SUGGESTED DATE:week of Sept. 9

LEADER BIBLE STUDY The World Canine Organization currently recognizes over three hundred different

breeds of dogs, divided into ten groups by function and size: sheepdogs and cattle

dogs, pinschers and schnauzers, terriers, dachshunds, spitz, scent hounds, pointers

and setters, retrievers, companion and toy dogs, and sight hounds. Within those ten

groups are subgroups based on where they can be found in the world. Guess what?

There are a lot of dogs in the world!

Not only did God make dogs in all their diversity, the Bible says God made all the

animals—cats, raccoons, squirrels, rabbits, porcupines, walruses, zebras, elephants,

sloths. He created all the birds—eagles, penguins, turkeys, bluebirds, canaries,

hummingbirds, vultures. And He created all the fish—whales, sharks, porpoises,

catfish, crappie, bass. The types of animals, birds, and fish are too numerous to list!

Why are there so many different kinds of animals? Why do some look so funny?

Why do some seem to serve no useful purpose? These are the kinds of questions

preschoolers may ask. Remind them that God is a creative God. He created

every living creature for a purpose, even though we might not understand it.

Understanding that God created many different kinds of animals is a first step to

understanding that He also created many different kinds of people. And He loves

them all.

Which animal do you like best? Why? __________________________________

Which animal do you think is most unusual? Why? ________________________

What are some ways you can help your preschoolers appreciate the different kinds

of animals and understand that God made them all? ________________________

NOTE: Downloadable versions of items identified as CD are available in the Music and Print Extras Bundle. Items identified as DVD are available in the Digital Video Bundle.

Additional training for Bible Studies For Life: Kids available at ministrygrid.com/web/biblestudiesforlife.

GOD MADE ANIMALS

LIFE POINT: God made all of the animals.

LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNINGGod created the world in six days and rested on the seventh.

BIBLE PASSAGEGenesis 1:20-25,30

WEEKLY VERSEGod made all the animals. Genesis 1:25

UNIT VERSEIn the beginning God made the world. Genesis 1:1

CREATION

12 U n i t 1, S e S S i o n 2© 2018 LifeWay

Decide when to have group time; then select learning

activities to use before and/or after group time.

CHOOSEYour Own

SCHEDULE

›Pack Items 1, 4, and 7: “Unit 1 Banner,” “Genesis 1:1,” and “Weekly Verses”

›Teaching Pictures 1 and 2 (Bonus ideas on back)

›CD

›DVD

›A Bible, masking tape or painters tape, and a beanbag

›Continue to display the unit banner and unit verse posters.

›Place the verse marker in the Bible at the reference.

›Put three strips of tape on the floor, about a foot apart.

GROUP TIME ►Transition to group time. Whisper to a child: “Pretend you are a turtle. Move to

group time.” Whisper a different animal to each child. In group time, ask each child to

move again as his animal and encourage the other kids to guess what animal he is.

►Sing. Lead the kids to sing “God Made the World” (track 1).

►Show Teaching Picture 1. Invite kids to recall how God made the world. Point to

the Genesis poster and say the unit verse together.

►Introduce the Life Point. Explain that after God made the world, He made every

living thing. Tell kids that today they will learn that God made all of the animals.

►Tell the Bible story. Ask which Bible book tells about God making the world.

(Genesis; the first book) Open your Bible and tell the Bible story in your own words.

GOD MADE ANIMALS—Based on Genesis 1:20 -25,30

Four days had passed since God started creating the world. God had made the day

and night. He had made the sky. He had gathered the waters together and made

the seas and the land. He had made plants to grow. He had made the sun, moon,

and the stars. God had done a lot in four days, but God was not finished.

On the fifth day, God said, “Let the waters fill with all kinds of sea animals. Let the

birds fly in the sky.” From the tiniest sea creatures to the largest whales, God made

everything that swims and moves in the ocean. God made all kinds of birds to fly in

the sky. He saw that these were good. That was the fifth day.

On the sixth day, God said, “Let living creatures fill the earth, all kinds of animals.”

He created cattle and crawling animals and wild animals. God made all kinds of

animals to live on the land. God said that the animals would eat plants and fruit that

He had made.

God saw everything that He had made so far, and it was very good.

►Show Teaching Picture 2. Invite kids to talk about the Bible story. Point to the three

tape lines on the floor. Choose one line for water animals, one for land animals, and

one for animals that fly. Guide kids to take turns tossing the beanbag onto one of the

lines and naming an animal that God made that lives in that place.

►Pray. Say the Life Point: God made all of the animals. Thank God for the animals.

►Say a Bible verse. Open your Bible to Genesis 1:25 and say the verse. Lead kids to

say the verse with you. Toss the beanbag to a child and ask her to make a sound like

any animal. Ask the kids to guess the animal. Say the verse. Play again.

