How to Teach Kids About Integrity

Here’s a lesson I did for our elementary kids on standing up for what is right even when others won’t (modified from our curriculum):

SUPPLIES NEEDED

• 1 Bible
• Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory DVD
• 1 game of Jenga
• 1 piece of junk food (bagel bite, crustable sandwich, mini burger, etc)
• 1 piece of candy
• 1 carrot

OUTLINE

1. Have three kids come up on stage and pick which food item they want to eat. Afterwards ask them which one is the healthiest to eat. Then say we’re going to talk about a guy who stood up for what is right, even when it came to his vegetables.

2. Introduce bottom line and have the kids say it out loud together: Get in the habit of standing for what’s right.

3. Retell today’s story in Daniel 6, highlighting this passage:

Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. – Daniel 6:10-11 (NIV)

4. Have Jenga game set-up on stage. Explain that with each wrong choice we make it chips away at our integrity, which is the foundation of our life. If we do this long enough our life will eventually collapse (just like the tower of Jenga pieces).

5. Show Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory end scene clip.

6. One day you might find yourself in a difficult situation. You can show conviction—and stand for what is right even when others don’t—because you’ve been in the habit every day of doing it whenever you get the chance. If you’ve made a habit of choosing the right thing, it will be a lot easier to do that when the decisions get even bigger and more life changing. And when you [Recycle] need to make the wise choice, you’ll be in the habit of doing just that! Let’s pray and ask God to help us:

God, sometimes it is hard to keep standing for what’s right. Sometimes we feel like we’ve endured challenge after challenge, temptation after temptation, and we’re just worn out. Help us to keep making the right choices, even when we’re tired or feel like we’re the only one who is standing for what’s right, because we know that You are always standing with us. In Jesus’ name, amen.