new concepts
What You Need: “Leaf” Activity Page; copy paper; black cardstock; scissors; white crayon; gallon-size zipper bags; washable paint in various colors; and masking tape or packing tape What You Do:
Before the Activity: Copy “Leaf” Activity Page on copy paper and cut out, one as a template. Trace and cut out the empty leaf shapes from black cardstock, one per child. Place several squirts of different colored paint into the zipper bags and squeeze all the air out. Tape a leaf cut out to the table and tape a bag over each leaf cut out.
During the Activity: Have children move the paint around to fill the leaf shape. Mix colors to make new colors. Repeat as desired.
After the Activity: Introduce the idea of a garden. What You Say:
Before the Activity: “Look at all the leaves on the table! (Pause.) Find a spot and sit down in front of a leaf.”
During the Activity: “Use your fingers to move the paint around. (Pause.) Fill the whole area with paint. (Pause.) What colors are in your bag? (Pause.) Did your colors mix to make a new color? (Pause.) Your leaves are so colorful!” (Repeat as long as desired.)
After the Activity: “You made a lot of pretty, colorful leaves today. Where do you find leaves? (Pause.) That’s right! Leaves are on plants, trees, and flowers. Who makes all the plants, trees, and flowers? (Pause.) God does! Today in our story, we’ll hear about a special garden that God made filled with plants, trees, and flowers.”
Leaf • Sensory Leaf Painting • May Week 1
Go, Go Jonah
Live for God | Application Activity
Made to Think: An advanced activity specifically designed for older preschoolers What You Need: “Jonah Line Tangle” Activity Page, cardstock, and crayons
What You Do: Copy “Jonah Line Tangle” on cardstock, one per child. Set the crayons on the table.
During the Activity: Give each child an Activity Page. Point out Jonah at the bottom of the page and the “Nineveh” sign at the top. Talk about how Jonah didn’t want to go God’s way at first but eventually he did! He chose to go to Nineveh! Encourage the children to trace the lines with their crayons from Jonah to the Nineveh sign at the top of the page.
After the Activity: Make sure each child’s name is on their page and set aside for pick up. What You Say:
During the Activity: “Do you see Jonah at the bottom of the page? When God first asked Jonah to go to Nineveh, did he go God’s way? (Pause.) NO! Jonah didn’t go God’s way. But after a trip in the opposite direction, and some time inside the belly of a fish, Jonah decided to go to
Nineveh. Jonah learned that he should go God’s way. So, let’s use our crayons to trace the lines to get Jonah to the Nineveh sign right here at the top of the page.”
Jonah Line Tangle • B&W • Go, Go Jonah • May Week 2 Copy on cardstock. One per child.
God’s way is perfect.
Jonah
Dots
Made to Play: An activity that encourages preschoolers to follow guidelines while having fun and learning new concepts
What You Need: “Man” Activity Page, cardstock, plastic sheet protector, dry erase markers, and paper towels
What You Do:
Before the Activity: Copy “Man” on cardstock, one per small group. Place it in the sheet protector face-up.
During the Activity: Place the page on a table or floor in the activity area. Give the children the markers and ask them to draw dots all over the man.
After the Activity: When the man is covered in dots, erase them with the paper towel and repeat as desired.
What You Say:
Before the Activity: “Today in our Bible story, we’ll hear about a man who was covered in dots!” During the Activity: (Point to the man.)” Let’s make dots all over this man with our markers. (Do activity.) Great job! Look at all of the dots! Let’s make them disappear and do it again!” (Finish activity.)
After the Activity: “That was so much fun! We made dots then made them disappear. I can’t wait to find out if the man in our Bible story had his dots disappear, too!”
Scroll
Hear from God | Memory Verse Review
Made to Create: An activity that allows preschoolers to review the Bible story, Bottom Line, or memory verse by creating a craft
What You Need: “Scroll” Activity Page, copy paper, scissors, large craft sticks, crayons, stickers, and liquid glue
What You Do:
Before the Activity: Copy “Scroll” Activity Page on copy paper and cut on the dotted lines, one half page per child.
During the Activity: Give each child a half page and two craft sticks. Encourage the children to decorate the activity page with crayons and stickers. Help the children glue one stick on the left and one stick on the right.
After the Activity: Help the children roll the paper with the sticks as you would a scroll. What You Say:
Before the Activity: “We’re going to make a scroll like the one in our story today.”
During the Activity: “First, decorate your scroll with the crayons and stickers. Then, let’s glue a craft stick on the side of the page like this. (Demonstrate.) Awesome! Now we can do the same thing on the other side.” (Do activity.)
Scroll • Scroll • May Week 4
Copy on white copy paper and cut on dotted lines. One cutout per child.
“God
’s way
is perfect.”
2 Samuel 22:31, NIrV
“God
’s way
Gideon’s Flip Army
Live for God | Application Activity
Made to Create: An activity that allows preschoolers to review the Bible story, Bottom Line, or memory verse by creating a craft
What You Need: “Gideon’s Flip Army 1” and “Gideon’s Flip Army 2” Activity Pages; cardstock; paper towel tubes; glue sticks; scissors; crayons; and permanent marker
What You Do:
Before the Activity: Copy “Gideon’s Flip Army 1” on cardstock and cut, one per child. Copy “Gideon’s Flip Army 2” on cardstock and cut, one set per child. Write child’s name on their tube. During the Activity: Encourage children to color their papers. At one end, wrap the blank part of “Gideon’s Flip Army 1” around the tube and glue down leaving Gideon as a flap. Wrap all pieces of “Gideon’s Flip Army 2” around the tube and glue leaving the army as flaps. Demonstrate how to fold down the army.
After the Activity: Review the story. What You Say:
Before the Activity: “Today, we heard a story about a man named Gideon and the army God asked him to put together. Let’s make a craft to help us tell the story.”
During the Activity: “I have four strips of people for you to color. The first is Gideon, and the other three are his army. (Pause.) Now that you have Gideon colored, I’ll wrap it around your tube. Glue that down. Next, we’ll add the army. (There are three strips of army.) Watch how they can move. (Demonstrate.) Let’s use this to review our story.
“God told Gideon to put together an army. (Make sure all of the army is upright.) But God said his army was too big. Gideon said if any of the men were scared, they could leave the army. Put the first army down. (Demonstrate.) God saw the army and told Gideon it was still too big. He told Gideon to take the army to the water, and if they put their face to the water to let them go home. Put the second army down. (Demonstrate.) The army Gideon was left with was small and just the right size. Gideon went God’s way, and the army defeated the Midianites.”
Gideon’s Flip Army 1 • B&W • Gideon’s Flip Army • May Week 5 Copy on cardstock and cut on dotted lines. One cutout per child.
