Age 2 - 5K Week of May 17th - May 23rd
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Monday: Heart Hopscotch
What You Need: “God Loves Me Hearts” Activity Page (Download Here), cardstock
What You Do:
Before the Activity: Copy the “God Loves Me Hearts” Activity Pages onto cardstock and cut out. Lay hearts out on the floor of your activity area. Space out the hearts so that your preschoolers can hop from one to the other. Use the contact paper or tape to secure the hearts to the floor and provide durability as they hop. You may choose to make more than one copy of the pages and create a longer path.
During the Activity: Gather the children to line up at the start of your path. Point out the words on the hearts and read them aloud. Encourage the children to take turns hopping along the path, one at a time, saying, “God loves me!” Repeat as time and interest allow. Make sure that every child has a turn to hop along the path.
What You Say:
Before the Activity: “This month we’re learning that [Bottom Line] God loves me. In fact, that’s what it says right here on these hearts (pointing as you read) [Bottom Line] God loves me. Let’s take turns! One at time, I want you to hop along the path and say, [Bottom Line] ‘God loves me.’”
After the Activity: “Great hopping, friends! Tell me, who loves you? [Bottom Line] God loves me! Yes, He does! Sunday, we heared a story Jesus told about a guy who learned that God loves us no matter what.”
Tuesday:Lemonade Stand
What You Need: “Ollie Dollars” Activity Page (Download Here), cardstock, plastic pitchers, spoons, plastic cups, play lemons, toy cash register, and a table (pretend or substitute something elese if there something here you don’t have)
What You Do:
Before the Activity: Copy the “Ollie Dollars” Activity Page onto cardstock and cut out. Make enough copies to provide three “Ollie Dollars” per child. Set all of the supplies on the table to create a lemonade stand.
During the Activity: Let the children gather around the table and play “lemonade stand.” One child may be the cashier, several children can make the lemonade, and the others can line up with the “Ollie Dollars” to buy a cup. Call out “SWITCH” periodically to encourage them to switch roles throughout the activity.
After the Activity: Gather all cups, pitchers, play lemons, spoons, “Ollie Dollars,” and the cash register for clean-up. Set “Ollie Dollars” aside for another activity after large group.
What You Say:
Before the Activity: “Let’s play ‘Lemonade Stand,’ but this time, we’ll add some special ‘Ollie Dollars.’ You must pay for a cup of lemonade with an ‘Ollie Dollar.’. Some friends can make the lemonade, some can stand in line to pay, and one friend can be the cashier who takes the money and puts it in the cash register. If you hear me say, ‘SWITCH,’ make sure you move to a different spot so everyone gets a chance to play all of the roles.”
After the Activity: “You did an awesome job! You needed money to buy a cup of lemonade. Sunday, we heared a story about a man who spent ALL of his money!”
Wednesday: Running Out of Money
What You Need: “Food, Clothing, Toys” Activity Pages (Download Here), cardstock, “Ollie Dollars” from earlier activity, three empty wipe containers or empty rectangular tissue boxes (or some kind of container), scissors, and floor tape
What You Do:
Before the Activity: Copy the “Food, Clothing, Toys” Activity Pages onto cardstock and cut apart. Make two or three copies of each page, enough so that each child has one picture of food, one picture of clothing, and one picture of a toy for the activity. Use the tape to mark a path for the children to walk along on the floor of your activity area. Set the three empty wipes or tissue boxes along the path. Next to each box, stack the pictures as follows: place the food pictures next to the first box, the clothing pictures next to the second box, and the toy pictures next to the third box.
During the Activity: Line up the children at the start of the path. Talk about how the father in our story today gave his son the money he’d been saving and the boy spent it ALL. Give each child three “Ollie Dollars.” Encourage them to stop at each box, select a card and pay for the item (food, clothing, or toys) by placing one of their “Ollie Dollars” into the box. When they get to the end, point out that they’ve spent all of their money, just like the son in our story Sunday.
After the Activity: Gather the “Ollie Dollars,” the pictures, and boxes for clean-up.
What You Say:
Before the Activity: “Let’s line up here in front of our path. Today, we heard the story Jesus told about a father and son. The son asked his dad to give him the money he’d been saving for a long time. The son took the money and went far away. Does anyone remember what he did with that money? (Pause.) Yes! He spent it ALL! He bought toys, food, and clothes. He kept spending until all of the money was gone. I want you to walk along the path here, one friend at a time. As you pass each box, I want you to select a card and then pay for that item by placing one of your “Ollie Dollars” into the box.”
