Lesson Overview
1
Get Them Curious
Prepare kids for an exciting
learning journey.
Treasure Hunt in the Dark
Hunt for God’s creations in the dark with the help of glow sticks.
2
Screen Time
Show kids a video on the
Bible story.
God Makes the World
Creation (Genesis 1-2), by Saddleback Kids
3
Make it Stick
Help kids remember the
Bible story.
Storytelling With Treasure Hunt Cards
Kids tell the creation story with the help of items found in their treasure hunt.
4
Dig Deeper
Help kids grasp
the big idea.
God’s Pipe Cleaner Creations
Kids use pipe cleaners to make their favorite creations.
5
Walk the Talk
Help kids live out
the big idea.
Galaxy Jars
Make Galaxy Jars as a reminder that God is the creator of the heavens and the earth.
6
Take it Home
Send kids home with a concrete action plan and fun midweek activities.
God Made the World
Kids respond in worship to our great Creator God.
Big Idea
God is the creator of the heavens and the earth.
Key Verse
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. Psalm 95:6
Live it Out
We should worship God, creator of the heavens and the earth.
This Sunday School Lesson requires some advance preparation. For a consolidated summary of preparation, supplies and free printables required, please scroll to the bottom of this lesson.
1. Get Them Curious – Treasure Hunt in the Dark
Remember to download, print and cut up the Creation Treasure Hunt Cards in advance.
Hide all the cards in the playing area, except the Day/Night Card. Keep that card with you.
Say: In a short while, I will be turning off the lights. It will be very dark, but just for a little while. I will be handing out glow sticks to each of you. They will light up when you gently bend and shake them. But I don’t want you to activate them yet. Just hold them in your hand until I tell you to activate them.
Warnings about Glow Sticks
In general, glow sticks are safe as long as precautions are followed and the plastic casing is not punctured or cut open. The chemicals inside a glow stick may cause minor skin irritation and can cause eye injury.
Read more about dangers of opening glow sticks here: Steve Spangler Science on Glow Sticks
If your kids are very young, or if you are unable to provide adequate supervision, you may modify this activity as follows:
- Give the glow sticks only to teachers and helpers.
- Alternatively, dispense with glow sticks altogether. Turn the lights back on after you say, “Let there be light,” and conduct the treasure hunt with lights turned on.
Give each child a glow stick and remind everyone not to activate them yet.
Give kids advance warning just before turning off the lights. If you have very young kids in your class (or kids who are fearful of the dark), have teachers and helpers sit next to them and hold their hands.
Turn off the lights.
Say: Do you know that in the beginning, there was absolutely nothing in the world except God? It was all dark. Probably even darker than this. (Pause for dramatic effect.) Then God said, “Let there be light”…
Activate your own glow stick (according to the instructions on your glow stick packaging).
Say: And there was light!
Give everyone instructions for activating their glow sticks.
Remind kids that they must activate the glow sticks gently.
Discuss: Can anyone guess the title of today’s Bible story?
Say: Today’s lesson is God Makes the World. In the beginning, the whole world was dark. Then God made light. God called the light day, and the darkness night.
Show everyone your Day/Night Card.
Say: Besides Day and Night, God made many more things. I have hidden many different Creation Treasure Hunt Cards in this room. I want everyone to work together to find all these cards. This is not a competition and it is dark. I want everyone to move around the room slowly and carefully.
After all the cards have been found, turn the lights on.
(You may want to collect the kids’ glow sticks.)
Thank everyone for their participation and have everyone return to their seats.
Ask those who have more Creation Treasure Hunt Cards to give some to those with fewer cards such that everyone has roughly the same number of cards.
Say: Let’s watch a video on God making the world.
Pray: Dear God, thank you for our treasure hunt in the dark! Please help us learn more about you and your creations today and teach us how to live out today’s lesson! In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
2. Screen Time – God Makes the World
This is our favorite YouTube video on God Makes the World: https://youtu.be/teu7BCZTgDs
Before you begin, tell the children to take note of when God created the items on the Creation Treasure Hunt Cards in their hands.
