Week 2, Day 1:

Read the story of Jesus calming the waves (from the Jesus Storybook Bible).

Wonder about the story:

  • I wonder if the waves and the wind knew Jesus was in the boat?

  • I wonder if the wind and the waves were ready to calm down?

  • I wonder how the wind and the waves felt when Jesus told them to “hush?

  • I wonder what the disciples were hoping Jesus would do in the storm?

  • I wonder why they wondered if Jesus cared?

  • I wonder how Jesus felt when his disciples were scared?

  • I wonder if Jesus also felt scared?

  • I wonder what you wonder?

Color this image.

Week 2, Day 2:

Review how the water cycle works by watching this video (this video is aimed at younger children; older children may want to simply review the water cycle).

Learn how pollution gets into our water with this activity -- which is best done outdoors or somewhere that can get wet:

Using a washable marker, draw dots all over a piece of white paper. Now, wad the paper up tightly. Carefully unfold the paper, but don’t flatten it out. You will see there are a number of high and low spots all over your paper. Let’s pretend this sheet of paper represents the land. The high spots are mountains or hills, the low spots are the valleys. The dots you made represent possible pollutants - loose soil, chemicals and debris – that may pollute our water system. Lay your paper down on the table and use a spray bottle to mist the paper. Watch how your dots begin to wash away and travel over your paper. This is how a watershed works: just like on your paper, the earth has high and low spots. As rain or melted snow travels over the land, pollutants are collected and carried into streams, rivers, lakes and eventually the ocean. (Adapted from Illinois Ag Mag: Water)

Experiment with cleaning water (another good outdoor activity!): start by making dirty water in a container -- add dirt, pebbles, grass, leaves, etc. to the water. Then, try to clean the water using various household materials as a filter: what happens if you pour the dirty water through a strainer? A coffee filter? A handful of loose straw or grass clippings? An old t-shirt? A combination of things? Talk about the importance of wetlands and marshes as natural filtration systems.

Week 2, Day 3:

  • Make a boat (or two!) to float in a bathtub, pool, or bucket. Fold a paper boat (watch this video), make a boat out of a juice box or an egg carton, or use your imagination! Watch your boat float in the water and imagine what it would have been like to be in the boat with Jesus when he calmed the storm.

  • Reflect: Draw or write in your journal about water. What do you like to do in the water? Have you ever had a time when water was scary? How do you see God in the water around you?

  • Bonus weekend activity: visit Lincoln Marsh and complete their wetland scavenger hunt.