December 2, 2018 Bible Story Focus: The angel told Mary she would have a special baby. The Angel and Mary Luke 1:26-33, 38, 46 Memory Verse: God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son. John 3:16, GNT Key Question: Why is Jesus special? Bottom Line: Jesus is God s Son. Basic Truth: Jesus wants to be my friend forever. 1. Beanbag Toss Made to Play: An activity that encourages preschoolers to follow guidelines while having fun and learning new concepts What You Need: Toss Activity Pages, white cardstock, floor tape, and several beanbags Before the Activity: Copy the Toss Activity Pages onto the cardstock. Tape the six pictures in a horizontal line about a foot apart on the floor. During the Activity: Have the children stand about ten feet in front of the pictures. Challenge the children to toss the beanbags onto the pictures. After the Activity: Be sure each child has a turn to throw a beanbag on each picture. Before the Activity: We are going to play a game. During the Activity: There are six pictures on the floor. (Point.) They are pictures of a birthday cake, a birthday hat, balloons, confetti, party horns, and a picture of a woman named Mary. We are going to try to toss our beanbags onto the pictures. Are you ready? (Pause and play game.) After the Activity: Great job! These pictures (point) are all about what we will be talking about this month. Today we will talk about the woman named Mary. In our Bible story today, we are going to hear about something AMAZING that happened to her. Transition: Move to Worship and Story by clapping your hands and chanting this month s Bottom Line, Jesus is God s Son! Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds 2018 The rethink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.thinkorange.com 1
2. Memory Verse with Motions Hear from God Memory Verse Review Made to Move: An activity that uses a preschooler s natural desire to move to help them learn What You Need: No supplies needed Before the Activity: Say the memory verse and do the following motions in front of the children. God (point up) loved (hug yourself) the world (raise arms overhead to form a circle) so much (stretch arms out as far as possible) that he gave (place hands together with palms up in front as if offering something) his only (point up) Son (hold arms as if cradling and rocking a baby). John 3:16 (hold hands open like a book) During the Activity: Say the verse again with the motions and invite the children to do it with you. Repeat several times. Before the Activity: I am going to say our new memory verse today. Everyone watch me! God (point up) loved (hug yourself) the world (raise arms overhead to form a circle) so much (stretch arms out as far as possible) that he gave (place hands together with palms up in front as if offering something) his only (point up) Son (hold arms as if cradling and rocking a baby), John 3:16. (Hold hands open like a book.) During the Activity: Now let s do it all together! Are you ready? (Say the verse together several times.) After the Activity: Our memory verse tells us that God loves us SO much that He gave us Jesus! Why is Jesus special? [Bottom Line] Jesus is God s Son! Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds 2018 The rethink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.thinkorange.com 2
3. Special Delivery Talk About God Bible Story Review Made to Create: An activity that allows preschoolers to review the Bible story, Bottom Line, or memory verse by creating a craft What You Need: White cardstock, blue cardstock, manila paper, scissors, Bible Story: December Week 1 Activity Page, one-inch circle punch, white feathers, liquid glue or glue sticks, and washable markers Before the Activity: Copy the Bible Story: December Week 1 Activity Page onto blue cardstock. Provide one per child. From the white cardstock, cut out three-inch triangles or die cuts. Provide one triangle per child. From the manila paper, cut out one-inch circles or die cuts. Provide one per child. Set the glue and feathers in the center of the tables. During the Activity: Pass out an Activity Page to each child. Encourage them to glue the triangle to the center of the page to form the body of the angel, the circle above the triangle for the angel s head, and two feathers on either side for the wings. Children can use the markers to draw the angel s eyes, smile, and halo. After the Activity: Make sure the child s name is on the page, and set the pages aside for pick up. During the Activity: What did the angel tell Mary? (Pause.) Yes! That she would have a special baby. And who was that baby? (Pause.) Jesus! Let s make an angel to go right here in the center of the page. We ll use the triangle for the body and the circle for the head. What do you think these feathers are for? (Pause.) That s right the angel s wings. After the Activity: You did a beautiful job! The angel told Mary she would have a special baby: Jesus! Why is Jesus special? [Bottom Line] Jesus is God s Son! Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds 2018 The rethink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.thinkorange.com 3
4. Flying Messages Live for God Application Activity Made to Think: An advanced activity specifically designed for older preschoolers What You Need: Multiple colors of copy paper (one per child) and markers (NOTE: If you need instructions on how to fold a paper airplane, visit First Look s December 2018 Pinterest Board: https://www.pinterest.com/firstlookcurr/december- 2018-birthday-bash/) Before the Activity: Place the paper on a table or the floor in the activity area. During the Activity: Tell the children that you will be sending messages just like in the Bible story. Ask the children to tell you messages that they would like to send. Suggest messages if the children seem stuck. Examples: God gave us Jesus, Mary will have God s Son, I love you, it is almost time for [snack] time, we love our friends, and we love our families. After the Activity: After the messages are written on the paper, help the children fold the paper into paper airplanes and fly them across the room. Repeat several times. Before the Activity: Today in our Bible story an angel gave Mary a wonderful message. Mary would have God s Son! We are going to write messages too! During the Activity: Here is some paper (point) that we are going to write our messages on. Let s start writing. (Do activity.) Great job! Now let s send our messages. We will make them into airplanes and fly them. So fun! (Finish activity.) After the Activity: That was so fun sending those messages. The angel gave Mary an amazing message she would have God s Son! Why is Jesus special? [Bottom Line] Jesus is God s Son. 5. The Angel to Mary Live for God Application Activity Made to Move: An activity that uses a preschooler s natural desire to move to help them learn What You Need: A parachute and a ball pit ball or small soft ball Before the Activity: Lay out the parachute in an open area of the room. Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds 2018 The rethink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.thinkorange.com 4