3. Make it Stick – Storytelling With Treasure Hunt Cards
Discuss: What Bible story did we just watch?
Show Slide 1 (Sunday School Lesson Title & Bible Reference):
For older kids, you may like to have them open their Bibles to today’s passage.
Say: Each of you is holding several Creation Treasure Hunt Cards in your hands. We are going re-tell the Creation story with these cards.
Discuss: What was the world like in the beginning?
Hold up the Day/Night Card. Stick it on the white board using sticky tack.
Ask a volunteer to continue the story with this card.
Ask the children to hold up the next thing(s) that God created.
Have them stick the card(s) on the white board to help illustrate the Creation story.
They may also draw additional illustrations on the white board.
Have volunteers continue telling the story.
Carry on until all Creation Treasure Hunt Cards have been stuck on the white board and the kids have finished telling the Creation story.
4. Dig Deeper – God’s Pipe Cleaner Creations
Discuss: Out of all the things God made, which is your favorite?
Give each child some pipe cleaners, googly eyes and glue.
Have them make their favorite creations.
Here are some examples of what they can make:
Discuss:
- What did you make?
- Is this your favorite creation? What do you like about it?
- What else did God make?
- Can you imagine a world without all wonderful these creations?
Read Genesis 1:1-3
Discuss:
- What was the world like before God made all these things?
- How did God make light?
Say:
- In the beginning, there was nothing in the world. There was not even the earth, sun and moon.
- There was only darkness.
- But there was God.
- Then, out of nothing, God made light and all these wonderful things that we see today.
Say: God is the creator of the heavens and the earth.
Show Slide 2 (Big Idea):
Have everyone read the slide.
5. Walk the Talk – Galaxy Jars
Warning: This activity may get messy.
Show kids a sample of the Galaxy Jar that you have made.
Tell kids they will be making their own Galaxy Jars.
Divide kids into manageable groups and assign a helper for each group.
Each group will need:
- A plastic jar/bottle for each child in the group. (Pre-fill about ¼ of each jar/bottle with glue.)
- Warm water
- Food coloring
- A variety of fine and course glitter of different colors
- Clear glue
- Hot glue or sticky tape
To make the Galaxy Jars:
- Give each child a plastic jar/bottle (¼ filled with glue).
- Add warm water to the plastic jar/bottle (until it is about ¾ full).
- Add 1-2 drops of food coloring (start with less, you can add more later if you like).
- Close the jar/bottle tightly and give it a good shake to mix it up.
- Open the jar/bottle and add a variety of glitter.
- Close the jar/bottle tightly and give it a good shake to mix it up again.
Notice that the glitter settles slowly to the bottom of the bottle. - Open the jar/bottle and add either water or glue to fill it fully.
If you like the glitter to settle more quickly to the bottom, add water.
If you like the glitter to settle more slowly to the bottom, add glue. - Seal the jar/bottle with hot glue or sticky tape.
Discuss: In what ways does this Galaxy Jar remind us about today’s story?
Say: This Galaxy Jar reminds us that God is the creator of the heavens and the earth!
Read Psalm 95:1-7
Discuss:
- What does the psalmist tell us to do?
- Why?
Say: Psalm 95 tells us to worship God!
Show Slide 3 (Key Verse): 
Have everyone read the slide.
Say: God is the creator of the heavens and the earth! Psalm 95 tells us to
- sing for joy
- shout aloud
- thank God
- praise God with music and song
- bow down in worship
- kneel before God
Show Slide 4 (Live it Out): 
Have everyone read the slide.
Let’s give our Galaxy Jars a good shake and worship God with song.
(Sing your favorite worship song!)
6. Take it Home – God Made the World
Say: Let’s recall all that we have learned today. Can you remember the title of today’s Bible Story?
Show Slide 1 again (Sunday School Lesson Title & Bible Reference):
Have everyone read the slide.
Say: Can you remember today’s big idea?
Show Slide 2 again (Big Idea):
Have everyone read the slide.
Say: Can you remember today’s key verse?
