Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.”
Together these made up one day.
Genesis 1:3, 5
Bible:
Say: “God created everything. He started by making day and night on the very first day. The Bible says that God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God called the light ‘day’ and the darkness ‘night’. Together these made up one day.”
Read about Day One in a children’s Bible story book.
Activities:
You can make a day and night picture like the one above or you can use the printable pdf. I will be giving you one each day this week so you can either make a Creation book or cut out the circles and cover in plastic so you can use them to let your child put them in order.
Talk about and act out things you do at night – bathe, sleep, read, watch tv, etc.
Talk about and act out things you do during the day – work, school, play outside, etc
Prayer:
Thank you, God, for making the day for work and play. Thank you, God, for making night for rest. Thank you, God, for making the whole world!!
God made the light and called it day.
God made the dark and called it night.
God made both day and night by His hands.
He made the whole world by His hands.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1
He created everything there is–nothing exists that he didn’t make.
John 1:3
Foundational to our belief system is our thoughts on how ourselves and the world around us came into being. The Bible makes it very clear how the world began. Let’s spend this week talking about the week of Creation as it is recorded in Scripture. Begin by reading Genesis 1 for yourself. Then each day tell your children what God made on that day during the week of Creation. I hope by now you have a good Bible story book with illustrative pictures of what God made.
It is interesting to note that on the first three days God created the places and on the last three days He created things to reside in the places in the same order He created the places. This information helps in remembering what was created when.
Share the above verses often as you use songs, hands-on activities, games, crafts, books, pictures, etc. to establish this truth in your children. I’ll give you some suggestions each day, but I’m sure you can be more creative.
You might want to use the following song this week:
Here a Little, There a Little is a compilation of Bible activities I created years ago to use with my preschool children. It was designed to spend a week memorizing one verse and reinforcing it through 5 Bible lessons and 5 activities. I hope you find this week’s lesson helpful to intentionally notice the ways God is good to us.
Godis Good
Psalm 145:9 The Lord is good to all.
Bible Stories: (I suggest you read the stories from the Bible and then tell them in your own words with expression. Also find them in your children’s Bible and read them to your children.)
Genesis 2 God made the first man and named him Adam. He was good to Adam. He gave him all kinds of animals to keep him company. But Adam was still lonely so God made Adam a wife to be his best friend, to talk to, and to share the garden with. God made Eve to be Adam’s wife. God was good to Adam (Proverbs 18:22)
Exodus 14 God’s people were being chased by some bad people who didn’t love God and wanted to hurt His people. When they came to a great big sea, they had no way to cross the water, so God parted the water in the center and the people of God walked on dry land right over to the other side of the sea without even getting wet! Then the bad men started to cross over after them, but God caused the waters to go back together and all the bad men were drowned. God protected his people; He was good to them.
I Samuel 1 Hannah was so sad because she wanted a baby very badly. She asked God for a baby and God answered her prayer. He gave her a baby boy named Samuel. God was good to Hannah and wanted her to be happy. God was good to us so He gave us a special gift from Him – He gave us you! The Bible (Psalm 127:3) tells us that children are a gift from God.
Matthew 8:20, Matthew 6:25-34 God is good to the birds; He gives them nests to live in. God is good to the foxes; He gives them holes to live in . God feeds the birds and clothes the flowers and the grass. Jesus said that if God takes care of these, how much more will He take care of you and feed and clothe you too. He is good to all!
God is good to you; The Bible tells us that He thinks about you (Psalm 139:17). He is with you always (Joshua 1:9). He even knows when you are crying and catches your tears (Psalm 56:8). He gives you good things to eat (Psalm 103:5). God is good to you!!
Prayer: Thank You, God, for being so good to us. (Lead your child to thank God for specific things as they come to mind)
Activities for baby:
Sing the songs in the videos below and change the words to fit what you might be doing that reminds you that God is good.
While rocking, name the ways God is good to us.
Let baby look in a mirror and talk about how good God is to have given him to you
Feed the birds and talk about how God takes care of them and us.
Share the verse while he eats.
Activities for older preschoolers:
Creatively write or illustrate the verse. Hang it on the fridge or in a prominent place all week.
Lead him to name ways God is good to us and sing the songs below, fitting the things he named into the songs.
