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 in the story of Jacob and Esau.

TEACHING POINT

God loves us so much, no matter what!

PROGRAMME

Let’s Pretend

Have a special meal together, could be pretend play or you could cook one for your family (get permission from the adults in your house first)

Messy

Make some ‘Jacob and Esau soup’ together. Chop vegetables, add broth, give it a shuzsh and share your soup with your household.

Camping

Set up a tent in the garden or in your house and have fun being under canvas. What can you do? Make a cosy corner? Make a pretend fire and toast marshmallows? What else can you think of to do in your tent?

Game - Cups

To play: plastic cups and dice or small balls, coins or paper markers, various objects to set in front of you

Give each person five coins or paper markers. Set three cups upside down in front of you. As they watch, place a die or small ball under one of the cups. Explain that you're going to move the cups around to try to confuse them about where the object is.

Quickly slide the cups around. After a few seconds, stop. Tell them to place a coin or marker in front of the cup that they think the object is under.

Then, reveal what cup the object is under. If they guessed right, they take back their markers. You take the markers in front of the wrong cups. Keep playing until everyone is out of markers.

Craft

You could make some hairy arms…

Or make a stew…

MESSAGE AND PRAYER TIME

Even though Jacob had tricked Esau and taken Esau’s birth right and blessing, Esau ran to meet Jacob and gave him a hug. They were so happy to see each other again. Jesus tells us another story like this one. It’s called the parable of the lost son and at the end, even though the son had made some bad choices, the father ran to his son and hugged him. He was so glad to have him back safe and sound. God is like this, even though we make mistakes and sometimes bad choices, God always welcomes us back with huge fatherly loving arms. He loves us so much!

Up to 3 years old (Fruitshoots)

Thank you God that we can be your friend. Thank you that you love us so much even when we sometimes make bad choices.

From 3 years to Reception age (Acorns)

Thank you God that we can be your friend. Thank you that you love us so much even when we sometimes make bad choices. Thank you that you will always welcome us back with a hug and that you tell us this in the Bible to remind us.

School years 1-6 (Hive)

A question: God knows us so well. He knows our hearts and knows everything about us. It says in Jeremiah, that He knew us even before we were born. So, He also knows when we make mistakes. Sometimes if we make mistakes it can make us feel not great inside and we don’t want to tell anyone… we can feel ashamed. BUT, we CAN talk to God. He always listens and forgives. Picture sitting down next to God… Is there anything that you want to say to Him today? He is listening. If you are struggling to pray on your own, ask a grown up to come and sit with you and pray together.

Pray together…