He gave his servants instructions to prepare a feast to CELEBRATE his son coming home. The boy was once gone, but now he had returned!

How is God like the father in the story? He provides for us and loves us, even when we do things to disappoint Him. He watches and waits for us to see who we really are. He CELEBRATES when we come back to Him.

How are we like the younger son in the story? We want to try things that we know would not please God. We think our way is a better way than God’s way. We think we’ve got it all figured out. Name some times when kids are like that. What do kids like to try, even though they know they shouldn’t?

The good news in the story was that when the younger son realized that he had done wrong and the best place to be was with his father, he returned home and his father welcomed him. The father didn’t hesitate or say, “Well I guess I can let you come back as a servant.” The father didn’t even punish the son for hurting his father so badly. Our good news is that when we do wrong against our Heavenly Father, He is

ready for us and CELEBRATES when we decide to come back to Him and obey Him.

Activity _ Do????Supplies:jarcoinssockshula hooplaundry basketpig face outlinepink papertapebeanbagslarge stuffed animal

Before the children arrive, copy the pig face outline (at the end of the lesson) on pink paper and tape it onto one end of an overturned laundry basket. You’ll also need to put coins inside of tall socks and tie them closed. Then put some coins in a jar. Set up the stations to help children retell the story of the prodigal son. The more sets of stations you set up, the more children will be able to participate at a time.

Station 1: jar of coins Station 2: coin socks being tossed into a hula hoop 4 feet awayStation 3: beanbags next to the pig laundry basketStation 4: large stuffed animal back at starting line.

Line up the children at the starting line. Send the children one at a time through the stations that are set up across the room.

Station 1: The child will reach into the jar and grab a handful of coins while saying, “Hey Dad, give me my money, so I can

go away.” This phrase should be familiar from the Bible account rhyme. The child will empty their handful of coins back into the jar before moving onto the next station.

Station 2: The child will pick up one of the sock “moneybags” and toss in into the hula hoop. When he gets it into the hoop, he’ll say, “The son threw away all his money.”

Station 3: The child will “feed the pig” by lifting the laundry basket and putting a bean bag underneath as he says, “The boy had to feed pigs.”

Station 4: The child will run all the way back to the starting line and give the large stuffed animal a hug while declaring, “The son ran home and was hugged by his dad.”

ActivitySupplies:edamamelarge foil pansmudpan of waterpaper towels

If you’ve never eaten edamame, you’ll find a bag in the frozen vegetable section, and it is yummy as well as good for you. Edamame are baby soybeans in the pod. They are commonly served in Japanese or Chinese restaurants much the same way chips and salsa are served in Mexican restaurants. Before eating, the pods are boiled in water, drained, sprinkled with salt, and then served whole. They’re fun to pop out of the pod and eat the beans inside.

In this activity, you should use thawed edamame. Mix some pods in a pan of mud. The kids will take turns putting one hand down into the mud to find one edamame. Wipe off the muddy hand, and wash off the edamame in the pan of water

to give it to the child. They can open them and eat the beans, if they like … tasting something new.

How would you like to look for your food this way? You’d have to feel pretty desperate to resort to this. In Bible times, the empty bean pods from the carob tree were thrown to the pigs. Very, very poor people also ate the empty bean pods. In our story today, the young man who had run away and spent all of his dad’s money found himself feeding pigs the pods from the carob tree and so hungry that he wanted to eat the pods himself. Right there in the muddy home of pigs, he decided to run home to his dad. At least he could work for his dad and have food, he thought. But his dad was super happy to see him when he returned. Not only did the son not have to work on his dad’s farm, but his dad threw a huge celebration. He even gave his son a ring, robe, and shoes as gifts!

GameSupplies:popped corn- we havefoil pie pans

Set out 5 foil pans for each team, leading from one end of the room to the other. Put some popcorn in each pan. The first person on each team will kneel at the starting line. At the signal they will crawl to their first pan, oink 3 times, pick up one piece of popped corn and eat it. Then, they will crawl to their second pan and do the same thing. Continue like this until the first person has completed eating their piece of popped corn at their fifth pan. Then, ask the team that this person represents to answer the first of the questions listed below. Once the question is answered, then get a new representative for each team and go again. Keep doing this until all the questions have been asked.

