May 7, 2017 Basic Truth: God loves me. Key Question: Who s got it? Bottom Line: God s got it. Memory Verse: He is the great God, He is mighty and wonderful. Deuteronomy 10:17, NIRV Bible Story Focus: God is always with me. Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego Daniel 3:10-28 Make It Fun (Introductory Activities, 10 minutes) 1. Pull from the Fire What You Need: Small bucket; 20-30 paper clips; orange, red, and yellow tissue paper; and preschool magnet fishing poles What You Do: Before the Activity: Place all of the paper clips in the bottom of the bucket. Arrange the tissue paper inside the bucket to look like a fire on top of the paper clips. Be sure to use all three colors of the tissue paper. During the Activity: Allow each child to use the magnet fishing pole and encourage them to place it in the bucket to try to get the paper clips out of the fire. After the Activity: Continue with the activity until all of the paper clips are out of the bucket and all of the children have had a turn. What You Say: Before the Activity: There is a fire in the bucket! (Point.) Don t worry; it s a pretend fire. It will not burn you like a real fire. (Touch the fire.) I dropped some paper clips into the fire! Oh no! Will you help me get them out? (Pause.) During the Activity: We can use these magnet fishing poles to help us get all of the paper clips out. (Hold up.) The paper clips are metal and metal objects stick to magnets. (Demonstrate.) See the paperclips stick to the magnet? Now it is your turn to give it a try. (Do activity.) Way to go! After the Activity: Thank you so much for all of your help! We saved all of the paper clips from the fire. In our Bible story today, we are going to hear an AMAZING story about three men who were also saved from a fire. I cannot wait to find out who saved them! 2. Bible Story Read Fiery Furnace on pages 247-250 in The Beginners Bible. Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds 2015 The rethink Group. All rights reserved. www.thinkorange.com 1
Make It Stick (Application Activities, 15 minutes) 1. Streamer Story What You Need: Red, yellow, and orange crepe paper; tape; scissors; and a classroom table What You Do: Before the Activity: Cut the crepe paper into strips and tape them to the tabletop so that they hang down over the side of the table to create a furnace. During the Activity: Have the children act out today s Bible story using the script below. When you reach the furnace part of the story, encourage the children to gather under the table furnace you ve created. What You Say: During the Activity: I want us to act out today s Bible story together! We can all play the characters. Listen carefully as I describe what happened and I want you to show me how you would act it out. Are you ready? King Nebuchadnezzar thought he was an awesome king and he wanted everyone to know it. So he had a huge gold statue built and placed it in the center of the city. Do you remember what the statue looked like? (Pause for responses.) Yes! It was a statue of himself! And the king made a rule that every time the music played, the people in his kingdom had to bow down to the statue. Quick, everyone play your flutes or trumpets. (Pause as kids follow directions.) And now pretend to bow down to the statue. (Pause.) Great job! But there were three guys who refused to follow the king s command. They knew that you shouldn t bow down to anyone except God! Does anyone remember their names? (Pause for responses.) Yeah! Their names were: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Well, the king didn t like the fact that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego weren t following his directions! So he ordered that they be thrown into the fiery furnace. Do you see my fiery furnace over there? (Point.) Okay, let s all go in the furnace! (Pause as children go under the table.) Were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego worried when they were thrown into the fire? (Pause.) Do we have to be worried? (Pause.) Nope! They knew that God s got this! God sent an angel to protect them and they weren t hurt! (Pause while children come out from under the table.) Yay! I m so glad they weren t hurt in the furnace, because [Bottom Line] God s got it. Who s got it? [Bottom Line] God s got it! After the Activity: Great job, actors! I love today s TRUE Bible story, because it reminds me that God is always with me and that [Bottom Line] God s got it. Who s got it? [Bottom Line] God s got it. Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds 2015 The rethink Group. All rights reserved. www.thinkorange.com 2
