Curriculum for Preschoolers JUNE 15, 2014

Transcription

1 3 5 year olds Curriculum for Preschoolers JUNE 15, 2014 We want preschoolers to take a first look at who God is and understand... GOD MADE ME GOD LOVES ME JESUS WANTS TO BE MY FRIEND FOREVER Editor in Chief: Kathy Hill Editor: Kristin Brady Copy Editor: Dana Wilkerson Curriculum Writer: Donna High, Autumn Ward Illustrators: Jodi Blackwell Graphic Designer: David Hill FL Creative Team: Sue Miller, Lois Pallansch, Kathy Hill, Kendra Fleming, Autumn Ward, Ashley Hiers, Donna High, Abbey Carr, Danielle Schneller Chief Executive Officer: Reggie Joiner Chief Operating Officer: Reggie Goodin Executive Director: Sue Miller Technical and Web Support: Hadley Brandt Partner Support: Deb Springer Scripture quotations marked NCV are quoted from the Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright 1987, 1988, 1991 by Word Publishing, Dallas, Texas Used by permission. All rights reserved. These resources are intended to be downloaded and printed for use by the subscribing entity only and may not be electronically transferred to or duplicated by other non-subscribing entities. 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, Inc. gladly grants permission to churches, schools, and other licensees to tailor First LookTM 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 3 5 year olds JUNE 15, 2014 BASIC TRUTH God Made Me God Loves Me Jesus Wants to Be My Friend Forever KEY QUESTION: What is better than gold? BOTTOM LINE: The Bible is better than gold! MEMORY VERSE: Your teachings are worth more to me than thousands of pieces of gold and silver. Psalm 119:72, NCV BIBLE STORY FOCUS: The Bible tells me God loves me all the time. God loves me all the time. Jeremiah 31:3 Here s an overview of what you ll be teaching in 3s 5s this week. Make It Fun (Choose one or all of these activities.) Pirate Power Game Time All the Time Make It True Worship Introductory Sketch Bible Story Make It Stick (Choose as many of these activities as you like.) Verse Map God Loves Me Measuring Fun Deep, High, Wide, and Long Watch Craft Make It Real Small Group Time Prayer Dismiss Parent CUE 2

3 Key Question: What is better than gold? Bottom Line: The Bible is better than gold! Memory Verse: Your teachings are worth more to me than thousands of pieces of gold and silver. Psalm 119:72, NCV Bible Story Focus: The Bible tells me God loves me all the time. God loves me all the time. Jeremiah 31:3 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. Make it Fun 1. Pirate Power Pirate Power is an activity that uses large motor and strength training movements to introduce the Bible story idea that God s love for us is strong. What You Need: No supplies needed. What You Do: During the activity: Lead the children in doing strength training movements such as: push-ups, holding in a plank position, balancing on one foot, sit-ups, jumping jacks, etc. What You Say: Before the activity: The Bible tells us that God s love for us is SOOOOOOO strong that He loves us ALL the time! That s some strong love! Hey, I have an idea! We know that God s love is strong, right? (Pause.) Right! Let s do some exercises to see how strong we are. Come on! This will be fun! During the activity: (Say the following as you call out different pirate movements) Let me see that pirate power! You can do it! At the end of the activity: Whew! I think I used up all my pirate power. I m ready to rest and hear a Bible story about God s strong love. How about you? 2. Game Time Game Time is an activity that uses matching and critical thinking skills to introduce the concept of time in today s Bible story. What You Need: Game Time from the Activity Pages on the Website, white cardstock and scissors What You Do: Before the activity: Copy Game Time from the Activity Pages onto white cardstock and cut the cards apart. During the activity: Play a game of memory match until each card has been matched. At the end of the activity: Ask the children what the items in the pictures are and how those objects help us. What You Say: Before the activity: Let s play a game! I have put cards on the floor and each card has a match. Let s take turns and see if we can find all of the matches. During the activity: (Child s name), would you please go first? You may choose any card that you would like and turn it over. You got a (name picture on the card). Now choose another card and see if you get another (name picture on the card). Way to 3

