Importance of Stories
 Listening to a story involves the while child
 Focuses his concentration
 Quiets his body
 Grabs his heart
 Acting out a story involves the whole child
 Focuses his imagination
 Activates his body
 Grabs his heart.

How to Prepare and Tell a Story
 Select a great story
 Learn the story
 Select props
 Practice out loud

How to Prepare and Tell a Story
 Get their attention
 Tell main events in logical sequence
 Make story sound natural and true
 Close your story at the peak of interest and conviction
 Engage the children in a discussion of the story
 Prayer is essential

Action Stories
 Spontaneous skits
 Scripted Skits & Plays
 Role Play

Spontaneous Skits
 New Bible Stories
 Read or tell the story first
 Ask for volunteers to act out the story
 Rely on volunteers but encourage everyone

Spontaneous Skits
 New Bible Stories
 Timid children can be in “crowd” scenes
 Assign parts and help organize the action
 Provide costumes and other props, as needed
 Help children make simple props
 Practice actions ahead of time

Familiar Bible Stories
 Consider having the children act out familiar stories
 Review the story line
 Select volunteers for acting

Playing the Bible Story
 Kindergartners love costumes and props to add to the realism of their play activities
 Beginners love props, but you will have a hard time getting them into a costume
 Beginners love to “do” part of the story
 Younger children to experience the Bible story in spontaneous ways often

Experiencing Life Stories
Through Play
 A corner for imitating life stories
 “Grown-up” props
 Hats, shoes, purses, ties, clothes, and etc.
 Neutral, basic toys
 Use guided conversation

Scripted Skits and Plays
 Scripted skits
 Quite short
 Require little or no rehearsal
 The action and the message are written into the script
 Plays
 Longer, more formal
 Require rehearsal, costumes, scenery, and props

Short Rehearsed Skits
 Short, rehearsed skits
 focus on the message you are teaching
 Especially useful with juniors and earliteens
 Primaries can do if adult helps organize and provides enough rehearsal so the children feel comfortable
 Especially good for imaginative learners and kinestheticintelligent children

 Preparation
 Find or write a suitable script and make copies
 Determine where the “stage” will be
 Prepare debriefing questions
 If necessary, arrange for a sound system

 Step-by-Step Instructions
1.
Select actors for each role
2.
Provide scripts to each actor
3.
Provide supervised practice time (if needed)
4.
Introduce the skit to the class
5.
Have the students present the skit
6.
Reflect (debrief) on the skit experience in small discussion groups

Formal Religious Plays
 Usually for Christmas or special holidays
 Contact publishers of religious materials for children for scripts
 Consider
 Abilities of your children
 Adult help available
 Time available
 The ease or difficulty of scheduling rehearsals
 Pantomine is an easier way to produce a children’s religious play

Combined Spontaneous and
Rehearsed Skits
 Pantomimes
 Children act out the story but do not say anything
 Can be spontaneous or rehearsed ahead of time
 Charades
 The class tries to guess what story is being acted out
 Pantomimes and charades
 Are fun
 Help children show their comprehension and interpretation of Biblical stories

Role Play
 Purpose
 T o apply Biblical principles
 Practice problem-solving
 Rehearse potential responses to real-life challenges
 Commonsense learners and dynamic learners appreciate

 Introduce the problem story
 Select the actors
 Chose the setting
 Assign tasks to the observers
 Enactment
 Discussion/reflection on the role play (including suggestions for re-enacting the scene)
 Repeat enactment/discussion at least twice
 Final debriefing – connect the role play to real life.

Ideas for Bible Stories
 Costumes and Props
 Collect props like wooden bowls, shepherd’s staff, grass mats, baskets, and stuffed animals.
 Robe: Double the length that you want the robe. Fold in half lengthwise. Cut a small slit in the fold for the neck. Stitch around the opening. Cut a small triangle off to the side to make the armholes. Stitch the sides up. Use rope to tie the robe.

Ideas for Bible Stories
 Costumes and Props
 Tunic or outer garment: Use a straight piece of material for this. It covers the head and wraps around the shoulders. A piece of rope or an elastic band can be used to secure the headpiece. The sash for males was called a
Kesiya, the one for females a shawl. This was also used at night for their blanket.

Ideas for Bible Stories
 Costumes and Props
 Girdle or Belt: Use rope or a piece of material
6 inches wide. Wrap around the waist and tie or twist. Sandals: Use sandals or go barefooted.

 General Ideas:
 Have a variety of sizes--child, youth, and adult.
 Store a complete costume on a hanger ready for use.
 Check with charitable organizations or a resale shop for solid-color bath robes.

 General Ideas:
 At Halloween or carnival time look for other costumes which will add to the stories, such as a Roman soldier, an angel, swords, a king, a princess, etc.

 General Ideas:
 The styles for everyone were the same
 Quality of the cloth and number of layers differed for rich and poor
 Poor people used earth tones, while the rich used more elaborate whites and colors

Ideas for Bible Stories
 Felts
 Felts are wonderful for stories which build up a sequence, such as the creation of the world
 Felts do not work well for action stories
 Use felts like a picture

Ideas for Bible Stories
 Felts
 Use felt figures for reviewing the previous week’s Bible story in small groups
 Use felts to review Bible memory verses
 Create a felt corner in the Kindergarten room
 Keep your felts organized by number

Ideas for Bible Stories

 Choral read the entire story directly from the
Bible.
 For kindergarten and younger primary children, read the story yourself, asking the children to mime the actions or respond with words or actions to certain parts of the story.

Ideas for Bible Stories

 Ask older children to read the story from the
Bible and then respond with drawing, writing, constructing an object, or doing a short skit.
 Read the Bible story yourself and stop at key points of high drama or emotion.
 Use the Bible to review the previous week’s story.

Ideas for Bible Stories
 Other Ideas
 Videos or audio tapes
 Chalkboard
 Pictures
 Picture or word sequence
 Diorama

Ideas for Bible Stories
 Other Ideas
 Video production
 Computer Bible games
 Objects
 Bible story songs
 Bible story action verses

Ideas for Nature Stories
 Select a nature story to teach a spiritual truth
 A nature story is not a biology lesson
 For primary children, the spiritual truth should be on a very simple level
 For juniors, it can be symbolic
 Be sure your nature facts are correct
 Show the real thing, if possible

Ideas for Character-building Stories
 Select a story your children can identify with
 Emphasize positive behavior whenever possible.
 Be careful not to give the wrong impression
 All children who return wallets don't get rewards
 Follow the guidelines for telling a story presented in this chapter
 Drawing the children into a discussion of the story

Ideas for Object Lessons (Parables)
 Practice ahead of time to be sure your experiment or demonstration will turn out as planned
 Focus on the lesson to be taught, not the "trick" or the technique involved
 Try a “Mission Mystery” corner
 Select objects children see every day
 The object itself does not teach

KEYS to Stories and Storytelling
 Select a story to touch kids’ hearts with the message for the day.
 Consider many options for presenting the Bible story. Select the best option for the story and your children’s interests and abilities.
 Organize props needed for the story or skit.

KEYS to Stories and Storytelling
 Create a “safe” climate where children will feel comfortable participating in actions stories of all types.
 When planning your program, consider different types of stories and different ways of telling them.
 Use guided conversation to help young children learn through playing a story or life experience.
 Use role play to give children an opportunity to try many different ways to approach a problem situation.