Materials Needed for Today: • Pool Noodle (1) • Large Feathers (3 or 4) • Headband with Animal Ears (1) • Journal (1) • Fun-shaped Pen (1) • Empty Toilet Paper Tubes (2) • Tape (1) • Yarn (1) • Scissors (1) • Stickers (1 strip) • Markers (1 pack) • Bible (1) *home item • Plastic Bowl (1) *home item

PRESCHOOL DAY 1

D A Y

F O C U S V B S

ONE P R E S C H O O L S M A L L G R O U P

B I B L E S T O R Y

Look at what God made.Seeing God in Creation

Romans 1:20

M E M O R Y V E R S E

“Let us keep looking to Jesus.”Hebrews 12:2, NIrV

B O T T O M L I N E

Jesus wants to be my friend forever.

©2019 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.OrangeVBS.com 2©2019 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.OrangeVBS.com 2©2019 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.OrangeVBS.com 2©2019 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.OrangeVBS.com 2©2019 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.OrangeVBS.com 2

1. ANIMAL WALK W H AT Y O U N E E D : Optional animal costume props, such as: a pool noodle (to be an elephant’s trunk), three or four large feathers (to be a bird), a bowl large enough to fit on a child’s head (to be a turtle), a headband with bunny ears (or any other animal ears), etc.

W H AT Y O U D O : During the Activity: Invite the children to take turns using the props and pretending to be animals along a designated path within your home. Repeat as long as time and interest allow.

W H AT Y O U S AY: “We learned today about how God made all the animals. Now, we’re going to pretend to be animals! We can choose some animal props and walk like that animal all along this path. You might choose to be an elephant (hold up the pool noodle like an elephant trunk), a bird (hold up the feathers like wings), a turtle (put the bowl on your head), or a bunny (put on the bunny ear headband). (If you provided other props, explain them now.) Look at all these amazing animals! God made all of them. And, the greatest gift God gave us is Jesus!”

D A Y

F O C U S V B S

ONE P R E S C H O O L S M A L L G R O U P

B I B L E S T O R Y

Look at what God made.Seeing God in Creation

Romans 1:20

M E M O R Y V E R S E

“Let us keep looking to Jesus.”Hebrews 12:2, NIrV

B O T T O M L I N E

Jesus wants to be my friend forever.

©2019 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.OrangeVBS.com 3©2019 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.OrangeVBS.com 3©2019 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.OrangeVBS.com 3©2019 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.OrangeVBS.com 3

JOURNAL AND PRAYERW H AT Y O U N E E D : Bible, journal, fun-shaped pen

W H AT Y O U S AY: (Open the Bible and lay it where the children can see it.)

“Our Bible story today was about how God made everything—the sun, stars, trees, mountains, oceans, people, and yes, ANIMALS! And even though we can’t see God, we know He is real because we can see everything He made.

(Hold journal and fun-shaped pen.)

“Let’s make a list of some things God made. When you think of something God made, say it and I’ll write it down.

(Encourage everyone to think of things God made. Write down what they say.)

“Wow! When we look around, we see LOTS of amazing things God made because God made everything!

“Hmmm. I see something else God made that we need to add to our list. I am going to add (say each child’s name as you write them in the journal). Because God made you!

“This list we made is awesome! Good job!

º7i�V>��ÕÃi��Ì��>ÌiÀ�Ü�i��Üi�«À>Þ°�ÕÌ�wÀÃÌ]����>Ûi�>�ÛiÀÞ���«�ÀÌ>�Ì�µÕiÃÌ���°���`�made a wonderful world and everything in it for us but He gave us something even better. Do you remember WHO is the best gift ever that God gave us? (Pause.)

“YES! Jesus! God gave us Jesus to be our friend forever! That’s why when we ask, ‘Who wants to be your friend forever?’ you say, ‘Jesus wants to be my friend forever!’ Let’s try it. Who wants to be your friend forever? Jesus wants to be my friend forever!”

