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1 U F A C L U M FO R PR E S C H O OLE R S I C U R R R S T I 5 open my E P I M R S I O S N Editor in Chief Kristi Lemoine Copy Editor Wendi Zebell Illustrators & Graphic Designers Jodi Blackwell Jeff Gribble Julie Shefchunas Chief Creative Officer Reggie Joiner Chief Executive Officer Joel Manby eyes so i O F A Curriculum Writers Marcia Banks Jodi Blackwell Melanie Williams Chief Operating Officer Karen Odom Executive Director Sue Miller Creative Director Kendra Fleming that L O V I N G H E A V E N LY We want preschoolers to take a first look at who God is and understand... Technical and Web Support Hadley Brandt John Estes Howard Odom Partner Support Debbie Joiner Julie Kent wonder ful the wonder ful truths...psalm truths F A T H E R 9:8 made me me to Jesus loves wants God God be my friend ever for Scripture marked NIrV is taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL READER S VERSION TM, Copyright 995, 996, 998 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized reproduction of this material or incorporation into a new work is a direct violation of US copyright laws First Look. All rights reserved. STATEMENT OF FAITH USER AGREEMENT The rethink Group gladly grants permission to churches, schools, and other licens to tailor First Look TM materials to fit their unique leadership requirements, locale and format preferences, and physical environment needs. However, if you wish to edit the content substantively, including Bible stories, learning activities, scripts, and any other content in which biblical principles and concepts are presented, you are obligated to do so within the doctrinal guidelines we ve expressed in our Statement of Faith.

2 Key Question: Bottom Line: Memory Verse: Bible Story Focus: August 6, 2006 God loves me. t he wonderful Can I do hard things? I do anything with God's help. I do all things through Christ. Philippians 4:3, NCV God is always ready to help. The Lion and the Bear Samuel 7:34-37 Here s an overview of what you ll be teaching 3s 5s this. Make It Fun (Choose one or all of these activities) Can I Find It? Can I Guess It? Can I Make It? Psalm 9:8 truths Psalm 9:8 A UGUST / WEEK / 3s 5s Make It True Introductory Sketch Bible Story Worship Make It Stick (Choose as many of these activities as you like) Make a Puppet (Bible story review) Can I Do It? Board Game Look It Up Trace Animal Bodies Animal Relay Make It Real Small Group Time Prayer Dismiss: Small Talk cards Overview: August 2006 Week

3 God loves me. Key Question: Bottom Line: Memory Verse: Bible Story Focus: t he wonderful Can I do hard things? I do anything with God's help. I do all things through Christ. Philippians 4:3, NCV God is always ready to help. The Lion and the Bear Samuel 7:34-37 Psalm 9:8 truths Psalm 9:8 Makeitfun Introductory Activities 0 minutes Prepare to offer one or more of the following activities as your 3-, 4-, or 5-year-olds arrive. Let one or two teachers lead activities in different areas of the room while another teacher greets parents and kids at the door. A UGUST / WEEK / 3s 5s Can I Find It? Whatcha Do: Guide children to look at the animals at the bottom of their Activity Pages. See if they identify each animal. Explain how to look in the large picture to find these same animals hidden in the scene. Be ready to help as needed, but let children do as much for themselves as possible. When kids find an animal, tell them to circle or color it. Whatcha Say: I a sheep. Did you find the sheep? (Pause for responses.) I a lion. Did you find the lion? I a bear. Where is the bear? That was hard, but you did a great job! Today we're going to hear about a young man who protected his sheep from lions and bears. A copy of Hidden Pictures (from the Activity Pages on the Web site) for each child Crayons or markers Make It Fun: Introductory Activities

4 Can I Guess It? Whatcha Do: Ask children to sit in a circle with you. Place the bottle on its side in the center of the circle. Explain that everyone in the circle will have a turn to spin the bottle. Whoever the bottle points to will act out an animal of their choice and everyone else will try to guess what animal they're acting out. Whenever the bottle points toward you, pantomime a sheep, a lion, or a bear. Whatcha Say: Wow! That was hard, but you all are good actors and good guessers! Let's if you guess the answers to this question. Our Bible story today is about three of those animals we just pretended to be. Can you guess which animals? (Pause for responses. Give hints when needed, like: Which animal has four legs and a woolly coat and makes a sound like 'baa'?) Psalm 9:8 truths Psalm 9:8 A 2-liter plastic bottle A UGUST / WEEK / 3s 5s Can I Make It? Whatcha Do: Cut out a set of ears, a set of eyes, and a mouth from Animal Masks for each child. (Cut out a sheep for about a third of the children in your room, a lion for another third, and a bear for the remaining third.) Give each child a set of cutouts and ask if they know what the cutouts are of and what animal they portray. Guide kids to glue their cutouts to a paper plate and color the plates as they wish. For older kids: You may want to allow older children to cut out the pieces on their own. Or, you may want to cut out the pieces, mix them up, and guide kids to match the cutouts that go together. Several copies of Animal Masks (from the Activity Pages on the Web site) Snub-nosed scissors Crayons or markers White paper plates Glue sticks 2 Make It Fun: Introductory Activities

