Children’s Message: What Influences Our Attitudes?

Use this children’s message: Attitude Influence with kids ages 6 to 12 as you teach your students about 1 Thessalonians 5:16. 

You’ll need:

• a Bible
• a basketball
• a tennis ball

Children’s Message: What Influences Our Attitudes?

Say: The kind of person you are rubs off on other people.

Ask:

• What happens when you’re in a rotten mood at home? 

Say: Pretend this basketball is you in a really bad mood. And this tennis ball is your friend who’s in a fine mood. But then your friend starts hanging around with you.

Take the two balls and hold them with the tennis ball on top of the basketball, putting one hand under the basketball and the other hand on top of the tennis ball. Release them simultaneously. When dropped at the same time, the tennis ball should bounce off the basketball and fly into the air.

Ask:

• How was what happened to the tennis ball like or unlike what happens when you spread a good or bad mood? 

Say: In our experiment, the energy from the basketball transferred to the tennis ball. This is just like your attitude. The longer people hang around you, the more your attitude transfers to them.

Ask:

• What happens to others around you when you have a good attitude?
• Tell about a time you were a positive influence on the people around you.

Read aloud 1 Thessalonians 5:16. Say: The Bible tells us to be joyful always. That’s part of living a God-centered life. When we’re joyful always, we’re a good influence on our friends and classmates.

Ask:

• What helps you stay joyful?
• How does joyfulness help others see God?

Pray for kids to be a joyful influence on their friends this year.

Looking for even more children’s messages? Check out The Humongous Book of Children’s Messages. You can find even more ideas here!