My Senses

by Kimber Bailey Scott

Genesis 1, Psalm 139:13-15, Matthew 19:19

BEGIN:
Have soft children's music playing. What do you hear? God gives us ears to hear nice music.

LOOK:

Give each kid a mirror. Ask them to look at their nose, mouth, ears, eyes and hands.

SING:

(tune: London Bridge) - point to each body part when you sing

Eyes & ears, nose & mouth

Nose & mouth, nose & mouth

Eyes & ears, nose & mouth

Thank you God for making me.

RHYME:

(point to each body part)

My eyes, my ears, my nose, my mouth

My hand and feet so small.

My arms, my legs, my tummy, my head,

I know God made them all!

                                ~Sylvia Tester

PRAY: (ask children to repeat you)

God, thank You for giving us eyes, ears, noses, mouths and hands. Amen.

LESSON + SNACK:

Hold up an apple for the kids to see. What is this? God made apples for us to enjoy. God gave us eyes, noses, hands, mouths and ears so we can learn about and enjoy apples and lots of other things. Give each child an apple but tell them not to eat it yet.

The Bible tells us that God made the whole world and that God made all people. God made you and me. God made each one of us different and special, because He loves us. God made our eyes. Use your eyes to look at the apple you are holding. What does it look like?

God also made our hands and fingers. Use your hands and fingers to rub your apple. How does your apple feel?

God made our mouths and tongues. Use your mouth to bite into and taste your apple. How does it taste? Is it sweet and juicy?

God also made our ears. Use our ears to hear your apple when you bite into it and chew it. It sounds crunchy.

I am so glad that God gave us eyes, noses, hands, mouths and ears so we can enjoy everything He has made! Have them finish their apples and have them throw it in the trash. Let them wash their hands. 

APPLY:

What do we use our eyes for? What do you like to look at?

(optional: have pretty pictures and ask them if they like it)

What do we use our ears for? What do you like to hear?

(optional: Have them close their eyes. Clap your hands, snap, etc. Ask them what they hear.)

What do we use our noses for? What do you like to smell?

(optional: Have things they can smell like a rose.)

What do we use our hands and fingers for? What do you like to feel?

(optional: Have things they can touch with different textures. Which one do they like to touch the most?)

MEMORY VERSE:

Who made our bodies? The Bible tells us "God made us." Let's say those words together. "God made us." Let each kid hold their own Bible and help them turn to Psalm 100:3 then say it together. "God made us."

GAME:

"God Says" - like Simon Says

Touch your nose, mouth, ears, etc. Wiggle fingers, blink eyes, raise up your arms, stomp your feet, etc.

ART:

Give them each some play dough. Show them how to flatten it out. Then make impressions of your features. They'll have to press hard, you might have to help them. Ears, nose, mouth, teeth, fingers, hands, fingernails, etc.

YOU'LL NEED:

Soft children's music

Mirrors

Apples

Bible

Play dough

Pretty pictures

Things that smell: rose, cookies, etc.

Things they can touch like water, cotton, crepe paper, fur, etc.

I Share

by Kimber Bailey Scott

John 6:1-13

STORY TIME & SNACK:

Before you start, place lots of goldfish and oyster crackers in a basket. Lay a napkin on top of these. On top of the napkin, lay 5 rolls on top. Also have a small whole fish from the grocery story on a plate.

There were a lot of people who were hungry. Ask them to pretend to be the people, rubbing their hungry tummies. Was there anyone that could share their food? There was! A boy came to Jesus. He had 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. (as you tell the story, pull out the basket with the bread on top. Lay the fish on a plate beside the basket. The boy shared his food with Jesus. Jesus took the food and made enough for everyone to eat! Pray like Jesus did. Take the napkin off to reveal the crackers underneath. Pass out on a napkin and eat.

ART:

Copy a set of the sandwich pieces for each child and cut them out. (I got mine free at: http://familyfun.go.com/assets/cms/pdf/kaboose/sandwich.pdf ) Ask each child to glue their pieces on top of each other to make a paper sandwich. Cut the sandwiches in half. Ask each child to share one half with the sibling to their right (or with you). Each ends up with 2 halves that they glue onto paper plates. Why is it a good idea to share? How does God feel when we share? How do other people feel when we share? Who shared in our story? What did they share?

SCIENCE:
Give each kid a paper lunch sack. Take a walk outside. Gather things God shares with us that we can share with others (rocks, flowers, leaves, etc.). Then give each child a large piece of clear contact paper. Peel the backing off halfway and lay the plastic sticky side up. Let the child set his nature objects on the sticky plastic. Peel off the rest of the backing. Fold the sticky sides together with the objects in between. The children can take the pictures & share them with each other, Daddy, a friend, someone at church, etc. What are some things that God shares with us? What are some things we can share with other people? How does God feel when we share? What did the people in our story share?

SNACK #2:
Give each kid a paper plate, 4 large cheese crackers and 2 thin slices of apple. Show the children how to make sandwiches by placing the apple between the cheese crackers. Each child makes 2 cheesewiches. They share one with the person to their right. That way they have shared one but they get another one so they'll still have 2 but one's from someone else. What does it mean to share? How does it feel when someone shares with you? Tell about a time when you shared your food with someone else (homeless, family in need, etc.). Why does God want us to share? Who shared in our story? What did they share?

