Games for all 5 days

Day 1 The Good Shepherd knows me!

Pasture Time (Game Time)

BINGO

Supplies needed:

Tissue paper or fabric squares

2 sets of bingo signs (link for signs)

List of bingo call out statements (link for callouts)

Bucket

Spray chalk or tape for marking out grid (on the ground of floor(optional)

Pylon/ orange traffic cone or Item for a ‘free space’

 SAY:  We are learning today that God KNOWS us! So we are going to play a game that helps us get to know each other better!

Divide the kids up into two teams. Each team needs ‘bingo numbers’ and a ‘player’

.

Hand out the signs and have the kids that are the ‘bingo numbers’ pick one statement that applies to them.

Once the kids each have a sign,  have them get into a place on their grid(if you haven’t made a grid in advance have them get into a formation to look like a bingo card making sure the ‘free space’ marker is in the center.

Pull a statement out of a bucket and read it out loud. If the statement applies to one of the ‘bingo numbers’ have that child put their hand up.

Have the child that is the ‘player’ either  ‘dab’ that ‘bingo number’ with with the tissue paper/fabric square and have the dabbed number sit down.

Play the game until one of the teams can yell BAAAAAA!

*note…if you don’t’ have enough kids to make two teams, try doing one bingo card together or if the teams are really small get the whole team to be out before they yell BAAAA

Day 2 The Good Shepherd protects me!

Pasture Time (game time)

CLUMP

 SAY :Today we will be playing a game called Clump.  When sheep feel threatened they always ‘clump’ or huddle together to stay safe. The safest place for the sheep to be is with each other and with the shepherd.  When we have trouble in life the best thing for us to do is surround ourselves with good Christian friends and run to Jesus.

Supplies needed:

A ‘shepherd’ (this could be a cardboard cutout, a scare crow, or another leader that moves around.

Instructions:

Everyone stand at least 5 feet away from each other.  When the leader yells CLUMP (and some number) everyone has to huddle together in that number and together run to the ‘shepherd’ If there is a group that can’t make that number then they are out. The goal is to be the last group of two standing.

For example, if the leader yells CLUMP 5 then everyone must get into groups of five and run to the ‘shepherd’.  Anyone who doesn’t get into a group is out for the game. 

Day 3 God Provides for us!

Pasture Time (Game Time)

DRIP DRIP DROP or BUILD IT

SAY: Today’s games are themed around generosity and I want you to remember as we are playing that sometimes God surprises us by providing for us in ways that we could never have dreamed of.

Supplies needed:

Option 1—Water and sponges

OR

Option 2 --A large set of legos with at least two flat bases as a starter.

Instructions:

Game option 1 God provides us with water.

 Drip drip drop….a game played the same way as Duck Duck Goose with the exception being that you take a sponge filled with water and Drip Drip Drop(squeeze the rest of the sponge) on the heads of those in the circle.

Game option 2

 God provides us with housing/shelter

Divide the group into a team of two (or more in necessary).

Have the children get in a row behind a line. There should be building supplies set out on a table/designated spot. Each child must run from behind the line and put one single piece on the ‘house’ and run back and tag the next child and so on. The game is over when they have a house built that will hold two Lego people.

Day 4 The Good Shepherd loves me!

Pasture Time (game time)

SCAVENGER HUNT

SAY: Today we will be having a scavenger hunt. We will be looking for ‘lost sheep’ just like in our bible lesson.

Supplies needed:

Several sheep—toy animals, stuffed animals or pieces of paper that have a sheep on it.

Instructions:

Make a scavenger hunt for sheep.  Depending on your location, you may have to create clues, or it might be acceptable to just hide sheep in various places.  Make sure at the end of your time with them, that you get them to hide the sheep for the next group. If your group gets done early, and it’s appropriate you could play hide and seek, or some variation of that game.

Day 5 The Good Shepherd invites me to know Him.

Pasture Time(game time)

LITTLE SHEEP

SAY: In today’s game you will hear many invitations. Some apply to you and some don’t. God’s invitation apply to all of us!

