Creation Day 5

Bible Truth: God created birds and fish.
Bible Story: God created all kinds of birds to fly in the air, and all kinds of fish to swim in the sea.
Bible Study: Genesis 1:20-23

teach

As has been the routine, open your Bible to Genesis 1:1, and review the memory verse with your preschoolers.  Use actions to for them to copy as they repeat, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

Before class, tuck a picture of a bird and a picture of a fish inside your Bible.  Pull the pictures out of your Bible to introduce the animals that God created on Day 5.  Here are several ways that you and your preschoolers can further explore all kinds of flying and swimming creatures.

picture book walk

Visit your local library, and check out a collection of books with great pictures of all varieties of birds and sea creatures.  Let the children explore the books as you discuss the animals that God made on Day 5.

animal sounds

Download a free animal sounds app onto your phone or tablet.  Play the sounds of various birds and sea life for the children to identify and discover.  This could work well as a game with the picture books, or even animal cards, if you have them.  Play the sound of an animal, and see who can find a picture of that animal.

habitat sort

This works well on a flannel graph board with a tree, sky and water scenery.  Give each child either a bird or a fish flannel piece.  One by one invite them up to the flannel graph board to place their animal in an appropriate habitat.  You could employ the same concept many different ways, using whatever resources you have available.  For example, you could use animal cards and a simple hand drawn poster as I did here.

I picked up the pack of animal sorting cards in Target's Red Spot dollar section a while ago.  It was a very worthy $1 investment for some great animal pictures!

aquarium life

If you or someone you know has fish, or a bird, or water turtles (as I do!), ask if they would be willing to bring them in for the kids to watch and observe!

sing

• God Created - this week sing through verse five

craft

habitat sticker sort

This craft is similar to the concept I suggested as a learning activity.  

You will need:

• light blue and dark blue construction paper
• this Day 5 heading
• bird stickers or clip art
• sea creature stickers or clip art 
• scissors
• glue

To prepare, print and cut out the Day 5 heading.  Cut blue construction paper in half, and then cut the dark blue in half again in a wavy shape for water.

In class, help the children glue the heading and water to a piece of light blue construction paper.  Provide bird and sea creature stickers or clip art for the children to place on their craft in the appropriate habitat.  

I cut the bird stickers pictured above from address labels that were sent to me, and didn't need.  (They are a great source of free stickers!)  The sea creatures are foamie stickers that were donated to us, and I've been saving them for this craft.

fanciful fish

This is a simple, open, ended fish craft.  Explore books of colorful fish with the children to admire all the different colors and shapes of the fish that God created.  Then give them their own opportunity to create a unique fish.

You will need:

• paper plates
• ribbon, sequins or jewels, etc.
• googly eyes
• scissors
• stapler
• glue

To prepare, cut a pie piece shape out of a paper plate.  Staple the piece to the opposite end of the fish as a tail.

In class, provide materials such as ribbon, sequins or jewels for the kids to decorate and create fanciful fish. Add a googly eye as well.  These make a great colorful display for the wall in your classroom if you choose.  

fine-feathered friends

These adorable little birds can be made into finger puppets, as suggested on the template.  They can also be displayed as mural in your classroom.  Look at pictures of beautiful and exotic colored birds found in creation before the children create their own beautiful birds.

You will need:

• this template
• feathers
• crayons
• scissors
• glue

To prepare, print and cut out a template for each child.

In class, provide crayons and feathers for children to color and decorate their birds.  Encourage them to use a variety of colors. 

I found the feathers pictured in the example above at the dollar store.  They had limited colors in stock, but I would suggest checking there before you head to a craft store.  If prep time is short, children can simply color and add feathers to a coloring sheet of a bird!

Creation Day 4

Bible Truth: God created the sun, moon and stars.
Bible Story: God put the sun in the sky to light the day, and the moon and stars in the sky to light the night.
Bible Study: Genesis 1:14-19

teach

To begin this lesson, open your Bible to Genesis 1:1.  Have the children repeat the verse after you, along with simple actions.  Then, briefly review days one, two and three of Creation before you introduce day four.  A flannel graph board is a nice visual element for Creation lessons, because you can add the objects for each day, but simple posters or drawings for each day can do the trick just as well.  Here is a Creation bulletin board set that you could add on to each week as you teach each day.

picture book walk

I recommend visiting your local library, and checking out a collection of books with great pictures of the sun, moon, stars, solar system, etc.  Bring the books into class.  Select a few pictures to show during your lesson as you discuss how beautiful and awesome it is that God spoke, and all these things were created. Give the children time to explore the books on their own and discover more!

peek-in night box

My preschoolers always enjoy this "Peek-in Night Box."  It is simply a black box with pin holes and a moon shape cut out at one end, and a peep hole cut out on the other end.  Kids can look into the box, as though they are looking into a telescope to see the night sky.

mini planetarium

It's fun to make your own "mini planetarium" in the classroom.  We have a "Moon In My Room" moon that was purchased as a prop for one of our church dramas.  I hang the moon along with glow in the dark stars and planets.  Turn off the lights to admire the glow, and sing this version of Twinkle, Twinkle for a memorable lesson.

sing

• God Created - this week sing through verse four
• Twinkle, Twinkle - this is a slightly modified version of the classic tune

craft

day four activity sheet

This activity sheet gives you many decorating options.  Stickers, glitter, and cut out paper shapes can all be added in any way you choose.

sunny sun catchers

I realized a couple years ago that most of the crafts, and other activities I did for day four of creation, centered around the night sky.  So I like to make sure at least one of the crafts that we do during this week features the sun.  Here is a great sun catcher craft that can be massed produced on a busy Sunday morning service.  (It's important that my crafts meet that criteria if they are going to work in my classroom!)

