Showing posts with label sunday school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sunday school. Show all posts

One of the things I work hard on instilling in my preschoolers at church and at home is that you can do hard things.


I remember one day with Cooper when he was about 4 and he got into this habit of telling us how he couldn't do this, this, or this.  He would tell us, "I can't do it.  It's too hard."  After failing many times at getting him to see that he could do it, we finally just met this head-on and said, 


"You're right.  It IS hard.  But...you can do hard things."


And then one day, I made up a song to the tune of The Farmer In the Dell to sing along with that statement.  (**side note: Am I the only mom constantly making up songs for anything and everything? Yes, I am?  Okay, well thanks!**)


I can do hard things,

I can do hard things,

With the help of God,

I can do hard things!


That song has served us well over the years!  And for that reason, it showed up in our Samson Bible unit for my preschoolers at church.  During this unit, we play a "hard things" game each week.  It's kinda like a minute to win it for preschool kiddos! 



Here's a look at the games we use to build our strength, courage, and confidence so that even the littlest begin to understand that we can do hard things using the Samson Bible story.


For each game, there are multiple levels of difficulty.  You can use this to choose the level that best fits your kids.  Or, you can use it as a way to start easy and talk about what happens when the game gets harder with each new level!


Bead Stack

Materials: plastic beads


Directions: have kids try to stack the beads into a tower of 5 beads high.  **TIP: You can get different sized beads depending on the fine motor skills of your kids.


If they do well with that, try stacking 10 beads.  Last, try to stack a tower of 5 or 10 beads in 1 minute or less!


Chopsticks

Materials: chopsticks or pencils and pompoms


Directions: Use chopsticks or pencils as chopsticks to move the pompoms from one plate to another.  For a harder level, do it in 1 minute or less.


Snow Tower

Materials: craft sticks and marshmallows


Directions: put the stick in your mouth.  Stack 3 marshmallows on the stick to make a snowman.  To make it harder, make a taller snowman or do it in less than 1 minute.


Cup Pyramid

Materials: red solo cups


Directions: Build a cup pyramid with 3 cups on the bottom.  You will need to model this for the preschoolers and have a sample out for them to see.  To make it harder, they can build one with 4 cups or 5 cups on the bottom or do it in less than 1 minute.


Noodle Pickup

Materials: raw penne pasta and raw spaghetti noodles


Directions: Use spaghetti noodles to pick up the penne noodles with no hands.  See how many you can do in 1 minute to make it harder.


These minute to win it like challenges are perfect for this Samson Bible Unit or for the classroom setting as you are trying to build confidence and teamwork at the beginning of the school year.



I love using games to help kids understand Bible stories better!  The Joshua Bible story is a great one for teaching kids to choose to serve the Lord because He is faithful to help us.  Let's talk about some of my favorite games to play during our Joshua Bible unit!


Ants on a Log

Bible Story: Joshua is Moses' helper

Bible Idea: I can help others.

Materials: kids and tape (or sidewalk chalk)


Directions: Create a log using tape or sidewalk chalk.  The log should be thin enough for all of the kids to stand on.


Have kids stand shoulder to shoulder inside the "log."  Name one kid "Moses."  Moses will need to move down the log past a few kids without stepping "off" of the log.  Have them move past at least 2-3 people.  While "Moses" is moving, make sure the other kids are helping Moses just like Joshua did in the Bible.  Play several rounds to let kids take turns being Moses.



Battle of Jericho STEM Challenge

Bible Story: Joshua and the Battle of Jericho

Bible Idea: God can do anything!

Materials: red solo cups (or playing cards for more of a challenge) and a party favor kazoo


Problem: Pretend that the king of Jericho has asked the kids to rebuild the wall of Jericho with playing cards (or solo cups to make it easier as shown in the pictures!).  It needs to be tall to protect the city, but also strong enough to withstand Joshua and his army.


Directions: Let kids work alone or in teams to complete the challenge.  


When they are finished, they can test out their wall by walking a stuffed animal or toy around the wall 7 times for the 7th day.  


On the 7th time they will blow the kazoo directly at the wall to see if it will stand.



Hailstone Drop

Bible Story: Joshua defeats the Amorites

Bible Idea: God will help me if I serve him.

Materials: white pompoms, buckets or cups of various sizes


Directions: Kids will grab a handful of white pompoms to use as the hailstones.


Then, they will toss the "hailstones" all at once toward the buckets like a hailstorm.


Count the hailstones that fell into the buckets to see how many points you get! 


You can set up multiple stations for people to play in small groups, or do one large hailstorm where everyone drops and handful toward a lot of buckets and count the whole collection together!


Find all of these games and more in this Joshua Bible Unit from my Sunday School curriculum.

Peter is a well-known disciple of Christ in the Bible.  I love him because he is passionate about following Jesus, but his imperfections also shine through in the Bible stories about him.  


