Choices Object Lesson

We, as parents, know the dangers that lurk and wait for our children around each corner. When they are little we have much control over them but as they grow older our control over them subsides more and more. It is therefore so important to lay the right foundation for our children when it comes to making the right choices in life.

A good object to use to talk about choices are magnets.

 

You will need:

– 2 magnets

– a cardboard with a smiley face in one corner and a sad face in the other corner

– a paperclip

Activity

Encourage the children to put the paperclip on the carboard and place the magnet under the cardboard. Then move the paperclip to the happy face and then to the sad face.

They can then also try to put the two magnets together and feel how they repel each other.

Discussion

Say to the children. The paperclip represents you and the magnet represents the choices you make in life.

If you choose to make the right choices, you will be a happy person just like the magnet moved the paperclip to the smiley face but if you make bad choices you will move to an unhappy place.

Examples

If you see someone in your class has a sweet in their pencil case, you can make a choice will you walk by and snatch it without anyone seeing you or will you leave it because it is not yours? Steeling will take you to the sad face.

If someone tells you to try this new drug it will help you feel better will you choose to take it or will you say no? Drugs will make you unhappy in life.

If you are angry at your mom will you choose to obey even if it is difficult or will you shout at her? Obedience will take you to the smiley face, but disobedience will not.

Christian view

The bible teaches in in Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go. And when he is old he will not depart from it.”

If you put the two magnets together it pushes each other off. This is if you allow sin and bad choices in your life you cannot come close to God. God cannot have sin close to Him because He is pure and just. If we have sin, we cannot come close to Him. The only way we can do that is if we turn our ways around and repent of our sin. We ask God to forgive us and He is faithful to forgive all our sin and we can stick to Him again just like the paperclip to the magnet.