Leader Guide
Teaching Time
- Crayon or marker
- Cardstock
- Sad Faces Image
- Test Results Page
- Test Calendar Page
- Unhealthy Servants Image
- Daniel and Friends with the King Image
- Toy crown or paper crown from Lesson 1
- Water bottle
- Toy or real carrot, celery stick, or another vegetable (bagged)
- Empty can of soda and a snack cake bag, candy bar wrapper, or potato chip bag
- Seven paper bags—lunch bag size
- Table
- Scissors
- Bible or Superbook Bible App
Make one copy of the Test Results Page in color or black and white on cardstock or a sheet of paper.
Make one copy of the Test Calendar Page in color or black and white on cardstock.
Make one copy of the Sad Faces Image.
Make one copy of the Unhealthy Servants Image.
Make one copy of the Daniel and Friends with the King Image.
Use scissors to cut out the two individual images of the Test Results Page.
Write one large number on each bag (1–7)
Place the item(s) in specific bags: #1-Sad Faces Image, #2-Crown, #3-Soda can and wrapper, #4-Water bottle and vegetable, #5-Calendar Page (folded to fit), #6-Unhealthy servants image, #7 Daniel and Friends with the King Image.
Place the bags with numbers visible in a line on the table.
Have the children sit in chairs or on the floor a few feet from the table.
Today you are going to help me tell the Bible story about Daniel and his friends.
Point to the bags. Each bag has something in it that will help us tell the story.
Ask for a volunteer to open the first bag. Have the child open the bag, remove the item, and hold it so everyone can see it. Ask the child to identify the object or open it up for the class to say what it is.
Have the volunteer hand you the item and sit down again. Then tell the story using the bullet points below. Continue this way until all seven bags have been opened and discussed to finish the story.
(Bag #1 Sad Faces)
● Who was sad at the beginning of our Bible story? Daniel and his three friends.
● What is the word for someone who is forced to live away from their home or country? Exiled.
● Daniel, his three friends, and many other Israelites were taken captive or became prisoners when their country was attacked by their enemy.
● What country attacked Jerusalem? Hint: if needed: the first part of the word sounds like the noise a sheep makes. Babylon.
(Bag #2 Crown)
● Who wore this crown in the Bible story? The king (of Babylon).
● What were the Israelite men brought to Babylon to do? Serve the king; be servants.
● For three years, the Israelite men were taught many important things, including how to serve the king. It was like going to school.
(Bag #3 Soda/Pop Can and Wrapper)
● This food and drink may taste good, but are they healthy or good for you? No.
● No, food and drinks like these are fun to eat and drink, but you have to resist the temptation to eat them all the time.
● What’s it called when we don’t give in to temptation and we do what we know is right? Self-control.
● They did not have soda pop and snacks like these in Bible times, but they did have unhealthy food and drinks that God’s law said they couldn’t eat and drink! Many of these foods and drinks were on the king’s table, and he commanded the Israelite men to eat and drink them.
(Bag #4 Water Bottle/Vegetable)
● Who wanted to eat vegetables and drink water instead of eating from the king’s table? Daniel and his three friends.
● This was a big, big problem! The king’s chief official was not happy that Daniel and his three friends refused to eat the king’s food! Why not? He would be in trouble if he let Daniel and his friends disobey the king!
(Bag #5 Calendar)
● Pick up the crayon or marker.
● Daniel told the king’s official about his plan for a test. Hold up the calendar so children can see the images. What food and drink would Daniel and his friends have during the test? Vegetables and water.
● The official thought about it for a while. Did he agree to Daniel’s test? Yes.
● Let’s count the number of vegetables and water bottles together to see how many days Daniel’s test lasted. Slowly point to each image and count one number (1–10) aloud. Make an X over each image with the marker after you count and before you move to the next image. Optional: Ask the children if they have tasted each vegetable and if they like it.
● Wow, you know your numbers really well! Daniel’s test lasted ten days.
(Bag #6 Unhealthy Servants)
● What did the servants in this picture eat for ten days? The king’s food.
● Do they look happy and well? No, they look tired and sick.
● The food they ate may have tasted delicious, but eating it for every meal wasn’t healthy for their bodies.
(Bag #7 Daniel/Friends with King)
● How do Daniel and his friends look? Alert/awake, happy, and healthy.
● How does the king look? Happy, proud.
● God blessed and rewarded Daniel and his friends for resisting temptation, obeying God, and doing what they knew was right!