The hero in this story is the Shepard. This lesson is written as one of three Christmas lessons for those of us who don’t necessarily have 4 or 5 weeks of Christmas story teaching time, often because other Christmas events and special services take our time.
The Sheep Game – this is a computer game that can be played vis an internet connection or, by using the downloads page, saved onto a computer or desktop. The basic game takes only seconds to play and could be played in turn by a group of children. A video projector and a wireless mouse would work well if the resources are available or could be borrowed. click here for the sheep game website
That looks like a… – the idea of this game is to identify a picture while only being able to see a small amount. Take a large envelope and cut a small hole in the side (a hole punch will do this neatly, don’t worry about having holes on both sides). slip a picture into the envelope and give it to the children. the children will probably try and more the picture about to see as much as possible. Have the last picture be one of an Angel.
Hum it – As a time filler or as a game in itself, the theme of this lesson is the sounds the shepherd heard, the song of the Angels. Have the children hum a song and see if their peers can join in with the words. let them sing for 30 seconds and then have someone else hum a song. link into the lesson by talking about how tunes get ‘stuck in your head’
The Sheep Game (on the ground) – If you want a more energetic version of the computer game then why not act it out on the ground. Build a pen using chairs and decree one child to be the sheepdog
Bahhh, Mehhh – This is a separation activity, you will need 2 sheep pens or clear areas. Denote one child a shepherd and send them out the room or blindfold them if that’s not possible. Separate the children into 2 groups and tell one group to say only ‘Bahhh, the other group to say only ‘Mehhh’. Have the children mix themselves up and wander round the room making their sounds. The shepherd needs to guide each ‘sheep’ into it’s correct pen. Once in the pen the sheep can not leave it.
