Lesson 1: God’s Good Creation

Distribute name tags and snacks. Choose one of the following activities to do together while children eat their snack.

Welcome each of the students sharing your name and how you will be their small group leader this year. Share how you are glad that they are there.

“This is a place where we are going to have fun, make new friends, and learn amazing things together. To start, let’s go around and share our names and one fun thing about ourselves—like your favorite animal, color, or food. I will go first! (Share your fun fact).

Now, let’s begin and get to know each other better!”

Collect prayer requests from the students. The leader or a student can pray for the entire group, or a leader can pair up students and invite them to pray for one another.

“I want to start today by asking you a fun question:

• What is your favorite animal?

It can be anything—big, small, wild, or even from the ocean. Go ahead and think about it for a second, and when you are ready, raise your hand and share!”

Allow kids to share their answers. Respond to a few of them enthusiastically: “Oh, I love tigers, too!” or “Penguins are so fun to watch, aren’t they?”

Pass out a piece of paper and allow each child to draw their favorite animal. This could be a pet or a wild animal.

Objective: Help kids understand the concept of being made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27) by using a mirror or picture to explore reflection.

“I have something really cool to show you today—a mirror!”

• “What do you see when you look into a mirror?” (Pause for responses like, “My face,” “My eyes,” or “My smile.”)

“That’s right! A mirror reflects what is in front of it. It can show an image, and it can even reflect light. It is like the mirror is saying, ‘This is what you look like!”

Pass the mirror around and let each child take a quick look.

Ask:

• “What do you see?”
• “Do you see something special about yourself?”

(Encourage kids to share something they notice, like their eyes, hair, or smile).

“Here’s something amazing: The Bible says that when God created humans, he made them in his image. That does not mean we look exactly like God, but it means we reflect him in very special ways—like his love, creativity, and kindness.”

• “How do you think we can reflect God to others, just like this mirror reflects our faces?”

(Offer examples, like showing kindness, being a good friend, or helping others)

“Every time you look in a mirror, remember that God made you special. He created you to reflect his image, just like this mirror reflects your face. You are a part of his amazing creation, and he loves you so much!”

“We are going to play a fun game called Animal Charades! Each of you will get a turn to act out your favorite animal, and the rest of us will try to guess what it is. No sounds, just movements! When we guess it, you can tell us why it is your favorite.”

Have each child come to the front (or stand where they are) and silently act out their chosen animal. You can whisper the animals are to act out (Examples: lion, dog, cat, elephant, monkey, horse, frog, snake, bee).

Encourage the group to guess. Cheer them on to keep the energy fun and inclusive.

“Wow! God sure made some incredible animals, didn’t He? Did you know that in the very first chapter of the Bible, we learn how God created everything? Not just animals, but the sky, the land, the oceans, and even us! Today, we are going to read about how it all started and learn about how powerful and creative our God is.”

Welcome the students to Crossroads and tell them you are glad they came this week.

Set expectations for students using the 3 R’s of Respect:

“Here at Crossroads, we have an awesome schedule planned for every week, and I want to give you a sneak peek of what to expect! Each time we meet, we will go through four fun parts: Small Group, Large Group, Games, and we will finish club with another Small Group.

Every part of the club is designed to help us grow in friendship, faith, and fun!”

(Consider asking students to pray for something God created that they are thankful for like pets, trees, mountains, lakes or oceans, sky, etc.)

Tell kids that closing their eyes and folding their hands together can help them stay focused and not distract those around them.

“Welcome, friends! Today, we are going back to the very beginning of the Bible—when God created everything.”

• “Have you ever made something you were really proud of?”
• “Maybe a craft, a tower, or a drawing?” (Let the kids answer)

“Let’s learn about how God made the whole world and everything in it!”

Choose 7 children to volunteer to represent each “day” of creation. Have each child make a motion or dance for their designated day of creation.

Open your Bible and read Genesis 1 while the students act it out using motions. You can use the summarized version of Genesis 1 below, encouraging students to participate with motions as you read.

Have the entire group join in with each student for each day of creation. Consider incorporating actions like whispering, shouting, or dancing for each day of creation for more group engagement.

Leader: “On the first day, God said, “Let there be light!” What happened?”

The student assigned to day 1 act out their motion, having the whole group follow along with them.

Leader: “On the second day, God separated the waters and made the sky above.”

The student assigned to day 2 act out their motion, having the whole group follow along with them.

Leader: “On the third day, God created land, seas, and plants.”

The student assigned to day 3 act out their motion, having the whole group follow along with them.

