More activities for Balaam's Donkey

These are activities that can be done with any camp for children. I wrote them specifically for the Galveston street camp that we did in 2012 but they are activities that can be used with anything. Most of the activities are the types of things that I have done in Vacation Bible schools and/or in my 2nd grade classroom when I was still teaching.


Scripture memory: Do one verse each day.
John 3:16

English Standard Version (ESV)
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 15:16English Standard Version (ESV)
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
Younger children can learn the first part “you did not choose me, but I chose you.” and understand the meaning of it. Older children can learn all of it if they want or if teacher feels it is appropriate. (Understanding the meaning is the most important part.)Memory activities: (about 30 minutes) 1. Discuss meaning of the scripture. Be sure the children understand what this means and not just some words to learn.
2. Repeat the scripture with the children several times, as a group and individually, to help them learn it.
3.. Make a puzzle with the scripture on it for each child. Have the child put the puzzle together. You might consider having a picture on one side of the puzzle and the scripture on the other side to make it easier.
4. Print the verse in a large font and cut apart. Place one or two words inside each of enough balloons to do the entire scripture. Blow up the balloons before class starts. Ask different children to sit on the balloon to pop it and get the paper inside. When they get the words in the scripture, they put it together. If there are enough children and balloons, you can divide into teams and have the teams race against each other to see who can put the verse together first.
5. Children complete fill in the blank worksheet of the scripture.
6. Children can take turns saying the scripture and reference. Praise each child for their effort.
　
　
　
Recreation: (20 minutes + 10 minutes refreshments) 1. Imitate a donkey sound. Heehaw
2. Divide into teams & do a donkey relay. The first person in the team gallops like a donkey to a predetermined line, turns around and gallops back. When he/she touches the hand to the next team member in line, that child gallops like a donkey to the line and back. Continue this until all the children have galloped. The first team to finish wins.
3. Play pin the tail on the donkey. Have a large picture of a donkey attached to a wall. Blindfold a child, spin him around a time or two and have him pin the tail on the donkey.
4. Other races, relays or active games as seem appropriate for the age of the children.
Crafts: (about 30 minutes)Day one: Make beaded necklaces. Have large zip lock style bags and a Sharpie pen available so that if the children do not finish this, all their things can be placed in the bags & their name written on it to finish either on day two or at home. Some children finish this fairly quickly and others are much slower. The ones who finish early can help those not finished.
Materials needed:
Papers in the colors black, red, white, yellow, green and purple, cut into long, slender triangles.
Craft/white glue (like Elmers school glue)
One straw for each child
A length of yarn about 24-30” long for each child, one end of the yarn should be dipped into glue & allowed to dry ahead of time. This makes threading the beads easier.
The colors each have meaning & should be discussed as the beads and necklaces are made.
Black-We have sin as black as night.
Yellow- But Jesus is our light.
White- He came to wash us white as snow.
Green-In Jesus every day we grow.
Red-Since Jesus gave his blood we shout and sing.
Purple-Jesus is the Son of God, a royal King.
Starting at the wide end, wrap the paper triangle around a straw. About half way down in wrapping the bead, run a line of glue on the inside of the triangle. Continue wrapping until you reach the tip. Hold it together for a few moments for the glue to day slightly. Slide the bead off of the straw. Thread it onto the yarn. If you have small wooden beads available, they can be used as spacers between the beads. Continue making the beads until each child has at least one bead of each color on his/her necklace. If boys complain about making a necklace, tell them that they can give it as a gift to their mother, grandmother, sister, etc.
Day two: Tape or glue the scripture verse to the back of the three opening frames provided. Each child will decorate the frames by gluing painted puzzle pieces to the front of the frames. Point out to the children that we all pieces that fit together in God’s plan.
The puzzle pieces are painted blue to represent the water of our baptism.
　
　
　　
Music: (30 minutes) There are no songs written for this program as I am not a musical person. There are many songs that children will enjoy. Any person who has worked with children in church music should have several that can be used.


Scripture Memory activities:
Fill in the blanks with the words below.
For God so _________________ the ________________, that he gave his
only _______________, that whoever ___________________ in him
should not ____________________ but have __________________ life.
John 3:16
　
　
eternal world believes perish loved
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
You did not __________________ me, but I chose ______________.
John 15:16
　
choose you
　
　
　
　
　
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
　
You did not choose me, but I chose you. John 15:16
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. John 15:16
　
　
　
　
Cut each phrase from the verse apart and place inside a balloon before it is blown up. Blow up the balloons and have the children pop them by sitting on them. When they get the slips of paper, they race to put the verse together. This can be done in teams or as individuals, depending on the number of children.
　
For God so loved the world, You did not
　
that he gave his only Son, choose me,
　
that whoever believes in him but I
　
should not perish chose you.
　
but have eternal life. John 15:16
　
John 3:16