4 Make it Fun go! Now it is someone else s turn. (Play until all of the matches have been found.) At the end of the activity: That was so much fun! Let s look at the pictures on our cards. (Pick up the watch.) This is a watch. It helps us keep up with the time. Do you know what s special about this? (Pause.) We can wear it on our wrist so we always know what time it is. (Pick up pocket watch.) This is a pocket watch; this helps keep up with time also, but we keep it in our pockets. It even has a special chain to hook to our clothes so that it does not get lost. (Pick up clock.) What is this? (Pause.) Yes, it s a clock! This hangs on the wall or sits on the table to help us not to be late! (Pick up calendar.) This is a calendar. It s not a clock, but it does help us keep up with time by telling us what day it is. (Pick up grandfather clock.) This is a BIG clock that sits on the floor and makes a loud noise to let us know what time it is. (Pick up cuckoo clock.) This is a funny one, isn t it? (Pause.) It sure is! It s called a cuckoo clock because of the silly bird that says, cuckoo, to let you know what time it is. Hmmm. All of these pictures have something in common. They all help us keep up with do you know? (Pause.) YES! They all help us keep up with time! Our story today tells us something very important about time. I cannot wait to find out what it is!! 3. All the Time All the Time is an activity that uses observation and communication skills, as well as number recognition, to introduce the Bible story idea of God loving us all the time. What You Need: Several different kinds of clocks and watches. What You Do: Set out all the different kinds of clocks and watches and encourage the children to observe them. Guide them to look at them, wind them up, listen to them tick, identify the numbers, etc. As you observe the clocks together, talk about how God loves you and me all the time. What You Say: During the activity: Have you ever seen so many clocks? (Pause.) Wow! Let s take a closer look. This one has numbers on it. Can you tell me what these numbers are? (Pause.) What about this one? Listen, I can hear it tick! (Continue with this kind of dialogue throughout the activity.) At the end of the activity: Looking at all of these clocks reminds me that God loves you and me aaaaaalllll the time. It s true! That s what our Bible story is about today God loving us all the time! And guess what else! One of these clocks will be in our Bible story today. Keep your pirate eyes open and maybe you ll spot it! 4

5 Key Question: What is better than gold? Bottom Line: The Bible is better than gold! Memory Verse: Your teachings are worth more to me than thousands of pieces of gold and silver. Psalm 119:72, NCV Bible Story Focus: The Bible tells me God loves me all the time. God loves me all the time. Jeremiah 31:3 After children have participated in Make It Fun, gather them for a large group time that includes interactive worship, introductory sketch and Bible story. A Worship Leader and live instruments are recommended to sing along with the music tracks. Encourage children to be active during worship by incorporating the appropriate hand motions. Choose an adult or teenager who relates well to preschoolers to tell the Introductory Sketch. If possible, use the same person for an entire month as the Host role stays the same each month. Choose an engaging adult to tell the Bible story. This person should be able to command the attention of preschoolers and control the group through animated storytelling. These scripts are written to be told and not read. Advanced preparation is necessary. Make it True Worship What You Need: Paperclip Memory Verse Card from the Week One Activity Pages on the Website in your Bible at Psalm 119:72. You will also need a CD player and this month s worship song, The Bible is the Treasure, which you will need to download from the Website. You will also need God Made Me SHINE! available at or on the CD Wherever I Go. WORSHIP LEADER: Okay, pirates! Tell me, what is better than gold? (Pause.) You got it! The Bible is better than gold! Now let s say it in your best pirate voices. Are you ready? (In your best pirate voice) What is better than gold? CHILDREN and WORSHIP LEADER: The Bible is better than gold! WORSHIP LEADER: You got it! Let s sing about that right now! Lead children in singing The Bible is the Treasure. WORSHIP LEADER: The Bible is better than gold! That means it s better than ALL the money in the world, right? (Pause.) Right! Doesn t our Memory Verse say something about that? (Pause.) It sure does! Let s say it together with the motions in our best pirate voice! CHILDREN and WORSHIP LEADER: Your teachings (hold hands like a book) are worth more to me (bring fisted hands to chest like holding something precious) than thousands (hands explode up and out) of pieces of gold and silver (hands in front rubbing fingers together like greedy for money), Psalm 119:72 (open hands like a book). (Repeat as many times as desired.) WORSHIP LEADER: Excellent work, my pirate friends! Do you know that one of the treasures that we can find in the Bible is that God loves me, and He loves you, too? (Pause.) It s true! It s because of His BIG love for us that He made us to do so many cool things! I have on last song for us to sing together. This song is about how God made us all to shine in so many ways. The words say, God made me, and He loves me so, and He is my friend forever (clap on beat and rock back and forth). God made me, and He loves me so, and He is my friend forever (clap on beat and rock back and forth). And He makes me jump up high (jump), fall down low (drop to crouch with hands on the ground), spin around in a circle (stand up and spin), run, run fast (run in place), walk, walk slow (stomp in place), stop (plant your feet), lift my hands (both hands in air in a V shape) and SHINE! (Do jazz hands with wiggling fingers.)do you think you can sing and do the motions with me? (Pause.) Great! Let s get to it! Lead children in singing God Made Me SHINE! WORSHIP LEADER: Great singing, friends! I ve had so much fun singing with you today about how The Bible is better than gold! Let s get ready for our Bible story 5

