May 26, 2013
Session 1
9:00
Basic Truth: God made me.
Key Question: Who can help others?
Bottom Line: I can help others.
Memory Verse: “Be kind and loving to each other.” Ephesians 4:32, NCV
Bible Story: You can help even when it’s hard.
Aaron Helps Moses • Exodus 17:8-13
Make It Fun (Introductory Activities, 8:50 – 9:15
Free choice toys will be out. Also, one or two teachers can lead the following activities
in different areas of the room while another teacher greets parents and kids at the door
1. Woo HOO Chant
“Woo HOO Chant” is a fun activity that uses repetition and large motor skills to
memorize a concept from the Bible story.
What You Need: (Option: Musical instruments such as tambourines and bells.)
What You Do: Teach the following chant to the children with the motions. “Woo HOO!
(Raise right arm.) I can help (right thumb to chest) you!” (Point out.)
(Option: Give the children the bells and tambourines to shake along with the chant.)
What You Say:
During the activity: “Woo HOO! (Raise right arm.) I can help (right thumb to chest) you!
(Point out.) I just love saying that! Can you say it with me? (Repeat as many times as
desired.)
At the end of the activity: “All of our Bible stories this month have been about some
pretty AMAZING people. Each of these people helped others whenever they had the
chance. Let's get ready for our Bible story so we can learn who was a great helper this
week.”
2. Mirror Me
“Mirror Me” is an activity that gives preschoolers the opportunity to exercise their large
motor skills and strengthen their coordination as they mimic the motions of their leader.
This activity will also help to introduce a key concept in today’s Bible story.
What You Need: No supplies needed.
What You Do: Stand in front of the children and challenge them to copy your every
move, as if looking in a mirror. Do lots of fun silly moves as well as some that challenge
balance and strength. End the game holding your arms up above your head.
What You Say:
During the activity: “We’re going to play a game called ‘Mirror Me.’ You stand in front of
me and pretend to be my mirror. That means you have to move just like me. Ready to
play? (Pause.) Okay, you are my mirror starting right … now!”
At the end of the activity: “Where are our arms right now? (Pause.) Yep! They’re up!
Straight up! In our story today, a man named Aaron helps his brother Moses by holding
his arms up.”
Make It True (Large Group, 20 – 25 minutes)
After children have participated in Make It Fun, gather them for a large group time that
includes interactive worship, introductory sketch and Bible story. After large group,
begin the following activities.
Make It Stick (Application Activities, 35 minutes)
These activities are designed to help preschoolers understand and remember today’s
Bible story and Bottom Line. Offer as many of the following activities as your time will
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.
1. Stamp Me
“Stamp Me” is an activity that strengthens memory skills and helps with sequencing and
problem solving skills. This activity will also reinforce the Memory Verse for this month.
What You Need: The children’s helper hats, a rubber heart stamp, and ink pad.
What You Do: Say the Bible memory verse together, with motions, several times. Next,
give the children the chance to say the verse by them self to earn a heart stamp for their
helper hat. When a child says the verse, ask him to step forward so you can
ceremoniously put a heart stamp on his helper hat.
What You Say:
During the activity: “Stand up! We’re going to practice our Memory Verse and then you
will get a chance to earn a heart stamp for your helper hat! Here we go!
“‘Be kind (smile really big, tilt your head to the side, and point to your cheeks) and loving
(give yourself a great big hug) to (hold up two fingers) each other (point to people with
both pointer fingers),’ Ephesians 4:32 (open your hands like a book).”
At the end of the activity: “I am so proud of you! Your heart stamps look fabulous on
your Helper Hats. Who’s excited about wearing your new Helper Hat when you help
others? (Raise your hand and look around.) I hope you’re excited! God made you to
help others, even when it’s hard. Who can help others? (Pause.) [Bottom Line] I can
help others!”
2. Helping Hands Hat
What You Need: The kids’ hats from last week, a star stamp, acrylic paint and a
paintbrush. (Optional: Felt, scissors, star outline, tacky glue, and “Helper Song” from the
Activity Pages on the Web site copied onto white cardstock.)
What You Do: Help the children apply paint to the star stamp, press on the side of the
hat, and set aside to dry.
(Option: Help kids trace the star onto the felt, cut it out, and glue to the front of the hat. If
you have a larger group and need to do the hats with a few children at a time, you can
use the rhyme on the “Helper Song” Activity Page. Have one small group leader helping
preschoolers with their hats and another leading the rhyme with the whole group.)
