1 NAVAJO PRESCHOOL LESSON EARLY ARRIVER ACTIVITIES: Coloring sheets and crayons INTRODUCE THE BIBLE: Show the children a Bible that says Holy Bible on the front. Point to the word BIBLE. SAY: The Bible is a very special book. God gave us the Bible. God put His words in the Bible. God wants us to know Him. The Bible tells us about Him. SING: THE B-I-B-L-E (CD Volume 2) Allow children to trace the sandpaper (or fleece) letters with their fingers while you are singing. (See supply sheet) SAY: The Bible tells us many things about God. It tells us that He made everything. He made the earth (show picture on pg 2of Bible Stories in 5 Minutes) He made all the plants and the water. He made the sky and the sun, moon, and stars. (show pictures on pg 3) He made the birds (show picture on pg 4) and He made all the animals (Show picture on pg 5). He made Adam, the first man (show picture on page 6).And He made the first woman, Eve. (show picture on pg 9). (Show pictures only, do not read the creation story.) SAY: The Bible also tells us something else very special. It tells us that God loves us. He loves us so much that He sent His very own Son to earth. He sent His Son so that we could see what God is like. God lives in Heaven. He wants us to live in heaven with Him one day. He sent His Son, Jesus, to make a way for us to live in heaven with Him. Let s read about how God sent His Son. READ: The Birth of a King from the book, Bible Stories in 5 Minutes (pages 97-112) SCRIPTURE MEMORY: Love the Lord your God Mark 12:30 Make a rebus on a small piece of poster board by substituting a heart for Love, a crown for Lord. Use large letters for the word GOD. This will help them read the verse. 1. DIFFERENT VOICES: Say the verse several times using different voices, i.e. deep voice, high voice, whisper, shout, sing up the scale 5 notes, sing down the scale 5 notes, etc. 2. HAND MOTIONS: Love (hands on heart) the Lord your God (point upward) 3. FLASH CARDS: Make a set of large flash cards of the heart, crown and the word GOD and let them tell you what order they go in. GAME: MARY PRAISES GOD After the angel Gabriel told Mary that she was going to be the mother of a very special baby, God s Son, Mary wanted to go see her cousin, Elizabeth. Let s pretend we are going to Elizabeth s house. First we need to pack our bags. (Let children pretend to pack. Pretend you are going to Elizabeth s house by walking around the room. Then let the children tell you other ways to go to Elizabeth s house, such as skipping,
2 hopping, jumping, etc. When they get to Elizabeth s house Have children do the action rhyme then sit down to rest.) Remind them that Mary praised God. SAY: We can praise God too! ACTION RHYME: I praise God when I m down (squat). I praise God when I m up (jump up, arms at sides). I praise God when I m out (spread arms and legs out). I praise God when I m in (arms at sides, legs together). I praise God all around (twirl around). SING: O HOW I LOVE JESUS (CD Volume 2) (EMPHASIZE WHILE SINGING THAT WE ARE PRAISING GOD) AWAY IN A MANGER (CD Volume 3) SILENT NIGHT (CD Volume 3)(If the children know this song.) JESUS LOVES ME (CD Volume 1) INTERACTIVE: THE CHRISTMAS STORY Each time you say the words, stop and do the action. (Adapt this as needed for the ages of the children in your group. Very young children may not be able to remember six actions) ACTIVITY: Nativity Sticker Sheets (Use half sheets of dark blue or black construction paper as the background) ACTIVITY: COLORING SHEETS or ACTIVITY SHEETS and Crayons PLAY TIME: Puzzles or small nativity sets (You may want to divide the children into two groups and let them swap activities after a short period of time.) SING: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU to JESUS ACTIVITY: LIGHT THE CANDLE and have children blow it out.(i use one cupcake for each day) PRAY: Thank you, Father, for loving me and for sending your Son, Jesus. AMEN ALLOW CHILDREN TO GET AN ORNAMENT FROM THE TREE (if available) OR GIVE EACH CHILD A STICKER OTHER SCRIPTURE MEMORY ACTIVITIES AND GAMES:
