Explore and respond
Activities marked with an asterisk 
next to the activity title are in addition to the resources in the Ready to go sessions. Suggested timings for these activities are also shown. NB The inclusion of additional activities varies from week to week.
VERY YOUNG CHILDREN
Treasure hunt
Play and explore uncovering who Jesus is
Hide small objects/images around the room that tell us about Jesus, e.g. a Bible storybook, a cross, praying hands, a heart. As the children hunt, ask: What are these clues showing us?
Unfolding paper
Create a symbol of unfolding truth
Provide each child with a square of paper and ask them to draw a picture of Jesus in the centre. Fold the corners into the centre. Take a shallow tray of water and place the papers (folds facing upwards) in the water. Watch as they unfold to reveal Jesus.
FOR CHILDREN
Pass the parcel W E S
Experience a gradual revealing
You will need: a pass-the-parcel, shareable prize, music; written messages, e.g. God is with you now, it’s time to pray, the Holy Spirit is in our hearts today.
- Before the session, prepare a pass-the-parcel with something to share in the middle. In between the layers include messages emphasising ‘now’ in our relationship with God.
- As each layer is unwrapped, encourage the children to read aloud the message they have revealed. When the middle is reached, share the ‘prize’ while discussing the messages and explain that, as we grow in our relationship with and knowledge of God, it is like unwrapping the parcel – discovering a little more each time.
Decorate a dove E S
Understand the Holy Spirit is present now
You will need: outline of a dove (template here), printed onto card for each child, pens.
- Give out the dove templates. Talk together about how this is a symbol for the Holy Spirit. Discuss what the children understand by the Holy Spirit.
- Encourage discussion about the Holy Spirit being with us and how we know this. Talk about how we can’t see the Holy Spirit but we know God is present with us.
- Ask the children to draw or write on their dove what they are doing today.
- Discuss how the Holy Spirit is with us today in all the things that we are doing.
Sing
Come, now is the time to worship
Preview song(s), then buy online and download.
0-5s
Thank you, Lord, for this fine day (JP 232)
5-11s
As we go now, Fischy Music
12+
Trust In You, Chris Sayburn on Saved By Grace
Fullness, Elevation Music on Speak Revival
The Way, Pat Barrett, on Pat Barrett (Chords)
Find more suggestions on the Hymns, songs & music page.
Talk together and talk to God
Use these questions to discuss the Bible passage and then bring your thoughts together by praying to God.
Talk together
- What makes you feel worried about the future?
- How might the disciples have felt when they knew Jesus was leaving them?
- What can you do to grow closer to God today?
Talk to God: Pray now! E S
Emphasise that God is with us and we can talk to him at all times
- Begin an activity, e.g. a game of ‘hide and seek’ or snack time. During the activity, call out, ‘freeze’.
- Encourage the children to stop and look at what they are doing. Pray: God, help us to know that you are with us when we are…’, adding what the children are doing each time. Do another activity or continue with what you were doing and encourage the children to say the words of the prayer next time you shout, ‘freeze’.
Make an activity clock 15 mins E S
A visual reminder that we continue to learn about God
You will need: a paper plate or circular card, pens, scissors, coloured paper, a split pin fastener.
- Discuss with the group all the different ways that we can learn more about and grow in relationship with God.
- Give each person a paper plate and help them to divide it into six sections. Next, ask them to cut out an arrow from the coloured paper and attach it to the centre of the paper plate with the split pin fastener.
- Invite everyone to add pictures of different ways that they can learn about or grow in relationship with God, in each of the six sections.
- Finally, encourage them to add the words ‘I can discover more about God now’ onto their arrow, and take them home as a reminder that ‘now’ is an important time with God.
FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Charades 15 mins W E S
Reflect about the person God wants you to be today
- Play a game of charades as a group.
- Invite the young people to act out who they wanted to be when they were aged five. Then invite them to act out who they want to be now
- Afterwards, take some time to think and reflect: Who does God want me to be today?
Revealing God 10 mins E S
Think about images about God that speak in the ‘now’
You will need: pictures that speak of God in a contemporary context (e.g. Where is God? images here), scissors.
- Before the session, print out some different images about God and cut them into ‘jigsaw’ pieces.
Play the track ‘Fullness’, Elevation Music on Speak Revival, during this activity.- Pair up the young people and give each pair a jigsaw to complete. The winning pair is the first to complete their puzzle, revealing their picture about God.
- Invite the pairs to talk about their image and what it says about God.
Praying in the present 10 mins E S A
Spend time in the natural world to focus on the ‘now’
- Take a walk outside together as a group, if you are able.
- Encourage the young people to look around them, and to name five things they can see/smell/hear/feel/connect to in the ‘now’.
- Invite them to give thanks to God for five things they are thankful for today.
Check-in: Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues
Available by 10 am on Thursday 9 June 2022.
Guessing game 15 mins W E
How we grow in our understanding of God
You will need: baby pictures of leaders.
- Display a range of baby photos around the room. Invite people to guess who is who by adding sticky notes with names on the relevant image. The person who guesses the most correctly, wins.
- Discuss these questions as a way of introducing the idea that growth will involve changing our mind, even about God. The way I see God today is different to how I saw God when I was younger: How have we changed since we were small children? How has the world around us changed? How has my understanding of God changed?