Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

This month we are learning about sharing through the lesson of "Jesus Feeds Five Thousand." My first lesson with this story is always telling it in a "hands-on" way. Check out my post here on how I do it.

Spring Time Favorites

For my spring Bible curriculum, I use this book by Mary Rice Hopkins. I love the catchy music and fun lessons. Plus, Mary has some great books to go along with some of the parables as well.

You can find the books here and here.

Happy singing!

God Provides in the Wilderness

Supplies: cd player, sound effects cd (with walking on gravel), sheet, pre-popped popcorn or marshmallows and small cups

Process: Begin the story of Moses in the wilderness walking with the Israelites. Talk about how they lived and why they were there. God was taking them to a very special new home. Put the cd on repeat and begin walking around the room. Tell them that they even had to sleep in the wilderness. Pause the cd and pretend you are sleeping on the floor. Push play on the cd and begin walking again (do this two more times). Explain that they didn't have anymore food and they started to get hungry. Rub your tummies. Then they started to complain. Start complaining about being hungry. Then, God did something amazing! Pause the cd and have them sleep again (tell them no peeking!). Quickly lay out the sheet and sprinkle popcorn on the sheet. Have them wake up and see what God gave the Israelites! Give everyone a small cup and remind them to only pick up what can fill their cups. God provides for our needs!

Teach Well: If you have an assistant, have them turn the lights on and off for your "day" and "night" time. Remind them that the lights will go off before you do it so that young ones won't get scared.

What Bread is Missing?

We are doing the story of Jesus Feeds Five Thousand. This game is a lot of fun and can be created quickly!

Supplies: 5 copies or clipart of bread (I found mine on my Microsoft program) and a marker

Process: Cut the bread out. Add numbers 1-5 on the each piece of paper. Then after review the story during Bible Time, play the game. Line the bread in order and count together. Have the children close their eyes and you take a number away. Open eyes and let the children raise their hand if they know which number is missing. As they get the hang of it, take two or three numbers away.

Teach Well: If your children are older have numbers that could add up to five. Use one of the pieces of bread as an addition sign. You could still have the children close their eyes and you could place the probelm in front of them. When they open their eyes, have them try and figure out the problem.

October Songs

Mary Rice Hopkins' In My Garden

Along with these favorites...

The Farming Song




I’m digging (chh chhh)

Digging (chh chhh)

Digging on the farm (x2)

I’m digging like a pro

And I wanted you to know,

I’m digging (chh chh)

Digging (chh chhh)

Digging on the farm



I’m planting (plop!)

Planting (plop!)

Planting on the farm (x2)

I’m planting like a pro

And I wanted you to know

I’m planting (plop!)

Planting (plop!)

Planting on the farm.



I’m watering (splash!)

Watering (splash!)

Watering on the farm (2x)

I’m watering like a pro

And I wanted you to know

I’m watering (splash!)

Watering (splash!)

Watering on the farm



I’m picking (boink!)

Picking (boink!)

Picking on the farm (x2)

I’m picking like a pro

And I wanted you to know

I’m picking (boink!)

Picking (boink!)

Picking on the farm.



I’m eating (yum yum)

Eating (yum yum)

Eating on the farm (x2)

I’m eating like a pro

And I wanted you to know

I’m eating (yum yum)

Eating (yum yum)

So God helps me

GROW!

 
The Word of God




The Word of God’s like

Itty-bitty seeds

Scattered all around (x2)



Some in the road

Some in the weeds

Everywhere you’ve got itty-bitty seeds



The Word of God’s like

Itty-Bitty seeds

Scattered all around

 
 

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

I love teaching the Bible in ways where children experience the lesson. This month we will be learning about sharing in the story Jesus Feeds Five Thousand. Today was our first lesson where I act out the story as I tell it with my basket of loaves and two fish.

Supplies: bag of rolls, basket, 3 dish towels, and cutout of two fish (I found clipart with my Microsoft program)

Process: Before the lesson starts line a dish towel at the bottom of the basket. Place several rolls on top of the dish towel. Place another dish towel on top of the rolls. Then, place five rolls and the fish cut outs in the basket. Put another towel  over it all to keep it fresh until the lesson. As you tell the story, make sure you show the children the five rolls and fish. Count them out loud. When you get to the part of Jesus passing out the food, begin to pass out the rolls from the bottom layer of your basket. If you have a large class tear the rolls in half or thirds. At the end, you should still have some left on top to show the children that there were leftovers! While the children eat, talk about how the little boy shared his lunch... how can we share with our friends?

Teach Well: Remember to look for allergies when using food in your lessons. If a child doesn't want to take a piece of bread just have them say, "No thank you" and move on. Some preschoolers are unsure when you begin a story with food. As they see the other children enjoying it, they may want to try it after all. So remember to ask them again at the end of the lesson to see if the child changes their mind.

October is in Full Swing!

I love October! It is one of my favorite themes. Our schedule includes:

Theme - Harvest

Literacy - C, D, E, F; Writing Readiness
Math - Shapes
Science - Harvest; Observation; Cause/Effect
Physical Education - Ball Skills Coordination; Aerobic Wednesdays
Spanish - Colors
Bible - Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
Verse - Ephesians 4:28

Teach Well: Let the season inspire you!