3 1. WORD SUBSTITUTION: When you think they know the verse, substitute one word with a clap, then two words with a clap, etc. 2. BALL TOSS: Inflate a beach ball. Seat the children in a circle. Toss the ball to one child. That child says the first word of the verse and tosses the ball to another child. The second child says the second word, and so on. Variation: Toss the ball to one child. He says the entire verse and tosses it to another child who says the entire verse and so on. 3. BALL ROLLING: The children can sit on the floor in groups of three to four with their legs out, feet touching. Give each group a ball that they can roll from person to person. They must keep the ball on the floor and keep it from going out of the boundary made by their legs. As they roll the ball, they can say the verse or sing it up the scale five notes. Variation: Seat all the children as one group instead of several small groups. 4. DUCK, DUCK, GOOSE: Seat the children in a circle. Choose one child to walk around the circle behind the other children. He taps the heads of the children as he walks around. On some of his taps, he says each word of the memory verse consecutively. When he taps a head while saying the last word of the verse, the child tapped jumps up and chases him. The tapper tries to run around the circle and take that child s place. If he succeeds, the tapped child becomes the tapper and the game continues. OTHER GAMES: Touch the Bible Relay This relay is noncompetitive. Fold different colors of construction paper in half and write BIBLE on the front. Place them at different locations around one side of the room. Line the children up across the opposite side of the room. Then ask each child, one at a time, to run and touch a Bible of a certain color. For example, Sara, run and touch the red Bible.) The child runs to the Bible of that color, touches it, and runs back to the group. Then call on another child to touch another color. Find the Bible Show the children a small Bible. Then ask one child to be the hider and one to be the hunter. Ask the hunter to close and cover his eyes. Ask the hider to hide the Bible. The younger the child is, the more obvious the hiding place needs to be. The other children may watch, but must not tell where it is hidden. When the Bible has been hidden, the hunter may go look for it. The children may tell him whether he s hot or cold. When he finds it, two other children become the hider and the hunter.
4 OTHER ACTION SONGS: ACTIVITY: O Be Careful Little Eyes (CD Volume 2) If you re Happy and You Know It (CD Volume 2) Go Tell It on the Mountain (CD Volume 2) Deep and Wide (CD Volume 2) This Little Light of Mine (CD Volume 2) Christmas Carols if they know them (CD Volume 3) If you have a class of mostly older children who seem interested, you can read the story of Jesus death, burial, resurrection and ascension on pages 180-190 in Bible Stories in 5 Minutes. Then use the following activity: Christ died for our sins, And He was buried, And He rose again. I Corinthians 15:3-4 (Make a cross with your arms.) (Squat down and tuck head down.) (Spring up.) (Put one finger up, then three, then four.) SOURCES: Bible Stories in 5 Minutes (the Gospel Project for Kids) from B&H Publishing Group The Nativity Floor puzzle and Christmas activity/music CD (Twin Sisters Productions) Shiloh Kidz/Barbour Publishing, Inc I Learn About God, Jesus Is My Friend, I Praise God, Scripture Memory Bible Learning Series by Karyn Henley, Standard Publishing Co. Operation Space VBS Pre-Primary Teachers Guide from Answers in Genesis
NAVAJO PRESCHOOL LESSON SUPPLIES 1. Bible with Holy Bible written on it 2. Book: Bible Stories in 5 Minutes 3. *Rebus of Scripture verse Mark 12:30. On a piece of poster board, substitute the words love with a heart and Lord with a crown. Use large letters for the word, GOD. 4. Cupcake 5. Candles 6. Lighter 7. CD player and batteries 8. CD set: 100 Singalong Bible Songs for Kids 9. *The letters, B,I,B,L,E cut from Sandpaper or fake fur and glue to poster board. Fake fur may be glued to a sturdy fabric such as decorator fabric or denim.) See attached pattern for letters 10. The Christmas Story interactive lesson from The Nativity CD 11. Stickers or a small Christmas tree with ornaments to give to children 12. *Large flash cards of a heart, crown and the word GOD 13. Nativity Sticker Sheets (Oriental Trading Item # 36/352) 12 sheets per pkg 14. Dark Blue or Black Construction Paper cut in half 15. Coloring sheets 16. Crayons 17. Nativity puzzles 18. Small nativity sets or sets cut from cardstock 19. Different colors of construction paper folded in half with BIBLE written on the front. 20. Tape to put the construction paper Bibles on the wall. 21. Small Bible to hide 22. Beach ball (You will need more than one if you plan to do small groups)
*NOTE: The Rebus, Flash Cards and the B-I-B-L-E letters will need to be prepared prior to class time. Also, the construction paper will need to be cut in half and the coloring sheets copied prior to the trip.