Stand-up Figure Visual Aids

• This simple teaching idea can be adapted to any story, age group or teaching situation.
•  The example used for the video is the story of Nadab and Abihu.

Supplies:

1. Paper
2. Pencil or pen
3. Crayons, Markers or Coloured Pencils
4. Blue-tac or any kind of tape (masking tape, Scotch tape or cellutape)
5. Paper or plastic cups or some other item that the paper figures can be attached to.

Instructions:

1. Choose a bible story and read the passage from the Bible.
2. With this in mind, make a list of characters and props needed to tell the story.  It is best to keep the number of characters small.
3. Draw one simple character or prop on each piece of paper.  You may prefer to use heavier paper such as index file cards.
4. Attach each characters to the side of an upturned paper or plastic cup using blue-tac or rolled up tape.
5. Move the characters around as you tell the story so that the characters are acting out the story like a play.

Adaptations:

1. Tell the story and then guide the children in making their own stand-up characters.
2. Let the children that arrive early join you in making the characters that you will be using to tell the story later in the class.
3. Make the characters as elaborate as you want.  You may wish to add scenery like  sand to walk on, trees and bushes, or houses.  If you teach often then you might want to start your own collection.  These are easy to file.  Laminate the figures so they will last.
4. Instead of making the characters in the Bible story you or the children could make characters that represent children in general or even the children themselves.  Guide the children in facing scenarios that are applications of the story you have taught.  For example, the “children” could be playing on the playground when they see someone being a bully.  What should they do?