Creation Inspiration

When choosing Bible curriculum, I have my favorite company that I love to use. Group Publishing is hands-on, out of the box, fun, experiencal, and I have taught Sunday School with it for four years. But, I had never used it at home because it didn't seem very economical to purchase curriculum for home use. But, I couldn't find anything that could compare and stumbled onto Group's digital downloads.

I needed enough activities for several weeks on Creation. Group's Hands-On Bible curriculum is doing Creation for their fall quarter. So I purchased the first three weeks and had enough at-home activities to teach for a month!

Teach Well: Using digital downloads is a great idea for any teacher wanting some inspiration and out-of-the-box ideas to make your Bible time unique.

Gone Fishin'

Supplies: Die Cut Fish & Sticky Hands

Process: Place fish in the middle of the table or circle. Give each child a sticky hand. Have them use their sticky hand and swing it toward the fish. When it lands have them reel in the fish by pulling the sticky hand back toward them. Have them count how many they caught.

Teach Well: Let each child keep their sticky hand. Use a Ziploc to store them and place in their backpacks. Use this idea when teaching about Miracle of the Fishes during Bible Time. It's a great hands-on approach for this story.

Mary Rice Hopkins & Puppets with a Heart

Those that knew me in the classroom knew that Mary Rice Hopkins' music played most of the time. Whether class was in session or not! I can always find a song from her collection to play in any theme or Bible story that I might be telling. (Make sure to check out Mary's free scope and sequence for each album here.) I also went to several ACSI conferences where Mary was there doing worship and teaching classes. I can not tell you how much I learned from her as a teacher, mom, and Christian! I also remember seeing Darcy with her Puppets with a Heart there as well, and since have been inspired to create my own Bible application lessons with my own puppets.

Since then, Mary and Darcy have teamed up. I feel blessed to have known how God has used them in their ministries before and now seeing His hand in using them together now! I am happy to hear that her new DVD, Mary Rice Hopkins & Puppets with a Heart has the Dove Foundation Seal of Approval! You need to take a look at this DVD! There are life lessons in this video that has always been a part of Darcy's ministry and now Mary has put music to to it. This music will plant those important seeds in your child's heart that will never leave.

To add to my excitement is that TBN is now showing Puppets with a Heart twice a week! Click here for the program schedule. On their website you can meet the characters and view a clip. Check it out!

Teach Well: "Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me." Psalm 25:4-5a

Rainbow Fish

Supplies: Clip art of fish, glue, and foil

Process: Pre-cut the foil into small round pieces. Do the dramatic play of Breakfast on the Shore and when the children are done "cooking" their fish have them take their fish to the table. Give the child glue and have them place the glue on their fish. Then have them add the foil scales to the fish. Dry.
Teach Well: Hang these fish on a bulletin board that reads, "I will make you fishers of men..." Add a net to "catch" some of the fish. You can also do this project after reading the book Rainbow Fish.

Breakfast on the Shore

I love this new electric campfire from Group! I just wish they had it eight years ago so that I didn't have to use tissue paper!

Supplies: Bible, electric campfire, wood, ferns, sticks, clip art of fish, and two fishing nets

Process: Set up your shore with the electric faux campfire. Add a few logs and ferns to make it look like a real campfire. Pre-cut your fish and put it in one fish net. During Bible Story time have the children listen to you tell the story of Breakfast on the Shore. Then act out the story by pretending to be on the boat with the fish net. Have a child pretend to be Jesus on the shore. Have the child call out to put the net on the other side of the boat. Have the another net behind you filled with fish. Pull it out and see all the fish that was caught! Give every child a fish and have them tape it to their stick. Have the children "cook" their fish over the fire.

Teach Well: Have a sound effects CD of waves going in the background for an even more dramatic effect.

Cross Fingerpainting

Encourage and develop small motor skills by having your child paint with their pointer finger only. When painting try and be eco-friendly by reusing plastic container lids that usually can not be recycled. It takes a bit more clean up to rinse and dry these off, but think of how much a classroom or school could keep from wasting daily by doing so!

Supplies: pink and magenta paint, dish soap, white crayon, and black construction paper

Process: Squeeze a little bit of both colors onto your paint palette. Add a bit of soap for easy clean up. Give each child a piece of black paper. Encourage the child to use one finger to create crosses on their paper. Use the white crayon to write their name on the paper.

Teach Well: Have extra paper on hand for those children that learn kinetically. These children will want to continue painting, put their hands into the pallet, and paint over their original art. This is how they learn and explore! If you want to keep their art, have scrap paper on hand to give them to continue their sensory experience. Hang the crosses on a bulletin board with an Easter verse as the title.

Where or Where Has My Little Sheep Gone?

Supplies: yarn, stuffed sheep or clip art, prize

Process: Before the lesson make a trail-like obstacle course with yarn or string. At the end of the trail have your stuffed sheep with a prize for the class sitting with it. Have it winding around the room in and around items. Read a book about sheep, or read about The Lost Sheep in the Bible. Afterwards, sing Where or Where Has My Little Sheep Gone. Then follow the trail to find the sheep.

