The ideas below may help you when teaching a lesson on Ruth and her dedication to her mother-in-law, Naomi. Feel free to use these ideas to supplement your current curriculum or to make your own lesson.
Story Suggestion
The Book of Ruth
Game Ideas
Follow the Leader Relay Race
Directions: Have the children divide into two teams. Pick one child to be the "leader." Have the leader stand at one end of the classroom, while the two teams stand at the other end. The leader gives out commands like "take one hop" or "take two baby steps." The first person on each team does this command. When the leader says "Freeze!," each player stops and waits for the next command. When the first person of either team reaches the leader, they go back to their line and sit down. Now the next person in line has to do the commands. Keep rotating through the line until one team wins by having all of their players sitting down.
Grab-It
Directions: Divide into two teams. When an adult leader, holding a bandanna, bean bag or other light object, gives the signal, one member of each team comes into the center. While they stand there facing each other the leader will drop the object. Each tries to grab it and run back to his own team. The one who did not catch the object becomes a member of that team as well. The game continues until all are on one team, or as long as there is still interest in the game.
Snacks
A good snack for this lesson would be peanut butter sandwiches with wheat bread. You can use cookie cutters to make shapes out of the sandwiches.
Another good snack for this lesson would be Chex snack mixes or any other brand that has the pretzel, bagel, cheese stick mix in it.
Art Center Ideas
Wheat Picture
Materials:
- Ruth coloring page below
- Glue sticks
- Crayons
- Wheat or grain pieces
Directions:
- Print out the coloring page below on cardstock paper.
- Let the children color their picture.
- Have the children glue pieces of wheat or grains to the wheat in the picture. Let dry.
Shredded Wheat Wreath (Not edible)
Materials:
- Large shredded wheat biscuit
- Glue
- Green food coloring
- Popsicle stick
- Plastic bowl
- Small styrofoam plate
- Red beads
Directions:
- Let children break up the shredded wheat biscuits into very small pieces in a bowl.
- Add glue and a few drops of green food coloring (enough glue to easily stir, but not making the mix soupy). Stir with the Popsicle stick.
- When well mixed, dump mixture onto the plate. Have the children use their hands to form a flat, thick pancake. They will use their index fingers to create a hole in the middle of the pancake, and then use their index fingers and thumb to pinch around to create a wreath.
- If desired, they can add red beads to the wreath for holly.
- Allow to dry a couple hours, then peel off the plate and allow bottom side to dry.
Suggested Prayer (or use your own)
All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small. All things wise and wonderful, God you made them all. He gave us eyes to see them, and lips that we might tell. How great is God, Almighty, who has made all things well.
See the full list of Sunday School lesson ideas on both the Old Testament and the New Testament!
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