Samuel

How about God's call to Samuel ... 3-6 year olds might like to pretend to be asleep and hear God calling their name. Or God calling Moses through the burning bush. The song that keeps playing in my mind is "Here I Am, Lord".

Check out the Samuel lesson forum for additional ideas here.

Simon Says

Boy, does this idea need work, but what about a game of "Simon Says", but somehow using it as "God says." I'm not meaning to be "unholy" and am thinking of commands such as:
God says, "read my word,"
God says, "Say a kind hello to the person next you,"
"Throw a temper tantrum"

1 Samuel 16 (Call of David)

is great for kids because it is not just the big people who are called by God, but the littlest, too.

Drama: Have a doll and tell the children this is David. As you do this short drama, have a helper hide "David" when the children aren't looking. Retell the story while the children act it out. One child is Samuel and asks "is this the one" One child is God and says "no not that one" One child is Jesse and lines the other kids up from tallest to shortest. When all the kids are lined up, the reader says "Samuel asked if Jesse had any other children. Jesse said, only the little one, David, who is tending the sheep. Samuel said go find him." Instruct the children to go hunt for David. Bring the doll forward and explain that the littlest one was anointed king. Replay the game, only come up with different criteria for lining up the children -- longest hair to shortest, age, whose birthday comes next, etc. You will probably have to have kids cover their eyes while the doll is hid, as they will be on to you the second time around.

Art: Paper bag people. Make a person on a paper grocery bag by gluing or coloring eyes, nose, mouth. Make arms and legs out of accordian pleated construction paper hanging down the sides and front with hands and feet attached. (The whole thing reminds me of Sponge Bob) Cut out an approximately 9" circle in the belly of the bag. Stuff newspaper in the bag so that when the bag is on the child's head, their face fits in the hole. Tape or staple a large heart over the bag, so that it can still be lifted to see the hole. Have children wear the bags and repeat 1 Samuel 16:7 with the children lifting up the heart flap when you say "but God looks on the heart."

Make a class booklet as a gift: Have a picture of the ordinand and tell the children about this person (assuming they don't know him well themselves). Explain that he or she was chosen to minister to the church in a special way. Have the children discuss with you some of the things a priest does. Make a special book for the ordinand. Write "Chosen by God" on the first page and paste their picture. Attach pictures made by the children of the ordinand doing the various things she or he will do in their future role. If the children are very young, you may want to have an adult write what the picture is about. Give this as a gift to the ordinand.

Peace, Lisa