Here are some ideas that you could do with your children at home, that link the children’s everyday experiences to the Bible. As you play or create, you can talk about what happened to Paul and Silas in prison.

TEACHING POINT

We can praise God in the good and the bad. He will always look after us.

PROGRAMME

Let’s Pretend

Have a praise party… using your homemade musical instruments. God is so good us! Paul and Silas sang songs to God even when they were in Prison. We can praise God by singing and by telling Him thank you for all the good things He has given us.

Book corner

Couple of beanbags in the corner – cosy up and read a story together, maybe you have one about escaping, how people or things change, otherwise you could look share a story about Jesus.

Construction

Make a prison out of duplo or lego or use the recycling again 😊 Then have an earthquake and free the prisoners!

Messy

Make a tasty prison snack… Could use jelly babies (or other jellied person), buttercream, crackers/biscuits and pretzel sticks/matchsticks/chocolate fingers or raid your kitchen cupboard with your parents’ permission. We’d love to see what ideas you come up with!

Music time

God loves it when we worship Him! You could make a shaker or another homemade instrument to praise Him. How about a homemade guitar out of a tissue box or cereal box and elastic bands or fill a bottle with rice/pasta/lentils. What different sounds can we make? How are you going to decorate them?

Game - Musical bumps

The children dance about as music plays. When the music stops all players must immediately sit down. The last one to sit is out. The game goes on until only the winner is left.

Game - Musical statues

The children dance around while the music plays and must stand as still as statues when the music stops. If you move after the music has stopped then you are out of the game but can be a ‘spotter’ and help spot anyone else moving.

A code to crack

Can you crack the code? In this coded word puzzle each letter is assigned to a number. There is a code key to give you all that you need to figure out these words from the story of Paul and Silas’s night in the Philippian jail. There’s a key phrase to crack as well. GET IT HERE!

Craft

Make a paper chain- could write a Bible verse on it or prayer requests or hang it up somewhere to remember that Jesus gives us freedom!

STORY TIME

Find your Bible at home and read the story of Paul and Silas in prison.

You could read this story from the Beginners Bible page 500-503 (or in your Bible Acts 16:24-34) sharing the book together or even act it out.

Earthquake in Prison

Some people did not like Paul and his friend Silas preaching about Jesus. One day, they were thrown into prison. But they were not worried. They knew that God would take care of them.

That night, God sent an earthquake. It shook the ground so hard that all the prison doors opened and all the prisoners’ chains fell off. The guard thought everyone had escaped. He was terrified!

Paul told the guard, “Do not worry. We are still here.” The guard was amazed. He invited the two men to his house.

The guard and his family learned about Jesus and decided to follow him. The next day, Paul and Silas left to tell more people about Jesus.

MESSAGE AND PRAYER TIME

Up to 3 years old (Fruitshoots)

Thank you Jesus that you love it when we sing to you and praise you. Thank you that you are good and that you will always look after us just like you looked after Paul and Silas.

From 3 years to Reception age (Acorns)

Thank you Jesus that you love it when we sing to you, talk to you, tell other people about you and help other people. Thank you that you are a good God and that you will always help us just like you helped Paul and Silas in prison. Thank you that they loved you so much that they wanted to sing songs to you all the time. Help us to do that too.

School years 1-6 (Hive)

A question: What’s your favourite song? If you were never able to sing another song to Jesus, how would you feel and what would you do about it? How does it make you feel about worshipping Jesus, now, today? What do you want to do differently?

Pray together… Thank you, Jesus, that even when Paul and Silas were in prison, they praised you. Thank you that you kept them safe, in prison and through the earthquake and you tell us that you will look after us too. Help us to worship you more, whether that is through singing, dancing, art, writing or helping someone. We pray that as we worship you, however we choose, that we hear you speaking to us more and telling us all the good things that you have for us. Help us to get to know you more! In Jesus name we pray. Amen!