Art Workshop
Choose any or all of the following activities, depending on time.
All materials are located in the classroom.

All of the following information will be taught in Ames Hall.
Please repeat and reinforce in workshops:

Topic: Zacchaeus

Goals:

  • Tell the story of Zacchaeus in their own words.
  • Understand the change Zacchaeus made from being a tax collector who stole money to a very generous man.
  • Connect the story to their lives (e.g someone who is unloved and does bad things, like a bully, may be transformed by love)
  • Experience Jesus’ radical and unconditional love and forgiveness

Main Idea: The love that Jesus had for Zacchaeus changed him. Like Jesus, we can love people who are unloved. Like Zacchaeus, we can be changed by Jesus’ love.

Bible Story: Luke 19:1-10

Memory Verse: “Jesus came to seek and save the lost.” (v.10)

Activity #1 (for all ages): Perspective

**Materials needed: art books with examples of perspective (or print images found online that show perspective), whistle or bell, paper, coloring utensils

Instructions:

  1. As children enter, have them walk around the room. At a given signal (whistle or bell), have children stop & look up.
  2. Ask, “What do you see?” Allow a brief time for responses.
  3. Repeat, but change where they have to look 2-3 times having the children walk around the room again. At a given signal (whistle or bell), have children stop and look down.
  4. Ask, “What do you see?” Allow a brief time for responses.
  5. Have children find a seat.
  6. Say, “Perspective is an important term in art. Perspective in art has to do with the way you look at something. Some things are large; some are small; some are in front of or behind. (show examples in art books or from online images). Perspective means seeing things in a certain way. All artists see things from their own perspective. You have just been looking at this room from some different perspectives.
  7. Ask, “Have you ever climbed a tree? What does the world look like from up in  a tree? (allow answers). That is perspective. Have you ever looked up into a tree? What are some things you saw? (allow answers). That is also perspective. What do you think Jesus saw when he looked up? What do you think Zacchaeus saw when he looked down?
  8. Ask children to close their eyes and imagine what it might have looked like from both perspectives.
  9. Hand out paper and coloring utensils. Have children fold their paper in half. Draw a picture of Zacchaeus looking down on one half, and Jesus looking up on the other half.

Closing: (for all ages)

  1. After cleaning up, gather children together.
  2. Invite children to pray with you:
    1. “Dear God, Thank you for seeking out and loving everyone: the least, the last, and the lost. Help us to love everyone too. Transform us as Jesus transformed Zacchaeus. Amen.”