5 Note: These masks will be used during the Bible story, so try to let every child in the room make a mask. Whatcha Say: It was pretty hard guessing what animals our pictures would turn out to make, but you did it! These three animals have something to do with our Bible story today. Can you guess what the story is about? (Pause for responses.) We'll find out in a few minutes. Listen to if you're right. Psalm 9:8 truths Psalm 9:8 Godloves me A UGUST / WEEK / 3s 5s God made me Jesuswants to be my friend forever 3 Make It Fun: Introductory Activities

6 God loves me. Key Question: Bottom Line: Memory Verse: Bible Story Focus: t he wonderful Can I do hard things? I do anything with God's help. I do all things through Christ. Philippians 4:3, NCV God is always ready to help. The Lion and the Bear Samuel 7:34-37 Psalm 9:8 truths Psalm 9:8 Makeittrue Large Group 5 minutes After children have participated in Make It Fun, gather them for a large group time that includes an introductory sketch, a Bible story, and interactive worship. A UGUST / WEEK / 3s 5s Choose an adult who relates well to preschoolers to tell the Introductory Sketch. If possible, use the same adult all year. To add variety, consider videotaping the sketch and playing the video during Make It True. A Worship Leader and live instruments are recommended. Encourage children to be active during worship by providing assorted percussion instruments and/or incorporating appropriate hand motions as described in the teaching instructions that follow. Introductory Sketch HOST: (Enter carrying the stuffed toy lion.) Good morning! Do you like my toy lion? When I was little, I had a toy lion that looked a lot like this. It was my favorite toy. I slept with it, played with it, and carried it everywhere. Do you have a favorite toy like that? (Pause for responses.) Well, I just loved my lion, so when my daddy said we were going to the zoo to a real lion, I was so happy! When we got to the zoo, I wanted to the lions first. But when I got No supplies needed. 4 Make It True: Large Group

7 closer to the lion cage, I started to get scared. The real lion wasn't soft and cuddly like my toy. The real lion was this big (indicate the size of a real lion, which is about 4 feet high and 6 to 7 feet long). He had scraggly brown fur that stuck out all over his head, and his eyes looked mean. His mouth was so huge that he looked like he could chew me up with his sharp yellow teeth and swallow me in one bite. Then he roared like this (imitate a lion roar). I was so afraid. I wanted to leave the zoo right that minute. But my daddy picked me up and held me. He told me I was safe from the big lion and that he would take care of me. My daddy helped me to not be scared so I could stay and have a fun time at the zoo. God is always ready to help us, just like my daddy helped me. I do anything with God s help. I even do hard things. Can I do hard things? Psalm 9:8 truths Psalm 9:8 A UGUST / WEEK / 3s 5s KIDS and HOST: I do anything with God s help. HOST: Now let's hear a Bible story about someone else who met a big scary lion! Bible Story STORYTELLER: (Hold up Bible.) The Bible is God's Word. The Bible tells us what God wants us to do. God wants us to know we do anything with His help, even hard things. Can I do hard things? KIDS and STORYTELLER: I do anything with God s help. STORYTELLER: In today's Bible story, a boy named David told about some very hard things he did with God's help. You're going to help me tell the story about David. Each of you has an animal mask. When I mention your animal during the story, I want you to hold up your animal mask and make the animal's sound. All you sheep will say, 'baa,' the lions will say, 'roar,' and the bears will say, 'grrr.' Let's practice one time. Hold up your mask and make your sound when I call out your animal. Sheep. (Pause for kids to 'baa.') Lion. (Pause for 'roar.') Bear. (Pause for 'grrr.') A Bible marked at Samuel 7:34-37 The animal masks kids made in Can I Make It? during Make It Fun. Each child should hold a mask representing either a bear, a lion, or a sheep. 5 Make It True: Large Group

