Zacchaeus Game Ideas
Sermon Title:'A Little Man with a Big Problem' and 'Zacchaeus Goes Out on a Limb to Meet Jesus'
Oct 15, 2020 - Explore Norma Linder Cook's board 'Zacchaeus', followed by 289 people on Pinterest. See more ideas about zacchaeus, bible crafts, sunday school crafts. Zacchaeus in the Tree Children find it easy to relate to Zacchaeus sitting on the tree branch. Make a craft that features Zacchaeus in the tree. Glue tree bark, brown paper or even pretzel sticks to a white page to make a tree trunk and branches. Zacchaeus, the tax collector, heard the news. He got up from his tax-collecting table so quickly he spilled his money. He bent down to pick it all up. Then he ran to where the crowd had gathered. He had to get to the very front or he wouldn't be able to see Jesus because Zacchaeus was very, very, very short. What was he going to do? Zacchaeus was short and not a well-liked man in the community. He was a tax collector so very few people trusted him, however, he was just as excited to see Jesus as everyone else. I asked the learners if they would want a man like Zacchaeus to stay as their housemost of them said “no”. Zacchaeus could not stop smiling. Zacchaeus’ life changed that day. Before he met Jesus, Zacchaeus was one of the biggest sinners in town. He took more money from the people than he should have. He ended up being rich because he cheated others. Zacchaeus looked at Jesus and said: “I will give half of my wealth to the poor.
Scripture Reading: Luke 19:1-10
EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!:
An activity written by La Juanna Kotis to help the children review what they have learned in the lesson about Zacchaeus. The children will enjoy moving around the room and making some noise, but the activity will also reinforce what they have learned. CLICK HERE for complete instructions.
FOOTBALL BOARD GAME:
A board game activity created by La Juanna Kotis. Here are COMPLETE INSTRUCTIONS for the game.
SCAVENGER HUNT:
The teacher will HIDE pictures around a designated area with objects about our story today. Ex: picture or plastic little tree, a plastic little man, a plastic little group of people (from dollar store); play money, parade items, etc. Bring items back to classroom and talk about the lesson of Zacchaeus.
LITTLE MAN PICTURE:
Draw a 'little man' in lower left corner of a poster board and the word SIN in the upper right corner in BIG letters. Let children write words about our story in various colors around the poster picture and discuss SIN and FORGIVENESS. (Words such as sin, forgiveness, Zacchaeus, parade, tree; cheating, Jesus, etc)
SIN & FORGIVENESS CHART:
On a chart or chalkboard, write SIN in big letters with 'BIG PROBLEM' (in red marker) written underneath and on the other side of the chart, write FORGIVENESS with BIG ANSWER (in red marker) written underneath. (SIN - BIG Problem; FORGIVENESS - Big Answer). Have children write or give ideas to put under the SIN column and other answers to write under the FORGIVENESS column - such as what we do to SIN or displease God and ways that we are FORGIVEN when we confess our sin!
LEAVES HUNT:
If possible, let the children go outside and dig through a pile of leaves during class. The teacher can HIDE 2 cards in the leaves. one with the word SIN on it and the other with the word FORGIVENESS. Let the children hunt until they find the cards and then have a class discussion about the two words they found. If time allows, children could each pick two good leaves and bring back into the classroom to put UNDER a piece of white paper and color over the top to get the shape/form of the leaf and then write SIN on one colored leaf and FORGIVENESS on the other leaf to take home as a reminder of today's lesson.
COINS PAY BACK:
Give half of the class 2 coins each. The other half of the class can PAY BACK times 2 and then switch players and PAY BACK times 4, as in the story. Discussion about Zacchaeus and his confession and forgiveness.
ZACCHAEUS TREE ART:
The teacher will have a very LARGE tree and branches and round green swirls colored on the poster board. Children can have fun writing ONE word each from the Bible verse around the green part of the tree and write the Bible verse on the trunk of the tree! Then the children can take turns pointing to the words on the tree in the correct order to learn the Bible verse together! The FIRST child who can point and recite the Bible verse by memory will be allowed to draw a LITTLE 'Zacchaeus' sitting in the tree!
PIN ZACCHAEUS ON THE TREE:
Have the children draw branches on a wall or very large poster boards taped together. Use sponges to add painted leaves to the branches of the tree. The children can then play PIN ZACCHAEUS ON THE TREE to see how close they can get (blindfolded) to putting the little man on a tree branch. There don't have to be any winners but children will enjoy seeing where Zacchaeus is sitting. The large tree and leaves can left on the wall to be enjoyed by the class for weeks to come, if teacher desires!
