Bible
Crafts and Activities for Sunday School
Psalm
23 - The Lord is My Shepherd Bible Lessons for Children
The Bible
Lessons on this page come from The Resource Room which is a "Members
Only" section of this site. The complete lessons with craft
patterns included are available on The Resource Room.
This
series of lessons contains six lessons, one for each verse of
the chapter. These lessons are designed for children, preschool
through first grade. Each lesson is introduced by a sheep puppet.
The puppet doesn't actually say anything so the puppet skits are
very easy to perform. The puppet shakes its head yes and no and
also brings things to class that help explain the concept to be
learned for each verse.
 The sheep puppet you use should be able to open and close it's
mouth so that it can hold things or use it's hands. You can make
your own sheep puppet from a white sock. Go to the Materials
Crafts Page for directions. Or you can buy a talking sheep
puppet pattern from Puppet for Ministry.com for $5.00.
This puppet has four legs so it looks like it is standing up. Oriental
Trading Company has a cute lamb puppet for $3.00. Type in
6/375 or "lamb" in the search box at the left to find
it. They also have a set of twelve religious hand puppets for
$15.00. Type in 36/571 or "puppets" in the search box.
Bible Verse Memorization
Each lesson contains a printable
Bible verse card to send home with your children. You can also
use the Bible verse memorization chart (Available
to members only.) to keep track of each child's progress in
memorizing the verses. Printable stickers relating to each story
are available to place next to each verse as the children memorize
them. These stickers are available in color or in black and white.
If your printer can use them, you can print them out on sticker
paper. Or cut the stickers apart and use an inexpensive sticker
making machine to make the stickers. Or
you can just glue the stickers on to the chart. (I bought the Xyron
150 "X" Dispenser sticker maker at Wal-Mart
for less than $10.00.) Click on the links below to print out the
files you need:
Psalms 23 Sticker Chart (Available
to members only.)
Color Stickers (Psalms 23:1-3) (Available
to members only.)
Stickers for Psalm 23:4-6 - (Available
to members only.)
Rewards
and Incentives
 Oriental
Trading Company has lots of inexpensive lamb novelties that
would be great for rewards for children who can recite the entire
23rd Psalm. Show the children the lambs at the start of the series
of lessons to motivate them to memorize the verses. (You may have
to get something different for the boys. Although I teach first
grade boys and was happy to find out that they loved the little
clip on bear prizes I bought from Oriental Trading Company.) Type
in "lambs" in the search box on the left.) The praying
lambs at the left are $5.95 for a dozen and the plush lambs on
the right are $14.95 for a dozen.
The 23rd Psalm Memory Cross
This is a fun and interactive way for children to learn the Twenty-third Psalm!
Children will enjoy reading their origami-style Memory Crosses over and over again.
These are not available on Danielle's Place, but you can go to the Memory Cross web site to order yours today! Click on the Picture.
Crafts
for the Entire Lesson from Oriental Trading Company
Oriental
Trading has a "The Lord is My Shepherd" fun foam
banner craft kit that costs $5.95 for 12 kits. Just type in 48/1421
in the search box on the left to find this craft. Sharon Downey
sent in this idea. She had her children glue one or two pieces
to the banner each week so that by the end of the series they
had a completed craft to take home. She also said, "The glue
they (Oriental Trading) suggested for the foam projects I found
did not hold. I went to Wal-Mart (love that store) and purchased
Ilenes glue for all types of projects and it is great.
Oriental Trading also has a cute wooden lamb pin
craft (#48/3011) 12 for $4.95 which says, "Lamb of God"
and a foam cross "Lamb of God" craft (48/2950) 12 for
$5.95.
Lesson
1 - The Lord is My Shepherd
In this first lesson children learn that God loves us and gives
us everything we need. He is like a good shepherd who takes care
of his sheep. Woolie the Puppet teaches this lesson by showing
the children a picture he drew of the Good Shepherd, the green
pastures, still waters and his friends.
Crafts
include:
-
A
framed color sheet
-
A
bookmark
A
paper bag sheep puppet
-
"The
Lord is My Shepherd" display
Activities
include:
- Make
an edible sheep from pancakes or toast,
- "Draw
a Sheep" Game
- "Pin
the Tail on the Sheep" Game
- "Dress
the Sheep" Game.
Lesson
2 - He Makes Me Lie Down
In this lesson children learn from Woolie that God knows what is
good for us even if we don't. Sometimes it seems like God isn't
listening to us or answering our prayers like we want him to, but
God knows what is best for us. He knows exactly what we need and
when we need it.
Crafts
include:
-
"He
Makes Me Lie Down In Green Pastures" Activity Sheet - Children
color the picture and add flower stickers and rice that has
been colored green for the grass.
