8. Peace

Materials Needed

• pots, pans and large spoons
• sturdy toys
• pillows
• loud food (like chips)
• television or stereo
• 8 1/2” x 11” white plain paper
• glue
• blue and black construction paper
• crayons
• scissors

Setting The Stage

Peace is a quiet calm during which we can know God better. The goal of this lesson is to teach your children what is and isn’t peace and how, during these times of peace, you can talk to God and learn more about God.

Project

1. Set up a noisy section on one side of the room. This section will have four stations, each with a number so that the order is understood by all.

1 - pots, pans and spoons.

2 - loud food

3 - toys (over which to fight)

4 - television or stereo (to be played loudly)

2. Set up a quiet section on the opposite side of the room with a pillow for each child placed on the floor

3. Start at station number one. Call out GO! and have them do the activity as loudly as possible until you call STOP! When you call Stop! they are to run to the pillows and lie perfectly still and quiet until you call GO! again at which time they will run to the second noisy station and do the activity there. Continue alternating until all sections are visited at least once. Keep this pattern going for about five minutes.

4. Stop the game and have them sit on their pillows. Explain to them how difficult it is to think about anything, especially God, when we are being so noisy. Explain how precious peace is because then we can stop and talk to God.

5. Go to the table and work together on pictures that demonstrate times of peace, times when we can be quiet and be with God. While working on this part of the project discuss how they can talk to God during these peaceful times. You can do one or all of the following depending on the child’s interest:

• Snowfall - Fold white paper in half again and again until it is as small as possible. Cut off the corners. Open and see a snow flake. Glue this snow flake onto a blue sheet of construction paper.
• Night lime - Take a pointed object (pen) and poke lots of holes into the black sheet. Hold it up to the light and see stars shining at night.
• Being Loved - Draw and color a picture of a parent giving a child a hug.
• Bed lime - Draw and color a picture of a child praying before bedtime.

Prayer

Pray for times of peace during which you can learn to talk to God.

Memory Verse

Psalm 34:14b
Seek peace and pursue it.