►Wrap it up. Show the “God Made Animals: Life Action” video.

B I B L E S T U D I E S F O R L I F E K I N D E R G A R T E N 13© 2018 LifeWay

BIBLE-LEARNING ACTIVITIES

BUILD A ZOO • Point to the word zoo and read the word to the kindergartners. Suggest they use the

materials to build a zoo.

• Encourage the kids to work together to build places for the animals to live.

• Suggest kids tear the green or blue paper to create grass and water in the places

where the animals live.

• Talk about the animal figures. Children may want to sort the animals into similar

types. Ask who made all of the different animals. Ask the kids to name other animals

that God made.

• Open the Bible and read Genesis 1:25. Lead the kids to say the verse with you.

• Talk about the Bible story. (blocks)

READ ANIMAL BOOKS ›Use pillows or cushions to make a quiet, comfortable area for reading.

• Help the kindergartners to complete the Kids Activity Page.

• Invite the kids to look at the animals on the activity page and in the books and

magazines. Ask the kids to name different animals that God made.

• Look at the picture on the back of the activity page. Talk about the Bible story.

• Help a child open the Bible to Genesis 1.

• Look together at God’s Colorful World. Challenge the kids to count how many animals

they can find in the book.

• Option: Provide paper, markers, and a stapler. Help kids to make their own animal

books. (books)

MOLD ANIMAL SCULPTURES • Show the Teaching Picture and talk about the Bible story.

• Ask kids to name animals they can see in the picture. Ask them to name other

animals that God made.

• Give each child a ball of clay and a plastic plate on which to work. Direct each child to

sculpt an animal with his clay. Ask which kids will make water animals, land animals,

and animals that fly in the air.

• Lead the kids to say the Life Point: God made all of the animals.

• Offer to print the Life Point on the base of each sculpture (the plate). (art)

›Pack Item 7: “Weekly Verses”

›A Bible, blocks, plastic animals, blue and green construction paper, a marker, and an index card with word zoo printed on it

›Mark Genesis 1:25 in the Bible.

›Kids Activity Pages

›Pack Item 11: “God’s Colorful World”

›A Bible, books about animals, nature magazines for kids, pencils, and pillows or cushions

›Option: paper, markers, and a stapler

›Teaching Picture 2

›Air dry clay, sculpting tools (play dough tools), small craft sticks, small plastic plates, pictures of animals, and a permanent marker

›Option: Use modeling clay or play dough.

14 U n i t 1, S e S S i o n 2© 2018 LifeWay

LIFE POINTLIFE POINT God made all of the animals.

SORT PICTURES • Invite the girls and boys to sort the picture cards. Allow them to decide how they

would like to sort the animals. (For example: sort by size, color, or where they live.)

• Suggest children use the trays for sorting.

• Say the Weekly Verse: God made all the animals. Genesis 1:25. Invite a child to open

the Bible to the marked verse. Talk about the Bible story. Ask the kids to name other

animals than the ones on the cards. Ask who made all these animals.

• After kids sort the animals, ask them to sort the animals in a different way. (puzzles)

TAKE CARE OF PETS • Invite kids to play out caring for pets. Ask if any of the boys and girls have pets at

home. Ask if any of the kids have jobs related to their pets. Talk about different ways

families care for pets.

• Talk about the Bible story. Lead kids to name animals that could be good pets and

animals that would not be good pets.

• Lead the kids to say the Life Point: God made all of the animals.

• Show and read the Unit Verse: In the beginning God made the world. Genesis 1:1.

Lead the children to repeat the verse with you. (dramatic play)

BONUS ACTIVITIES

MAKE FEATHER PRINTSPour tempera paint into shallow containers. Provide smocks. Kids can press feathers

into the paint and then onto the paper to make feather prints. Talk about birds and

other kinds of animals. Remind the kids that God made the birds and the fish on the

fifth day. Help a child open a Bible to Genesis 1 and point to the Bible story.

USE THE COLORING SHEETPrint the page (CD) and provide crayons. Talk about the Bible story as children work.

Option: Send the sheet home as a story reminder the kids can color during the week.

CLEAN UPPlay music of your choice on the CD. Name cleanup tasks that are needed and ask for

volunteers to complete each task. Thank the kids for helping to clean the room.

›Pack Item 13: “Animal Sorting Pictures”

›A Bible, trays, and a bookmark

›Mark Genesis 1:25 in the Bible.

›Pack Item 4: “Genesis 1:1”

›Stuffed or plastic dogs and cats, unused pet beds, small plastic bowls, empty pet food box, leash, plastic pet comb, other pet care items

B I B L E S T U D I E S F O R L I F E K I N D E R G A R T E N 15© 2018 LifeWay