Bible Study: God is our Father. He loves us, protects us and gives us everything we need. He gives us good fathers to take care of us.
Bible Truth: Exodus 20:12; Matthew 7:7-11; Proverbs 4:1-2; 23:22-24
seeds for thought
Father's Day can be a tricky to navigate with our little ones. On one hand we want to uphold and honor good fathers, and it is absolutely right to do so. On the other hand we also want to be very sensitive to children who are growing up with absent fathers. For these children, Father's Day can be difficult. My approach is to speak about this reality very gently and indirectly. In my lesson I say, "Sometimes our dads make mistakes, or they can't be with us." Every child can identify with this statement on some level. Then, I point the children to our perfect Heavenly Father. Every child needs to know that they have a Father in heaven who loves them, cares for them, and gave His only Son so that we can be His children.
teach
visuals to gather:
- picture of you with your dad
- picture of your dad doing his job
- hammer (or any tool)
- laptop (or any device)
- wrapped gifts
- heart shaped gift box
- baby Jesus figurine (or picture)
- wooden cross
A picture of you with your dad when you are young is a fun way to introduce your Father's Day lesson. Kids don't usually think of their teachers as ever being children, so seeing a picture of "little you" is interesting to your little ones, and also helps them connect and identify with you. In my video lesson I connect the concept of dads working to the idea that God, our perfect Heavenly Father is always working for us and for our good. In Matthew 7:11 Jesus tells us that our earthly fathers know how to give us good gifts, but God knows how to gives us the best gifts. The best gift that He has given us is the gift of His only Son Jesus. Jesus was given to die for us, so that we can be God's children. Our Heavenly Father loves us, and nothing can separate us from His love.
craft
One of my favorite things to do for Mother's and Father's Day crafts is to write down what children say about their parents. Their own words are so sweet, memorable and personal! I provide two wording options for this craft. The first one is clearly for a child to give to their dad. The second could be given to their dad, or another significant man in their life. Choose the best one for each child, depending on their family situation. You could also just use the second option for all the children, so that there is no difference between them.
You will need:
In class, allow the children to choose a color of construction paper to glue their page to. Use the blank space to write down the reason each child says about why they love their dad, or think someone in their life is a good man. Provide any art medium you have, or choose, for the children to color their pictures. I love these paints because they are so easy, mess free, and vibrant in color! Encourage the children to sign their own name. You can write it again for clarity if needed.