8 Good job. Remember, when I say your animal in the story, hold up your mask and make the sound. I said our Bible story is about a boy named David. David was a shepherd boy, which means he took care of sheep. (Pause for kids to make noise.) While David watched out for the sheep (pause), sometimes a lion (pause) or a bear (pause) would come and carry off one of the sheep (pause). When this happened, David would chase after the lion (pause) or the bear (pause). He would hit it until it dropped the sheep (pause). Then if the lion (pause) or the bear (pause) attacked him, David would grab its hair and hit it again (mimic action of grabbing animal's hair and hitting it). You kids know that a lion (pause) and a bear (pause) are big and dangerous. I would've been afraid of them, just like our Host was afraid when she was little. But David knew God was always ready to help him. He said God saved him from the paw of the lion (pause) and the paw of the bear (pause). So David was able to keep the sheep (pause) safe. David knew he could do anything with God's help, just like you and I. Can I do hard things? KIDS and STORYTELLER: I do anything with God s help. STORYTELLER: God loved David, so He helped him. God helps me, too, because God loves me. Psalm 9:8 truths Psalm 9:8 A FIRST IMPRESSION OF A LOVING HEAVENLY A UGUST / WEEK / 3s 5s PRAYER STORYTELLER: Now let's close our eyes and pray. (Pause as children follow the instructions.) Dear God, thank You that You love me and every one of these children. We know that You are always ready to help us, even with hard things. Thank You that we do anything with your help. Amen. FATHER 6 Make It True: Large Group

9 I do Worship WORSHIP LEADER: We have a brand new memory verse to learn this month, and we're going to learn some signs to help us remember it. The verse is Philippians 4:3. It says, 'I do all things through Christ.' Let's do some motions together as we say our Bible verse. Lead kids to say the verse while doing the motions below. I (point to self) do (place hands in front of waist with fingers pointing down and move hands to the left and right as if 'doing') all (cross arms in front of chest and move hands around in a circular, encompassing motion) things through Christ (form right hand into the letter 'C' and move it from your left shoulder to your right hip), Philippians 4:3 (put your palms together in front of you, and then open them as if opening a book). WORSHIP LEADER: It makes me feel good to know that I do anything with God s help. God helps me because He loves me. God loves you and God loves me. Will you say that with me? KIDS and WORSHIP LEADER: all things God loves me. through Christ. Psalm 9:8 truths Psalm 9:8 Philippians 4:3 A New Century Version of the Bible marked at Philippians 4:3 CD player The CDs UpStreet Kids: Hey God! and Every Day Also, use this month's original worship song, which you download from the Web site, during this segment or whenever you like this month. A UGUST / WEEK / 3s 5s WORSHIP LEADER: God loves me, God is with me, and God walks beside me everyday. Let's sing a song about that. Lead children in singing Every Day, track 5, from the CD Every Day. (Note: This is a simple song that should be easy for preschoolers to learn. Encourage them to sing out on the repetitive chorus, especially on the words every day and every night. ) WORSHIP LEADER: That was wonderful. I'm so glad God helps me do things. I know I need God to help me every day. Let's sing to God about how much we need Him and love Him. 7 Make It True: Large Group

10 Lead the kids to sing Hey God, track 9, from the CD UpStreet Kids: Hey God! (Note: Do the music live if possible. You may sing the whole song, allowing children to clap along. Encourage children to sing the chorus of the song and do the suggested motions. If you're using the CD, encourage kids to dance or clap during the verses, and sing and do the motions during the chorus.) Hey Punch your fist in the sky with each 'hey.' Love you Hug yourself. Need you Nod your head 'yes.' You 't do Shake your head 'no.' See me through Hold your hand over your eyes like a visor. Hey, God Punch your fist in the sky. WORSHIP LEADER: You did a great job worshiping God today! Let's listen to find out where (insert teacher's name) wants us to go next. Psalm 9:8 truths Psalm 9:8 A UGUST / WEEK / 3s 5s God loves me Godmademe Jesus wants to be my friend forever 8 Make It True: Large Group