GAME:
Seat all your kids in a circle but one will be in the middle. Give a hat to every child in the circle including the child in the middle. Use as many different kinds of hats as you can gather. Turn on some kid friendly music and have the kids pass the hats but the child in the middle is not passing, he/she is wearing their hat. When you stop the music, each child puts on the hat they are holding. The child in the middle chooses the hat the other kids are wearing they like most of all. The child wearing that hat SHARES, giving it to the child in the middle. Then they trade places. Keep playing.
What do you share here at home? What do you share with your friends? How does it make God feel when you share? Who shared in our story? What did they share?

MEMORY VERSE:
Who wants to share? The Bible tells us "Share with others." Let's say those words together. "Share with others." Take turns sharing a Bible and ask each to say "Share with others." Hebrews 13:16

YOU'LL NEED:
2 whole fish (from butcher section of grocery store - buy the day of or the day before)
5 rolls of bread or French bread broken into 5 pieces
Goldfish crackers
Oyster crackers
napkins
basket
plate
different kinds of hats
music/cd player/Ipod player
apple
knife
plates
large cheese crackers
lunch sacks
clear contact paper
copies of sandwich patterns
glue/glue sticks
scissors
paper plates
Bible

God Cares for Me

by Kimber Bailey Scott

Exodus 6:2-8, 12:31-38; 13:17-22; Genesis 6:8-22, 7, 8:1-20, 28:10-17

SING:

(tune: Here we go 'round the mulberry bush)

God cares for *me**all the time,

All the time, all the time

God cares for me all the time.

Thank you, High God!

*insert names of children

**Wherever I live

Wherever I go

When the sun is out

When the stars are out

RHYME:

God is near when the sun shines bright. (raise arms above head to form sun)

God takes care of me all through the night. (rest cheek against hands)

God is with me when I play. (pretend to push toy truck or rock a doll)

God is with me every day! (clap hands)

                        ~Mildred Merkel

PRAY:

Let's talk to God. (Ask them to repeat what you say.) Thank you, God for caring for us day and night, when we play and when we sleep. In Jesus' name, Amen.

MEMORY VERSE:

When you prayed, did you say that God cares for you? How did you know He cares for us? The Bible tells us that God cares for us and everything in the Bible is true. The Bible says, "He cares for you." Can you say those words with me? Say them louder. Give each one a Bible or share and ask each to say "He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

LESSON:

(Hold us the pillar of cloud and fire visual aid.) What does this look like? This side is a cloud. (turn it around) This side is fire. Let me tell you how God used these things to show His people where to go.

There was a time when God's people were in Egypt. The king of Egypt made the people work very, very hard. They could not leave Egypt. Perhaps they prayed "Help us, God, help us!" God heard His people. He sent a man named Moses to help. Moses talked to the king and asked him to let God's people go. At first, the king said "NO!" but finally he changed his mind.

All of God's people hurried to pack their belongings. They gathered baskets to put their things in. Give each child a basket or bag. Let's pretend we're packing to leave Egypt. Let's put all our things in the baskets; our clothes, dishes, toys and don't forget some food. Have them put things in their bags/baskets. Now pick up your basket and let's go!

When the people left Egypt, God let them in the daytime with a big cloud. All day the cloud moved and the people followed. They didn't have cars or vans. They didn't have wagons. So they had to carry their belongings as they walked. Lead them around the house with the cloud side facing them. When it got dark, God sent a big fire to light the night and show the people which way to walk. Lead the kids around the house again but this time with the fire side facing them.

When the fire stopped, the people stopped to eat and to sleep (pretend to do so).

God took care of His people all day and all night long. God will take care of you too.

APPLY:

God cared for His people by sending something to show them which way they should go. What did God send? God cared for His people day and night. The Bible says "He cares for you." How does God care for you in the daytime? (food, water, home, parents, etc.) How does God care for you at nighttime? (keeps me safe, helps me not to be afraid, etc.)

ART:

Before you start, glue sheets of black and blue paper together. Give each child one. Give them a sun to glue on the blue side of their paper. Also the words "He cares for you...in the daytime." God gave us the sun to shine during the day because He cares for us.

Turn over to the black side and give them the moon and stars to glue on. Also the words "He cares for you...at nighttime." Even though it is dark, God can see us at night. God never stops caring for us. The Bible says "He cares for you." Who cares for you? Yes, God cares for you!

GAME: 

Sit in a circle. Say "He cares for you" several times. Then roll a large ball to one child and say the first word of the Bible verse "He" The child can roll the ball to a second child (or you) while saying the word "cares" Children can continue rolling the ball to each other (you) and saying one word of the Bible verse each time. Help them with the words as needed. During the course of the game ask: Who cares for us? Who cares for you? That's right, God cares for us. The Bible tells us "He cares for you."

SNACK:

Peel bananas and slice into crescents. That is your moon. Cut Star Fruit slices; those are the stars. (or maybe cut stars from slices of apples) Put on blue party plates. Are you afraid of the dark sometimes? What are you scared of? Who takes care of you when you sleep? Mommy & Daddy? Do you know God also takes care of you when you sleep? God loves you and takes care of you.

YOU'LL NEED:
Bible

Pillar of cloud & fire visual aid

       example: http://kidsandthebible.blogspot.com/2009/07/pillar-of-firecloud-craft.html

baskets & bags or grocery sacks

stuff around the house (toys, clothes, fruit, etc.)

Blue & black construction paper glued together

Colored shapes and words (sun, moon, stars, etc.) - see ART

glue

large ball

blue party plates

star fruit or apples

bananas

knife