First LookTM Curriculum for Preschoolers Date: November 24/25, 2012 Basic Truth: God made me. Key Question: Who gives you good friends? Bottom Line: God gives me good friends. Memory Verse: Two people are better than one. They can help each other in everything they do. Ecclesiastes 4:9, NIrV Bible Story Focus: God wants friends to help each other. David Help Mephibosheth 1 Samuel 20:14-17; 2 Samuel 9:1-13 Here s an overview of what you ll be teaching this week: Make It Fun High Five Help, Please Make It True Worship Memory Verse Offering Video Make It Stick Royal Relay Crowns Response Pictures Cards Snack Make It Real Small Group Time Prayer Dismissal 1
Make It Fun (Introductory Activities, 15 minutes) Set up the two activities below before class begins. While the children are entering the classroom begin High Five. Let one or two teachers lead activities in the room while another teacher greets parents and kids at the door. 1. High Five What You Need: CD, CD player. What You Do: Call out a different movement each time you start the music. You cold ask kids to hop on one foot, jump up and down, wiggle, do different dance styles, tip-toe, march, etc. When you stop the music, encourage the children to give a high five to as many friends as they can. Each time they give a high five, they must say, Friends! Continue to play as long as the children are having fun. What You Say: Whew! We have so many good friends! I love it! Our Bible story today is about a man named David who was a very good friend. 2. Help, Please What You Need: Band-Aids, toy doctor kits, washcloths, plastic food items, pillows, and anything else the children can use to take care of their Small Group Leader. What You Do: You will be very needy in this activity. Pretend you need help in various scenarios. You may need food, medicine, a bandage, a pillow, a blanket, a washcloth to wipe up a mess, etc. Continue asking the children for help. Switch it up after awhile and let one of the children be the one in need. What You Say: Thank you for helping me. You gave me food to eat when I was hungry. You gave me a Band-Aid for my boo-boo. You helped me clean up my toys and the mess I made. You helped me feel better by giving me a hug. You were all such great friends to me. Our Bible story today is about a man who really needed some help, and God gave him just the friend to help him! 2
Make It True (Large Group Worship, 20 minutes) This month s songs are on the Christmas Preschool Worship CD / DVD. Kids and teachers should play instruments during the verses and then do the motions during the chorus. The motions for the verses are provided if you find them helpful, but we encourage you just to dance around in worship. 1. Music It s Christmas Time Chorus It s Christmas Time, la la la la (hands on knees, jump in circle) It s Christmas Time, la la la la (hands on knees, jump in circle) Jesus was born to us (hands rocking baby) The Savior of the world (hands up in wide circle) Happy, happy, Merry Christmas (wave hands high) 2x To you (point to neighbor) 2x Verse When the snow falls down and it s cold outside (wiggle fingers in downward motion) I hear jingle bells when the stars go by (move hand like shooting star) I eat cookies and milk and candy canes (pretend to drink and eat) As presents wait under the tree (hands to face in surprise) Mary and Joseph had a baby (wiggle fingers in downward motion) And wise men came from far to see (rug shoulders with hands to keep warm ) The Shepard's heard the angels singing (hand to ear) Glory to God for the newborn King (move hand like shooting star) Joy to the World Joy to the Word, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King. Let every heart, prepare Him room And heaven and nature sing (cup hands to mouth) 3x Joy to the world, the Savor reigns! Let men, their songs, employ. While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains Repeat the sounding joy (hold hands to ears) 3x He rules the world with truth and grace And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness And wonders of His love (hug self and sway back and forth) 3x 3