ZACCHAEUS HAND AND ARM TREE:
Provide the children with a long piece of construction paper and trace the child's arm and opened hand onto the paper. Have the children color or paint the arm and hand brown and use a green ink pad to use their fingers to print leaves on their tree. The teacher wll give each child a picture of Zacchaeus sitting so that the children can glue the little man to a tree branch (their outstretched thumb).
Song: 'Zacchaeus Was A Wee Little Man'
Song Sheet (PDF)
This Zacchaeus Preschool Theme page is based on Luke 19:1-10. Jesus loves all of His people and encourages all of us who seek Him to meet Him where we are at! Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector. He was, based on the reaction of the people in Jericho that day, despised. He was in an undesirable and dishonest occupation, as tax collectors were notorious for charging people more than was due for their share of taxes. In addition, he was a Jew who chose to work for the Romans and therefore considered somewhat of a traitor by his fellow Jews.
He was curious to meet the Lord he had heard so much about. He did not let his small stature stop him! He climbed a tree to hear him speak. Jesus called him by name to meet with him!
His response was one of immediate transformation! He not only met with Jesus, but repented of his sin and made amends to those he had cheated..with interest.
This passage serves as the opportunity to teach our children much about the nature of God. He loves all his children. He knows us all by name and loves us all. He knows in our humanity that we make mistakes; we sin. He is there for us to come to him where we are at and confess and repent of our sin and live our lives in a way honorable to Him.
You'll find more themes to help you with your planning on my bible preschool themes page.
To read my Statement of Faith, click here.
This page includes preschool lesson plans, activities and Interest Learning Center ideas for your Preschool Classroom!
Let the Theme planning begin!
You can either scroll down through this page to see all of the preschool activities for your theme or click the link below to go to specific preschool activity types you are looking for.
Zachaeus Theme Art
People Collage
Provide many magazines, scissors, glue, paper plates and crayons.
Have the children color their paper plates. Tell them it is the world.
The children find and cut out people from the magazines and glue them all over the paper plate.
Remind the children that Jesus loves ALL His children! Perhaps have a small pre-printed note for them to glue on that reads: Jesus Loves Us All
Happy/Sad Faces
Provide either paper plates or white circle papers (or paper with circles drawn on them for the children to cut out on their own and practice those cutting skills!); yarn, crayons, googly eyes, glue, large craft sticks, strong tape
The children make a happy face on one side and a sad face on the other side. They should use the yarn for hair, crayons to color the face, googly eyes, etc.
Tape the large craft stick on.
Use these when retelling the story or to ask questions at an end of the day circle time: How did Zacchaeus feel when he couldn't see through the crowd? When the people seemed angry that Jesus was going to meet with him? When Jesus called him by name?
Zacchaeus Theme Block Center Ideas
Jericho
Provide small, plastic trees, people and houses to your block area for this theme.
Zacchaeus Theme Circle Time Ideas
Circle Time is such a great time for children to learn the social skills of being together as a large group AND to learn more about your theme!
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Flannel Story
Make flannel board pieces for this story and give pieces to the children to add on as you read the story. You may need to read the story more than once so everyone gets a turn.
Name Game
Jesus knew our story character by name though he had never met Jesus before! Jesus knows us all by name!
Play a name game! Clap out the syllables of each child's name together with the group. Include our character's name, Jesus' name and your own name as well!
Where Are You?
This is a variation of the Little Mouse, Little Mouse Where is Your House game that I love so much!
In advance, create trees that are each a different color and laminate them.
Create a little man that will fit under the tree without being seen and laminate.
Place all the trees on the floor at Circle time. Hide the little man under one of the trees without the children seeing.
Let each child have a turn guessing where he is. You could use this chant:
Zacchaeus, where are you?
The child says 'the red tree'.
The group says 'Are you under the red tree?'
Lift up the red tree.
Continue until found. Continue playing until all children have had a turn.
EXTENSION: Place this game in your math center for use during center time!
Snack Recipe Ideas to Cook Up for Your Zacchaeus Theme!
Cooking with children helps develop their math skills and helps them to learn how to follow directions. It also allows for some great conversation! Ask many questions while cooking with your children to encourage conversation! Be sure to ask specific themed questions while making these fun snacks!
Wee Little Fruit
Do you have a dehydrator?! Have the children help you to slice fruit such as strawberries and bananas with plastic knives and dehydrate them.