11 God loves me. Key Question: Bottom Line: Memory Verse: Bible Story Focus: t he wonderful Can I do hard things? I do anything with God's help. I do all things through Christ. Philippians 4:3, NCV God is always ready to help. The Lion and the Bear Samuel 7:34-37 Psalm 9:8 truths Psalm 9:8 Make itstick Application Activities 35 minutes A UGUST / WEEK / 3s 5s These activities are designed to help preschoolers understand and remember today's Bible story and Bottom Line. Offer as many of the following activities as your time, facilities, resources, and leadership allow. You may want to lead one activity at a time. Or offer two activities at once and allow half of the kids to participate in each, then switch groups and repeat the activities. Make a Puppet Whatcha Do: Guide children to make a puppet to represent David from the Bible story. They draw facial features on the bottom of the sack and let the fold of the sack be the mouth. They glue pieces of yarn on for the hair and pieces of fabric around the body for clothes. Then re-enact the story using the puppets and the animal masks, letting kids take turns being David, some sheep, a lion, and a bear. Whatcha Say: David was just a few years older than you are right now when he started helping his family by watching over the sheep. It would be pretty scary and hard to have to fight a lion or a bear! I bet David wondered, 'Can I do hard things? Can I protect the sheep from lions and bears?' But David knew God is always ready to help. He told himself, I do anything with God s help. Paper lunch sacks Fabric Yarn Glue sticks Snub-nosed scissors Crayons or markers The animal masks kids made in Can I Make It? during Make It Fun 9 Make It Stick: Application Activities

12 Can I Do It? Board Game Whatcha Do: Make tape loops and tape each game square on the floor in a circular, meandering path. Explain how to play the game ( the section titled How Ya Play on the Board Game Activity Page). Let children select a playing piece, if applicable, and place them on Start. Play the game, allowing the youngest child to go first and proceeding around the circle to the right. Whatcha Say: That was a challenging game, but you all played it so well! Did you wonder if you could do all those hard things? (Pause for responses.) Whenever we have something hard to do, it's good to remember that God is always ready to help. He's always ready to help me because God loves me. And He's always ready to help you because God loves you. I do anything with God s help. Say that with me. I do anything with God s help. Note: Keep the game board and the game cards for use during 3. You may also want to keep it and add your own game cards to it to play at other times. Psalm 9:8 truths Psalm 9:8 A game die Masking tape Play-Doh A playing piece for each child A piece of yellow cardstock, a piece of green cardstock, a piece of blue cardstock, a piece of red cardstock, and a piece of orange cardstock for Game Cards (from the Activity Pages on the Web site) to be copied onto Two sheets of purple cardstock, six sheets of yellow cardstock, nine sheets of green paper, four sheets of blue paper, four sheets of red paper, and three sheets of orange paper prepared according to the directions on Board Game (from the Activity Pages on the Web site) A Bible with Philippians 4:3 marked for each child A UGUST / WEEK / 3s 5s 0 Make It Stick: Application Activities

13 Look It Up Whatcha Do: Stack the various Bibles. Invite children to take a Bible and pass it around the circle until everyone has one. Guide the children to open the Bibles to the bookmark, read the verse along with you, and then repeat it with you several times. Whatcha Say: Do you know what these books are? (Pause for responses.) Yes, every one of these books is a Bible. Do you anything different about these Bibles? (Affirm their observations by saying things like, 'Yes, the covers are different' or 'This Bible is smaller than the others.') Even though these Bibles look different, they're all still the Bible. They tell us what God says. Can you think of something the Bible tells us? (Listen to and affirm the kids' responses.) Yes, the Bible says, 'God loves me.' God loves you, and God loves me. What was that Bible verse we just read? (Pause.) Yes, the Bible says, 'I do all things through Christ.' That means that I do anything with God s help. Say that with me. I do anything with God s help. Psalm 9:8 truths Psalm 9:8 A variety of Bibles marked at Philippians 4:3. Make sure there's a Bible for each child. A UGUST / WEEK / 3s 5s Make It Stick: Application Activities

14 Trace Animal Bodies Whatcha Do: Create stencils by cutting the center animal shape out of the Animal Body Patterns, leaving the border of each page uncut. You'll need to use sharp scissors to do this. Ask children to choose which animal they would like to trace onto their piece of cardstock or construction paper. Tape the stencil over their paper to keep it in place, and then guide them to trace the outline of the animal. Lead each child to decorate their animal by gluing pom-poms on it or coloring it with crayons or markers. Then they cut their animals out and attach two clothespin legs to it. Show kids how their animals stand up on their legs. For older kids: Instead of creating a stencil, cut the animal figures out and let kids trace around the animal patterns. Whatcha Say: I do anything with God s help. When David was taking care of the sheep, he had to protect the sheep from lions and bears. That was pretty hard and scary! But David knew God is always ready to help. You take your sheep, lion, or bear home and put it somewhere in your bedroom where you'll it every day. It remind you that you do anything with God's help, even hard things. Whenever you wonder if you do hard things, what do you need to remember? (Pause for responses.) Yes, I do anything with God s help. That's very important, so say it with me. I do anything with God s help. Psalm 9:8 truths Psalm 9:8 Several copies of Animal Body Patterns (from the Activity Pages on the Web site) Light colored cardstock or construction paper Scissors Masking tape Glue Mini pom-poms in white, tan, brown, and black Crayons or markers Spring-hinged wooden clothespins A UGUST / WEEK / 3s 5s 2 Make It Stick: Application Activities

