Children’s Week 2016
Children’s Week Resources – 22nd October – 30th October
‘Children have the right to reliable
Information from the media’
Be very careful about what you think. Your thoughts run your life.
Proverbs 4:23 (ICB)
Everything in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping
people and for correcting them and showing them how to live.
2 Timothy 3:16 (CEV)
Leader’s Consideration and Preparation:
The message provided is a resource for Children’s Week and it is based on Article 17 of the UN Convention
on the Rights of the Child, ‘You have the right to get information that is important to your well-being, from
radio, newspaper, books, computers and other sources. Adults should make sure that the information you
are getting is not harmful, and help you find and understand the information you need.’ See the following
link: http://www.unicef.org/rightsite/files/uncrcchilldfriendlylanguage.pdf
This theme is especially important to kids these days because there are so many different ways to get
information – from newspapers, magazines, TV, the internet, YouTube, apps and the tall tales that get
around in the playground.
Not all information out there is going to be correct or fair, though, and when this happens it means kids
don’t have the opportunity to learn the facts and draw the right conclusions. When information is not
reliable it can actually be harmful and it may give us the wrong idea about a situation or issue. Unreliable
information often has the power to make us feel powerless.
On the other hand, the Bible is a great resource that God has given us and it can be relied upon to teach us
the way to live and provides us with healthy information to help us make wise choices in life.
When kids are given reliable information it can be a great thing. We can learn about a sport, technology or
a new discovery. We can also learn about other people in the world, including their children, and the issues
that affect them. This can help inspire us to do something to help.
So when we hear about an earthquake that has destroyed a city, we can see and understand the people it
affects and find ways to help. Having reliable information means that we have the power to act and make
choices!
The future is ours so staying informed is a good idea. This Children’s Week, take the time to think about
the ways information is given to us and how we can make sure it is reliable. Take the time to explore what
the Bible offers us to live healthy and full lives and how we can pass that onto to our children.
You can use this material not only during Children’s Week or on Sunday 30 October during the service but at
any stage as this is a topic that is continuously relevant to us.
Below, you will find a message/activity you might like to use to help celebrate the young people you have
in your midst as well as a couple of ‘Home and Beyond’ activities available.
Children’s Week 2016
Kidzone has produced an issue for Children’s Week that complements the resources provided here. You
are encouraged to use Kidzone along with the Kidzone Club curriculum in addition to these resources and
to provide one copy to each child in your program (you might even like to give them two—one for them to
give to a friend!)
Message
For this message you will need:
• Table
• 3 chairs
• A room divider or a white board to sit as a background behind the table and chairs. Decorate as an
introduction to the game show ‘Real Deal’ (maybe a sign).
• Magazines
• Newspapers
• Laptop or mobile phone (or both)
The idea is to host a game show where three children have to choose if a series of statements are true or
false. You will need to pre arrange for an adult to be the game show host, ‘Fake Jake’ and set up a game
show area with a table, chairs and if you wish a whiteboard or room divider that could be decorated to
advertise the game show.
Introduce the host of Real Deal – ‘Fake Jake.’
Choose three volunteers (children if you can) to come and participate in the game ‘Real Deal.’ Create an
atmosphere of a real game show, i.e., ‘come on down Joe Smith’.
Explain that you are going to ask them questions or read a statement and they have to say whether it is
true of false. Ask them to raise their hands to answer or provide a bell to ring.
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True or False - The term ‘liar, liar pants on fire’ does this mean that your pants are really on fire?
(false)
True or False - Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team (true).
True or False – Rabbits are born blind (true).
True or False – Lightening never strikes in the same place twice (false).
True or False – Babies have more bones than adults (true).
True or False - The strongest muscle in your body is the tongue (true).
True or False – Jesus was born in Nazareth (false).
True or False - Five loaves and two fish were used to feed the crowd at the last AFL grand final
(false).
True or False - When you parent says you are ‘driving me up the wall’ does this really mean that
they have their car and are driving up a wall in the house (false).
True or False - When you say that someone is ‘as old as the hills’ are they really that old (false).
True or False – Jesus is the Son of God (true).
Thank the kids for their participation and ask them to sit back down.
