Sensorimotor Worship: Treasure Hunt

The Christian faith emphasizes that each one of us was specially fashioned by a loving God who put much thought into who we are and who we will become. Each human being is an amazing creation and God has given him/her something special to contribute to this world. As my wonderful summer with my children drew to a close, I wanted them to understand and remember this as they stepped back into the rhythm of the school year.  So, I came up with the idea to do a treasure hunt with them.

First, I emptied out an ornate jewelry box and attached a picture of my children to the top of the box to communicate that they themselves are God's treasure.

Then, I placed two different things inside:  1) a verse from the Bible, Psalm 139:14, which says "Lord, I praise you, because I am fearfully and wonderfully made" to remind them of how special they are in God's eyes, and 2) chocolate "gold" coins just for fun.

The chocolate gold coins

Psalm 139:14 - I cut the verse in strips,
so that my 8-year-old, who can read,
could put it together like a puzzle.

Then, I made envelopes to be hid in different places with instructions inside of how to find the next one.

Next I told the kids that they were going to find a treasure and that inside was an important message that God wanted them to know.  My 8-year-old read the clues to my 5-year-old and together they raced around the house to find the treasure.  They seemed quite pleased at the end and happily gobbled up the chocolate.: )  Hopefully, this fun experience will help them to remember that they, along with all of God's children, are the true treasure on this earth!