During the Activity: Encourage the children to find a spot around the edge of the parachute. Instruct the children to hold out their arms to their sides to make sure they are not standing too close to another friend. Then have them drop their arms and grab the edge of the parachute. If your parachute has handles, have each child stand at one handle and grab it with both hands. Once the children are holding the parachute at hip level, select one child to be the angel with the special message about Jesus and a child on the opposite side to be Mary. Explain that the goal of the game is to get the ball the message from the angel to Mary by moving the parachute. Place the ball on the parachute near the angel, and say, Go! Once the ball reaches Mary, instruct the children to set the parachute on the floor. Collect the ball, select a new angel and Mary, and repeat as desired. During the Activity: The angel gave Mary a very important message. Let s roll this ball from the angel to Mary. Everyone, gather around the parachute. Now grab the edge in front of you and lift it up until you re standing tall. I ll pick one of you to be the angel and one to be Mary. Let s work together to roll our ball on the parachute from the angel to Mary. After the Activity: Wonderful job! Can someone raise your hand and tell me what the message was that the angel gave to Mary? (Pause for answer.) Yes! The angel told Mary she would have a special baby. And that special baby was Jesus! Why is Jesus special? [Bottom Line] Jesus is God s Son. 6. Monthly Worship Song from Hip Hip Hooray DVD Song Walkin 7. Journal and Prayer Pray to God Prayer Activity Made to Reflect: An activity that encourages personal application and prayer What You Need: Paperclip Memory Verse Card in your Bible at John 3:16. Provide a journal and a fun-shaped pen for each. You will also need the following stickers for the month: heart, baby, sheep, balloon, and star (two of each per child). SMALL GROUP LEADER (SGL): It s time. Let s pretend we are angels on our way to see Mary. Our arms can be our angel wings. Come fly with me to our spot! (Pretend your arms are angel wings and fly to your spot.) Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds 2018 The rethink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.thinkorange.com 5
That was fun! Thanks for pretending with me. Let s sit down and talk about today s Bible story now. One, two, three, sit down with me! (Open the Bible and lay it open in front of the children.) Our Bible story today was about a girl named Mary. Can you say, Mary? (Pause for response.) Mary had a special visitor in our Bible story today. Do you remember who came to visit Mary? (Pause.) Yes, an angel visited Mary. The angel told Mary she was going to have a baby but not just ANY baby. This baby would be VERY special. His name would be Jesus, and He would be God s Son. Wow! God s Son! That does make Jesus VERY special. That s why when I ask you, Why is Jesus special? I want you to say, [Bottom Line] Jesus is God s Son. Let s try that. Why is Jesus special? CHILDREN and SGL: [Bottom Line] Jesus is God s Son! SGL: You got it! Let s do that again. Why is Jesus special? CHILDREN and SGL: [Bottom Line] Jesus is God s Son! SGL: Good job! I am so proud of you! Okay, so we know God sent an angel to tell Mary she was going to have a baby. We know His name is Jesus and He is God s Son. But why did God give us His Son, Jesus? (Turn the pages of your Bible to the Memory Verse Card.) Hmm. I think our memory verse this month can tell us why God gave us Jesus. Listen to this. God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, John 3:16. (Close Bible and lay it down.) Did you hear that? God LOVED you and me and everyone in the whole world SO much that He gave us His Son, Jesus. God gave us Jesus because He loves us. Who loves you? Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds 2018 The rethink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.thinkorange.com 6
CHILDREN and SGL: [Basic Truth] God loves me! SGL: Who loves you? CHILDREN and SGL: [Basic Truth] God loves me! SGL: Yes! Okay, I want us to learn that verse so we can always remember how much God loves us. Let s stand up and say it together with the motions. CHILDREN and SGL: God (point up) loved (hug yourself) the world (raise arms overhead to form a circle) so much (stretch arms out as far as possible) that he gave (place hands together with palms up in front as if offering something) his only (point up) Son (hold arms as if cradling and rocking a baby), John 3:16. (Hold hands open like a book.) (Repeat the verse with motions a few times.) SGL: Awesome! Let s sit back down and write in our prayer journal. (Hold journal and fun-shaped pen.) We have learned a lot of special things today. We learned that Jesus is special because [Bottom Line] Jesus is God s Son, and God gave us Jesus because He loves us. That gives me an idea. I am going to write all of your names in our prayer journal. When I say your name, I will give you two heart stickers one to put by your name in our journal and one to put on your shirt to wear home. The hearts will remind us how much God loves us. Get ready and listen for your name. (Say, God loves [child s name], as you print the names in the prayer journal. Each time you write a child s name, give that child two heart stickers one to put by their name in the journal and one to put on their shirt.) All of these hearts remind me that God loves us so much He gave us His Son, Jesus. Why is Jesus special? CHILDREN and SGL: [Bottom Line] Jesus is God s Son! SGL: Let s talk to God now and tell Him thank you for loving us so much. Would anyone like to pray before I pray? (Give each child who wants to pray the opportunity to do so.) Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds 2018 The rethink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.thinkorange.com 7
Prayer SGL: Dear God, this is such a wonderful time of year. I pray every time we see a heart we will remember that You love us so much, You gave us Your only Son, Jesus. Thank You for sending Jesus to show us how to live and to make a way for us to be with You forever. You are SO good to us, God, and we love You. In Jesus name, amen. Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds 2018 The rethink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.thinkorange.com 8