TM Curriculum for Preschoolers Date: December 3/4, 2011 Basic Truth: Jesus wants to be my friend forever. Key Question: How do we know God loves us? Bottom Line: God gave us Jesus. Memory Verse: God has given a son to us." Isaiah 9:6, NCV Bible Story: God told us He would give us Jesus. The Angel and Mary Micah 5:2; Luke 1:26-33,38,46 Here s an overview of what you ll be teaching this week: Make It Fun Baby Things ***PREP BEFORE CHILDREN ARRIVE*** Megaphone Fun Make It True Worship Memory Verse Offering Giving Tree Video Make It Stick Beautiful Angels ***PREP DURING MAKE IT TRUE*** Response Pictures Cards Snack Make It Real Small Group Time Prayer Dismissal
Make It Fun (Introductory Activities, 20 minutes) Set up the two activities below before class begins. While the children are entering the classroom begin Activity #1. Let one or two teachers lead activities in the room while another teacher greets parents and kids at the door. 1. Baby Things What You Need: An assortment of baby items, such as pacifiers, rattles, bottles, diapers, burp cloths, bibs, baby spoons, etc. You will also need a blanket or towel large enough to cover all the items. What You Do: Spread all the baby items out on the floor. Ask the children to help you identify each of the items. Next, cover all the baby items and ask the children to close or cover their eyes. Reach under the blanket or towel and remove one of the items and place it out of sight. Tell the children to look as you uncover the items. Ask the children to try to guess which item is missing. What You Say: During the activity: Look at all these baby things. You re too big for baby things. You are big boys and girls now. But the babies down the hallway use these things all the time. What is this? (Pause for responses.) What about this thing? (Continue until the children have identified what the items are and how a baby uses them.) Want to play a game with these baby things? Close your eyes for just a minute. (Remove an item.) Okay, now open your eyes. Can you tell me which baby item is missing? (Continue doing this as long as the children are interested.) At the end of the activity: When a mommy finds out she s going to have a baby, she usually starts buying all kinds of baby things. Our Bible story is about a woman named Mary who finds out she is going to have a new little baby. I can t wait to hear about her baby. 2. Megaphone Fun What You Need: Megaphone cutout, scissors, Christmas stickers, tape, and crayons. What You Do: Give the children a copy of the Activity Page and scissors so they can cut out the figures for themselves. Allow kids to decorate their megaphones using the crayons and stickers. Help children tape their megaphones together. Practice making announcements with the megaphones. What You Say: Look at these great megaphones you made! Do you know what we use a megaphone for? (Hold one up to your mouth.) I am going to make an announcement! Yes, we use them to make our voices louder and sometimes to make important announcements. In today s Bible story, we are going to hear a very important announcement. I wonder if the messenger will use a megaphone.
Make It True (Large Group Worship, 20 minutes) This month s songs are on the December Worship CD. 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. "Go Tell it on the Mountain" Chorus Go tell it on the mountain (Hands to mouth like megaphone) Over the hills and everywhere (Hands roll forward in shape of a hill) Go tell it on the mountain (Hands to mouth like megaphone) That Jesus Christ is born. (Arms like cradling baby and rock) Verse 1 When I was a seeker I sought both night and day, I asked the Lord to help me, And he showed me the way. Verse 2 He made me a watchman Upon a city wall, And if I am a Christian, I am the least of all. 2. Born is the King *during our Christmas Eve service the children will come up onstage to perform this song so practice many times this month! Let them know they will perform and that they should try really hard to learn the chorus! Verse 1 Born unto us this day a Savior Gifted from heaven to a manger The hope of the world A light for all mankind All of the earth rejoice time Chorus So lift up your voice and sing out His praise Born is the King, rejoice in the day Make a joyful sound Let His praise resound Verse 2 Goodwill to all the earth And peace divine All of the earth rejoice time time Chorus (repeat 2x s)
VERSE LEADER: Are you ready to learn this month s memory verse? It s all about how God gave us His Son! God (point arms straight up) has given (cup both hands in front of you like you are giving something) a son (rock your arms like you are holding a baby) to us (point your thumbs to your chest) Isaiah 9:6 (open your hands like a book) Let s do it together. Are you ready? Do the verse with the kids two or three times. 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. THE GIVING TREE This month we are collecting presents for the kids at By The Hand. Show them the gift bag and tell them, For the next three weeks we re collecting presents for some of our neighbors who attend a special after school program called By The Hand. Just like God gives us good things, like his son, we want to give good things to others. So, get your ornament from the tree and bring in presents for other kids! VIDEO *Be sure to prep the Activity #1 in the Make it Stick section during this time. Cut one circle and one triangle for each child. LEADER: Now just like we want to help other s in need by collecting presents, let's take a minute to look at how the first Christmas came to be.look for the Christmas clues! Play this week s video from Wonder, Look at God s Story DVD.