Mostly, I love the transformation that Jesus does in Peter because it reminds me that when we meet and follow Jesus, he changes us!  Here are the *adorable* crafts and fun games we used during this Peter Bible Story unit from my Sunday School curriculum.


Let's Go Fishin'

The first time we meet Peter in the Bible, he and his brother Andrew are fishing in a boat as professional fishermen.  Jesus asks them to leave their job behind and follow him to become fishers of men instead!


We play, "Let's Go Fishin'" as one of our stations during this unit and play it all together after this lesson!  We take turns answering questions about the story.  If they answer the question correctly, they get to go fishin'!  Find the game here...


Fishers of Men Craftivity

After that first lesson, we also make a "fishers of men" craft!  I copy fish on bright colors of paper and the kids "bubble cut" around the fish and write people they can share the gospel with.  For young kinders, you can write the words and have them copy them.  Older kinders can try to write them on your own.


I drew the lines on the sandwich-sized plastic bag beforehand, but your kids could do that if you wish.  


Then, just glue the bag to the fishnet handle.  I used the cardstock templates from the unit, but you could also use a dowel rod or a stick if you wanted!




"I Am Not Ashamed: Rooster Craft

At Peter's lowest point, he denied that he followed Jesus three times.  And just as Jesus said would happen, a rooster crowed at that very moment!


After this lesson, we made this adorable rooster.  We cut out the templates from the unit, added googly eyes and 4 colorful feathers for his tail.  This one is super easy to also put up at a creation station if you are in a Christian classroom and have students look at your example and create it as it is very easy to do independently.


We had so much fun putting him together and reviewing the lesson together!


Painted Rocks

Even though Peter denied Jesus, he was transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit and he became the rock that Jesus built the Christian church on...he became the first preacher of the Christian church.

After this lesson, where Jesus tells Peter his name means rock and he is the rock he will build his church on, we did painted rocks!

You can bring rocks or if you have time and a good spot, you can go for a walk looking for a rock.

Let the kids paint the rocks how they choose.  We used q-tips as easy throw away paint brushes and they worked great!


Once the rocks dry, we used a sharpie to write, "Jesus loves you" on it.  Then, we found the perfect place to put our painted rock for others to find.  It was a neat way to share the gospel with others!


You can also just write each child's name on the rock as a reminder for them to keep and show that Jesus wants to use all of us to build his church.

You can find the directions, materials, and templates for these crafts, games and much more as part of my Sunday School curriculum in this 10 week Peter Bible story unit!
Memorizing scripture is an important and meaningful activity for kids (and adults!) of all ages!  I blogged a while back about the routines I use with my preschoolers... (SPOILER ALERT: yes, 3 and 4 year olds CAN and DO memorize Bible verses!)


Today, let's talk about what those Bible verse routines look like for older kids who are no longer emerging readers.  Some of the strategies are similar, and others are different.  Here's a look at how I help 1st and 2nd graders memorize Bible verses.


Read the Verse with Motions

I set up our Bible verse white cards in our pocket chart.

We start by reading the Bible verse together as I point to the words.

As we are reading, I have them do motions for the verse.  They don't have to do motions for every word, but I try to have at least 3 motions for every verse.  The motions help the kids attach the verse to movement which helps them remember the verse more easily!  I have suggestions for motions for each unit verse in my Bible unit curriculum!



Match the Color Word Cards

Depending on your first and second graders, you may or may not need to do this.  I have found that we start this way at the beginning of the first grade year, and end up skipping it by the second half of the year.  If your kids struggle reading, match the cards.  If they are reading independently, you can move on past this!

After we read the verse once, I pass out the color words to some kids...one card per kid.  I call one kid up at a time.  They read the word (or I help them read it) and find it's match.

After each kid puts a word match in, we re-read the verse with the motions.  So, not only are we working on matching and reading words, but we are repeating the verse and committing it to memory in a fun and engaging way!

Sequence the Verse

If most of your kids are able to read, you can skip the matching and do the sequencing routines instead.  To sequence, I start by passing out one card to each kid.  Then, I ask, "Who has the word 'The'" and kids bring up their cards one at a time.  

After each card, we read the cards we have, predict the next word, and I ask who has that word card.  We continue this way until we have sequenced the entire verse!

Later, when this becomes easy for kids (especially for 2nd graders), you can give each kid a word card and have them work together to sequence the Bible verse without your help!

TPR Reading

Once we have all of the words matched, we read with Total Physical Response (TPR).  This is my kids' favorite part!  We do some motion on each of the words.  The first one we do is, "Let's clap on each word."  Then, we say the verse and clap on each word.

Depending on time, we usually do about 5-7 repetitions of this with different actions each time.  The actions we've used are....
Clap
Snap
Pat Your Leg
Touch Your Nose and Whisper
Bear Claws on the Ground and Growl
Stomp Your Feet

Independent Matching

This last part of the routine is only done on the last day of the unit.  The other weeks, we just read, match, and TPR read.  The last week, we only do the independent matching.