Look at pictures of when he was born and talk about how good God is to have given him to you.
Feed the birds and talk about how God takes care of them and us.
Make cookies and say “God satisfies our mouths with good things to eat (Psalm 103:5).
Greet each other in Christian love. 1 Peter 5:14 (NLT)
Have you walked past someone on the street or in a store and just went on by as if no one was there? This scripture points out we should greet everyone with love. My Dad thought this was just plain good manners; he would never walk past a person without saying ‘Hello’ or ‘How are you?’ You never know when a simple smile and friendly greeting from you will be the encouragement a troubled person needs at that moment.
I feel we should train our children to greet others with love. Now to a stranger that can be just a ‘hello’ accompanied with a smile. But to friends – children and adults – it could also be a handshake or a hug. However, we have to set the example.
Make an effort to speak to those you come in contact with. In so doing you teach your children that each person is important to God and shouldn’t be ignored by us.
“realize that all human beings are really members of the same family and that being members of the same family they owe each other some measure of warmth and solace.” (Scrooge’s nephew in the 1938 version of A Christmas Carol)
Here’s a song adapted from “Hello” on the album Especially for Children…of all ages by Bill Gaither you might sing with your children to get them in the habit of saying ‘Hello’.
Exodus 20:3
You shall have no other gods before Me.
Here’s a simple way to illustrate the meaning of this verse. I used these cards with my children 30 years ago, so don’t laugh at the TV with rabbit ears We made cards illustrating things we might be putting before God such as friends, money, and TV.
We also read from The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes, the Bible story recorded in Exodus 32:1-6 about when God’s people turned away from God and started praying to a golden calf that they had made. We talked about how this caused God much sorrow, just as it makes Him sad when we put other things or people before Him in our lives.
Let your children help make your own cards with pictures of things that tend to take your family’s time and attention away from God. Place the cards face down and mix them up. Then take turns choosing a card to see who picks God first.
God will give you all the things you need and enjoy if you give Him first place in your life and live as He wants you to. (Matthew 6:33)
Deut. 6:7
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
You can’t expect a young child to sit down for very long in order to teach him. His attention span is about a minute for each year of his life. That’s why you have to catch teaching moments like this verse says – while you sit, walk, lie down, rise up.
A walk around the block can become a lesson on safety and obedience by holding an adult’s hand in traffic. It also is an opportunity to sing about and thank God for His beautiful world.
Blowing bubbles affords the opportunity to sing “Jesus’ love just bubbles me over.”
Playing ball allows the teaching of concepts of up and down and the idea of sharing.
Picking up trash can be a lesson on helping and caring about those who come after you.
Here a little, there a little – teaching time is any time . . . and it’s fun!!
Isaiah 28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.
Deut. 4:9 “But watch out! Be very careful never to forget what you have seen the Lord do for you. Do not let these things escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.
Train Up The Child is dedicated to helping you fulfill God’s commands to parents. Deuteronomy 6:7 instructs us to teach our children as we go; Isaiah 28:10 instructs to teach ‘here a little, there a little’.
Begin this lesson by creatively making a poster of Ephesians 4:32 and place it on the fridge all week. Read the suggested passages for Bible stories and tell them in your own words. I have given you suggested things to share about each. Do at least one of the suggested activities each day. I am sure you can come up with better ideas on your own – this is just to get you started.
Bible Verse: Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another
Bible Stories:
Luke 10:30-35 A man was walking down a road and some bad men jumped on him and beat him up and hurt him so badly he couldn’t move. Then they left him all alone. A man came by later but he would not help the hurt man. Another man came by, but he wouldn’t help either. Finally a man came by and felt sorry for the hurt man so he stopped and helped him. He bandaged his hurt places and took him to a nice, warm place to stay. Which man was being kind?
Ruth 2 Ruth and her mother-in-law had just moved from another country to Bethlehem. They didn’t have a garden to raise any food, so they were hungry. Ruth went to a man’s field of wheat and asked if she could have the left-overs from his field. The man’s name was Boaz. Boaz told her she didn’t have to get the left-overs, but she could have whatever she needed. Was Boaz kind?