Angels we have heard on High Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o er the plains. And the mountains in reply, echoing their joyous strains Gloria, Gloria, Gloria today. Come to Bethlehem and see, Christ who s birth the angels sing. Come on adore on bended knee, Christ the Lord, the newborn King! Gloria, Gloria, Gloria today. (repeat line 2x) In excelsis Deo (repeat 6x) See Him in a manger laid, whom the choirs of angels praise. Mary, Joseph, lend your aid, while our hearts in love we raise. Gloria, Gloria, Gloria today. (repeat line 2x) 2. Verse LEADER: Are you ready to learn this month s memory verse? It s all about how God gives us good friends! Two people (holding up two fingers) are better (raising your arms overhead to form a circle) than one (holding up one finger). They can help each other (touching the person next to you on the shoulder) in everything they do. (raising your hands overhead and jumping up) Ecclesiastes 4:9 (Open your hands like a book.) Let s do it together. Are you ready? Do the verse with the kids two or three times. 3. Offering Pass around the offering bag or bucket to collect any offering for today. Say, We collect offering every week to give the first of our money back to God- 2 Chronicles 31:5 says... the Israelites gave generously. They didn t hold back! They brought in a tithe of everything they owned. Let s offer to God with generous hearts our tithes for today. 4. Video Play this week s video from Wonder, Look at God s Story DVD. 4
Make It Stick (Application Activities, 35 minutes) 1. Royal Relay What You Need: An assortment of toys that look like people or animals, two crowns (can create from Crowns activity), and tape. What You Do: Create two circles on the ground, placing the half of the assortment of toys into each circle. Divide the children into two groups. To play the game, let one friend from each group carry one doll to the basket while wearing a crown. When they come back, they must pass their crown off to the next person in line so that person can carry another doll to the basket and come back. Continue doing this until all of the dolls are in the basket. Play again if the children are having fun. They will get better at the game the more they play. What You Say: King David was such a good friend to Jonathan that he wanted to help anyone left in his family. He looked and looked and found one person from Jonathan s family Mephibosheth. King David carried Mephibosheth back to his house and took care of him, just like he promised Jonathan he would. Wow! What a good friend! You took care of the babies just like King David took care of his friend s son, Mephibosheth. Tell me, who gives you good friends? [Bottom Line] God gives me good friends! 2. Crowns What You Need: A roll of any color bulletin board border or crown frames, sequins / jewels, markers, tape, glue and scissors. What You Do: Cut the bulletin board border into strips that will fit around each child's head or pass out pre-cut crowns if they are given. Give each child a crown and encourage him to decorate it. They can color with the markers, glue on sequins, and apply jewels. When finished, place the crown around his head and tape it securely in place. What You Say: You all look like King David! Do you remember what King David did for Sheth today in our story? (Pause.) Yes, he helped him by giving him food, a place to live, and people to help him. King David was a good friend! Who gives you good friends? Yes! [Bottom Line] God gives me good friends! 3. Response Picture Cards What You Need: Memory Verse Card with David and Mephibosheth on back, crayons. What You Do: Hand each child a memory verse card, going over the verse and motions together. Have the children turn over the memory card and color the picture on the back. What You Say: Great job! Our verse this month tells us that God has given us great friends to help us. Who gives you good friends? (Pause.) That is right! [Bottom Line] God gives me good friends! 4. Snack Time Ask the children what they will do for a good friend this week. 5
Make It Real (Small Groups, 5 minutes) Make It Real is designed to help preschoolers understand how the Bottom Line applies to them. 1. Small Group Time SMALL GROUP LEADER (SGL): Our new Bible verse says, Two people are better than one. They can help each other in everything they do, Ecclesiastes 4:9. Let s say that verse together a few times. Two people (holding up two fingers) are better (raising your arms overhead to form a circle) than one (holding up one finger). They can help each other (touching the person next to you on the shoulder) in everything they do, (raising your hands overhead and jumping up) Ecclesiastes 4:9 (Open your hands like a book.) 2. Prayer If time allows feel free to ask for prayer requests. Dear God, friends need help sometimes. That s why You say, Two are better than one. They can help each other in everything they do. We want to be good friends and do things. Help us to find people who need our help. We love You, God. In Jesus name, amen. 3. Get Ready to Dismiss Set any take-home creations where you or parents can get them easily. Crowns Memory Verse Cards Greet parents at the door and tell them that this month preschoolers are learning that [Bottom Line] God gives me good friends! Encourage parents to repeat the bottom line at home and help their child understand that [Bottom Line] God gives me good friends! This month s Small Talk Resource is available at the Loop Welcome Desk if any parents ask. 6