Where or Where Has My Little Sheep Gone

Where oh where has my little sheep gone?

Oh where oh where can he be?

With his wool so soft,

And his tail so small.

Where oh where can he be?

(sung to Where Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone)

Teach Well: Play this game to reward a class for good behavior. Prizes don't have to be sweet; you can use farm stickers or tattoos instead. To make this game even more fun have a child be the leader with a shepherd's staff. If you are playing this game at home try to set it up during your child's nap time, then have snack at the end of the trail for fun!

Fruit Hockey

I love games out of the ordinary! Hockey sticks are a great way to work on gross motor skills while still having a blast! Plastic hockey sticks are one of my favorite items. Although they are expensive you may find items at your local dollar store that you can use instead. I have a dollar store set of golf clubs that work the same. Just be ready with the duct tape in case any handles fall off! Cones are useful to create start and finish lines. You can also find a set of three at your local dollar store.

Supplies: plastic fruit, plastic hockey sticks, four cones

Process: Create your field with two cones on each side. Try to keep the field small and if the children are doing well at using the hockey sticks then make your field larger. Give each child a plastic piece of fruit. Have them only use their hockey stick to guide the fruit to the other side of the field.

Teach Well: This is a non-competitive game. Safety first! Remind them to always keep their hockey stick on the floor. If their stick is always touching the floor, no one will get hurt and there will be no fruit flying across the room. If you are at home a great place to play this is in a hallway.

Puppets, Puppets, Puppets!

Puppetry can be very useful as visual tools in story telling or dramatic play. They are also very good for helping children with social difficulties express how they are feeling. Maybe you use a devotional Bible or Bible curriculum for your Bible time and are currently just reading the story to your children. Finding puppets that can help you tell the story will help the children experience the story in a new way. Therefore, making the lesson more memorable and help them remember what they have learned!

Be inspired by other puppeteers by learning from them. A great resource is Puppets with a Heart. I had the pleasure of seeing Darcy and her puppets for several years at ACSI. The puppets are created with a heart that you can pull out and "hide" an object in it for the lesson.

Puppets can be expensive...You can have the same rewards with puppets that you find at garage sales or Goodwill.

Some of my favorite finger play puppets are from Ikea. I keep them on a card holder that I found at Target twelve years ago. Think outside the box! Find anything to display your little friends and put it at a level where the children can explore and play on their own. We use these to sing Where is Thumbkin?

Some of my favorite puppets were donated or from garage sales. This raccoon has probably seen better days, but where else can I find a raccoon to use for The Kissing Hand? There are also great puppets at your local dollar store.

When looking for a great puppet for application stories or discussing emotional issues with children (eg. divorced or foster children that might be angry or sad) find a puppet with hands that are soft and move. These are my favorite for Bible and application puppets. If you are uncomfortable speaking through a puppet, you can use a puppet that doesn't even speak but whispers in your ear. I use this lesson when teaching Jesus Calms the Storm but it can be adapted to whatever lesson you are teaching about!

Supplies: small puppet, apron with pockets, Bible

Process: Place your puppet in your apron pocket before the lesson. Tell the children that you are going to have a guest for Bible Time but they are really shy and get really embarrassed around other people. Tell the children that they have to be very quiet to not scare or embarrass their guest. Then say that the puppet has a problem and needs our help. Ask if the children could help their new friend and if they are ready to meet their new friend (don't forget to give the puppet a name).

Begin talking into your pocket. Tell the puppet that it's OK to come out and meet our new friends. Place your hand in the pocket and begin to pet it, calming it, and at the same time get your hand inside the puppet. Poke the head slightly out of the pocket to create interest, then back down again. Still calming the puppet, have the puppet climb out of your pocket and up to your check, hugging you.

Ask the puppet, "You said that you had a problem and needed our help. What is your problem?" Have the puppet cover it's eyes as if it is shy and then whisper in your ear. Then say, "Oh, OK... tell me more." Have the puppet continue in your ear then come back down with shy hands over his face. "Kids, our new friend does have a problem! When it is bed time and his mom turns out the lights, he gets scared! He wants to know what he can do so that he won't have to be scared anymore. Does anyone know how we can help our friend?"

Give opportunities for the children to help solve their friend's problem. Mention that God's Word tells us that we do not have to be afraid because God is always with us (Isaiah 43:5).

"What can we do to talk to God when we are afraid?" Wait to hear answers from children. When someone mentions prayer ask if there was anyone that would like to pray for their new friend so that they would not be afraid. Have the puppet bow their head and pray with praying hands along with the class.

Thank the puppet for coming to visit and have everyone say goodbye. Walk to an area where children can not see you taking off the puppet.

Teach Well: There will be children that might disturb the lesson or dramatic play by calling out "That's just a puppet!" It's OK! Be encouraged! Some children are not able to use their imagination in today's society. Create opportunities in your classroom or home where children can become kids again! Make a time to call on that child to talk to your puppet, answer any questions you have asked, or have them even pray! You will be surprised, they might be hugging that puppet goodbye... maybe even asking when they are coming back for another visit!