6 Make it True First Look offers weekly Bible story on our DVD titled Wonder, Look at God s Story, which you may choose to use rather than a live Storyteller this week. This DVD is available for purchase at the rethink store on our Website. Each week during the Bible story the storytellers will be going on a Treasure Hunt. We have provided you with ideas to get you started that are housed in the Clubhouse Pirate Adventure tab on the Website. You can also see the Theme Notes for June for additional notes and suggestions on how to create your own Treasure Hunt. so we can hear all about God s love for us. I ll see you next time! Worship Leader exits. Bible Story What You Need: The props from Week 1, Treasure Map and Story Pictures from the Clubhouse Pirate Adventure tab on the Website, a large empty picture frame, a large wall clock, a cell phone, a pocket watch with God loves me all the time written on the back, Bible Treasure Box, and a small bottle with a clue paper in it ( Clue #3 Daytime, nighttime, good times, hard times. ). A large empty picture frame and a clock hang on the wall near the map. The clock should be big enough to hide the bottle inside the back of it. Maggie, in full pirate attire, holds her cell phone taking pirate selfies. She photographs three different poses. MAGGIE: Arrrrrr! (Take selfie.) Shiver me timbers! (Strike different pose for another selfie.) Yo ho ho! (Strike different post for another selfie, and then turn to kids.) Ahoy there, mateys! I m Maggie. I m not sure where MARTIN: (Run in, out of breath, no costume.) Ahoy! I m Martin! (Maggie stares at him, surprised.) MAGGIE: Where s your costume? We re supposed to take pirate pictures of you and me! MARTIN: Um my mom took it away. MAGGIE: I can t believe she did that! MARTIN: Well, Mom was like (mom voice), We re going to a nice restaurant for Grandma s birthday. You need to take off your pirate costume. (Normal voice) And I was like, No way! I m not going do it! And mom was like (mom voice), That does it, young man! (Normal voice) And she kind of took it away. MAGGIE: So it s all YOUR fault we can t do pirate pictures. You ruined everything! MARTIN: Great. Now Mom s mad and you re mad. God s probably mad at me, too! MAGGIE: And how are we going to go on another pirate adventure if you re not even ready? MARTIN: I am ready! I don t have to have pirate clothes to go on a treasure hunt. Listen! The best treasure of all is waiting for you. Search high and low for just the right clue. Then you ll spy something hidden that s better than gold woo-hoo! See? I AM ready! 6

7 Make it True MAGGIE: (Smile.) I guess you re right. We can still go on our treasure hunt. (Look at kids.) Are you guys ready? (Maggie goes to the treasure map. Mirror picture is now in its spot.) MAGGIE: That s our mirror from last week, when we were ALL dressed like pirates. (Look pointedly at Martin.) I bet our new Bible treasure goes right here! (Point to the watch spot.) MARTIN: (To the kids) Mateys, are you ready? MARTIN and MAGGIE: We re going on a treasure hunt, a treasure hunt, a treasure hunt. We re going on a treasure hunt. I wonder what it is?! MARTIN: Shhh. Listen. What s that sound? It kind of sounds like a ticking noise. MAGGIE: Maybe it s a clue to our clue? MARTIN: The ticking sounds louder over here. (Walk toward the clock.) Louder louder! It s right there! (Maggie s right under the clock as Martin points to it.) MAGGIE: Where? MARTIN: The clock! The clock is making the ticking sound. (Martin takes down the clock. Maggie pulls off the bottle hidden inside the back and gives it to Martin. Martin puts the clock down to take the clue out.) MAGGIE: (To kids) Our clue in a bottle! Pull the clue out with us, friends! Everybody hold your bottles like this and pull. (Maggie pretends to hold the bottle and pull out the clue to show the kids what to do. Martin is doing it for real.) MARTIN: Clue #3 Daytime, nighttime, good times, hard times. MAGGIE: (Thinking) That means our treasure is something that happens in the daytime MARTIN: Like playing tag or eating a snack. MAGGIE: (To kids) or at nighttime. What do you do in the nighttime? Shout it out! (Pause.) Oh, I do some of that too. MARTIN: But it happens in good times, too. What are good times? 7