Leader: “On the fourth day, God created the sun, moon, and stars. He made the sun for daytime and the moon and stars for night.”

The student assigned to day 4 act out their motion, having the whole group follow along with them.

Leader: “On the fifth day, God created birds and sea creatures.”

The student assigned to day 5 act out their motion, having the whole group follow along with them.

Leader: “On the sixth day, God made animals and then created the most special thing: people! He made us in His image.”

The student assigned to day 6 act out their motion, having the whole group follow along with them.

Leader: “On the seventh day God rested from his work, and he blessed it and made it a special day of rest.”

The student assigned to day 7 act out their motion, having the whole group follow along with them.

End the skit by having all the children shout together: “And it was very good!” Then, encourage the children to give a round of applause.

Dismiss student volunteers back to their seats.

Review the days or creation using objects to help students picture what God created each day. After each day, students repeat what God created.
Consider going over the days of creation several times using different students to come help with each prop. You can also read through Genesis 1, choosing 7 students to act each day out with the props as you read.

God created light. (Turn on the flashlight)

“God said, ‘Let there be light!’ and there was light.”

God created the sky. (Hold up the bowl of water and point up)

“God separated the waters and made the sky above.”

God created land, seas, and plants. (Point to the ground)

“God made the ground appear and told plants to grow.”

God created the sun, moon, and stars. (Pretend to point at the sun and stars in the sky)

“He made the sun for daytime and the moon and stars for night.”

God created birds and sea creatures. (Hold up a toy bird or fish)

“The sky and water were filled with life!”

God created land animals and people. (Show a toy animal and a mirror)

“God made animals and then created the most special thing: people! He made us in His image.”

God rested.

“After all his work, God rested. Everything he made was good!”

“God made the world and everything in it—including you! He loves you so much. Let’s thank God for his amazing creation.”

“Dear God, thank you for making the world and everything in it. Thank you for making us in your special image. Help us to take care of what you have created and to follow you. Amen.”

Create stations or hide items around the room that symbolize each day of creation:

How to Play:

• Divide kids into teams.
• Provide them with a list of creation days and corresponding items to find.
• Once they find an item, they bring it to you and recite what God created on that day.

Connection: Reinforces the order and purpose of creation.

How to Play: When the music stops, shout out a day of creation. Kids must freeze in a pose representing that day (e.g., stretch arms for light, flap like a bird for Day 5). If they freeze correctly, shout, “It was very good!”

Connection: Keeps the kids engaged while reinforcing the creation story.

Label each plastic cup with one of the creation items corresponding to the days of creation:

• Day 1: Light
• Day 2: Sky
• Day 3: Land, Seas, and Plants
• Day 4: Sun, Moon, and Stars
• Day 5: Birds and Sea Creatures
• Day 6: Land Animals and People
• Day 7: Rest

Arrange the cups in a mixed-up stack or spread them out on a table or the floor.

How to Play:

• Divide the kids into teams or have them play individually.
• Give them the stack of cups and a brief explanation of what God created on each day.
• Start the timer. Players must arrange the cups in the correct order (Days 1–7) by stacking them or lining them up.
• When finished, they shout, “It was very good!” Check their stack to ensure the order is correct. Record their time. If playing multiple rounds, challenge them to beat their previous time or compete against other teams.

Optional Variations:

• Speed Round: Time each player or team to see who completes the stack fastest.
• Memory Challenge: Allow players to study the order for 30 seconds before playing. Then remove any reference guides and have them stack from memory.
• Cooperative Play: Instead of a race, the whole group works together to complete the stack.

How to Play:

• Divide the group into seven smaller groups and assign each group one day of creation.
• Give each group their corresponding sign or prop.
• Starting with Day 1, each group comes to the front and acts out or explains what God made on their assigned day.
• After all groups have presented, they line up in correct order to form a “creation chain.”
• Finish by shouting together: “It was very good!”

Connection to the Lesson: This interactive group activity reinforces the full creation story by encouraging collaboration, creativity, and memory of the specific order and content of each creation day.

How to Play:

• Divide kids into teams and have them line up.
• Scatter the cards at the far end of the room in random order.
• One player at a time runs to retrieve a card and brings it back.
• Teams work together to arrange the cards in the correct creation order.
• The first team to complete the sequence correctly wins.

Connection to the Lesson: This fast-paced relay helps cement the order of creation through repetition and teamwork while keeping kids physically engaged.

How to Play:

• One child is chosen as “It” and tries to tag the others.
• When tagged, players must freeze and shout out something God created (e.g., “Birds!” “Trees!”).
• Another player can unfreeze them by tagging them and calling out a different creation item.
• Play continues until all are frozen or time is up.