You will need:

• yellow paper plates
• clear contact paper
• bright orange and yellow tissue paper or streamers
• this scripture print out
• an Exacto knife
• scissors
• hole punch
• yarn 
• glue sticks
• suction cup hooks (optional)

To prepare, cut out the centers of the paper plates with the Exacto knife, and cut out squares of contact paper just slightly bigger than the diameter of the opening on the paper plate.  Hole punch the tops of the plates, and cut small lengths of yarn.  You may also opt to attach the sticky side of the contact paper to the back of the paper plates before class.

In class, give the children strips of tissue paper or streamers.  Show them how to tear off pieces and press them onto the sticky side of the contact paper, on the front side of the paper plate, until all the contact paper is covered.  Glue the scripture print out to the front of the plate.    Thread yarn through the punched hole.  Show the children how to hang their suns in a window so that they will catch the light of the sun.

twinkle, twinkle number four

You will need:

• a printout of a large number four as a template
• black construction paper or card stock
• this print out of Twinkle, Twinkle
• a sponge
• scissors
• star stickers
• glitter glue
• glue sticks

To prepare, print out a large number to use as a template.  Trace it onto black construction paper or card stock.  Cut out a number for each student.  From a sponge, cut out a moon shape.  Print, and cut out the words for Twinkle, Twinkle that accompany this lesson.

In class, help the children glue the Twinkle, Twinkle words to their number fours so that they can sing this song with their parents at home.  Help them dip the moon-shaped sponge in glitter glue, and stamp it onto their number four.  Provide star stickers for them to decorate their number fours.

Creation Day 1

Throughout our Creation unit, I want to spark a sense of awe and wonder for the Creator in the hearts of my preschoolers, and then introduce them to His perfect love for them as the crown of His creation.  With this thought underlying each lesson we teach, lets begin with Day One!

Bible Truth: God created light.
Bible Story: God gave us light for day and darkness for night.
Bible Study: Genesis 1:1-5

teach

You will need:

• your Bible
• a dark cloth
• a flashlight

Begin teaching this lesson with your Bible open to introduce the memory verse.

SAY: We are going to learn the very first words that are written in the Bible.  They tell us how God created the whole world.  Repeat after me.  Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Wow!  That means that God made everything!  Let's keep reading our Bible and find out how He made it.

First there was nothing, only darkness. Hold up the dark cloth. Pin it to the wall, or ask a child to hold it for you.  Then God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.  Shine the flashlight onto the dark cloth. Turn off the flashlight, and repeat.

That is amazing!  How did God make light?  He just said, "Let there light."  It was dark, cover your eyes, and God said, "Let there be light." Uncover your eyes like peek-a-boo. Repeat this a few times as the children join in the game with you.

God looked at the light that He made and said, "It is good."  Give two thumbs up each time you repeat this phrase.  What did God say when he looked at the light that He made?  It is good.  Say that with me. It is good.  

God called the light Day, and the darkness Night.  Look outside.  Right now is it Day or Night?  Let children answer.  God gave us the Day to work and to play, and the Night to rest and sleep.  

Sing this with me.  Sing the first verse of God Created.  (We'll add a new verse each week.)

Let's pray.  Say, thank You God for creating light for day and darkness for night.  You are so amazing.  In Jesus name, amen!

play

Here are some hands-on ideas to reinforce your lesson.

• God separated the light from the darkness.  Bring in collection of light and dark objects and toys.  Let the children help you separate the light from the dark.
  
• Give each child an Oreo.  Pull the cookie apart to separate the light from the dark, then enjoy a special treat.  (Be sure there are no children with allergies, and that parents are okay with their children having a sweet snack.)
  
• Give each child a glow stick.  Turn off the lights and sing "God Created" as everyone waves around their glow sticks.  Let the children take them home as reminders of the lesson.  (I saw packs of glow sticks the other day in Target's Red Spot section.  You can also check the Dollar Store!)

craft

light and dark mosaic

You will need:

• this activity page
• bright colored paper
• black/dark paper
• scissors
• paper plates
• glue

To prepare, simply cut out tiles of bright colored paper and black paper.  Place both the light and dark tiles on paper plates.  In class, let the children sort out the tiles and glue them onto their paper.  As you are crafting, talk about all the beautiful colors that God created with light!

let there be light

You will need:

• this scripture print out
• black construction paper
• aluminum foil
• craft sticks
• scissors
• glue

To prepare, cut sheets of black paper into quarters, and cut pieces of aluminum foil to the same size.  Cut the scripture print out into strips.  In class, help the children assemble the craft by gluing a craft stick as a handle in between a piece of black paper and a piece of foil.  Glue the scripture to the corresponding sides of the craft as shown below.  Practice repeating the scripture with the children as they show the dark and light sides of their craft.

Please excuse the blurriness.  The reflection off of the foil made it impossible to focus!