Each kid gets a white paper with a space to sequence the Bible verse and word cards copied on colored paper.  My first and second grade units come with two handout options:  One is like shown below with the Bible verse on it and one does not have the verse on it.  I pick the one that best fits my kids' abilities.

After we read or say the verse, the kids sequence the word cards by cutting and pasting.

These routines are quick, easy and an engaging and effective way to help young learners hide God's Word in their hearts!  You can find all of these routines and materials in each of my Bible Units!
I love teaching young kids about the 10 Commandments.  I believe it gives us a framework to talk to kids about what is right and wrong and to talk about some really difficult, but important topics, like murder and idols.

Here are a few of my favorite activities to do with kindergarteners to help them understand the 10 Commandments more.

Tablet Water Painting

For my little Sunday School kids, I love using the first 15 minutes or so of our time doing exploration stations.  This gives kids play experiences to help them build a framework to understand what we are talking about.

One of my favorite exploration stations for the 10 commandments is tablet painting.

All we did was choose some flat landscaping rocks. (I borrowed one from my in-laws!)  I just get enough materials to be used for 2 or 3 kids in a station.  But you could certainly get one stone for each kid and do it as a large group activity.

I keep the laminated commandment cards at the station along with paint brushes and cups of water. 

Kids can do one of three things.

They can just free paint the tablet.

You can prep the stones by writing one commandment on each stone with a white crayon or sharpie.  Then, let the kids use the water to "paint trace" over the commandments.
   

Finally, they can look and trace by drawing a card and using their water and brush to copy the command onto the tablet.

We have so much fun with this activity!


Bean Bag Toss

I use this as a review game!  I print each commandment card that we have learned so far out and lay them out on the floor.  If we've only learned 3 commandments, only 3 cards get put out.  If we've learned all ten commandments, all 10 cards go down on the floor.

The kids take turns tossing a bean bag.  Whichever card they land on, they have to share one way to follow that commandment.

Another version is to have them share a way to NOT follow that commandment.  This is great review and practice understanding of the 10 commandments.

Sorting Cards

Sorts are some of my favorite activities for primary kids.  Preschoolers and kindergartners need lots of opportunities to make sense of a concept by understanding what it is and is not.  Sorting is perfect for that!

During our 10 commandments unit, we have 2 sorting activities.

When we learn about idols, we sort things that help us grow closer to God and things that do not.

When we learn about murder, we talk mostly about how killing is a terrible reaction to anger.  During this lesson we sort activities that are healthy ways to handle anger and unhealthy ways to deal with our anger.  

This is an important discussion that deepens their understanding of a commandment that can seem unrelatable.  Not many of our kids will grow up to kill others.  But most, if not all, will struggle dealing with anger...which is the seed that can grow into murder.

Fill a Shape

One exploration station that is in every kindergarten Bible unit is fill a shape.  It help kids attend to an important shape that goes with our unit.  It's great fine motor practice.  And it's just another opportunity to let them "play" and experience something related to our big idea.

During our 10 commandments unit, we fill a tablet with stones!

10 Commandments Boogie Video

I found this video and we absolutely LOVE it!  It's great movement for the littles and really does help them remember each rule!

Want to find all of the materials to use with this unit, plus a full lesson on each commandment for kindergartners?  Boogie on over and find the full, 10 week Ten Commandments unit here.

Have you ever thought about using STEM challenges to teach your Bible lessons?  I love using STEM at church in my Sunday School class!

Today, let's talk about the Drink the Water challenge we used with the Gideon Bible story with kindergartners!

What You'll Need

My favorite STEM challenges are ones you can do with things you have lying around the house or classroom!  This one is no different.  All you need for this Gideon Bible story STEM challenge is...
  • A bowl
  • A large cookie sheet for overspill
  • Water
  • (adorable kid not included... :) )

You will need as many bowls/sheets as you have kids that will participate.  Not all kids have to participate, but it is not a challenge they can take turns trying....Once they figure it out, there is no point in continuing to try! :)

Before the challenge starts, you will fill the bowl(s) with water and put a cookie sheet underneath it.  Another option is to take this challenge outside so you don't have to worry about spilling water!


Drink the Water Challenge

Once you are prepped and ready, the Gideon Bible story STEM challenge is simple: The kids must drink the water in the bowl without touching the bowl. (They can't pick it up or tip it.)

You time them for 1 minute and see who can drink the most water!

My guy had fun testing out different strategies!

After the challenge, share the strategies and which were the most efficient.  Why were they efficient?

Many of my Bible STEM challenges are designed to do after the Bible story, but this one is important to do BEFORE you even introduce the story in case kids are already familiar with Gideon and how God told him to choose his army.  Since the Gideon Bible story actually tells the ways the men drank the water, it would be pointless! ;)

You can find the Gideon & Deborah kindergarten unit on courage here.

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