8 Make it True MAGGIE: Well, like when we blow out the candles on a birthday cake! Or when we get to play pirates in our WHOLE costume. (Look at Martin.) MARTIN: Or bad times like, um, when we get in trouble with our mom because we don t do what she says (Hang head.) MAGGIE: Wait! There s that ticking sound again! MARTIN: I think it s coming from the trunk this time! (Martin flings open the lid to the trunk.) MAGGIE: It s our Bible Treasure Box! (Maggie pulls out the box and gives it to Martin. He opens the box and pulls out the pocket watch.) MAGGIE: It s a pocket watch, just like the kind pirates might have used to tell time. There s something on the back! It s a Bible verse. (Martin flips the pocket watch over and reads it.) MARTIN: God loves me all the time. MAGGIE: All the time? All the time! In the daytime and the nighttime MARTIN: and in good times and bad times! So wait! (Pause.) God loves us ALL THE TIME. Wow! MAGGIE: Yo-ho-ho, we ve found the treasure! MARTIN and MAGGIE: The Bible is the treasure, the treasure, the treasure. The Bible is the treasure. It s better than gold! Yeah! (High five each other.) MARTIN: (To kids) What is better than gold? MARTIN, MAGGIE, and CHILDREN: The Bible is better than gold! MARTIN: (To kids) What is better than gold? MARTIN, MAGGIE, and CHILDREN: The Bible is better than gold! (Martin flashes the pocket watch and arranges it hanging from his pocket.) MARTIN: God loves me all the time even when I get in trouble. MAGGIE: (To kids) Arrr, mateys! I think we got the story. Did you get it? If you did, say, Got it! 8

9 Make it True MARTIN, MAGGIE, and CHILDREN: (Hold two thumbs up.) Got it! MAGGIE: Awesome! Make sure and come back next time so we can go on another pirate adventure together. There are more Bible treasures waiting to be found! MARTIN and MAGGIE: Bye! Martin and Maggie exit. 9

10 Key Question: What is better than gold? Bottom Line: The Bible is better than gold! Memory Verse: Your teachings are worth more to me than thousands of pieces of gold and silver. Psalm 119:72, NCV Bible Story Focus: The Bible tells me God loves me all the time. God loves me all the time. Jeremiah 31:3 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 the kids to participate in each, then switch groups and repeat the activities. Make it Stick 1. Verse Map Verse Map is an activity that uses shape recognition to accomplish a task and to teach the children this month s Memory Verse. What You Need: Verse Map from the Activity Pages on the Website, white cardstock, crayons, scissors, and glue sticks. What You Do: Before the activity: Copy Verse Map from the Activity Pages onto white cardstock. During the activity: Give each child an Activity Page and scissors. Have the children cut out the heart, circle, square, and rectangle. Then ask the children to find the shapes on the map that match the shapes they cut out. Have the children glue the shapes on top of the matching shape on the map and allow them to color the map. At the end of the activity: Point out that there are words on the shapes and read them to the children. Say the verse several times. What You Say: Before the activity: ARRRG! Mateys, let s look for treasure! Here is your map. (Give each child an Activity Page.) During the activity: On the side of your page you will see four shapes with dotted lines around them. Use your scissors to cut them out. (Allow the children to cut.) Great job! Now look on your map and see if you can find shapes that are hidden in the treasure map. (Give time for the children to locate the shapes.) Very good! Use your glue stick to glue the shapes that you cut out onto the matching shapes on the map. (Allow time for the children to work.) Perfect! Now you can use your crayons to color your map. At the end of the activity: Your maps look pirate-tiffic! Now, do you see the treasure that is on your map? (Pause.) Each shape has words written on it. These words are our Memory Verse. (Point to the heart.) This says, Your teachings are worth (point to the square) more to me than thousands (point to the circle) of pieces of gold and silver (point to the rectangle), Psalm 119:72. The treasure on our map is our Memory Verse from the Bible. Let s say it again together. (Repeat the verse with the children.) Awesome! God s Word is worth so much more than anything else! What is better than gold? (Pause.) You got it! The Bible is better than gold! 2. God Loves Me God Loves Me is an activity that exercises listening and fine motor skills as the children review some different times God loves them. What You Need: Kid Pictures from the Activity Pages on the Website, white 10

