In this elementary children’s message, use amazing surface-tension water displays to show kids that God has more joy to share with them than they can imagine.

You’ll need:

• Bible (try this kid-friendly version!)
• bulletin-board paper or plastic tablecloth
• clear plastic cups
• paper clips (20 per group of 4 kids)
• a pitcher of water
• towels or paper towels
• envelopes or small plastic bags (optional)

Elementary Children’s Message: How Full Is Full?

Spread the bulletin-board paper or tablecloth over a table or on the floor.

Ask:

• Have you ever filled a glass too full? What happened?

Say: Today we’re going to see just how full full really is. As we do this experiment, I’d like you to think about how it might be like God’s love for you.

Have kids form groups of four, and have groups gather around the bulletin-board paper or tablecloth. Give each group a clear plastic cup and twenty paper clips.

Scientist’s Strategy

Quick Tip: You may want to separate the paper clips ahead of time and place them in envelopes.

Say: Now I’ll fill your cup to the rim with water without making it overflow. Be sure to have towels on hand as you do this. After you’ve filled all the cups, say: These cups are really full!

Ask:

• What do you think would happen if you put a paper clip in the cup?

Say: Try it and see!

Have each group add one paper clip to its cup, and then have them continue adding paperclips, one at a time until the water flows over the rims of the cups.

Ask:

• How many paper clips were you able to put in the cup before the water overflowed?
• Why do you think we were able to put in so many paper clips in the cup before it overflowed?

Say: Water molecules have a very strong attraction to each other. This makes them bond together in the cup even when it looks like the water should overflow. Because of this, adding paper clips to a full cup of water causes the water on the surface to form an upward curve. Wow!

Unpack the Experiment

Ask:

• What about this experiment reminds you of God’s love for us?

Read aloud John 15:11 from your Bible.

Say: It’s easy to become content in our friendship with God. We might even sometimes feel like we have all the joy we can have from God. But there’s always more. Joy overflowing! It’s exciting to know we can keep connecting with God to add to our friendship—so his joy can fill us more than we can imagine.

Ask:

• What can you do to keep connecting with God?

Say: Praying to God, worshiping with friends at church, and reading our Bibles are all ways we can have a closer friendship with God and allow him to fill us up with his overflowing joy!

Looking for more children’s messages? Check out these posts!