What You Say:
Before the activity: “What a great Bible story we heard today about helpers! We learned
that Moses listened to God and did what He said to do. One day, Moses’ brother,
Aaron, ran to him yelling that a really big army was coming after them! Someone
needed to do something! Moses knew he had to do what God wanted him to do: he had
to be a helper. He said ‘Woo HOO! (Raise right arm.) I can help (right thumb to chest)
you!’ (Point out.) Moses sent some men to fight the army while he and two of his friends
went to pray for God to help them. Moses held his hands up high and prayed to God.
When Moses’ hands were up, the Israelites were winning. But when his arms came
down they started to lose! So what did Moses need to do? (Pause.) Keep his hands up
in the air! Moses held his arms up in the air for a really long time and they started to get
tired. When Moses’ friends saw this, they knew they could help too. They held Moses’
arms up for him. They were great helpers, and you can be a great helper too!”
During the activity: “Let’s finish up our special Helper Hats! Today we are going to add a
star to remind us what a shining helper Aaron was. We’ll put it right here on your hat.”
(Demonstrate.)
At the end of the activity: “Wow! These are fantastic! Today you can take them home
and show your family what an amazing helper you can be with your Helper Hat. You
can also show them each symbol on your hat and the Bible story that goes with it! Tell
me, who can help others? (Pause.) [Bottom Line] I can help others. That’s right! We
can all help others!”
4. Sorting Food
“Sorting Food” is an activity that will help preschoolers identify different shapes, colors,
and sizes as they group different types of canned foods together. This activity will also
help to reinforce this month’s Bottom Line.
What You Need: Canned goods and other non-perishable food items that kids have
brought in.
(Note: The food bag that was sent home during Week One should have been returned
by today. Use the food that was donated for this activity and then donate it to your local
food bank.)
What You Do: Put all of the food in a pile in the middle of the room. Ask the children to
help sort the cans into different types of food or packaging. Let the children take over
this activity as much as possible. Let them enjoy the pride they will feel from helping
feed those that are hungry.
What You Say:
During the activity: “WOW, look at all of this food that we collected. We have worked
really hard together to create this pile of food. Now we need to sort the food. Can you all
help me to do this? (Pause.) All of the cans go over here and the boxes can go here.”
After the activity: “You are all such wonderful helpers! I am so proud of you! Who can
help others? (Pause.) You got it! [Bottom Line] I can help others! That’s right! You
were super helpers this month. I’m so impressed with all of the food you brought. You
showed how loving and kind you are when you help others.”
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.
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 Web site in your Bible at Ephesians 4:32. Provide a journal and a fun-shaped pen
for each small group. You will also need reward stickers or a hand stamp.
SMALL GROUP LEADER (SGL): “Aaron had a really hard job in our Bible story today.
Who remembers what Aaron did to help his brother, Moses? (Pause.) That’s right!
Aaron held his brother’s arms up for a really long time. Do you think Aaron’s arms got
tired too? (Pause.) I do. But he still did it. (Pause.) God made you to help others even
when it’s hard too. He sure did! Who can help others?”
CHILDREN and SGL: [Bottom Line] “I can help others.”
SGL: “Our Memory Verse says (open Bible), ‘Be kind and loving to each other,’
Ephesians 4:32. We can help others by being kind and loving. Is it hard to be kind and
loving sometimes? (Pause.) Sure it is. Sometimes it is hard, but we can do it with God’s
help. Let’s say our verse together and then I have a sticker/hand stamp for anyone who
wants to say it by themselves.”
CHILDREN and SGL: “‘Be kind (smile really big, tilt your head to the side, and point to
your cheeks) and loving (give yourself a great big hug) to (hold up two fingers) each
other (point to people with both pointer fingers),’ Ephesians 4:32 (open your hands like
a book).”
SGL: “Good job! (Pause.) Before we talked about how sometimes it’s hard to help
others and be kind and loving. Let’s make a list of some things that make it hard to help.
We can use it to talk to God. So tell me, why is it hard to help sometimes?”
Write down the children’s names and what they say in your journal. Remember to print
the words so they can recognize their names and letters. Mention their list when you
pray together.
“Thank you for helping me make a list. Let’s pray.”
Prayer
SGL: “Dear God, we want to help. We want to be kind and loving. Really, we do! But
sometimes it’s hard to help. Things like … (read list) make it hard. Please help us to
help others even when it’s hard. We want to do what you made us to do. We love You,
God. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Get Ready to Dismiss
Set any take-home creations where you or parents can get them easily. Greet parents
at the door and tell them that this month preschoolers are learning that [Bottom Line] I
can help others. Encourage parents to repeat the Bottom Line at home and help their
child understand that [Bottom Line] I can help others.
Have this month’s Parent Cue available for parents to pick up or send it in a monthly
email. Encourage parents to use the activities found in Parent Cue to reinforce this
month’s Bottom Line, [Bottom Line] I can help others.