Questions and Answers Why did the younger son want to leave home?

(He wanted to see the world.) What did the younger son ask his father for?

(his money) What did the younger son spend his father’s

money on?(parties, dinners, friends)

Why was the younger son in the pigpen?(to earn a little money for food)

What was he feeding the pigs?(carob pods, bean pods)

When the younger son came to his senses, what did he decide to do?(go home and ask his father if he could be one of his servants)

What was he going to offer to do on his father’s farm?(be a servant)

How did the father welcome him?(ran to him and hugged him)

What gifts did the father give his son when he returned?(a ring, shoes, and a robe)

MessageSupplies:half sheets of papermarker

Jesus told this story and others to make it clear that God CELEBRATES whenever someone comes back to Him. Jesus wanted people to know that God loves them and wants to CELEBRATE their return. To me, the best part of this story is what the father did. The father CELEBRATED the son coming home! The father was so happy about his son coming home that he

gave him a big party. He put a ring on his finger and gave him a robe, which was an official way of saying that you’re an important part of the family. He put sandals on his feet to make sure that everyone knew he was back in the family, because servants didn’t wear sandals.

Our God is so big and wonderful! And He loves each and every one of us!

Sit in a circle with the children. Beforehand, write each child’s name on a separate half sheet of paper and put them in a pile. One at a time pull out one name from the pile and hold it up as you say, “God celebrates …” Then let the child whose name is written stand up and shout their name. Continue to pull all of the names one by one from the pile until everyone has had a turn to recognize and shout their name. At the end, put all names face up in the middle of the circle. Let all of the children find and hold up their own name while you all shout one last time, “God celebrates everyone!”

God loves and celebrates all of us! And His arms stretch farther than we can imagine. In my mind, I see Him standing there waiting for each person to come back to Him. And as one person at a time comes to Him, He throws His arms around them, and picks them up off the ground in this gynormous hug while spinning around in circles. Can you hear God laughing? He’s yelling for the angels to get another party going. It’s time to CELEBRATE!

Game Supplies:red, blue, yellow, and green Legoscopy of block configuration (at end of lesson)

mirrorstapeextra adults

This is going to be such an awesome game that focuses on the turning point in the young son’s life! Can’t wait for you to try this.

You can duplicate the station described as many times as you like, according to the amount of space you have and number of kids you want to participate. Each station (table area) will need a mirror, 4 yellow Legos, 4 blue Legos, 4 red Legos, and 4 green Legos. All the Legos should be identical size. Place the copy of Lego configuration (at the end of this lesson) at the table edge. You might want to tape it in place.

At the starting point, position an adult. One player at a time, per station, goes down and places the Legos on the configuration card to match. Red Lego will go on the red Lego space on the configuration card. Blue Lego will go on the blue Lego space on the card (and so on). Then, they will pick up the mirror to see their self and yell, “I can go home!” They run back to the starting place where the adult stationed there gives them a big bear hug and says, “Welcome home!”

Explain the significance of the actions in this game to the children before they start, but then go over it again after you’ve played. The son left home because he had a plan of his own. When he did all the things in his plan, he had his life in order according to what he thought it should be. That’s just like the way the Legos are arranged. They were in a planned order.

But, the Bible says that while he was feeding the pigs he came to himself. He saw himself for who he really was and how his plan wasn’t what he should have followed. It was like the younger son looked in the

mirror and saw his situation for what it was and that’s when he realized he could go home.

What was waiting for him at home? It was a loving father who had open arms, ready to welcome him back, just like our adults have hugged each of you. If you have gone away from God, He is waiting for you to come back to Him. He wants to give you a big old heavenly hug!

Prayer Supplies:stuffed animal pig

Sit in a circle on the floor. Pass the pig around the circle as each child talks about a bad choice they have made. God, just as the younger son ran away from eating with the pigs, we want to run away from our bad choices. Forgive us for making bad choices, and help us to do better next time. Amen.

VideoSupplies:“Finding Nemo” video

“Finding Nemo” is a delightful children’s movie that speaks to this issue of a son who defied his father and how the father, out of great love for his son, kept searching for him. Show scene 6, “Nemo Lost”, to the kids.

