Brooms to Clean and Restore the Temple
You need hay, twine, sticks as tall as the children holding them, little figurines as idols and sand. Declare one area of your classroom to be the temple. Liberally spread sand over chairs, the floor and tables. Place idols all over the designated temple area. These idols could be little chess figurines, fast food kids’ meal toys, or even plush dragons or monsters. Make sure it’s not too graphic or scary for the preschoolers!
Explain that it is time to clean out the temple of the Lord and get rid of the junk that has accumulated, since nobody took care of it. Each child receives a stick, straw and twine. Teach the children how to make brooms by placing the stick into a thick handful of straw and tying the twine very tightly around it. Encourage the children to sweep out the temple area and get rid of the sand, idols and dirt.
Keep a close eye on kids, who might get a bit overenthusiastic with the sticks. A class aide could help the kids to sweep out the temple without batting the idols.
Listening Ears to Hear God’s Voice
You need ear templates, scissors, glue, crayons and cheap dime store sunglasses for each child.
Have the children make oversized “listening ears.” You can get creative and have the kids make the ears in any kind of shape they like, or you may make templates of oversized human ears, and allow the children to color them, cut them out and then glue them to the sunglasses.
Explain how these oversized listening ears symbolize King Hezekiah’s willingness to listen to God’s voice and advice rather than the opposing king’s lies and taunting. Go on to state that the sunglasses show how Hezekiah sought to see what God sees, rather than the bleak outlook that his enemies painted.