Daniel 1 The bad King Nebuchadnezzar had put Daniel in prison. He was being mean to Daniel and his friends. But one of the king’s men felt sorry for Daniel. Instead of being mean to Daniel like the king wanted him to, he was kind to Daniel and helped him to show the king that God is good.
1 Samuel 18 through 2 Samuel 5 King Saul had been chasing David everywhere. He wanted to kill David because David was so good. David hid in a cave. King Saul came into the cave and didn’t see David. This was David’s chance to get Saul back for being so mean to him. He could have hurt him but would that have been kind? No, David let Saul go unharmed. When Saul found out, he told David, “You have been kind, but I have been evil.”
John 4:6-29 Jesus was sitting at a well where people came to get their water. A lady came to get water while he sat there. She was a Samaritan lady and Jesus was a Jewish man. The Js did not like the Samaritans and not talk to them or have anything to do with them at all. In fact they were sometimes very mean to them. But Jesus wasn’t mean to the lady. He began to talk to her and tell her about God and how she could be saved. Jesus was kind to the lady.
Prayer: Help us to show kindness by hugging, helping, sharing, and saying kind words to one another
Activities for younger preschoolers:
Act out the story of the Good Samaritan with bandages and bandaides
Feed birds or ducks or pet animals and share the verse
Share the verse while changing diaper and point out the kindness you are showing by
caring for him.
Teach him to hug and kiss – share the verse.
Play with ball and talk about playing kindly and sharing
Activities for older preschoolers:
Act out the story of the Good Samaritan with bandages and bandaides
Make a bird feeder out of a pine cone covered in peanut butter and rolled in bird seed.
hang outside in a tree. Watch for birds and share the verse.
Have him draw a picture and send it to someone just to show kindness.
Bake cookies and take to someone – share the verse as you work
Make or buy playdough and tell them you did it just to show kindness to him.
Describe situations or show pictures of different situations and ask if it is showing
kindness or unkindness –ex. Pushing, sharing, listening to parents, helping someone
who falls down, telling someone, ‘I love you’, kicking someone
(This is another lesson from Here a Little, There a Little, a compilation of Bible activities I created years ago to use with my preschool children. It was designed to spend a week memorizing the verse and reinforcing it through 5 Bible lessons and 5 activities.)
Sharing
Bible Verse: Be Ready to Share I Timothy 6:18 All that believed in Jesus had all things in common. Acts 2:44
Bible Stories:
Matthew 14:15-23 Jesus was teaching the people on the countryside and they all got hungry, but it was too far to go back to the city to get something to eat. There was one little boy there with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. Do you know what he did? He shared his lunch with all the people. Jesus was pleased with him.
I Samuel 18:1-4 Jonathan and David were good friends in the Bible. They loved each other. Jonathan loved David so much that he gave him his coat, clothes, and his sword and bow. He had learned to share with his good friend.
I Kings 17:10-15 Elijah was one of God’s preachers. One day he was on a trip and when he got to the city he saw a woman gathering sticks. He asked her for some water and food. She told him she only had enough meal to make one more cake and then she wouldn’t have any more food. Elijah told her that if she would share her last cake wit him, God would bless her with enough food for the rest of her life. She shared her last cake and God did bless her with an unending supply of food.
Philippians 4:10, 14, 18 Paul was in prison. Bad men had locked him in there because he was telling people about Jesus and they didn’t like Jesus. Some people from the town of Philippi wanted to share with Paul while he was in jail. They sent him money, food, and clothes. They also sent him a man named Epaphroditus to take care of him. Paul wrote the Philippians a letter and thanked them for sharing with him.
I Kings 4:9-10 Elisha was also one of God’s preachers like Elijah was. He had some friends that lived in a city named Shunem. Whenever he would pass through that city, his friends wuld share their house with Preacher Elisha. They enjoyed sharing so much that they even built a special room for him to stay in when he was in town. Have you ever shared your room when someone was visiting your home?
Prayer: May we all enjoy sharing our room, toys, time, etc. with others.
Activities for younger preschooler:
Hold his hand and thank him for sharing his hand with you.
Let another child lay on his blanket and thank him for sharing.
Take in another child’s room and talk about that child sharing his room with him.
When he smiles, thank him for sharing happiness
Share Bible verses with him, talking about the Word is the best thing to share with others
Share something of yours with him and talk about being ready to share with him.