When Nemo reached out and touched the boat even after his father told him not to, what was Nemo saying to his father?

What was the father’s immediate reaction to Nemo being taken away by the boat?

Why was it wrong for Nemo to be out of his father’s care?

Even though Nemo had disobeyed his father in front of the other fish, how did his father feel about Nemo?

Scripture Memorization

2 Corinthians 13:11b (NLT)“Rejoice! Change your ways. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.”

This verse is the memorization for the entire quarter. Each month, the preschoolers will focus on a different phrase within this verse so that by the end of the quarter, they will have all parts put together. Using hand motions aids in the memorization for most preschoolers.

Motions:2 Corinthians 13:11 - hold hands open like a bookRejoice! – jump with arms extended overheadChange your ways. – turn around backwardEncourage each other. – give yourself a high five

Teach the verse phrase by phrase with the motions a few times before beginning the activity.

Line up all of the children along one wall. Choose 2 children to stand in the middle of the room as taggers. As you call out, “Run home young son,” the children along the wall will run across the room to the opposite wall trying not to be tagged. The taggers and any children they tagged as they made their way across the room will say the memory verse together. Choose 2 new taggers before running back across

the room again. Each time, the taggers and anyone who was tagged will recite the verse together.

BlessingYour Father is heaven loves you and wants to hug you this week.

EXTRA OPTIONS

Object Lesson Supplies:ears of corn in the husks

(If possible, give each child an ear of corn that still has the husk on it. If not, then let children share the ears.) Is this the way we like to eat the corn? What do we have to do to it before we can enjoy the nice juicy kernels? We need to pull the husk away from it. Let’s all pull the husk off our ears of corn. Are you having a difficult time or is it easy to do? For some of you, the husk seemed to come off easily. For others, you had to struggle to get it pulled away from the ear of corn. What did you find when the entire husk was pulled away?

In our story today, there was one son who learned life lessons very easily. He obeyed his father and found his place on his father’s farm. This son was like those of you who got the husks to come off easily. The other son was different. Did he learn his life lessons easily? No. He struggled to learn life lessons. He had to make

mistakes on his own before he would believe what his father told him. He had a hard time finding out what kind of person God wanted him to be. The younger son was like those of you who struggled to pull the husk away from the corn.

The Bible says when the younger son “came to himself” he returned home. He had to go through trouble first. It was trouble for some of us to get these husks off the corn, but we finally came to the really good stuff. What did the younger son find when he got home? He found a father who was willing to forgive him and a celebration for his return. Because of what he went through, he found the really good stuff of life.

Oh, I love corn! Let’s name some ways we use corn and prepare it. (feed it to pigs and other animals, make cornbread, make popcorn, Cracker Jacks, corn dogs, put it in vegetable soup or stew, Fritos, corn tortillas, fuel)

Puppet Script / SkitSupplies:chicken puppetloose featherscornbaggie

Normally, we are not character specific on our scripts, but this is an exception. These two characters will be back in next week’s lesson, so it’s worth the effort to figure out how this will be presented.

Whether using this as a puppet script or in a skit, Farmer Chickencoop should wear bib overalls and have other props that would identify him as a farmer. Also, the farmer could be either male or female.

If using actors, the person playing Hennah (the chicken) could wear a rubber chicken beak and a brown and/or yellow boa across their shoulders and wound down their arms. The kids would absolutely love this!

Hennah can also be a chicken puppet. Check at the online puppet stores for a puppet and/or a pattern to make a simple one. Or, glue feathers to a sock and add a beak and eyes.

The puppet stage could be a drape of material with chicken wire set in front of it to look like a chicken pen or a couple of bales of hay.

Farmer Chickencoop: Hey boys and girls, would you like to meet

one of my special animal friends here on the farm? Let’s see if I can find her. Her name is Hennah. Could you help me call her? Hennah, oh Hennah!

Hennah: Cluck-cluck-cluck. (throw some feathers in the air as she appears, squawking)

Farmer C: Boys and girls, say hello to Hennah, one of the chickens on my farm. Hello, Hennah.