Materials:
     None

Direction

Choose one person to be the caller and have everyone else line up a distance of about 15 feet away. A caller yells out for a group to run to the safe place. Example, “Little Sheep wearing red come over.”  The group that is called must run to a designated safe place, while the caller tries to tag the sheep before they get there.  Whoever gets tagged joins the caller in trying to tag the other sheep when they are called on the next round. The game is played until only one sheep is left. That sheep then becomes the caller for the next round.

Pasture Time Leader

INTRODUCTION

           In this curriculum we will take a week (5 days) to discover what it means to be part of God’s flock, and learn about the Good Shepherd who leads us!  From the Old to the New Testaments the Bible continuously refers to us as sheep, and God as our Good Shepherd. This week we will go on a journey, to discover first, that the Good Shepherd knows us. Then we will learn how the Good Shepherd protects, provides, and loves us. The last day will come full circle as we come to realize that the Good Shepherd invites us to know him!

We are all like sheep!  So fluff up your wool and get ready for some fun!

Welcome to Pasture Time (Game Time)

Pasture Time is where children can come use physical activity to continue learning about the lesson.  It is also a place where laughter and structured play is encouraged. Each game is designed to enhance the lessons taught that day, and will encourage the kids to process the lesson through physical movement.

Some children learn best when they are moving, and so the lesson might ‘click’ for them when they are out playing, laughing and having fun.  It is your job as the Game leader to provide an upbeat time where the kids can have fun and wear off energy!

Please take the time before each lesson to review the theme of the day as well as the memory verse, so that you can help direct conversation and fun in such a way, as to encourage the children to continue learning.

Use your creativity to make the ‘Pasture’ as inviting as possible.

You will have 30 minutes of time with each group that comes to Pasture time.

As the Game leader we ask that you:

Prepare! Read through the game lesson and make sure you are prepared for your time with the children.

Pray! Pray for the children you will be in contact with this week and ask God to use you to touch their lives in a special way

Have Fun!  If you are having fun, the children will have fun too!

Day 5 Game time

Day 5 The Good Shepherd invites me to know Him.

Pasture Time(game time)

LITTLE SHEEP

SAY: In today’s game you will hear many invitations. Some apply to you and some don’t. God’s invitation apply to all of us!

Materials:
     None

Direction

Choose one person to be the caller and have everyone else line up a distance of about 15 feet away. A caller yells out for a group to run to the safe place. Example, “Little Sheep wearing red come over.”  The group that is called must run to a designated safe place, while the caller tries to tag the sheep before they get there.  Whoever gets tagged joins the caller in trying to tag the other sheep when they are called on the next round. The game is played until only one sheep is left. That sheep then becomes the caller for the next round.

Day 4 The Good Shepherd loves me!

Pasture Time (game time)

SCAVENGER HUNT

SAY: Today we will be having a scavenger hunt. We will be looking for ‘lost sheep’ just like in our bible lesson.

Supplies needed:

Several sheep—toy animals, stuffed animals or pieces of paper that have a sheep on it.

Instructions:

Make a scavenger hunt for sheep.  Depending on your location, you may have to create clues, or it might be acceptable to just hide sheep in various places.  Make sure at the end of your time with them, that you get them to hide the sheep for the next group. If your group gets done early, and it’s appropriate you could play hide and seek, or some variation of that game.

day 3 sheep corral

Day 3 The Good Shepherd provides for me!

Sheep Corral (Joint Assembly)

Supplies needed:

·         List/ papers for announcer skit and Jake’s Sheepology lesson

·         Costumes for the drama

·         Copy of the take home hand out

Advance preparation:

·         Read the devotional and the scripture for the day.

·         Make sure all your technology is ready to go.

·         Familiarize yourself with the appropriate skits etc

1)      Gathering

·         As the children enter help have some clips of sheep playing running and music playing. link to some suggestions

·         Help each child find their seat with their group and group leader.  Make sure the children are introduced to their group leader so that they feel welcomed.

·        Introduce yourself and tell the kids how excited you are to have them at VBS this year

2)      Welcome and call to worship

Announcer:             sitting at a desk working on a long list (You could have a  long roll of paper, or a bunch of sheets with crumpled paper on the floor everywhere.

Friend:     Um (announcer’s name), hey (announcer’s name) are you going to welcome the kids today?