11 Make it Stick paper, crayons, and sheets of small heart stickers. What You Do: Before the activity: Make one copy of Kid Pictures from the Activity Pages on white cardstock for each child. Cut your sheets of heart stickers into strips of nine stickers for each child. During the activity: Give each child a copy of Kid Pictures and a strip of nine heart stickers. Discuss each picture on the Kid Pictures page. Each time you talk about what is happening in a picture, encourage the children to put a heart sticker on that picture. What You Say: During the activity: Our Bible story today was about how God loves you all the time. Let s look at these pictures and see some of the times God loves you. One of these people looks mad. Can you find him? (Pause.) Good job. Hmm, do you ever get mad? (Pause.) Everyone gets mad at some time. Does God love you when you re mad? (Pause.) He sure does! God loves you all the time. Let s put a heart sticker on the mad picture to remind us that God loves us all the time. Now look at the picture above the mad boy. This person looks hurt. Does God love you when you re hurt? (Pause.) Yes, God loves you when you re hurt. God loves you all the time! So let s put a hear sticker on that picture too! (Continue in this way with each of the pictures. Color if time is available.) At the end of the activity: It looks like God really does love you all the time! And do you know how I know it s true? Because the Bible says God loves us all the time, and the Bible is always true! That s what makes the Bible better than gold! What is better than gold? (Pause.) The Bible is better than gold! 3. Measuring Fun Measuring Fun is a math activity that teaches the children how to use a ruler. This activity will also put how big God s love is into perspective. What You Need: Measure from the Activity Pages on the Website, white paper, wooden or plastic rulers with inches, markers, and crayons. What You Do: Before the the Activity: Copy Measure from the Activity Pages onto white paper for each child. During the activity: Give each child an Activity Page, a ruler, and a marker. Demonstrate how to measure the items on the page. Measure each item as a class and allow the children to write the answer in the space provided for each item. At the end of the activity: Encourage the children to color the pictures on the page. What You Say: Before the activity: How do you know how long or how big something is? (Pause.) 11

12 Make it Stick Yes! You measure it. We are going to measure things today using this (hold up ruler). Do you know what this is? (Pause.) Yes it is a ruler. During the activity: We are going to use our rulers to measure the items on our activity page (hold up page). Everyone watch me as I show you how to measure. (Demonstrate.) First we will measure the boat sail. Hold the ruler below the item like this. Start at the first dot. (Demonstrate.) Now look to see what number the second dot is on. It stops on the two. That tells me that the boat sail is two inches long. Do you see the box next to the boat? (Pause.) I need to write the number two in the box. Perfect! (Repeat with the gift and the worm.) Okay, last one. It is a bed. Let s see if you can do this one on your own. (Allow children to work.) Okay, what did you get? (Pause.) YES! It is three inches long! You are awesome! Now use your crayons and color the pictures. I am so proud of you! At the end of the activity: You did such an awesome job measuring today! Almost everything can be measured, but I know of one thing that CANNOT be measured GOD S LOVE! It is soooo big that there is not a ruler big enough to measure it. The Bible tells us that God loves us so much and He loves us ALL the time! The Bible is worth more than gold! What is better than gold? (Pause.) Absolutely! The Bible is better than gold! 4. Deep, High, Wide, and Long Deep, High, Wide, and Long is an activity that uses large motor, picture recognition, and memory skills to review how deep, high, wide, and long God s love is for them. What You Need: Picture Pages from the Activity Pages on the Website, white cardstock, tape, this month s worship song downloaded from the Music Resources tab on the Website, and a music player. What You Do: Before the activity: Make enough copies of Picture Pages on white cardstock so that there is one page for each child. During the activity: Tape the Picture Pages in a large circle on the floor and instruct each child to stand on a picture. Review the four different pictures and how they show that God s love is DEEP (ocean), HIGH (sky), WIDE (Grand Canyon) and LONG (road). The children will walk in a circle on the pictures when the music plays. When the music stops, go around the circle and ask each to look at the picture he is standing on and say how God loves him (deep, high, wide or long). What You Say: Before the activity: Who wants to play a game? (Pause.) Me, too! Come stand on one of these pictures and I ll show you how to play. During the activity: The Bible tells us that God s love for you is (point to the pictures as you name them) DEEP like the ocean, HIGH like the sky, WIDE like the Grand Canyon and LONG like a road. Do you think you can remember that? (Pause.) 12