15 Animal Relay Whatcha Do: Place two long pieces of tape on the floor about 0 feet apart. One will be the starting line, the other the finish line. Divide children into two teams and ask each team to line up behind the starting line. Explain that you will call out a way for each team member to move from the starting line to the finish line and back. For instance, you might say, Hop like a kangaroo, fly like a bird, slither like a snake, or swim like a fish. Toward the end of the game, give the following instructions: Graze like a sheep (kids should get on their hands and knees and pretend to chomp grass as they crawl to the finish line and back), roar like a lion (kids should roar as they move), and amble like a bear (kids should walk on their hands and feet). Be creative as you call out a different way for each pair of children (one from each team) to move. Play as long as interest allows. Psalm 9:8 truths Psalm 9:8 Masking tape A UGUST / WEEK / 3s 5s Variation: Guide children to call out different animals for team members to move like. Whatcha Say: Some of those were hard to do, but you did it! Sometimes I wonder, 'Can I do hard things?' Do you ever wonder if you do something hard? But God is always ready to help. I do anything with God s help. In fact, the Bible says, I do all things through Christ. God loves me, and God loves you, so I know He'll help us do hard things. What are some hard things that you are learning to do? (Pause for responses.) Tip: Remove the tape at the end of class to avoid leaving a sticky residue. 3 Make It Stick: Application Activities

16 God loves me. Key Question: Bottom Line: Memory Verse: Bible Story Focus: t he wonderful Can I do hard things? I do anything with God's help. I do all things through Christ. Philippians 4:3, NCV God is always ready to help. The Lion and the Bear Samuel 7:34-37 Make It Real is designed to help preschoolers understand how the Bottom Line applies to them. They'll discuss real-life experiences and share prayer requests. Psalm 9:8 truths Psalm 9:8 Make itreal SMALL GROUP 5 minutes A UGUST / WEEK / 3s 5s Divide kids into small groups of about five to eight children with each leader. Ideally, assign the same small group leader to the same group of preschoolers Use a bookmark or for the entire year. sticky note to mark Philippians 4:3 in a New Century SMALL GROUP LEADER Version Bible. (SGL): Today we learned that God is always ready to help us. We also learned that we do hard things. Can I do hard things? Highlight or underline the verse. Provide a journal, a fun-shaped pen, and KIDS and SGL: I do anything with God s help. tape or a glue stick for each small SGL: One thing that's hard for me is being scared. I'm very scared of spiders. What scares you? (Encourage each child to share something they're afraid of, and then write their answers in the journal.) Those group. Make a copy of Child on a Tricycle be some scary things, but since God help us do anything, He (from the Activity even help us not be afraid. That's a hard thing, but I do hard Pages on the Web things? site) and cut out the shape so it will fit in the journal. small group time 4 Make It Real: Small Group

17 KIDS and SGL: prayer I do anything with God s help. SGL: (Show kids the copy of Child on a Tricycle. ) This picture reminds me that some things are hard to do, but God helps us do them. God help us if we're afraid. (Open Bible to memory verse.) Our Bible verse this month says, 'I do all things through Christ.' I even be brave when something scares me. SGL: Let's pray and ask God to help us when we're afraid. Say a simple prayer asking for God's help. Say, Help (insert child's name) to not be afraid of (let that child say his fear). Close by thanking God for His help. Psalm 9:8 truths Psalm 9:8 A UGUST / WEEK / 3s 5s get ready to dismiss Set any takehome creations where you or parents get them easily. Greet parents at the door and give them a copy of Small Talk and an August Magnet. Tell parents that this month preschoolers are learning that I do anything with God s help. Point out this month's memory verse and symbol on the magnet. Encourage parents to put it on their refrigerator so they it often and reinforce their child's learning at home during the month. Encourage parents to use Small Talk throughout the as they continue helping their child understand that I do anything with God s help. Copy this 's Small Talk onto cardstock and cut the cards apart. Prepare one copy of August Magnet (from the Activity Pages on the Web site) for each child. Print the symbol on a magnet or copy the item on cardstock and attach a magnet to the back. 5 Make It Real: Small Group