Activities for older preschoolers:
Make cookies together and take to a neighbor.
Guide him to choose a toy to share with a friend.
Find pictures of children sharing.
Have guests for supper and talk about sharing food, home, and time with the guests.
Make playdough and share
Make basket, 5 loaves of bread, and 2 fish out of paper.
Share something of yours.
(This is another lesson from Here a Little, There a Little,. It was designed to spend a week memorizing the Psalm and reinforcing it through 5 activities.)
Thanksgiving
Help your child memorize Psalm 100 by finding pictures to illustrate the verses.
Psalm 100 – A Psalm of Thanksgiving
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.
Prayer: Thank you for all you have given us and all you do for us. Help us to always have a grateful attitude toward You and others.
Activities for younger preschooler:
Laugh and sing a lot
Sing and smile while changing his diaper or dressing him and talk about being happy to serve him.
Show a picture of sheep – let him feel wool. Talk about being God’s lamb that He takes care of.
Take a day and give thanks for every little thing: toothbrush, clean sheets, water, soap, diapers, etc.
Start a thank you box of pictures of things to be thankful for. Show them as you say, “Thank you God for ______”
Activities for older preschoolers:
Laugh and sing a lot
Talk about the fact that serving God is really serving others. Do an act of service with a cheerful spirit. (rake leaves, bake and share cookies, or simply tie his shoe and talk about how you are happy to serve him.)
Find a picture of a sheep, mount it on cardboard, then cut it into a puzzle. Talk about how we belong to God and He cares for us as the shepherd cares for his sheep.
Take a day and give thanks for every little thing: toothbrush, clean sheets, water, soap, crayons, etc.
Make a thank you box by filling a box with pictures of things and people to be thankful for. Each night let him pull out a few and lead him to tell God thank you.
Here a Little, There a Little is a compilation of Bible activities I created years ago to use with my preschool children. It was designed to spend a week memorizing the verse and reinforcing it through 5 Bible lessons and 5 activities. I hope you find this helpful.
Memory Verse: In everything give thanks. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Character Quality – Thankfulness
Bible Thoughts: (Read and then tell in your own words)
Hebrews 1:15 God wants us to give Him thanks more than anything. He would rather us tell Him “thank you” than to give Him money. He would rather us tell Him “thank you” than give Him presents. God likes to hear “thank you”.
Psalm 119:1 David thanked God for everything God did. He thanked him for the good things. He even thanked God for the bad things that happened. David thanked God even when he was hurt because it helped him to learn God’s Word. The bad things that happen to us can help us learn more about God when we go through the hurtful things. God wants us to thank Him when good things happen and not so good things happen.
John 6:1-13 One day Jesus was teaching a lot of people and they were all hungry. Jesus took what food was given to him by a little boy and thanked God for the food. God made enough food from that to feed all the people. Jesus gave thanks for His food and so should we.
Luke 17:19 One day 10 sick men came to see Jesus. They asked Jesus to help make them well. He told them how to be healed. When they obeyed him, they were healed. All 10 were healed but only 1 came back to thank Jesus.
Psalm 139:14 David thanked God for making him. He said, “I will thank God for making me wonderfully” David thanked God for making all of his body – eyes, nose, mouth, ears, hands, feet, stomach, etc. Thank God for making all of you.
Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for all You have given us.
Activities for baby: Thank God for someone special; show picture of them. Pull pictures of things out of ‘thank you box’.
Show familiar objects while you say “thank you, God for…”
Sing “In Everything Give Thanks”.
Play with hands, feet, etc while you say “thank you, God for…”
Activities for older preschoolers:
Thank God for someone special and make a card for them.
Look for pictures of things to be thankful for and put in a ‘thank you box’.
Paste picture of foods (favorite and not so favorite) on a paper plate and write the Bible verse on it.
Make paper cut outs of the 10 sick men and act out the story.
Play ball together and thank God for each part of the body as you use them.
Songs: “In Everything Give Thanks” (be creative and put the verse to a simple tune)
)
by Bill Gaither you might sing with your children to get them in the habit of saying ‘Hello’.
We made cards illustrating things we might be putting before God such as friends, money, and TV.
, the Bible story recorded in 
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