Announcer:            What?  Oh, yeah …oh well um sorry(puts down roll of paper and pen and turns to kids)  Hi Kids! Um….WELCOME to VBS…uhhh…umm…(looks at papers) yeah well Today  we are uh…learning about sheep!

Friend:     (announcer’s name.) What in the world where you working on that has you sooooo distracted anyways?

Announcer:  That? (Pointing at papers) OH,  that is my list!

Friend:     Your list?

Announcer:            Yah my list! You see today we are going to be learning about how God provides for us, and gives us what we want. So I am making a loooooong list of ALL the stuff I want so I can give it to God. I mean if he wants to provide for me then I might start by giving him a list of everything. 

Friend:     Ummmmm

Announcer:            (interrupting friend) You want to see my list? I am trying to make it pretty detailed, I don’t want to leave anything out you know. Do you think it’s long enough?

Friend:     Ummmmm

Announcer:            (Interrupting again)Oh wait I forgot,(goes to write some more things on his list and reads what he is writing) new tractor, oh and a new car, and hmm…oh I have ALWAYS wanted one of those big boats, and maybe a Caribbean cruise, let’s see…anything else….hmmm

Friend:     whoa….wait a second there….That is NOT what God is trying to tell us. God isn’t Santa Clause. God DOES provide for us the things that we NEED, but that doesn’t mean he is a genie in the sky pouring down everything that we could ever WANT.  God knows what we need. He knows what we need even better than we do. Sometimes he gives us what we want and sometimes he gives us things we didn’t even know we wanted. How about you have a seat and take a break, and let me explain it a bit.

Announcer:            Oh.. Okay, guess I NEED a break!

Friend:     Yeah. (turning to kids and taking over)

Welcome to VBS boys and girls!  Today we are going to be learning about a shepherd named Jacob.  God provided for Jacob in some pretty neat ways.  A good shepherd provides for his sheep, he makes sure they have enough food and water. He makes sure they are getting enough exercise, and that they don’t get sick. He makes sure that they have what they need.   God is our Good Shepherd, and he provides for us too.

Now let’s call up the worship leader and worship together.

3)      Worship time:

Have the worship leader lead the kids in worship

Limit it to two songs today to make up for the time of the Bible lesson and skits today.

Here is a play list of somesuggested songs for the week.

4)      Offering Project

This should really be done by the ‘friend’ as well, or at leas not by the announcer yet.

Our offering project is one way that God is going to provide for some people in need.

Donate a sheep

Shoe box lambs

5)      Sheepology

Jake:         (walking in with a list and a pen kind of muttering to himself)

Friend:     Oh no not ANOTHER list!  What is it with the lists today?

Jake:         What?  I am just making sure we got all our stuff done for the day. Sheep are pretty needy creatures after all.

Friend:     Really?  Can you tell us about it?  What do sheep need anyways?

Jake:         (using list as a reference and checking it off as he goes)RUFF  Sure!  Well let’s see (looking at list) sheep need to be feed the right kind of food at the right times. Sheep have really sensitive stomachs and so the Shepherd needs to be careful that the sheep gets the right things they need…..Then um (looking at list again) Sheep always need to have fresh clean water. They won’t drink from a dirty water trough or stream. (Looking down at list)Oh, and sheep need shelter. Just the right kind of shelter too…not to boxed in, and not to open, but just right. Sheep need exercise and to be lead to the right pasture at the right time. Then there is always extra stuff the Shepherd needs to do to keep the sheep healthy, you know like not letting their wool get to long, or taking proper care of their feet, or helping the mamma sheep called an ewe when it is time for the baby lambs to be born.

Friend:     (interrupting Jake) Wow that sounds like a lot of stuff! Sounds like it is a lot of work to take care of sheep and provide for them.

Jake:         Yep, providing for sheep is a full time job but that’s what Shepherds do!

Friend:     Thanks Jake. I love all the sheepology lessons!

Jake:         Your welcome, bye! (waves and walks off stage)

Friend:     You know Just like a good shepherd provides for the needs of his sheep, in the same way God is our Good Shepherd and he does a good job providing for us!

6)      Drama intro

Announcer:       (back from break) So God provides for us. I think I got it. Today’s bible story is about Jacob. No matter what Jacobs Father in law did…God still provided for Jacob, let’s listen

. 

