😴 Rest Booth – “Help Your Bear Sleep”
Goal of the Booth | Help children learn rest is important for growing strong, staying healthy, and feeling their best.
Bible Verse | “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28
Booth Setup
- Set out the provided “bedtime” materials (paper beds/blankets and bears).
- Make sure there is space for families to sit or gather comfortably together.
- Have completion stickers ready for the end of the activity.
How the Booth Runs
- Welcome children and families warmly to the booth.
- Talk briefly about how a good bedtime routine helps prepare our bodies for sleep, and encourage families to use the Bedtime Routine in the Rest section of their Bear Health Passport.
- Guide families through a short, calming activity where they tuck their bear in for sleep.
- Lead families through simple bedtime stretches together (listed below).
- Encourage parents to participate and model calm bedtime habits.
- Talk briefly about how good sleep helps kids grow strong and feel ready for a new day.
- Share that God created a special day of rest from the very beginning. In Genesis 1–2, we learn that God created the world in six days. Then, on the seventh day, God rested from His work, blessed the seventh day, and made it holy (Genesis 2:2–3).
- Explain that the seventh-day Sabbath is a special gift from God—a day to step away from our regular work, spend time with Him, enjoy His creation, and connect with family and others.
- When the activity is complete, place a star sticker on the child’s completion circle in their passport.
Simple Bedtime Stretches (for Families)
Guide families through each movement slowly and gently:
1. Reach for the Stars | Stand tall, reach both arms up high, then slowly bring them down. Repeat 2–3 times.
2. Gentle Side Stretch | Reach one arm up and lean gently to the side. Switch sides.
3. Bear Hug Stretch | Wrap arms around yourself (or your bear) in a big, gentle hug. Hold for 5 seconds, then release.
4. Forward Fold (Sleepy Stretch) | Slowly bend forward and let arms hang toward the floor like a sleepy bear.
5. Slow Neck Movement | Gently turn the head from side to side in small, slow movements (no circles), loosening tension.
Conversation Starters
Use simple questions like:
- “What helps you get ready for bed at night?”
- “How do you feel after a good night’s sleep?”
- “What helps your bear feel calm and sleepy?”
- “What is your favorite bedtime routine?”
- “What is something you enjoy doing with your family on Sabbath?”
Key Teaching Points
Volunteers can naturally share simple facts like:
- Sleep helps our bodies and minds recharge so we can learn, play, serve, and enjoy life.
- A consistent bedtime routine helps prepare our bodies for sleep. Simple habits like brushing teeth, story time, stretching, praying, and calming down help signal that it is time to rest.
- Rest includes taking breaks from busy schedules. These breaks help our bodies, minds, and relationships grow stronger.
- God created the seventh-day Sabbath as a gift of rest from the beginning. Genesis 2:2–3 tells us that after creating the world in six days, God rested on the seventh day, blessed it, and made it holy.
- Sabbath is a special time to focus on God, enjoy His creation, and strengthen our relationships with family and others.
- God designed us with rhythms of work, rest, relationship, and renewal. Sleep, Sabbath rest, family connection, and time with God help us care for the bodies and hearts He has given us.
- Rest is part of God’s good plan for our health and well-being.
Volunteer Tips
- Keep the atmosphere calm, quiet, and soothing.
- Use a gentle tone of voice throughout the activity.
- Encourage parents to slow down and model calm behavior.
- Help children feel relaxed and peaceful as they “put their bear to sleep.”
- When talking about Sabbath, keep the conversation positive and simple. Emphasize that Sabbath is God’s special gift of time to rest, connect with Him, enjoy His creation, and spend time with the people we love.