Bringing it Home: Masks of Emotions

This past weekend your child learned that God Gives Me Friends. It was the story of David and Jonathan found in 1 Samuel 18:1-16; 19:1-7; 20: 1-42. Thanks to the friendship between David and Jonathan, David was saved from King Saul. This story is full of emotions: cheering, excitement, sadness, happiness, anger, fear.

This activity helps your child identify emotions in the story which has several benefits.

1. Helping children identify emotions in others helps them also learn to identify their own.
2. Helping children identify emotions in others helps them learn to empathize.
3. Helping children identify emotions in the Bible story will help the characters become alive, seem real.
4. Helping children identify emotions in the Bible story helps children identify with the character. It can be a relief to a child (and adults too) to know that you are not the only who has felt a certain way.
5. Helping children to see the story as real, as relatable also helps them take away the application points and apply it in their life.

Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com

This week dig out some paper plates and crayons. If you have old magazines you don't mind being cut up get them out too. Help your child make a face that matches each of the following emotions: happy, sad, scared, and angry.

Then walk through the story of David and Jonathan and each time there is an emotion have your child find the corresponding "mask" and wear it till the next emotion comes int he story.

Here's a guide:

• David meets Jonathan = Happy (friends make us happy)
• David returns from battle victorious = Happy (cheering, people were happy they had won, they were singing)
• King Saul gets mad = Angry (Saul's face turned red, he didn't like that the people loved David)
• David was sad = Sad (David was sad that the King didn't like him.)
• David has to hide = Scared (the King was trying to hurt him, his only friend was Jonathan)
• Jonathan was sad = Sad (Jonathan was probably sad that his dad wanted to hurt his friend)
• Jonathan goes to the King, his dad, to convince him to not hurt David = (scared, the King might get mad that Jonathan wants to help David and not him)
• David was happy = Happy (to have such a good friend who would help him.)
• King Saul gets mad again = Angry (King Saul tries to kill David)
• David was scared = Scared (David had to leave so the King couldn't hurt him)
• David was happy= Happy (David was so happy to have a good friend like Jonathan who would help him and warn him)
• David and Jonathan = Sad (sad that they had to say good bye)
• David and Jonathan = Happy (but glad to be friends and promised to always take care of one another and their families

Get those crayons out and go have some fun!