13 Make it Stick When you hear music, we ll walk in a circle. When the music stops, we ll go around to each person, look at the picture we re standing on, and say, God s love for me is (deep, high, wide, long) like the (ocean, sky, Grand Canyon, road). Got it? Let s play! (Repeat as many times as desired.) At the end of the activity: The Bible tells us that God s love for us is DEEP like the ocean, HIGH like the sky, WIDE like the Grand Canyon, and LONG like a road. And if the Bible says it, then you know it s true, because The Bible is better than gold. What is better than gold? (Pause.) The Bible is better than gold! 5. Watch Craft Watch Craft is a craft-based activity that allows the child to make a project that directly relates to the lesson. You can see the inspiration for this activity by going to the First Look Pinterest page: What You Need: Watch and Watch Label from the Activity Pages on the Website, white cardstock, Avery labels #5160 or equivalent, toilet paper rolls, scissors, stickers, glue, and crayons. What You Do: Before the activity: Copy Watch from the Activity Pages onto white cardstock and cut out one watch face for each child. Copy Watch Label from the Activity Pages onto the labels for each child. Cut the toilet paper rolls into four equal pieces. Cut each piece to where it is no longer a continued circle, so that the finished product resembles a C. During the activity: Give each child a piece of the toilet paper roll and a watch face. Help the child glue the watch face onto the paper roll opposite of the cut area. Place a label on one side of the watch face on the band and allow the child to color the watch and decorate with stickers. At the end of the activity: Help the children put the watch on their wrists. What You Say: Before the activity: God loves us ALL the time! We should make something that reminds us of that. I know! We can make a watch that will always remind us that God loves us all of the TIME! During the activity: Here, we can use this to make the band for our watch. (Give each child a piece of the toilet paper roll.) Now here is the part of the watch that has the numbers. (Hold up watch face.) Use your glue to glue this onto the band. (Assist when needed.) Great job! Now we are going to put a very special sticker on our watch. This special sticker tells us that God loves us ALL the TIME. Every time you wear your watch, you can tell others that God loves them all of the time, too! (Hand out labels.) You can put your special sticker anywhere on the band that you would like. Perfect! Now use your crayons and stickers to decorate your watch. 13

14 Make it Stick At the end of the activity: Your watches look amazing! Let s put them on! (Help the children put on the watches.) It is so nice to have our watches that tell us that God loves us all the time. God gave us the Bible to tell us that very same thing too. The Bible tells us so many wonderful things! God loves us so much that He gave us the Bible to help us and tell us how to make the right choices. The Bible is better than gold! What is better than gold? (Pause.) Yes! The Bible is better than gold! 14

15 Key Question: What is better than gold? Bottom Line: The Bible is better than gold! Memory Verse: Your teachings are worth more to me than thousands of pieces of gold and silver. Psalm 119:72, NCV Bible Story Focus: The Bible tells me God loves me all the time. God loves me all the time. Jeremiah 31:3 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. 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 for the entire year. Make it Real Small Group Time What You Need: Paperclip Memory Verse Card from the Week One Activity Pages on the Website in your Bible at Psalm 119:72. Provide a journal and a funshaped pen for each small group. SMALL GROUP LEADER (SGL): (Hold the Bible where the children can see it.) I love today s Bible story because it told us about a very special treasure found in the Bible. Do you remember what it was? (Pause.) LOVE! Today we learned about how God loves you and me ALL the time. Think about that! God loves you when you re happy, sad, mad, sleepy, laughing, crying, when you do something good, and when you do something bad. God loves you ALL the time! That s better than gold! The Bible is better than gold! What is better than gold? CHILDREN and SGL: The Bible is better than gold. SGL: (Open Bible to Psalm 119:72.) That s why our Memory Verse says, Your teachings are worth more to me than thousands of pieces of gold and silver, Psalm 119:72. Say that with me. CHILDREN and SGL: Your teachings are worth more to me than thousands of pieces of gold and silver, Psalm 119:72. SGL: It s time to pray. Let s make a list of different times of the day, like school time, bed time, dinner time, play time, or any other time! Write down the children s names and what they say in your journal. Remember to print the words so they can recognize their names and letters. Prayer SGL: Dear God, thank You for loving us all the time, like during (read the list the children made). We love You, God. In Jesus name, amen. 15

16 Dismiss Set any take-home creations where you or parents can get them easily. Greet parents at the door and tell them that this month preschoolers are learning that The Bible is better than gold! Encourage parents to repeat the Bottom Line at home and help their child understand that The Bible is better than gold! Have this month s Parent CUE available for parents to pick up or send it in a monthly . Encourage parents to use the activities found in Parent CUE to reinforce this month s Bottom Line: The Bible is better than gold! 16