Have the children measure the size when they cut them.
The next day, compare the size and have a treat!
Celery Tree Snack
Why not?!! Have the children help you to spread either cream cheese or other spread into celery for a snack!
Zacchaeus Theme Ideas to Transform Your Dramatic Play Area
Welcome to My House
Set up your dramatic play area to represent the Bible times. Place pillows and place mats on the floor and remove the tables and chairs. Provide play food in a basket. Provide large shirts and fabric for headpieces for the children to wear.
Create (or have your children help to create) a tree to hang 'outside' the dramatic play area out of brown paper and add leaves.
EXTENSION: Have a leaf cutting station in your classroom for the children to cut out leaves and glue on the tree!
Zacchaeus Theme Ideas for your Easel--
More Than Just Painting (Although that is always THE favorite in our classroom!)
My Sycamore-Fig Tree
Provide a variety of brown and green shades of paint for the children to create their own tree.
Zacchaeus Theme Large Group Games
that help build their muscles while they have fun together
A Wee, Little Man!
The song says he was a 'wee, little man'. We are all different heights. Let's measure!
Provide rulers, tape measures, etc. for the children to measure their friends!
A child lays down on the floor and another child measures. 'You are 10 blocks long!' 'You are 3 rulers tall!'
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Outside Acting!
Outside, provide a low step stool next to a tree or next to the climbing structure as a place for them to act out this story outside!
Zacchaeus Theme Ideas for Your Library
Book Suggestions for the Library
Multiple versions of the story of Zacchaeus.
(I LOVE Amazon, and if you choose to get yours there, they do send me a few cents--which supports my coffee habit!)
If Jesus Came To My House by Joan Gale Thomas
Zacchaeus and Jesus by Dandi Daley Mackall
Zacchaeus Theme Math Activities
to help your Preschoolers develop those small muscles in their hands as well as their math skills!
Climbing the Tree
Materials needed: brown and green paper, white paper and markers, scissors, yarn, tape, hole punch
Provide green and brown paper and scissors for the children to cut out a tree with leaves on it. Tape the leaves to the trunk.
Provide markers and a small piece of white paper for the children to draw a person as best they can.
Hole punch a hole in the greenery of the tree.
Lace a long piece of yarn through the hole and tie a knot on the back side so the yarn does not fit through the hole but can slide easily.
Tape the other piece of yarn to the back of their person. Mac 10.10 download iso.
They can now lift him into the tree by pulling the yarn!
Story Matching Game
Color copy scenes from one of the books. Make two copies of each scene. Laminate.
Children use this at the math/manipulatives station. It could be used as a concentration/memory game; matching game or story retelling game.
Zacchaeus Games For Preschoolers
Zacchaeus Theme Music and Movement Activities and Ideas
to get your Preschoolers Movin' and Groovin'!
The Song, of Course!
Zacchaeus was a wee, little man and a wee little man was he.
He climbed up in a Sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see.
And when the Savior passed that way, He looked up in the tree.
And said, 'Zacchaeus! You come down! For I'm going to your house today! I'm going to your house today!'
Zacchaeus was a wee, little man but a happy man was he.
For he had seen the Lord that day and a happy mane was he;
A very happy man was he.
Musical Coins
Materials Needed: Small paper plates (2 for each child), markers or crayons, coins, stapler, CD of song (optional)
Have the children decorate the bottoms of 2 small paper plates while you teach them or play the songs.
Zacchaeus Games
As they finish, staple the plates around the edges leaving a small opening.
Have each child count a specific number of coins into the plates and staple the opening.
Have the dance using their paper maracas while singing or playing the song.
VARIATION: Use plastic eggs to place coins in!
Zacchaeus Theme Activities for the Senses!
Jericho
Add plastic trees or twigs/branches from outside, people, houses, etc. to your sand table. The children may want to build roads and create stories. They may also reenact the Bible story.
Zacchaeus Game Ideas For Kids
Zacchaeus Theme Science Activities
for your Preschool Scientists in Training!
Planting
If you can, plant a geographically appropriate tree in your yard!
If not, purchase some started plants and help the children to plant one to take home.
Writing Activity Ideas for Your Zacchaeus Theme!
He Knows Us By Name
Create a name recognition and practice center. Print each child's name on a piece of paper. Add a photo of them. Laminate.
Provide dry erase markers for them to practice tracing their names. Not only will they begin to recognize and print their own names, but their friends' names as well!