Prodigal Son - Preschool
Non-reader Games Workshop
Summary of Lesson Activities:
Games are "stations" in the room which children progress through as a group. The final action is "coming back home". A good example of marrying ACTION/MOVEMENT to the story's various actions: son leaving, son turning around in repentance, father waiting/running.
Editor's Note: While not provided in the lesson, a SHARP TEACHER could easily convert these game stations for OLDER CHILDREN.
Materials:
- Signs for "Home Sweet Home", "The City", and the "Pig Farm"
- Small drawstring bag with 10 pennies each
- Basket to collect pennies
- Playground area
- Feast for return to Home Sweet Home (used biscuits and jam)
- "Welcome Home! We love you!" signs to put in drawstring bags.
Leader Preparations:
- Read the story ahead of time.
- Gather the materials.
Presentation
Opening - Welcome and Lesson Introduction:
Welcomed Children and tell them what we are doing today.
Open with a prayer.
Dig - Main Content and Reflection:
- Reviewed what a parable was.
- Paraphrased story of the Prodigal Son. Used Preschool Bible Story book to read story.
- Reviewed basic concepts. Most of the children were younger siblings, we talked about how sometimes things happen that aren't fair and what it was like to have siblings.
- Each child then received their inheritance from me: little gold drawstring bags (purchased from local rock/art store, but could easily have been made) filled with 10 pennies each.
- We then said goodbye to everyone and ventured to "The City" (outside in our playground) where we had to eat after the long journey (collected one penny from each child into basket), pretended to give them all food, collected one penny for dessert, two pennies for lodging, pretended to go to sleep).
- Next morning we were ready to take on all the fun things in the city (namely hopscotch and hide and go seek, each game cost 1 penny each time to play, this age of children were happy to have the adults do the seeking which worked well since the father would want to seek his "lost" son).
- On top of the games, the children had to pay to eat more food. When they were out of money they had to go to pig farm to work. Explained to children that the birdseed in the paper cups was pig food and that we scattered to imaginary pigs (all of them loved saying, "here piggy piggy and seweyyyyyy!!!).
- After that they were tired and wanted dinner or to play more games. Since they had no money they decided that maybe they better go home, apologize to their father, and asked to work for him.
- We then we marched home and were welcomed by the father (one of the assistants)! All children feasted on biscuits and jam, were given their 10 pennies and the "Welcome Home! We love you" little signs that went into each bag for them to take home.
Closing:
End with a prayer.
