A preschooler’s world is full of imagination. I’ve seen little boys come to class with superhero capes and little girls wearing tiaras and princess shoes. Pretending is a wonderful thing! However, when it’s time to open the Bible during circle time, I want the children to understand the amazing stories they hear are REAL! This object lesson helps children to understand how wonderful our Creator God is. They learn God created us with hearts that can love and worship Him!
For a creative way to teach the story of Adam and Eve, bring the body of a scarecrow made from a shirt and pants stuffed with plastic bags. A stuffed paper bag, tied off with jute, will become the head. Have pompoms, wiggly eyes, and other items ready to adhere with
a glue stick and glue dots. (To simplify this activity, use markers to draw facial features.)
Children are always curious when I announce we will have a visitor in our classroom, but first I must make him. I sit the scarecrow body in a chair and announce that Harry is our visitor. Then, with a pause, I notice something is missing. I add eyes, nose, mouth, and ears as the children call out each feature that is missing.
When all the missing features have been added to the scarecrow, we cheer and celebrate the fact that Harry is complete. He now has everything he needs to enjoy the world… Eyes to see the sunrise, a nose to smell the flowers, ears to hear the birds sing, and a mouth to smile, to eat, and to talk. Harry has a mouth that can tell me how much he loves me.
I wait for him to express his gratitude. He says nothing, so I prompt him to respond to me with love and thanksgiving.
“Can you tell me thank you for making you, Harry?”
Harry says nothing.
“I gave you eyes to see, Harry. Can you tell me thank you?”
Harry says nothing.
“Harry, I gave you a nose to smell and a mouth to taste. Can’t you show me how much you love me? Can you sing me a song that says, ‘I love you’?”
Harry still says nothing.
Baffled, I ask the children to help me understand why Harry will not tell me he loves me and will not tell me thank you for making him. The children are quick to let me know how silly I am to think that my person is real. This opens the door for me to point out that I can’t make a real person. Only God can do that.
The first people God made were Adam and Eve. When God made people, He made us with hearts that can worship Him. We can say thank you to God. We can tell Him how much we love Him. God wants us to worship Him in that way.
I end the lesson with a time of prayer. I pray, thanking God for making me and telling Him how much I love Him. Then I invite the children to talk to God, too. Hearing their thank-you prayers is precious. I’m sure they are precious to God too!
© 2023 Frances McFarland
Every idea here is shared with love. Enjoy and share them freely, but kindly avoid profiting from them or presenting them as your own.
Comments