2. Hand Spinner What You Need: Spinner Activity Page, popsicle sticks, glue sticks, and clear tape What You Do: Before the Activity: Copy the Activity Page onto the cardstock. During the Activity: Give each child an Activity Page set of squares Place one square on the table face down and place a popsicle stick on top of it. Move the stick to where is it covering half of the square and the remainder of the stick is sticking out towards the bottom of the picture. Secure the stick to the picture with the tape. Help the children glue the second picture to the back of the first picture with the stick taped in between. Be sure that both pictures are facing to the outside so you can see them. After the Activity: Show kids how to use the spinner. What You Say: Before the Activity: We heard an AMAZING story today! God protected Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fire. During the Activity: We are going to make a cool hand spinner that tells our Bible story. (Give each child an Activity Page set.) First, we need to color each of the square. Now let s use tape to put your spinner together. After the Activity: You did a great job making your hand spinners. Now hold the stick in between your hands like this. (Demonstrate by placing your open hands together palm to palm with the stick in between.) Now move your hands back and forth to spin the pictures. (Demonstrate.) Perfect! Who save Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fire? (Pause.) God did! He is always with us! Who s got it? [Bottom Line] God s got it! 3. Books of the Bible What You Do: Review the books of the Bible, Matthew James, with the children. Practice saying them in funny voices (whispering, squeaking like a mouse, etc.), motor activity (jumping, marching, etc.), or with hand motions (clapping, chomping like an alligator, etc.). What You Say: OK, now we are going to learn the New Testament Books of the Bible. Do you know who we learn about in the New Testament? That s right! We learn about Jesus! Let s practice! Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1&2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James. Can you say it with me? Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds 2015 The rethink Group. All rights reserved. www.thinkorange.com 3
Make It Real (Small Group Application & Prayer, 5 minutes) What You Need: Paperclip Memory Verse Card (from the Week One Activity Pages on the Website) in your Bible at Deuteronomy 10:17. Provide a journal and a fun-shaped pen for each small group. SMALL GROUP LEADER (SGL): Come sit with me! We re going to talk about the three friends in our Bible story: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. What did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego learn about God in the fire? (Pause.) They learned that God is the best friend, because God is always with us! God had it the whole time! Who s got it? CHILDREN and SGL: [Bottom Line] God s got it! SGL: Who s got it? CHILDREN and SGL: [Bottom Line] God s got it! SGL: He sure does! God s got it because He is great and mighty and awesome, just like our new Bible verse says He is! Let me open the Bible and I ll read it to you! (Open Bible to memory verse card.) SGL: (Read verse from the Bible.) He is the great God, He is might and wonderful, Deuteronomy 10:17. Wow! I love saying that! Stand up and let s say it together with the motions. Just say what I say and do what I do. (Lay Bible down.) CHILDREN and SGL: He is the great God (point both hands up), He is mighty (muscle arm right) and wonderful (muscle arm left), Deuteronomy 10:17. (Open your hands like a book.) (Repeat the verse with the motions several times together.) SGL: [Bottom Line] God s got it because He is great! [Bottom Line] God s got it because He is mighty! [Bottom Line] God s got it because He is awesome! Who s got it? CHILDREN and SGL: [Bottom Line] God s got it! SGL: Yay! [Bottom Line] God s got it! Okay, now it s time to write in our prayer journal. One, two, three, come sit with me! (Open prayer journal and hold your fun pen.) Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego learned that God is the best friend, because God is always with us! He was with them in the fire because He s great, mighty, and awesome! God is with you wherever Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds 2015 The rethink Group. All rights reserved. www.thinkorange.com 4