PRAYER“Dear God, we want to tell You how amazing and powerful and creative and loving You are. Even though we can’t see You, we know You are real because we see ALL the things You made, like (read the list you made). And I especially want to thank You for making (say each person’s name). They are SO special. And I know You love all of us with a super big love because You gave us Jesus to be our friend forever. WOW! Jesus is the best! We love You, God. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Seeing God in Creation

Bible Story: Seeing God in Creation • Romans 1:20 Bottom Line: FOCUS on what you can see. Memory Verse: “Let us keep looking to Jesus. He is the one who started this journey of faith. And he is the one who completes the journey of faith.” Hebrews 12:2a (NIrV)

FOCUS ON ME What You Need: No supplies needed What You Do:

• Have a parent or family member stand in an easily seen area. • Show the kids a sign (touch your nose, hold up a couple fingers, etc.). • The game is played like “Simon Says,” but the sign will be made instead of saying, “Simon

says.” • The kids are to do what you say ONLY when you are also making the sign. • If you’re not making the sign and someone does what you say, he or she is out. • The last kid standing becomes the leader for the next round.

What You Say: “In today’s Bible story, we talked about how we can see God in creation. We can see God’s eternal power and divine nature in creation. In this game, you had to [Bottom Line] FOCUS on what you can see, not on what the leader was saying.” “In our lives, we are going to have a lot of things that draw our attention away from the things God has for us, but in those times, we need to get our focus back on God. We need to FOCUS on what we can see that reminds us of God, who cares for us, who loves us, and who promises to always be there for us. [Make It Personal] (Talk about a time when you focused on what you could see in order to bring your attention back to God.) When you focus on the things you can see that God has done or created, it helps you believe in the God you can’t see.” Cool Down Questions: As you finish the game, use the following questions to keep the conversation going and to keep kids thinking about what they’re learning!

• What is one of your favorite places to look to remind yourself of how God created the world? • Where are your favorite places to focus on the things that God has done for you? • My favorite place to experience God in creation is ______. What is your favorite place to

experience God in creation?.

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HOME ACTIVITY | DAY 1

Bible Story: Look at what God made | Seeing God in Creation • Romans 1:20Bottom Line: Jesus wants to be my friend forever.Memory Verse: “Let us keep looking to Jesus.” Hebrews 12:2, NIrV

1. WHAT DO YOU SEE?

What You Need: empty toilet paper tubes (2 per child), tape, yarn or string, stickers, markers

What You Do: • Tape two toilet paper tubes together side by side (wrap the tape around both tubes on both ends) to create binoculars. • Cut a two foot length of yarn for each set of binoculars. • Decorate the binoculars with stickers or markers. • Let the kids look through the binoculars to see what God has made.

What You Say: “When you look through your binoculars, do you spy some friends God made? Yes! Take these binoculars and keep looking for all the amazing things God made. God gave us so many wonderful things to enjoy, but the BEST gift ever is Jesus. Tell me: Who wants to be your friend forever? Jesus wants to be my friend forever.”

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S N AC K S | DAY 1

Bible Story: Seeing God in Creation • Romans 1:20Bottom Line: FOCUS on what you can see.

1. CREATION SNACK MIXWhat You Need: Chocolate chips; small marshmallows; Goldfish® crackers or Swedish Fish®; animal crackers or Teddy Grahams®; stick pretzels; Sour Patch Kids®; small disposable cups or zip-top bags

What You Do:• Each of the snacks listed above represents something God has made:

à Chocolate chips and marshmallows – light and dark à Goldfish crackers or Swedish Fish candy – fish à Animal crackers or Teddy Grahams – animals à Stick pretzels – trees à Sour Patch Kids – people

• Mix all items together in a large bowl.• For distribution, place a cup-sized amount of snack mix into small disposable cups or zip-top bags for kids

to grab and enjoy.

What You Say:“God made so many COOL things! From light and dark to fish and birds to animals and trees and people and flowers—God made it all! And though we cannot see God face to face, we CAN see all that He has made. Let’s remember to [Bottom Line] FOCUS on what you can see.”