During the Activity: “Okay. Let’s take turns. Make sure you pay for each item as you go and give every friend a turn!”
After the Activity: “What happened to all of your money? (Pause.) You spent it? All of it? That’s like the young man in our story today. He spent all of his father’s money. Does anyone remember what happened next? (Pause.) Yes! He decided to return home to say he was so sorry. What did the father do when he saw his son coming? (Pause.) He ran and hugged his son. He forgave him. The father LOVED his son, no matter what. And that’s how God loves us, with a no-matter-what kind of love. Tell me, who loves you? [Bottom Line] God loves me.”
Thursday: Shop
What You Need: “Ollie Dollars” Activity Page (Download Here), cardstock, scissors, and trinkets or small toys (two per child)
What You Do:
Before the Activity: Copy the “Ollie Dollars” Activity Page onto the cardstock and cut on the dotted lines. Each child will need two “Ollie Dollars.” Lay the trinkets or toys out in the activity area in a store-like fashion.
During the Activity: Give each child two “Ollie Dollars” and invite them to go shopping. Explain to the children that each toy or trinket is worth one “Ollie Dollar.” They can choose two toys for their two dollars. They may only have two.
After the Activity: Continue the activity until all of the children have shopped for two items.
What You Say:
Before the Activity: “Let’s go shopping!”
During the Activity: “You have two dollars to spend. You may choose only two items. (Point.) Be sure to make good choices and not waste your money.” (Do activity.)
After the Activity: “Way to go! You are very smart shoppers! The boy in our Bible story from Sunday did not make good choices with his money, but his dad loved him, anyway! Just like God loves us, always! Who loves you? [Bottom Line] God loves me!”
Friday: Journal and Prayer
What You Need: Paperclip “Memory Verse Card” in your Bible at Romans 8:39. Provide a journal and a fun-shaped pen. You will also need two small, heart stickers for each child if you have them.
PARENT: “Today we’ll make silly faces. Show me your silly faces.”
(Pause and look around.)
PARENT: “Whoa! Those are some super silly faces! Keep making your silly faces!”
PARENT: “Let’s talk about today’s Bible story!”
(Open the Bible and lay it open in front of the children.)
PARENT: “Jesus told us a story about a father who loved his son, no matter what. Even though the son had gone away and wasted all of his money, the father still loved him and wanted him to come home.
“Jesus told us this story because He wanted us to know that God loves us no matter what, too. Even when we make silly faces! Nothing can ever separate you from God’s love.
“Hey, that’s the Bible verse we are learning!”
(Turn the pages of your Bible to the Memory Verse Card.)
PARENT: “It says, ‘Nothing at all can ever separate us from God’s love,’ Romans 8:39.”
(Close Bible and lay it down.)
PARENT: “Let’s stand up and say that together with the motions.”
CHILDREN and PARENT: “Nothing at all (shake head and wave your arms in front of you) can separate (lock your fingers together) us from God’s (point up with both hands) love (hug yourself). Romans 8:39.” (Open your hands like a book.)
(Repeat the verse with motions a few times.)
PARENT: “That verse is awesome, and so are you! Way to go!”
(Give each child a fist bump.)
PARENT: “Now, let’s sit down so we can write in our prayer journal and talk to God.”
(Hold journal and fun-shaped pen.)
PARENT: “Today we are going to thank God for loving us, no matter what. I will write everyone’s name in our prayer journal. When I say your name, I will give you one heart sticker to put beside your name and one to put on your shirt. When you put the heart sticker by your name, I want you to say, [Bottom Line] ‘God loves me.’ Got it? Here we go!”
(Say each child’s name as you write it. Remember to print the names so the children recognize their names and the letters. Each time you write a child’s name, give them one heart sticker to put beside their name and one to put on their shirt.)
PARENT: “Look at all of these hearts! I hope every time you see a heart, you think about how much God loves you. Who loves you?”
CHILDREN and PARENT: [Bottom Line] “God loves me!”
PARENT: “He sure does! Let’s pray and thank God 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.)
Prayer
PARENT: “Dear God, thank You for loving (name each child), and me, no matter what. We try to do what is right, but sometimes we mess up. It makes us feel so good to know that nothing at all can ever separate us from Your love. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
