Tell Me the Stories of Jesus – Be Like Him

In this fun activity for Tell Me the Stories of Jesus, we’ll do our best to be disciples of the Savior by doing things like Him! I’ve tied this lesson plan in closely with the week I plan to teach it – June 9th. This will help me tie in the Come, Follow Me lesson manual topics!

Tell Me the Stories of Jesus
Be Like Him Activity

Do you remember that game you played in elementary school P.E.? The PE teacher or one of the other students would yell out a word and you’d quickly need to find someone to pair up with and make the action. It was called Captain’s Deck and the actions might be things like “Crow’s Nest” or “Row the Boat”.

You’d work together with a partner to make the actions together. Sometimes it would simply be a direction. All the while those that were “it” would try to tag those not doing the right directions. That game came to mind and I was brainstorming a fun way to do something similar, but more reverent and church appropriate, during singing time! Thus came about this Be Like Him activity. Just to clarify, the children won’t be acting as Christ, but trying their best to be like Him just like the disciple did.

How to Play Be Like Him:

1. Explain the 6 different action types. In Junior Primary, you might just choose 4 different actions skipping washing feet and one other of your choice.
2. You’ll then ask the children to follow your lead and switch whenever you do. They will follow your lead in changing actions from a heart to a book and then to sprouting up tall like a new plant — or whatever actions you choose — as you sing through the song.
3. Call up a helper to hold the picture action cards. They’ll switch the cards while you, and all the rest of the Primary, try to keep switching actions as you go through the song.

Be Like Him Actions:

• Wash a friend’s feet (John 13:14) – Pull an imaginary rag right and left over a neighbor’s shoes
• Love one another (John 13:34) – Make heart symbols with our hands
• Grow fruit of the vine (John 15:5) – Sprout up like a new plant
• Share our knowledge (John 17:6, 8, 26) – Hands together forming a book
• Pray for others (John 14:12-14) – Hands clasped in prayer
• Be “one” with Christ and the Father (John 17:21-22) – Hold one finger prominently out in front

Extension Activity:

Try performing the actions in rhythm with the lyrics:

• Tell me the stories (hands praying like you’re begging to know)
• of Jesus I love (hands shaped like a heart)
• to hear, things I would ask him to tell me (hold one finger up)
• if he were here (wash feet)
• scenes by the wayside (sprout like a plant)
• tales of the sea, stories of Jesus tell them to me (hands shaped like a book)

Tell Me the Stories of Jesus
Be Like Him Action Cards

This printable includes a recap of the lesson plan so you can’t head into your Singing Time prepared and ready for the activity! It will also include the reminder of the simple actions in case you forget and extension activities if you need to fill just a little more time.

There is all half-page printable images to represent the different actions. I’d recommend printing these out on cardstock so they are nice and sturdy and then just cutting them in half.

Click here —> to Print Tell Me the Stories of Jesus – Be Like Him Lesson Plan and Action Cards

What other fun ways could you use these Be Like Him action cards to extend the lesson plan?