2. CREATION JELLO®What You Need: Individual blue JELL-O cups; Sour Patch Kids; dairy whipped topping in a can or small marshmallows; plastic spoons

What You Do:• Place Sour Patch Kids and cans of whipped cream or bowls of marshmallows on the tables.• Give each child an individual blue JELL-O cup.• Let the kids add whipped cream or marshmallows and a few Sour Patch Kids to the tops of their blue JELL-O cups.• Pass out spoons for the children to enjoy their treats.

What You Say:“God made SO many incredible things, but of all the things He made, people are most like Him. And I’m not talking about these crazy-looking Sour Patch kids; I’m talking about each one of you! You are made in God’s image. You can think and feel and love and care for others. And just look at the creativity God showed when He made each one of you. Not only is your hair color or eye color different, but your personalities are also different, as are your likes and dislikes. I can see God in all the amazing things He’s made, and YOU are His most prized creation of all. You can believe in a God you can’t see when you [Bottom Line] FOCUS on what you can see.”

Conversation Guidefor Parents of Prechoolers

Faith. How we talk about faith at each phase of a person’s life matters in how they’ll think about faith in the phases to come. Preschoolers use their five senses to experience the world around them. In this phase, you can help them develop authentic faith by inciting wonder. You will give them the foundations for their faith in the way you respond with concrete examples and by letting them explore God’s creation. As they grow and mature into adolescents you’ll be able to unpack abstract concepts more deeply. For now, be as simple as possible, and remember that your role in the preschool phase is to . . .

This guide is designed to help you connect with your child in the phase they are in, by giving you some words to say to introduce them to faith. As the conversation progresses through the phases, always keep this end goal in mind for your kid:

Trusting Jesus in a way that transforms how I love God, myself, and the rest of the world.

In the new baby phase, say things like . . .

“God, thank You for this healthy baby.” (Pray aloud while you are with your baby.) “Jesus loves me.” (Sing songs while you hold your baby.) “We are going to church.” (Connect with a faith community.)

In the following preschool years, say things like . . .

“God made you. God loves you. Jesus wants to be your friend forever.”“God, thank you for . . .” “God, please help us . . .”“Let’s read about how God made the world.” “Are you scared? Let’s talk to God about it.” “How did the Samaritan take care of his neighbor?” (Talk about what your preschooler learns at church.)“Can you let your friend have a turn?” (Prompt them to share.) “Isn’t that wonderful? Let’s thank God for it.” “Do not be afraid, for the Lord your God is with you.” Joshua 1:9 (Repeat simple Bible verses.)

Incite Wonder So they will KNOW GOD’S LOVE AND MEET GOD’S FAMILY.

Just Remember . . . Every phase is a timeframe in a kid’s life when you can leverage distinctive opportunities to influence their future. The preschool years are the wonder years. You can incite their wonder by exploring the world side-by-side with your child. Your child listens to your words, so this phase is the perfect time to begin talking, singing, and reading out loud with your toddler about faith. And as they get older—three, four, five—and have questions about so many things, including faith questions, answer as simply as possible.

For more information onThe Phase Project and othergreat parent resources, visit theParentCue.org©2018 The Phase Project.All rights reserved.

This guide is based on research from The Phase Project, a collaborative, ongoing e!ort, assembling classic and innovative research with practical application.To discover more ways to understand your child’s phase, check out the Parenting Your . . . book series at parentcuestore.org.

To enhance the conversation,here are a few activities your family can try:

Print photos of family members and friends and place them in an inexpensive album. Let your preschooler flip through the book while you lead them in praying for the people they see in the pictures.

Create a playlist of your child’s favorite praise and worship songs. Demonstrate connecting with God through song by dancing and singing with your preschooler on a regular basis. Don’t know where to find great, kid-friendly music? Check out ParentCueStore.org or Orange Kids Music in iTunes.

Pray consistently with your preschooler. Demonstrate that prayer is having a conversation with God by using a pretend telephone during your prayer time. Take turns “dialing” (starting the prayer) and “hanging up” (ending the prayer). Let your preschooler use their own words and language, but feel free to prompt them if they get distracted or stall out.

Tell your child simple Bible stories and repeat favorite memory verses. (Use the Parent Cue App for help!) Explain simply that stories from the Bible are true, and show us how to live.