First Look
First Look
3- through 5-year-olds, May, Week 1
First LookTM Curriculum for Preschoolers We want preschoolers to take a first look at who God is and understand... God made me. God loves me. Jesus wants to be my friend forever.
May 1, 2016 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 gives me good friends. David and Jonathan • 1 Samuel 18:1-4
Here’s an overview of what you’ll be teaching in 4s–5s this week. Make It Fun • Mix the Colors Make It True • Worship • Bible Story (DVD) Make It Stick • Memory Verse with Motions • Bible Story Puzzle • Dance Moves Make It Real • Small Group Time • Prayer * Check out an example or inspiration for this activity at www.Pintereset.com/firstlookcurr
Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds • ©2016 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com
1
First Look
3- through 5-year-olds, May, Week 1
May 1, 2016 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 gives me good friends. David and Jonathan • 1 Samuel 18:1-4
Make It Fun (Introductory Activities, 10 minutes) Do the following activity as your 4- 5-year-olds arrive. Let one or two teachers lead activities in different areas of the room while another teacher greets parents and kids at the door. 1. Mixing Colors “Mixing Colors” is an activity that uses critical thinking, color recognition, and fine motor skills to accomplish a task. What You Need: Yellow, blue, and red Plah-Doh®, and wet wipes Note: You may purchase your Play-Doh® at any local store or online for larger quantities. You may also make your own dough to save on costs. Here is the recipe. Ingredients: 2 cups of all-purpose flour 1 cup of salt 1 tsp of cream of tartar 2 cups of water Red, yellow, and blue food coloring Wax paper Mix all of the ingredients except the food coloring in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Keep mixing with a spoon until a soft dough forms. When the dough is formed, use the spoon to scrape it out of the pan onto the wax paper. Allow to cool just enough that you can touch it. Separate the dough into three equal parts. Place four drops of one color of food coloring onto one section of dough. Knead the dough vigorously until the entire section is the desired color. To make the color darker, simply add more drops.
Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds • ©2016 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com
2
First Look
3- through 5-year-olds, May, Week 1
Place your red, yellow, and blue play dough in separate airtight containers until ready for use. What You Do: Before the Activity: Give each child a golf-ball-size piece of the red dough. Allow them to knead and play with it. During the Activity: Ask the child what color the dough is. When they answer red, ask the child if they would like to make the dough orange. Give each child a piece of the yellow dough and encourage them to mix the two together to make orange dough. Once the secondary color has been made, sit the dough aside. Give the child a blue piece of dough and repeat the activity by adding yellow to make green. After the Activity: Wipe messy fingers with the wet wipes. What You Say: Before the Activity: “Do you know what color this is? (Hold up the red dough.) Yes! It is red. (Give each child a piece.) Use your fingers to play with your red dough.” During the Activity: “You are all doing a great job playing with your red dough. What if we want to play with orange dough? (Pause.) I like orange better than red. I have an idea! Let's see if we can mix another color of dough to make our red dough better. (Give each child a piece of the yellow pay dough). Now let's use our fingers to mix the two together to make them better!” (Repeat with yellow and blue to make green.) After the Activity: “Great job! What happened? (Pause.) The red and the yellow dough mixed together made orange! The two colors were pretty on their own, but when we mixed them they made something better! Let's try again! (Set the orange dough aside and repeat the activity with the yellow and blue dough). Now let's clean our fingers. (Give the children the wet wipes.) Today in our story we are going to hear about how people are good on their own but when you add friends things can get much better!”
Make It Stick (Application Activities, 35 minutes) These activities are designed to help preschoolers understand and remember today’s Bible story and Bottom Line. Do the following activities as your time, facilities, resources, and leadership allow. You may want to lead one activity at a time. Or offer two activities at once and allow half the kids to participate in each, then switch groups and repeat the activities.
Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds • ©2016 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com
3
First Look
3- through 5-year-olds, May, Week 1
1. Memory Verse with Motions “Memory Verse with Motions” is an activity that uses repetition and movement to teach the memory verse. What You Need: No supplies needed What You Do: Before the Activity: Say the memory verse with the class several times. During the Activity: Teach the motions to the children while saying the verse. After the children have learned the motions repeat several times. After the Activity: Say the Bottom Line together. What You Say: Before the Activity: “We have a new memory verse this month. It is: ‘Two people are better than one. They can help each other in everything they do,’ Ecclesiastes 4:9. Now let’s say it together!” (Repeat several times.) During the Activity: “Now I am going to teach you some motions that we can do while we say our verse. Watch me and we can do them together. ‘Two (hold up two fingers) people (touch your shoulders) are better (raise your arms overhead to form a circle) than one (hold up one finger). They can help (pound one fist on top of the other) each other (touch the person next to you on the shoulder) in everything they do’ (raise your hands overhead and jump up), Ecclesiastes 4:9.” (Open your hands like a book.) (Repeat as many times as desired.) After the Activity: Way to go! Our memory verse for this month tells that it is so much better when we have a friend to help us do things. God wants us to work together and help each other. Who gives you good friends? [Bottom Line] God gives me good friends.” 2. Bible Story Puzzle “Bible Story Puzzle” is an activity that uses fine motor skills to review today’s Bible story. What You Need: “David and Jonathan Puzzle” from the Activity Pages found on the Website, white cardstock, sandwich bags, and scissors What You Do: Before the activity: Copy the “David and Jonathan Puzzle” from the Activity Pages on the Website onto the white cardstock. Make one puzzle for every two children. Cut each puzzle into six large puzzle pieces and place each puzzle in a sandwich bag.
Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds • ©2016 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com
4
First Look
3- through 5-year-olds, May, Week 1
During the activity: Pair the children up and give each pair a sandwich bag with a puzzle. Encourage them to work as a team to put their puzzles together as you review the Bible story. What You Say: During the activity: “I loved today’s Bible story! David and Jonathan were best buds! They spent lots of time together, told each other everything, and even shared everything. Jonathan gave David his robe and sword and bow and belt. They loved each other and they wanted to honor God. Let’s work together and to put the pieces in place and see what our puzzles look like. After the activity: “Look! It’s a picture of David and Jonathan! They really were best friends. Who gives you good friends? [Bottom Line] God gives me good friends.” 3. Dance Moves “Dance Moves” is an activity that uses gross motor movements and listening skills to review today’s Bottom Line. What You Need: Wherever I Go CD and CD player You can see a listing of the Wherever I Go CD and DVD on the May 2016 Pinterest board found on the First Look Curriculum’s Pinterest page: https://www.pinterest.com/firstlookcurr/ What You Do: During the Activity: Gather the children in an open area of the room. Play “Together” from the Wherever I Go CD and encourage the children to dance! What You Say: During the Activity: “I love to dance and sing. But I really love to dance and sing with my friends. Everybody get up on your feet. Let’s dance and sing together.” After the Activity: “Whew! That was SO fun! Did you listen to the words of the song? It’s all about being together. Just like David and Jonathan were better together, we are better with the friends God gives us. Who gives you good friends? [Bottom Line] God gives me good friends.”
Make It Real (Small Groups, 5 minutes) Make It Real is designed to help preschoolers understand how the Bottom Line applies to them. They’ll discuss real-life experiences and share prayer requests.
Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds • ©2016 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com
5
First Look
3- through 5-year-olds, May, Week 1
Divide kids into small groups of about five to eight children with each leader. Ideally, assign the same small group leader to the same group of preschoolers for the entire year.
