Good Friday for Tots

Here is what we did with our Tots on Good Friday to help them explore what Jesus did for us. Feel free to use our ideas.

St Barnabas Tots Church – Good Friday 2014

Theme: Light & Dark

Room: Praise baby creation DVD

Aim of the session: The free flow session is designed to help the children explore the theme of light and dark through a range of specially designed hands on play activities. Using the story ‘Can’t you sleep little bear’ as a starting point for the theme the leaders will have the opportunity to meet the children in their different play activities and use open ended questions to help the children think more about and make links to Jesus and the meaning of Easter to them.

Activities 11.30am-12.30pm (1 leader per activity)

Focus Activity: Story Telling Corner

Set up: a soft area in one of the corners of the room where the children will enjoy listening to a story. Invite small groups of children throughout the whole session to come and listen to the story ‘Can’t you sleep little bear’ by the end of the session all the children should have visited story telling corner.

Leader: Read the story ‘Can’t you sleep little Bear’ by Martin Waddell

Ask the children what was wrong with Little Bear in the story? Why couldn’t he go to sleep? Ask the children to close their eyes tightly and then open them again. What is different when our eyes are open, what can we see? Talk about how light helps us see clearly, shows the way and makes things bright. Read John 8:12 aloud: ‘Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.”’Remind the children that we need light to help us see clearly, just like Little Bear in our story. Tell them that Jesus helps us to know how to live and how to understand things ,just as light help us see things in the dark .Explain to the children that we call Jesus ‘light’ because he shows us how to live his way, he helps us understand things, makes us happy.

Play Activity 1. The Bear Cave

Set up: a dark den for our bear cave, make this large enough to be the focal point of the room and not too dark as young children may be a little weary. In the cave decorate with shiny objects such as hanging CDs, non toxic glow sticks or other appropriate shiny material, perhaps LED lights. Inside the cave have a selection of torches, lights that the children can use in the den to look around and see what happens as they catch the different materials in the light. Fill the cave with small soft bear toys that they can look for.

Play Activity 3 - Craft Table

Set up: Large black craft paper A3, white chalk, silver, gold chunky crayons, silver and gold star stickers. Silver, gold glitter pens for the night pictures and for the day, paper plates with yellow and gold collage material and strips of yellow for the rays. Other suggested crafts from Baker Ross – paper lanterns, acrylic mirrors, tea light holders for older children.

Play Activity 4 – Building a bear den/cave

Set up: using a selection of different size boxes and fabric, blankets, the children can build a cave for their bear, provide larger Soft toy bears for role play.

Play Activity 5: Tough Spot/messy play tray - mirrored

Set up: Play tray with the mirror insert (from TTS) put on it a selection of ‘treasure’ perhaps hidden in sand on the tray. Shiny objects they can collect (but not too small that they can eat!) use coloured sand and little jewels from Baker Ross.

Baby soft play area (0-18 months)- toys & mirrors

Set up: In the usual soft play baby area, have the usual selection of toys but some mirrors for the babies to look at and explore.

Group Time 12.30pm-1pm – Outdoor

Children to be taken outside into the bungalow garden weather permitting. Below are suggestions of games and songs that could be done in this time followed by a drink and a biscuits. Finish with a ‘hunt’ around the garden to find their Easter gift to take home.

Reach for the Stars
Have the children pretend to catch stars. Ask them how many stars they caught. 

Mister Sun
Oh mister sun, sun, mister golden sun, (Place hands over head to form sun) Please shine down on me. (Wiggle fingers while moving hands down) Oh mister sun, sun, mister golden sun,(Place hands over head to form sun) Hiding behind the tree. (Place hands over eyes) These little children are asking you, (Points to children) To please come out so we can play with you. (I don't know sign) Oh mister sun, sun, mister golden sun,(Place hands over head to form sun) Please shine down on,(Wiggle fingers while moving hands down) Won't you shine down on,(Wiggle fingers while moving hands down) Please shine down on me.(Point at self) 

Star Light, Star Bright
Star Light, Star Bright First star I see tonight, Wish I may, Wish I might, Have the wish I wish tonight.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star....

Light of the world