Samson and Delilah (Judges 14, 16)

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Judges 16:19 

Picture credit:  Lambsongs

Digital Resources

•  Saddleback Kids
• The Beginner's Bible - Begin at 1:24.  Ads appear onscreen.  Just close them.
•  The Beginner's Bible App - This app is good for several reasons.  As the text is read, each word is highlighted, so it's excellent for beginning readers.  This is an app version of The Beginner's Bible, so it's good to have the printed book for kids to use at home too. In class we wait until the text has been read and then take turns with the interactive parts.
• Bible for Kids App - Text is not highlighted.  Story is usually more detailed than Beginner's Bible App.  In class we wait until the text has been read and then take turns with the interactive parts.  Just tap on the picture to go to the interactive part.  Note that you need to slide the picture to the right and left to see the entire picture.

Print Resources

• Samson and Delilah adapted by Maxine Nodel, Great Bible Stories
•  Samson and his Strength by Alice Joyce Davidson, Board Book
• Samson retold by Anne de Graff, Little Children's Bible Books
• Samson and Delilah, Read-Along Storybook and Sing-Along Songs PC Fun

  
Discussions

•  Samson had 3 rules from God:  1)  Don't drink wine.  2)  Don't touch anything dead.  3)  Don't cut your hair. 
• Samson killed a young lion one time and when he came back by, he found a swarm of bees and some honey in that dead lion.  He ate some of the honey.  Samson was not supposed to touch dead things.  Was he careful not to touch the lion when he got some honey? 
• As long as Samson kept his hair long and uncut, he was strong.  We talked about how we get strong.  It's not from having long hair!  We came up with some good answers.

Activities

•  Toy props of Delilah, Philistines, and Samson-- with long hair, bald, seven fresh bowstrings, new ropes, and 7 braids weaved into fabric.  Dialog:  Delilah was Samson's girlfriend.  She wanted to know what made Samson so strong.  It was a secret.  She asked him, "What makes you so strong?" over and over and over.  That's called nagging (vocab).  
• Read Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems because the Pigeon does a good job nagging in that book!  Each time the Pigeon gives a reason why we should let him drive the bus, we yelled, "NO!"
• Continued with props acting out: Samson told Delilah a strange answer each time she asked him why he was strong.  Finally, he told her the true answer -- as long as he didn't cut his hair, God would make him strong.  As soon as he went to sleep, Delilah called someone in to cut Samson's hair!  She also called the Philistine rulers in because they had promised to give her lots of money if she helped them capture Samson. 

We also mentioned that Samson was one of the fifteen judges.  His story is in the old testament book of Judges.

Samson and Delilah story extensions:

1. New vocabulary word: Nagging
2. Ways we can get strong
3. Delilah was actually promised silver.  You could help your child identify silver things, and while you're at it, teach them clear, transparent, and opaque.  Oh!  Before you do that, ask them what color water is.  (Usually children say it is white.)