Nehemiah rebuilds the city walls
This page takes you through the activities we had at Messy Church on 11th November 2017. Have a look and try a few.
Swords and Shield
Cover the cardboard with silver foil to make it into swords and shields
The King of Persia sent army officers and cavalry with Nehemiah to protect the people and the buildings until the wall was finished
Can you think of other ways to protect people?
Knock Down Cans
How many throws does it take you to knock down the cans
The walls of Jerusalem had been broken down and the gates had been burned with fire
Have you seen any buildings that were falling down? How had they got like that?
Decorate the goblets with glitter and jewels
Nehemiah was a cupbearer for the king of Persia. This was a very important job.
What job would you most like to have?
Decorate a PlateWhat do you think God is like?
Write different words that describe him on a plate and decorate it
Nehemiah had some bad news about Jerusalem. But he remembered who God was and asked him to help.
Why is it a good thing to ask God for help?
Sorry Shredder
Is there anything you feel sorry about?
Write it on a piece of paper.
When you have told God you are sorry, put the paper through the shredder as God has forgiven you
Nehemiah told God how sorry he was that the Jewish people had not done what God wanted
God loves to forgive people if they are sorry for what they have done wrong
The Messy FamilyCan you add yourself to this picture of our Messy family – draw a picture and write your name by it
Nehemiah was part of the Jewish people. Even though he lived a long way away from them he still cared about them and wanted to help them
How many people do you think there are in our Messy Church family? How many people do you know?
Mix together the clay, sand and soil
Put it into a mould to make a brick
Take it away and let it dry until it becomes hard
The King of Persia allowed them to have the materials they needed to rebuild the walls
What is your house built out of?
Make a plumb line by tying string to a washer and then putting a lump of clay round it to weigh it down
Make a spirit level by gluing one of the bubbles to a piece of wood
Lots of people learnt to use the tools needed to rebuild the walls. Different families worked on each section.
Do you know how to use these tools?
Jigsaw PuzzleDraw a picture of a wall on the jigsaw puzzle.
The wall had been taken down when Jerusalem had been captured by an army. But Nehemiah organised the people to rebuild it.
Take the puzzle apart and see if you can put it back together again
Can you build a wall out of the Primo? Make some entrances through it
The gates into Jerusalem had different names like the Sheep Gate, the Fish gate, the Dung Gate, the Fountain gate and the Valley gate
Can you think of names for the walls and entrances that you have built?
Sponge Wall Painting
Put paint on a sponge and use it to paint a brick on the wall
Nehemiah was so enthusiastic about rebuilding the walls, that a lot of the people who lived there wanted to join him
Do you know any people who are enthusiastic about doing something? Does it make you want to join them?
Take a biscuit and build a wall on it with marshmallows
They rebuilt the walls in 52 days
How long did it take you to build your wall?
Look at the maps. One of them shows which countries refugees come from. The other shows which countries refugees are living in.
The Jewish people had been refugees but now they were able to move back to their homes
Take a picture of a house and write or draw on it the things that you enjoy about your home?
Which things do you think refugees miss when they have to be leave their home?
What are the things you would like to tell God about? Maybe it is something you want his help with.
Add some bricks to this wall and write in anything you want to say to God
You can decorate it as much as you like
When Nehemiah realised how bad things were he talked to God about it
God listened to Nehemiah, and helped him to be successful in rebuilding the wall