Hennah: Good-bye. (turns around to leave)

Farmer C: No, Hennah, say hello.

Hennah: You say hello, but I say good-bye.

Farmer C: Good-bye?

Hennah: Yeah, good-bye.

Farmer C: You must be confused Hennah. When you meet someone, you say hello.

Hennah: Not if you’re leaving.

Farmer C: Excuse me boys and girls, I think I need to talk to Hennah a minute. (turns to puppet) What do you mean, leaving?

Hennah: I’m leaving. I’m leaving the farm. Yep, this is the day.I’m going to walk down the path, out the gate, and start down that big exciting road out there.

Farmer C: Why would you want to do something like that?

Hennah: Because I’m tired of this farm. Every day is the same. Ilay an egg for your breakfast, I help that lazy rooster wake up everyone, and then I wait for you to throw some corn down for me to eat. The highlight of my day is watching Snout, the pig, roll in the mud! What kind of life is that?

Farmer C: But Hennah, we all love you here. And, we’d really miss you if you left. You’re an important part of our farm family.

Hennah: But Farmer C, I’ve just got to see what’s out there, away from this farm. I want to meet new animals … see new farms. I want to go to some fun hoedowns and strut until my feet are sore.

Farmer C: Hennah, don’t you like your friends here?

Hennah: Yeah, they’re nice critters, and Snout doesn’t even mind when I laugh at him when he’s covered in mud.

Farmer C: Well, have I ever let you go hungry?

Hennah: No, not even that time when you had the flu. You sent someone else to feed us.

Farmer C: Haven’t I always provided a nice chicken coop for you to nest in?

Hennah: Sure, you have. But, you’re not understanding what I’m saying. I’m bored here. I really want to go somewhere else.

Farmer C: (deep sigh) I sure don’t want you to be unhappy here.

Hennah: So, it’s okay with you?

Farmer C: I guess so.

Hennah: One last thing, Farmer C.

Farmer C.: What’s that?

Hennah: Could I have an extra bag of food to take with me for the trip?

Farmer C: (disappointedly) Sure, I’ll fix you something right now. (puts some corn in a little baggie and hands it to the puppet)

Hennah: (grabs the bag and quickly heads off, excitedly talking to herself) I’m going to see the world, the beautiful, beautiful world. It’s going to be so exciting!

Farmer C: (turns to the audience and sadly says) I’m sorry, kids. You didn’t get to meet the real Hennah. She’s a wonderful chicken when you get to know her. I don’t understand what has gotten into her, wanting to leave and all. I raised her since she came out of an egg. I let her stay in the big house when she was little, and I was even there when she laid her very first egg. Gosh, I’m going to miss that little ball of feathers. (Farmer C hangs his head.)

(throw feathers up in the air as loud clucks and squawks are heard coming from Hennah)

Hennah: (frantically appears) Farmer C, Farmer C, Farmer C!

Farmer C.: Hennah, you’re back! What’s the matter?

Hennah: Did you know there are great big trucks out on that road? And, there are dogs running loose that like to chase chickens? I was right in the middle of teaching an opossum how to cross the road when this truck goes whizzing past. It almost got both of us!

Farmer C: Yes, I know all about those things.

Hennah: Well, I didn’t! It’s scary out there. I think I like it much better here, Farmer C. (crying) Can I come back? Will you forgive me for wanting to leave?

Farmer C: Oh, Hennah, I’m thrilled you came back. This farm isn’t the same without you. How would you like to have a hoedown right here tonight to celebrate you coming back?

Hennah: And, all the animals could come?

Farmer C: Sure thing.

Hennah: Sounds exciting to me! You’re the best farmer ever. Thank you for taking care of me and loving me even when I do things that disappoint you.

Farmer C: You’re forgiven, Hennah. Now, I’d better start planning this hoedown.

Hennah: And I think it’s about time for Snout to take a dive in the mud. I sure don’t want to miss that action. See you tonight, and I’ll come ready to strut until the music stops.

How was Hennah like the younger son in our story today?

How was Farmer Chickencoop like the father in our story?

How does God receive someone who has been away from Him and returns?

s3.amazonaws.com€¦ · web viewteach the children the following rhyme before the story is told....

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