Ask the congregation:
 Were there any statements that you were not sure of? Which ones?
Children’s Week 2016
 I wonder if you think we should believe everything we hear or read in the newspapers, magazines
or on the internet.
Script:
This week is Children’s Week and the theme for the week is based on based on Article 17 of the UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child – Children have the right to reliable information from the media.
The Article says, ‘You have the right to get information that is important to your well-being, from radio,
newspaper, books, computers and other sources. Adults should make sure that the information you are
getting is not harmful, and help you find and understand the information you need.’
This theme is especially important to us these days because there are so many different ways to get
information – from newspapers (hold up a newspaper), magazines (hold up a magazine), TV, the internet,
YouTube, apps (hold up a phone or laptop) and even the tall tales that get around in the playground. What
we hear and read influences the way we think and this is important as this influences our behaviour and
the way we live our lives. We need to be careful about what we read and hear as the world’s sources can
sometimes be unhealthy for us. In the Bible in Proverbs it says, ‘Be very careful about what you think. Your
thoughts run your life’. Proverbs 4:23 (ICB)
 I wonder if we should believe everything we hear in the playground at school.
It is important that when a friend tells you something about another person that may not be nice that you
don’t pay attention and listen and it is very important never to repeat anything that may have been said to
you about someone else.
 Do you know what the word for this is? (Gossip).
Even if your friend tells you a nice secret, you should not share that secret with anyone else until you have
your friend’s permission as this is still gossiping.
Not all information out there is going to be correct or fair, and when this happens it means we don’t have
the opportunity to learn the facts and draw the right conclusions. When information is not reliable it can
actually be harmful and it may give us the wrong idea about a situation or issue. Unreliable information
often has the power to make us feel powerless.
When we are given reliable information it can be a great thing. We can learn about a sport, technology or a
new discovery. We can also learn about other people in the world, including their children, and the issues
that affect them. This can help inspire us to do something to help.
So when we hear about an earthquake that has destroyed a city, we can see and understand the people it
affects and find ways to help. Having reliable information means that we have the power to act and make
choices!
 But I wonder if someone can tell me where we are sure to get healthy information - that
teaches us how to live healthy and full lives. (Bible)
The Bible is a good resource that God has given us and it can be relied upon to teach us the way to live and
provides us with healthy information to help us make wise choices in life.
There is a verse in the Bible that says, ‘Everything in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for
teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. 2 Timothy 3:16 (CEV)
Children’s Week 2016
This verse is telling us that everything we read in the Bible belongs to God. He wrote it through inspiring
many people to write the books of the Bible, such as the Psalms (songs/poetry) that David wrote, the
stories and letters about the early Christian church that Paul wrote.
Unlike what we read or hear in the media, the stories in the Bible are used to teach us about God and how
He wants us to live. You can be assured that everything that God says is good for us as He loves us and
want the best for us.
Adults it is also all of our responsibility to help the children be informed of correct information as the
article says, ‘You have the right to get information that is important to your well-being, from radio,
newspaper, books, computers and other sources. Adults should make sure that the information you are
getting is not harmful, and help you find and understand the information you need.’
It is our job to protect our children and to guide them in choosing what is good for their heart or not.
Spend time with your children, nieces, nephews or any young children in your life and chat about the
reading and listening choices that they can make. Watch the news together, read the magazines and books
that they read, listen to the radio stations that they listen to and spend time discussing what you are
listening to and reading. Most of all take time to read the Bible together to explore how God wants us to
love others and to live our lives.
The future is ours so staying informed is a good idea. This Children’s Week take the time to think how the
media impacts our lives and how we can make sure it is reliable. Take the time to read the best resource
that has been given to us by God – the Bible to help us live good and loving lives.
Home and Beyond:
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Spend some time this week as a family reading a parable in the Bible and chat about what you think
Jesus is saying to you. The book of Luke is a good place to start.
•
This week while watching the news or reading online, have a discussion with an adult about
whether you think what you have read or heard is true or not. Ask yourself if what you have read
or heard ‘is good for my heart.’
•
Get into the habit of asking yourself when you hear or read something ‘is this good for my heart?’
and if you think it isn’t talk to an adult about what you should do.