Connection to the Lesson: By requiring players to recall parts of the creation story to stay in the game, this activity turns a classic playground game into a fun and memory-building Bible game.

How to Play:

• Label each corner of the room with a day of creation (use 4–6 corners depending on space/time).
• One player or leader stands in the center with eyes closed while everyone else chooses a corner.
• The leader calls out a number (e.g., “Day 3!”), and all players in that corner are out for the round.
• Before the next round, the leader reviews what was created on that day (e.g., “Day 3—Land, plants, and trees!”).
• Play continues with players choosing new corners until only one person remains.

Optional variations:

• Elimination-Free Version: Instead of sitting out, players must answer a question about their corner’s creation day to stay in.
• Extended Play: Include all six days and even a seventh corner for the day of rest.

Connection to the Lesson: This game combines physical movement with repetition and review, helping kids recall the order and content of the creation days in a fun, interactive way.

Say:

• “God made so many amazing things!”
• “If you could be any animal God created, which one would you be, and why?” (Let the kids answer)

Summarize or read Genesis 1:26-27 for the children.

“God said, ‘Let’s make people to be like us.’ So, God made people—boys and girls—to be like him. He made us special, and he loves us very much.”

• “What does it mean to be like God?” (Give examples they can relate to, i.e. we can love someone in a similar way to how God loves us, we can forgive others just like God forgives us).
  “It means we can love, be kind, help others, and create things—just like God does!”
• “Why are people special to God?”
  “God made the stars, animals, and trees, but only people are made to be like him. That is pretty amazing!”
• “How can we show others what God is like?”
  “We can show love, share, be kind, and help others.”

Pass a small mirror around the group. As each child looks into the mirror, ask:

• “What do you see? What makes you special?” (Encourage them to say something positive about themselves, e.g., “I see my smile,” “I see someone God loves”)

“Because we are created in the image of God we reflect Him (hold up the mirror). Humans are made like no other creation. We were created to have a relationship with God.

Just like this mirror reflects your face, we can reflect God’s love and kindness to others. God made each of us special, and He wants us to show His love to the world.”

Give each child a piece of paper and crayons. Ask them to draw something from creation that shows God’s creativity—an animal, a plant, the sun, or themselves.

Once finished, have each child share what they drew and explain why they chose it. Encourage their thinking and make connections to what the child drew (e.g., “Isn’t it amazing how many animals God made?” “Everything God created shows how good and powerful he is”).

“Everything God made is amazing, and it all points back to how great He is. And just like the things you drew, God made YOU with a special purpose!”

Using Printout 1, each labeled with a different day of creation and a simple illustration or keyword to represent what God created on that day:

Day 1 – Light & Darkness
Day 2 – Sky & Water
Day 3 – Land, Seas, & Plants
Day 4 – Sun, Moon, & Stars
Day 5 – Birds & Fish
Day 6 – Animals & People
Day 7 – Rest

How to Play: One child at a time will hold a card up to their forehead without looking at it. Set a timer for 1-2 minutes per round. Once the round is over, the next child will have a turn.

The rest of the group will give clues to help the player guess what is on their card. The first player puts a card on their forehead so they cannot see it. The rest of the group gives hints or descriptions (without saying the word directly). Go around the circle and give each student a turn to give a hint.

Example: If the word is “Sun,” clues might be:

• “It shines brightly in the sky!”
• “It gives us warmth and light!”
• “It was created on Day 4!”

The player guesses the word based on the clues. If they get it right, they keep the card as a point and draw another one. If they cannot guess, they can pass and move to the next card. Rotate players so everyone gets a turn.

Ask:

• “Which part of creation surprised you the most?”
• “Why do you think God created things in a specific order?”
• “How does creation show God’s power and love?”

Hand each child Printout 2, a paper mirror shape.

“We have learned that we are made in God’s image, and that means we can show others what God is like. Let’s think about ways we can reflect God this week. On your mirror, draw or write one way you can show love, kindness, or forgiveness—just like God does.”

Examples to help guide them:

• “I can help my mom by cleaning up.”
• “I can say kind words to my friends.”
• “I can share my toys.”

After they finish, have each child share their idea with the group if they are comfortable.

“This week, I want you to look for one way you can reflect God’s love, kindness, or forgiveness. Maybe it is helping a friend, being kind to someone, or saying thank you to God for the beautiful things He made. When we meet next time, we will share what we did!

Being made in God’s image is so special! This week, let’s remember that we can show others what God is like through our actions, words, and love. We can reflect God wherever we go!”