you go too. Let s make a list of places. They can be anywhere in the whole wide world because God is always with us! When we pray, we can use our list to thank God for being the best friend and always being with us. When I say your name, think of a place you want to write in our prayer journal. (Write each child s name and what they say beside their name. Remember to print the words they say so the children can recognize their names and the letters.) We made a great list! Thank you. Would anyone like to pray before I pray? (Give each child who wants to pray the opportunity to do so.) Now I will pray. Prayer SGL: Dear God, You are the best friend! No one is great and mighty and awesome like You! No matter where we go, You are there and You can take care of us. You ve got it! Thank You, God, for being with us at (name the places the children listed). Help (name each child) to trust You and Your plan. We love You, God. In Jesus name, amen. Get Ready to Dismiss (Think ORANGE) Place take-home creations and this month s Parent Cue in each child s paper bag. Greet parents at the door and tell them that this month preschoolers are learning that [Bottom Line] God s got it! Encourage parents to repeat the Bottom Line at home and help their child understand that [Bottom Line] God s got it! Encourage parents to use the activities found in Parent CUE to reinforce this month s Bottom Line: [Bottom Line] God s got it! AND this month s Memory Verse. Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds 2015 The rethink Group. All rights reserved. www.thinkorange.com 5
God is always with me. God's got it! Spinner B&W Hand Spinner May Week 1 Copy on white cardstock and cut along the black bold line. One of each square per child. CURRICULUM FOR 3- to 5- YEAR OLDS 2017 The rethink Group. All rights reserved. www.thinkorange.com
MAY 2017 BASIC TRUTH GOD LOVES ME. KEY QUESTION WHO S GOT IT? SMALL TALK WEEK 1 Bible Story Focus: Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego DANIEL 3:10-28 God is with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and rescues them from a fiery furnace. BOTTOM LINE GOD S GOT IT. MEMORY VERSE He is the great God. He is mighty and wonderful. Deuteronomy 10:17, NIRV WEEK 2 Bible Story Focus: Hagar GENESIS 21:14-20 God hears Ishmael crying and provides the water he needs. WEEK 3 Bible Story Focus: Gideon at Battle JUDGES 7:9-22 God tells Gideon what to do to win the battle. WEEK 4 Bible Story Focus: Daniel and the Lions DANIEL 6:1-23 God protects Daniel when he is thrown into a den of lions. 2017 Orange. All rights reserved. www.thinkorange.com
MAY 2017 MORNING TIME This month let your child wake up to, It s going to be a great day because God s got it! CAR TIME Play the What if...? game as you drive. What if we had a flat tire? God s got it! What if it starts raining? God s got it! What if we get sick? God s got it! Practicing a God s got it! response to certain scenarios that would normally cause us to worry, before they actually happen, helps us to respond with a God s got it! attitude if they do happen. BATH TIME Tell your child to choose a plastic toy friend to add to bath time. Make some soap suds with bubble bath or use shaving cream and spread it along the edge of the tub. Make a path with your finger for your child to follow with their toy friend. Tell your child that the path will show their friend the way to go. Continue making new paths for your child s toy to follow. As your child plays say, Who taught Gideon the way to go in the Bible? God did! PLAY TIME Play a game of toss and catch with your child. Toss a beanbag, a rubber ball, or even a small stuffed animal to your child. Every time one of you catches it, say, God s got it! in place of You got it and I got it. This month, your child is learning that God s got it. God is always with me. God hears me and gives me what I need. God teaches me the way to go. God protects me. Aren t those amazing things for those little ears to hear? How about those of us with our grown-up ears and our grown-up issues and our grown-up stress? Do we need to hear those things too? Just so you know: God s got it for you too. He does. God is with you in the midst of your struggle, and He celebrates with you in your joy. God is there with you through thick and through thin. So, take a minute to talk to Him. Take a minute to share your burden and to invite God into your mess. God s got it. CUDDLE TIME Cuddle up with your child and pray, Dear God, it makes me feel so good knowing You have the power to protect [child s name]. I know nothing can happen to her that you can t help us with. You ve got it! Thank You for watching over us and loving us. You are such a good, good Father. We love You. In Jesus name we pray, amen. The community at TheParentCue.org was created to help parents do family better. With blog discussions, podcasts, advice, and inspiration, Parent Cue prompts us to intentionally connect with our families regularly. Since none of us need more to do in our day, Parent Cue helps us capture the time we re already spending together. There s an app for that: Parent Cue App centered around a monthly topic, this app sends weekly CUEs that remind us to connect with our kids whether at home or on the go. You can even watch Bible story videos during drive time using the app. 2017 Orange. All rights reserved. www.thinkorange.com