7)      Drama

This drama could be acted out and planned before hand or you could use this story to do and impromptu drama using volunteers from the audience.

 Supplies

·        Signs with stripes and dots

·        Signs that are white

Characters  needed:

·        Narrator(this could be your announcer or MC person)

·        Jacob

·        Labon

                                                                                                                                        

Here is Jacob. He follows God

(Jacob comes in dressed like a shepherd and waving at people)

Jacob works for his father in law Labon caring for his goats and sheep.

(Labon walks in and waves and stands on the other side of the stage)

  Jacob has a BIG family and doesn’t make a lot of money at his job. So Jacob comes up with a plan so that he can watch God provide for him.

(Jacob acts like he is thinking and coming up with a good idea)

Jacob goes to Labon and says, “Hey Labon, I have an idea. How about instead of paying me money you just pay me by giving me all the spotted or stripped animals when they are born. That way you’re heard will be the best and pettiest and most spotless heard there is in the whole land.”

(Jacob goes up to Labon and is talking to him )

Labon thinks about this idea. Labon is selfish and greedy. He wants to have the best heard, and most of the animals that are already really nice, so that means he might not have to give Jacob hardly any animals for all his work. Labon like this idea and says “Yeah, It’s a deal”

(Labon thinks about it, then gives a thumbs up and shakes hands with Jacob)

Jacob goes off to take care of Labon’s animals.  God gives Jacob the idea to put up signs up where the animals eat and drink that have big dots and stripes on them. So that is what Jacob does.

(Jacob puts out signs with dots and stripes on them)

Guess what? When the baby animals are born almost ALL of them have spots or stripes on them. So Jacob got almost ALL of Labon’s animals! 

(Jacob is happy)

 This happened for a little bit but pretty soon Labon noticed.

This made Labon grumpy.  Labon said NO NO NO NO I change my mind.  I want the stripped and spotted sheep and you can have the plain ones.

(Labon shakes his head says no and points to Jacob acting out he words)

So Jacob only gets the spotless animals. But right always he changes the signs to plain signs

(Jacob looks grumpy but changes signs to plain signs)

Do you know what happened? The next time animals started only having plain babies, and not very many spotted ones. So Jacob started getting more and more animals again.

(Jacob is happy again)

But it didn’t take long before Labon noticed it again, and changed his mind.

(Labon shakes his head ‘no’) and points to the sheep)

In fact we the Bible tells us that this happened lots of times!

(Labon and Jacob act this out a few more times where Jacob keeps changing the signs and Labon keeps changing his mind, until Jacob plops on the ground exhausted)

 But every time Labon changed his mind, God still provided for Jacob. In fact when it was time for Jacob and his family to move away, the Bible says that Jacob was a very rich man, because God had provided for him in lots of ways.

(Jacob gathers his sheep and signs and walks off the stage waving at Labon)

8)      Memory Verse

Today is day 3!

 I want everyone that has memorized any of the extra verses on your take home papers to stand up!(Comment accordingly and encourage the kids that  it’s not to late to do some of the extra bible memory.  Have a copy of the take home paper for today, and show them where the extra verse are. Tell the kids about the special rewards that you have for extra verses.)

Sheep need SOOO much stuff, but a good shepherd provides for his sheep.

Aren’t you glad that God is our Good Shepherd and he provides for us?

Today’s bible verse is from Ps 23 but remember what our announcer learned today, when 

(put up bible memory power point)

Ps 23:1 The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want.

Invite the children to repeat after you and add actions!

The Lord

(point up)

Is my shepherd

(point to self)

I shall not

(shake finger no)

Want

(rub tummy like hungry)

Psalm 23:1

9)      Response and Closing

Announcer:            I can see how God used some pretty neat ways to provide for Jacob..God is our Good Shepherd he provides for us too!  Today as you go about the rest of VBS I want you to pay attention to how the Good Shepherd provides for us!

10)  Prayer

Thank you God our Good Shepherd that you provide for our needs! Thank you for everything you are going to teach us tonight. Help us to listen and learn what you want us to learn!

11)   Send Kids out to the their classes