Alternate Activity 1: Making Sheep to Retell Nathan's Story

Activity time: 25 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • Sheep-making supplies for each participant:
    • A sheet of white or black craft foam
    • Two clip clothespins
    • Black poster paint, brushes and cups of water or black markers
    • Scissors
    • Pencil
    • Smock to protect clothing
  • Leader Resource 3, Template for Sheep
  • Shirt-box weight cardboard
  • Old newspaper
  • Optional: Googly eyes and craft glue
  • Optional: Cotton balls or pieces of fiberfill and craft glue

Preparation for Activity

  • Be sure that there are at least two adults or youth to meet with this breakout group.
  • Using Leader Resource 3, Template for Sheep, create a few cardboard sheep templates.
  • Set out supplies.
  • Create a sample sheep.

Description of Activity

Invite children to create sheep to reenact the story. An adult or youth in the group might ask the children to retell the story. Invite a volunteer to begin, and then invite others to add to the retelling.

Explain that you are going to make sheep so that you can act out Nathan's story. Invite each participant to paint both sides of two clip clothespins black to form the legs. Lay the clothespins on their sides on newspaper to dry. Trace the cardboard template onto black or white foam and cut out the sheep. (Note: Very young children will need help with this step.) If desired, affix googly eyes and/or cotton balls to the sheep with craft glue. When the clothespins are dry, clip them to the craft foam sheep to form legs.

Once you have made the sheep, invite the group to act out the story, letting children take turns being the poor person and the rich person. Invite participants to share their sheep with the person playing the role of the rich person, assuring them that they will be able to take their own sheep home afterward. Ask: Why is it wrong for the rich person to take the poor person's sheep?