Creation: Session 1

Download the PDF here.

 

Circle time

5 minutes

As the children arrive, sit everyone down in a circle. If you have parents, encourage them to sit with their children (but not to speak for them). Ask the children if they have done anything this week and encourage them to tell the group about it. Younger children may struggle to remember much, but listen to anything they would like to tell you. Share something that you have done this week too. Thank everyone for their stories and say a simple prayer thanking God for what you have discussed.

 

Song

5 minutes

You will need: a song that is easy to learn; musicians or recorded music and the means to play it

Choose a song that talks about creation and that will be easy for the children to learn. Teach the children the song and enjoy singing it together.

 

Bible story

10 minutes

You will need: different sources of light, such as torches, lanterns and glow sticks; music and the means to play it (optional)

Sit the children in a circle and tell this story. After each section, stop and do the activity in italics together, then continue with the next part of the story. The children might want to join in with the “This is good!” refrain

In the very beginning, God made the heavens and the Earth. But there was nothing on the earth, so God set to work. First, God said, “I want a light to shine!” And a light started to shine. Encourage the children to stand with their legs apart and their arms outstretched. Enjoy pretending to be lights together. Who can be the ‘lightest’?!

God looked at the light and he said: “This is good!” Congratulate everyone on being lights, and sit everyone down again.

Then God said, “I’m going to make some sky.” And that’s what he did. He made a big, wide-open sky. Pretend to be clouds, drifting across the sky. Move around your circle together, playing some ‘drifting-style’ music as you do.

God looked at the sky and he said: “This is good!” Congratulate everyone on being clouds, and sit everyone down again.

Then God said: “I want dry land and wet sea!” So, he gathered together the water into one place. There were big seas and dry lands. Then God said: “Let the ground produce all kinds of plants!” And giant trees, small flowers and everything in between began to grow. Pretend to be plants growing from the ground. Start off small and grow together, becoming tall trees!

God looked at the sea and the land. He looked at all the plants and said: “This is good!” Congratulate everyone on being plants and trees, and sit everyone down again.

Then God said: “I want lots of lights to appear in the sky!” And they did! The Sun, the Moon, the stars and the planets winked and twinkled in the sky. Give out the torches and glow sticks, turn them on and dance around in a circle to some twinkly music.

God looked at all the lights and said: “This is good!” Congratulate everyone on being stars, planets, the Sun and the Moon, and sit everyone down again.

Then God said: “Let’s have lots of animals in the sea and in the air!” So, he made creatures to live in the sea and birds to fly in the air. Encourage the children to choose a fish or a bird and to move around pretending to be that creature. They can even make the right noises if they know them!

God looked at the birds and sea creatures, and said: “This is good!” Congratulate everyone on being fish or birds, and sit everyone down again.

Then God said: “I’m going to make animals to live on the land.” So, God made lots of animals to walk around on the dry land. Encourage the children to choose an animal and to move around pretending to be that creature. They can even make the right noises if they know them! Congratulate everyone on being animals, and sit everyone down again.

And God said: “Let’s make people. They will be like me! They will be my best creation.” So, he made people and he blessed them. God looked at the animals and said: “This is good.” Then he looked at the people and said: “This is very good!” Finally, God said: “This is perfect. I’m going to rest.” Encourage everyone to lie on the floor and pretend to sleep. Then ‘wake’ everyone up again.

God made the whole world and he made you and me. We’re special and God loves us.

 

Chatting together

5 minutes

Ask the children these questions, making sure everyone has the chance to contribute:

• When you go outside, what can you see?
• What’s your favourite animal or plant?
• What’s your favourite part of this story?
• Do you want to say anything to God?

 

Creative free play

20 minutes

You will need: a choice of four free-play options, whatever you can provide, for example art and craft resources; play dough; plastic or wooden building bricks; toy animals, fish and birds; picture books about space; mirrors; a sand pit and / or water play area

Before the session, set up a range of free-play options around the room. Show the children the options and let them play with whatever they like. Make sure you have helpers at each station to help the children, to take part in their games and to chat to them about the story you have taken part in. Encourage the helpers to bring up ideas of God’s creation, of how he created us and how he loves us. He gave us this creation to enjoy and take care of.

 

Prayer

5 minutes

You will need: My big prayer book (Scripture Union)

Sit the children in a circle and ask them if they would like to say thank you to God for anything they have discovered in the session. Say a prayer thanking God for those things, and then say one or more of the prayers from pages 12 to 17 of My big prayer book to finish.