Make It Stick (Application Activities, 30 minutes) 1. Beautiful Angels What You Need: Triangle and Circle cutouts, squares of white tissue paper, glitter glue pens, scissors, glue, tape, and a completed craft as an example. What You Do: Allow each child to pick out a triangle and a circle. Show them how to glue the circle to the tallest point of their triangle. Next, show the children how to take a small piece of tissue paper, gather it in the middle, and then tape it to the back of the angel body so that, from the front, it looks like wings coming out on either side of the angel. All that s left to do is add eyes, a nose, a mouth, and a little sparkle to the body with your glitter glue pens. What You Say: During the activity: God sent a very special messenger to Mary. Do you remember who God sent to give Mary a special message? (Pause for responses.) Yes, God sent a real angel. Today I am going to help you make a paper angel. At the end of the activity: God sent an angel to tell Mary that He was going to give us Jesus. [Bottom Line] God gave us Jesus to be our friend forever. That s right. Jesus wants to be your friend forever! Who wants to be your friend forever? [Basic Truth] Jesus wants to be my friend forever. God must love us a lot to give us Jesus, so each time I ask you how you know God loves us, I want to hear you say, [Bottom Line] God gave us Jesus. How do we know God loves us? [Bottom Line] God gave us Jesus. 2. Response Picture Cards What You Need: Crayons, Memory Verse Cards What You Do: Repeat today s memory verse and motions. Then give each child a Memory Verse Card with the Angel printed on the back. Ask them to put their marker on the letter A. Then ask them to use their marker make a line to the letter B, then on to C, etc. Continue talking the children through all the way to letter J. Once all the dots have been connected, tell the children they can color the angel. What You Say: God had a very special message for Mary so He needed a very special messenger. Let s see if this dot-to-dot shows us who that messenger was. What is it? It s an angel! God sent an angel with a special message. What was the special message? (Pause for responses.) Yes, God told Mary she would have baby Jesus. God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to be with us. [Bottom Line] God gave us Jesus because He loves us. How do we know God loves us? [Bottom Line] God gave us Jesus. 3. Snack Time Idea: Let the children share one story from this weekend, whether they did something for the first time, went to the store with mom, got time to play with dad, etc.
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): Opening and reading the verse from the Bible) Our Bible verse says, God has given a son to us Isaiah 9:6. Let s say that verse together a few times. God (point arms straight up) has given (cup both hands in front of you like you are giving something) a son (rock your arms like you are holding a baby) to us (point your thumbs to your chest) Isaiah 9:6 (open your hands like a book) 2. Prayer If time allows feel free to ask for prayer requests. Dear God, thank You for giving us Jesus. We love Jesus. He really is our best friend ever. Help us to remember that Christmas is all about Jesus Birthday. We love You, God. Amen. 3. Get Ready to Dismiss Set any take-home creations where you or parents can get them easily. Megaphone Fun Beautiful Angels Memory Verse (Response Picture) Cards Greet parents at the door and tell them that this month preschoolers are learning that [Bottom Line] God told us He would give us Jesus. Encourage parents to repeat the bottom line at home and help their child understand that [Bottom Line] God told us He would give us Jesus. Parents will be given this month s Small Talk Resource as they check-in. There will be more available at the Loop Welcome Desk if any parents ask.