-
"He
Makes me Lie Down in Green Pastures" Paper Plate Sheep
Craft
Activities
include:
-
Still
Waters and Green Pastures Crackers made from Graham Crackers,
green and blue icing, and miniature marshmallows
-
"Lay
Down the Sheep" Game using balloon sheep, newspaper shepherd's
rods.
Bible
Verse Review Game using a printable picture cube.
Lesson 3 - He Leads Me
In this
lesson Woolie learns that the Good Shepherd leads us on the
right paths. Children also learn that God leads us through his
word, through prayer, and the Holy Spirit. He tells us how to
live so that we will be happy and successful.
Crafts
include:
- "He
Leads Me" Coloring Sheet
- Sheep
Following a Shepherd" Display
Make
a "Jesus is the Way" Craft
- Paper Bag Sheep Holding a
Sign
- "Jesus
is the Way" Plastic Bag Sheep
-
Activities
include:
- "He
Leads Me" Balancing Game
- Follow
the Leader
- Bible
Verse Review Cube Game
Lesson 4 - I Will Fear No Evil
Children learn that we don't have to be afraid because
God is watching over us. He protects and and comforts us
when we are afraid.
Crafts
include:
- "He
Comforts Me" Coloring Sheet
- Make
a shepherd's Rod
Activities
include:
- Shepherd's Relay
Race
- Make
Edible Shepherd's Staffs
- Bible
Verse Review Cube Game
Lesson 5 - I Am Special
We are special to God. He shows us we are special by
providing for our needs and giving us even more than we
need.
Crafts
include:
- "I
am Special" Hand Print Sheep Craft"
- My
Cup Runneth Over" Craft
Activities
include:
- Act out the
23rd Psalm using props
- "My
Cup Runneth Over" RelayBible
Verse Review Cube Game
Lesson 6 - Goodness and Mercy
Children
learn that when they follow the Good Shepherd they will
enjoy a life of goodness and mercy.
Crafts
include:
- "Goodness
and Mercy" Coloring Ssheet
- Rice
Krispie Treat Sheep
Activities
include:
- "Goodness
and Mercy Will Follow Me" Game
- Bible
Verse Review Game
- Bible
Verse Review Cube Game
You can find even more sheep crafts for this lesson on the Sheep Crafts for Kids Page.
Comments About This Series of Lessons:
We did the first lesson of the 23rd Psalm. I am in the process
of teaching children from 10 - 12 how to be "junior teachers".
Each week, I give them a project. They have to make a bulletin
board to match the lesson, open in prayer, learn the story (without
reading it), prepare a craft and a snack, organize a game, etc.
We are having great fun and this lesson series is really good
for them to start with. It's easy to do and there is such a great
variety of ideas. I think they will enjoy the whole series, and
some day I hope they will be able to teach an entire lesson from
start to finish. Thanks for providing such great material for
them. Terri

I used your first lesson with my Team Kids group. My children are
ages 6 to almost 8. They were so excitied! They loved
the interaction with the puppet. I used the one made from a paper
bag as you described. They immediately wanted to make their own.
I was surprised and pleased, as I didn't know if they would think
it was "too young" for them. They didn't! They also had a blast making the little sheep from pompom balls
and pipe cleaners, which they put on the displays. One of my usual hardest critics (Girl almost 8) who
usually doesn't want to do craft,s or does them and forgets them,
was very excited about this craft. She often will forget to take
crafts home with her, but not this one! She made sure she had it,
and showed it to her mother who is a leader in another group. Finally, I am excited about teaching my Team Kids the 23rd Psalm.
I taught them the Lord's Prayer about a year ago. Now these are
scripture my parents taught me. But we can't count on parents to
take the time for scripture learning in today's world. (Just being
realistic). I firmly believe that these should be memorized along
with others.
These lessons are fab, very clearly laid out, and fun packed. Thank
you. Best wishes, Judie
I am so glad that you have started these lesson. Our kids in S.S.
(Ages 4 - 7) have been learning the entire Ps. 23, and this makes it
easy and fun for them to learn. They REALLY like Woolie and look
forward to seeing him!! We also ordered "The Lord
is my Shephard" craft from Oriental that we will do at the
end of the series as a reminder for them. Stacy
I started the 23rd Psalm lesson series this week in Sunday school.
The series is great! As an extra to go along with the lesson and
crafts, I took the game from the lesson The
Good Shepherd and changed it a little. I enlarged the game board
to fit on the floor of my room (using three sheets of brown wrapping
paper glued together and green fabric as the grass). Instead of
using sheep as movers, the children were their own moving piece.
The game went over very well with the children. I look forward to
using more of this series. Thanks, Theresa
I really enjoyed teaching on 23 Psalms. I made Woolie the Sheep
puppet and my preschool and first grade classes loved her. I have
a small class so the pre-school teacher and I put our
classes together and I teach the lesson and she does the craft.
We have really enjoyed the crafts that went along with the lessons
also. Our kids really have enjoyed these lessons and they have memorized
the scripture.
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