It’s Pentecost! Yipeee! I love everything about Pentecost, the colours, the stories, and the joyful celebration. This Sunday of all Sundays invites us to celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit with all the joy and enthusiasm we can muster! Enjoy your time with the children,have fun and don’t forget to affirm that the Holy Spirit is with us now. Here are two children’s talks for Pentecost Sunday and a few resources to enhance your celebrations.
John 20:19-23
- Invite the children to take some deep slow breaths with you. Notice how the air we breathe is all around us and in us.Have some conversation about breathing. Why do we need to breathe? How does it feel when you hold your breath? When do you need to breathe quickly?
- Explain that in the Bible the same word is used to describe both breath and the Holy Spirit. Express excitement that today is the day of Pentecost. The day we celebrate the coming of God’s Spirit on all people.
- Retell the story of Jesus appearing to his disciples and breathing on them.
- Observe that in this story God’s Spirit came to the disciples very gently. Have the children blow gently on their hands to feel the soft touch of their breath.
- Explain that every time we take a deep breath we can remember that the Holy Spirit is around us and in us, just like the air we breathe.
- Pray together giving thanks for the gentle presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Acts 2:1-11
- Bring an electric fan and invite the children can stand in front of it and feel the wind on their faces. Distribute red, yellow, and orange streamers and have the children hold them in front of the fan. Comment that the streamers look like fire blowing in the wind.
- Turn off the fan and ask the children to sit. Retell the story of the coming of the Holy Spirit. Cue the children to wave their streamers and make whooooshing noises at the appropriate times.
- Explain that the coming of the Holy Spirit brought new life and power to the followers of Jesus. They couldn’t stop sharing the story of Jesus with everyone.
- Comment that the Holy Spirit is still blowing through the church today. Play some lively worship music and lead the children in a dance of celebration. The Holy Spirit is here!!
- Pray together, giving thanks for the ways in which the Holy Spirit is blowing through your church.
A few Pentecost resources
A dramatic scripture reading of the Pentecost story from Acts 2 combining dramatic spoken scripture, music and motion graphics.
The power of the Holy Spirit helped launch the church. Follow the directions for making vinegar and baking soda rockets. You will want experiment with this activity by yourself first. I would also encourage you to recruit a few extra volunteers to help. Make sure everyone stands back!
This short article by Kimberly Sayers details some fun Pentecost activities for children
What activities do you have planned for Pentecost?