Show Slide 3 again (Key Verse):
Have everyone read the slide.
Say: How can we live out today’s lesson?
Show Slide 4 again (Live it Out):
Have everyone read the slide.
Say:
- We had lots of fun today with our treasure hunt in the dark, and I am sending you home today with your favorite pipe cleaner creations and Galaxy Jar.
- I hope all these will remind you that God is the creator of the heavens and the earth, and He deserves our worship!
- In today’s psalm, we learned that we can worship God in many ways, such as singing and praising God with music and song, bowing and kneeling before Him, and giving thanks to Him.
Discuss: How will you worship God this week?
Give each child a copy of God Makes the World Take it Home Handout.
Say: Let’s fill in the Live it Out section on the first page. Write down how you plan to worship God at home this week. The other pages are for you to do at home. Tell me next week about what you did at home!
Give everyone some time to write down their Live it Out action plan before ending the lesson with this closing prayer:
Pray: Dear God, thank you for making the heavens and the earth! We worship you because you are our mighty Creator God! Please remind us this week that you are our Creator God and help us to worship you every day! In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Lesson Preparation and Supplies
Here’s a summary of all the preparation, supplies and free printables required for this lesson.1
Get Them Curious
Prepare kids for an exciting
learning journey.
Treasure Hunt in the Dark
Hunt for God’s creations in the dark with the help of glow sticks.
Download, print and cut up the Creation Treasure Hunt Cards:
Each page in this download has 16 cards. We suggest preparing 2 or more cards for each child so that every child has a chance of finding a card. You should only print 1 copy of Page 1, but you can print as many copies of Pages 2-3 as you need.
You will also need 1 glow stick for each child and teacher/helper (including yourself).
2
Screen Time
Show kids a video on the
Bible story.
God Makes the World
Creation (Genesis 1-2), by Saddleback Kids
Ensure that you can play this YouTube video:
Creation (Genesis 1-2), by Saddleback Kids
(Video URL: https://youtu.be/teu7BCZTgDs)
3
Make it Stick
Help kids remember the
Bible story.
Storytelling With Treasure Hunt Cards
Kids tell the creation story with the help of items found in their treasure hunt.
Download Slide 1 (Sunday School Lesson Title & Bible Reference):
You will also need:
- White Board
- White Board Markers
- Sticky Tack
4
Dig Deeper
Help kids grasp
the big idea.
God’s Pipe Cleaner Creations
Kids use pipe cleaners to make their favorite creations.
You will need for each child:
- Pipe cleaners
- Googly eyes
- Glue
Download Slide 2 (Big Idea):
5
Walk the Talk
Help kids live out
the big idea.
Galaxy Jars
Make Galaxy Jars as a reminder that God is the creator of the heavens and the earth.
Warning: Depending on the ages of your kids, this activity may get messy.
- Ensure that you have enough teachers/helpers for your lesson.
- Be prepared with mops and rags to clean up any mess.
- If you are worried about dirtying your classroom floor or furniture, consider covering the floor and tabletops with plastic sheets.
- If you are worried about kids staining their clothes, inform them in advance to bring aprons (or old t-shirts to be worn over their clothes).
- Ensure that you properly seal each child’s jar/bottle with hot glue or sticky tape.
Make 1 Galaxy Jar in advance.
(Follow the instructions in “Walk the Talk” section above.)
You will need to show your Galaxy Jar to the children as a sample.
You will need for each child:
- A plastic jar/bottle. Before class, fill about ¼ of each jar/bottle with glue.
- Warm water
- Food coloring
- A variety of fine and course glitter of different colors
- Clear glue
- Hot glue or sticky tape
Download Slide 3 (Key Verse):
Download Slide 4 (Live It Out):
6
Take it Home
Send kids home with a concrete action plan and fun midweek activities.
God Made the World
Kids respond in worship to our great Creator God.
Download God Makes the World Take it Home Handout. You will need to print 1 copy for each child.
It would be good to tell parents about the Take it Home Handout. Encourage them to do the suggested family activity with their child.
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