"Honor Your Father and Your Mother"

Although nursing home residents are more like grandparents, the idea of honoring elders still applies and can be taught as an extension of this commandment. Discuss what the word, "honor", means and how we honor people. Out of that discussion, the activity of making items to hand out to residents could be added. Children could make simple cards, paper flowers, streamers to attach to sticks, or do drawings. It doesn't matter what they decide to make, the nursing home residents will love to receive it, especially from the hand of a child.

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"What You Do for the Least of These, You Do to Me"

Discuss who the "least" are, what Jesus meant by describing whom we should serve (especially as the lonely), what it feels like to be lonely, what makes us feel better when we feel lonely, and what we can do for others when they feel lonely. The activity to add could be singing simple songs, creating cheers, practicing handshakes or hugs, doing simple dances or hand gestures to either songs or scripture or simple phrases. This practicing, if done over several weeks, will prepare the children for doing those activities for the nursing home residents during the parade.

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"Celebrate As to the Lord"

Discuss how and why we celebrate, God's pleasure at our celebration, how a parade is a celebration, what we like about parades, and what things we see in a parade. The activity would be to design "floats" for the parade celebrating "One Nation Under God", to be made out of strollers or wagons, or design costumes to wear celebrating the parade theme. The children could then take the design home (along with a printed explanation about the parade and the costume and float designs) and work with their parents to create their float for pulling/pushing/riding or costume for wearing in the parade.

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"If My People Seek Me, I Will Heal Their Land"

Discuss God's authority over even nations, the religious freedom that we have in the U.S., the lack of religious freedom in some parts of the world, and what it means to be a "Nation Under God". Activities might include drawing pictures or designing costumes, floats, or gifts to hand out, which represent the religious history of the U.S. The items would all be preparation for performing, wearing, or handing out during the parade.