Small Group Time What You Need: Paperclip “Memory Verse Card” from the week one Activity Pages on the Website in your Bible at Ecclesiastes 4:9. Provide a journal and a fun-shaped pen for each Small Group. SMALL GROUP LEADER (SGL): “Good friends are the best! They’re fun to play with. They take care of us when we’re sick. They make us smile when we’re sad. They keep all of our secrets. And best of all, we can be totally silly with our good friends! “Do you know who gives you good friends? (Pause.) [Bottom Line] God gives me good friends! Every time I ask you: ‘Who gives you good friends?’, I want you to say, [Bottom Line] ‘God gives me good friends!’ Got it? (Pause.) Who gives you good friends?” (Pause.) CHILDREN and SGL: [Bottom Line] “God gives me good friends!” SGL: “Who gives you good friends?” (Pause.) CHILDREN and SGL: [Bottom Line] “God gives me good friends!” SGL: “Our Bible story today was about two very good friends named David and Jonathan. They loved each other and helped each other when they needed it. They were the best of friends. Everyone needs good friends who love them and help them. Even our memory verse says, ‘Two people are better than one. They can help each other in everything they do,’ Ecclesiastes 4:9. “Let’s stand up and say our new verse together with the motions. Watch me and say what I say and do what I do! CHILDREN and SGL: “‘Two (hold up two fingers) people (touch your shoulders) are better (raise your arms overhead to form a circle) than one (hold up one finger). They can help (pound one fist on top of the other) each other (touch the person next to you on the shoulder) in everything they do’ (raise your hands overhead and jump up), Ecclesiastes 4:9.” (Open your hands like a book.) SGL: “Yay! Good job! Let’s say it again! (Repeat the verse a few times together.)
Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds • ©2016 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com
6
First Look
3- through 5-year-olds, May, Week 1
“Way to go! You can sit back down now. It’s time to write in our prayer journal. Today we’re going to make a list of our very good friends. When I say your name, I want you to tell me one of your good friends’ names. When we pray we will use our list to thank God for giving us good friends. (Write each child’s name and what they say beside their names. Remember to print the words they say so the children can recognize their names and the letters.) “Look at all the good friends God has given us! Let’s pray and tell God thank you for giving us good friends. Would anyone like to pray before I pray? (Pause.) (Give each child that wants to pray the opportunity to do so.) SGL: “OK, my turn to pray.”
Prayer SGL: “Dear God, thank You for giving us such good friends. Life is so much better with friends! Thank You for giving (name of child) his/her friend, (name of child’s friend). Thank you for giving … (repeat for each child). And most of all, thank You for giving us Jesus to be our friend forever. He is the best friend we could ever ask for. We love You, God. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds • ©2016 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com
7
3- through 5-year-olds, May, Week 1
First LookTM Curriculum for Preschoolers We want preschoolers to take a first look at who God is and understand... God made me. God loves me. Jesus wants to be my friend forever.
May 1, 2016 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 gives me good friends. David and Jonathan • 1 Samuel 18:1-4
Here’s an overview of what you’ll be teaching in 4s–5s this week. Make It Fun • Mix the Colors Make It True • Worship • Bible Story (DVD) Make It Stick • Memory Verse with Motions • Bible Story Puzzle • Dance Moves Make It Real • Small Group Time • Prayer * Check out an example or inspiration for this activity at www.Pintereset.com/firstlookcurr
Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds • ©2016 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com
1
First Look
3- through 5-year-olds, May, Week 1
May 1, 2016 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 gives me good friends. David and Jonathan • 1 Samuel 18:1-4
Make It Fun (Introductory Activities, 10 minutes) Do the following activity as your 4- 5-year-olds arrive. Let one or two teachers lead activities in different areas of the room while another teacher greets parents and kids at the door. 1. Mixing Colors “Mixing Colors” is an activity that uses critical thinking, color recognition, and fine motor skills to accomplish a task. What You Need: Yellow, blue, and red Plah-Doh®, and wet wipes Note: You may purchase your Play-Doh® at any local store or online for larger quantities. You may also make your own dough to save on costs. Here is the recipe. Ingredients: 2 cups of all-purpose flour 1 cup of salt 1 tsp of cream of tartar 2 cups of water Red, yellow, and blue food coloring Wax paper Mix all of the ingredients except the food coloring in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Keep mixing with a spoon until a soft dough forms. When the dough is formed, use the spoon to scrape it out of the pan onto the wax paper. Allow to cool just enough that you can touch it. Separate the dough into three equal parts. Place four drops of one color of food coloring onto one section of dough. Knead the dough vigorously until the entire section is the desired color. To make the color darker, simply add more drops.
Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds • ©2016 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com
2
First Look
3- through 5-year-olds, May, Week 1
Place your red, yellow, and blue play dough in separate airtight containers until ready for use. What You Do: Before the Activity: Give each child a golf-ball-size piece of the red dough. Allow them to knead and play with it. During the Activity: Ask the child what color the dough is. When they answer red, ask the child if they would like to make the dough orange. Give each child a piece of the yellow dough and encourage them to mix the two together to make orange dough. Once the secondary color has been made, sit the dough aside. Give the child a blue piece of dough and repeat the activity by adding yellow to make green. After the Activity: Wipe messy fingers with the wet wipes. What You Say: Before the Activity: “Do you know what color this is? (Hold up the red dough.) Yes! It is red. (Give each child a piece.) Use your fingers to play with your red dough.” During the Activity: “You are all doing a great job playing with your red dough. What if we want to play with orange dough? (Pause.) I like orange better than red. I have an idea! Let's see if we can mix another color of dough to make our red dough better. (Give each child a piece of the yellow pay dough). Now let's use our fingers to mix the two together to make them better!” (Repeat with yellow and blue to make green.) After the Activity: “Great job! What happened? (Pause.) The red and the yellow dough mixed together made orange! The two colors were pretty on their own, but when we mixed them they made something better! Let's try again! (Set the orange dough aside and repeat the activity with the yellow and blue dough). Now let's clean our fingers. (Give the children the wet wipes.) Today in our story we are going to hear about how people are good on their own but when you add friends things can get much better!”
Make It Stick (Application Activities, 35 minutes) These activities are designed to help preschoolers understand and remember today’s Bible story and Bottom Line. Do the following activities as your time, facilities, resources, and leadership allow. You may want to lead one activity at a time. Or offer two activities at once and allow half the kids to participate in each, then switch groups and repeat the activities.
Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds • ©2016 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com
3
First Look
3- through 5-year-olds, May, Week 1
1. Memory Verse with Motions “Memory Verse with Motions” is an activity that uses repetition and movement to teach the memory verse. What You Need: No supplies needed What You Do: Before the Activity: Say the memory verse with the class several times. During the Activity: Teach the motions to the children while saying the verse. After the children have learned the motions repeat several times. After the Activity: Say the Bottom Line together. What You Say: Before the Activity: “We have a new memory verse this month. It is: ‘Two people are better than one. They can help each other in everything they do,’ Ecclesiastes 4:9. Now let’s say it together!” (Repeat several times.) During the Activity: “Now I am going to teach you some motions that we can do while we say our verse. Watch me and we can do them together. ‘Two (hold up two fingers) people (touch your shoulders) are better (raise your arms overhead to form a circle) than one (hold up one finger). They can help (pound one fist on top of the other) each other (touch the person next to you on the shoulder) in everything they do’ (raise your hands overhead and jump up), Ecclesiastes 4:9.” (Open your hands like a book.) (Repeat as many times as desired.) After the Activity: Way to go! Our memory verse for this month tells that it is so much better when we have a friend to help us do things. God wants us to work together and help each other. Who gives you good friends? [Bottom Line] God gives me good friends.” 2. Bible Story Puzzle “Bible Story Puzzle” is an activity that uses fine motor skills to review today’s Bible story. What You Need: “David and Jonathan Puzzle” from the Activity Pages found on the Website, white cardstock, sandwich bags, and scissors What You Do: Before the activity: Copy the “David and Jonathan Puzzle” from the Activity Pages on the Website onto the white cardstock. Make one puzzle for every two children. Cut each puzzle into six large puzzle pieces and place each puzzle in a sandwich bag.
Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds • ©2016 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com
4
First Look
3- through 5-year-olds, May, Week 1
During the activity: Pair the children up and give each pair a sandwich bag with a puzzle. Encourage them to work as a team to put their puzzles together as you review the Bible story. What You Say: During the activity: “I loved today’s Bible story! David and Jonathan were best buds! They spent lots of time together, told each other everything, and even shared everything. Jonathan gave David his robe and sword and bow and belt. They loved each other and they wanted to honor God. Let’s work together and to put the pieces in place and see what our puzzles look like. After the activity: “Look! It’s a picture of David and Jonathan! They really were best friends. Who gives you good friends? [Bottom Line] God gives me good friends.” 3. Dance Moves “Dance Moves” is an activity that uses gross motor movements and listening skills to review today’s Bottom Line. What You Need: Wherever I Go CD and CD player You can see a listing of the Wherever I Go CD and DVD on the May 2016 Pinterest board found on the First Look Curriculum’s Pinterest page: https://www.pinterest.com/firstlookcurr/ What You Do: During the Activity: Gather the children in an open area of the room. Play “Together” from the Wherever I Go CD and encourage the children to dance! What You Say: During the Activity: “I love to dance and sing. But I really love to dance and sing with my friends. Everybody get up on your feet. Let’s dance and sing together.” After the Activity: “Whew! That was SO fun! Did you listen to the words of the song? It’s all about being together. Just like David and Jonathan were better together, we are better with the friends God gives us. Who gives you good friends? [Bottom Line] God gives me good friends.”
Make It Real (Small Groups, 5 minutes) Make It Real is designed to help preschoolers understand how the Bottom Line applies to them. They’ll discuss real-life experiences and share prayer requests.
Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds • ©2016 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com
5
First Look
3- through 5-year-olds, May, Week 1
Divide kids into small groups of about five to eight children with each leader. Ideally, assign the same small group leader to the same group of preschoolers for the entire year.
Small Group Time What You Need: Paperclip “Memory Verse Card” from the week one Activity Pages on the Website in your Bible at Ecclesiastes 4:9. Provide a journal and a fun-shaped pen for each Small Group. SMALL GROUP LEADER (SGL): “Good friends are the best! They’re fun to play with. They take care of us when we’re sick. They make us smile when we’re sad. They keep all of our secrets. And best of all, we can be totally silly with our good friends! “Do you know who gives you good friends? (Pause.) [Bottom Line] God gives me good friends! Every time I ask you: ‘Who gives you good friends?’, I want you to say, [Bottom Line] ‘God gives me good friends!’ Got it? (Pause.) Who gives you good friends?” (Pause.) CHILDREN and SGL: [Bottom Line] “God gives me good friends!” SGL: “Who gives you good friends?” (Pause.) CHILDREN and SGL: [Bottom Line] “God gives me good friends!” SGL: “Our Bible story today was about two very good friends named David and Jonathan. They loved each other and helped each other when they needed it. They were the best of friends. Everyone needs good friends who love them and help them. Even our memory verse says, ‘Two people are better than one. They can help each other in everything they do,’ Ecclesiastes 4:9. “Let’s stand up and say our new verse together with the motions. Watch me and say what I say and do what I do! CHILDREN and SGL: “‘Two (hold up two fingers) people (touch your shoulders) are better (raise your arms overhead to form a circle) than one (hold up one finger). They can help (pound one fist on top of the other) each other (touch the person next to you on the shoulder) in everything they do’ (raise your hands overhead and jump up), Ecclesiastes 4:9.” (Open your hands like a book.) SGL: “Yay! Good job! Let’s say it again! (Repeat the verse a few times together.)
Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds • ©2016 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com
6
First Look
3- through 5-year-olds, May, Week 1
“Way to go! You can sit back down now. It’s time to write in our prayer journal. Today we’re going to make a list of our very good friends. When I say your name, I want you to tell me one of your good friends’ names. When we pray we will use our list to thank God for giving us good friends. (Write each child’s name and what they say beside their names. Remember to print the words they say so the children can recognize their names and the letters.) “Look at all the good friends God has given us! Let’s pray and tell God thank you for giving us good friends. Would anyone like to pray before I pray? (Pause.) (Give each child that wants to pray the opportunity to do so.) SGL: “OK, my turn to pray.”
Prayer SGL: “Dear God, thank You for giving us such good friends. Life is so much better with friends! Thank You for giving (name of child) his/her friend, (name of child’s friend). Thank you for giving … (repeat for each child). And most of all, thank You for giving us Jesus to be our friend forever. He is the best friend we could ever ask for. We love You, God. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Curriculum Materials for 3- through 5-year-olds • ©2016 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com
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