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Social: Providing Time for Fun Interaction (Small Groups, 15 minutes) Activities that encourage preschoolers to enter the classroom and begin engaging with peers and Small Group Leaders by providing age appropriate and hands on fun while introducing new concepts they will hear in the day’s Bible story. Prepare to offer one or more of the following activities as your 3-, 4-, or 5-year-olds arrive. Let one or two teachers lead activities in different areas of the room while another teacher greets parents and kids at the door. 1. Clothing Help Made to Move: An activity that uses a preschooler’s natural desire to move to help them learn

What You Need: Several pieces of clothing (a shirt, jacket, shoe, sock, scarf, and a pair of pants) and a laundry basket What You Do: Before the Activity: Gather the all the pieces of clothing and place them inside the laundry basket. Place the basket several feet from the center of the room but in a spot where the children can easily access it. During the Activity: Gather the children in an open area of the room. Select a child by name and ask him/her to run to the basket, find a specific item of clothing, and bring it back to you. Give every child an opportunity to retrieve at least one item of clothing. What You Say: During the Activity: “Come sit here with me. Do you see the laundry basket over there? (Point.) Inside, you’ll find different pieces of clothing like socks and shirts and shoes. I’ll call your name—one at a time—and ask you to run over, find a piece of clothing, and bring it back to me. So listen for your name! Okay, [child’s name], can you please find a shirt and bring it back to me?” After the Activity: “Great job, friends! Thanks for helping me by finding the clothes I asked for. In our Bible story today, we’ll hear about someone who helped people by giving them clothes. Let’s go find out what happens!”

2. Felt Clothes Made to Play: An activity that encourages preschoolers to follow guidelines while having fun and learning new concepts

What You Need: Felt board, five pieces of felt (in assorted colors), and scissors What You Do: Before the Activity: Cut the following shapes out of the felt. You may use any color for any shape that you would like, but be sure the skirts and pants are all different colors. The shapes will correspond to make a person, so make sure the sizes of each shape correspond to each other. You will need one circle (head), three triangles (skirts), three rectangles split in the middle but connected at the top (pants), four thin rectangles (arms and legs), and three squares (torso/shirts). During the Activity: Place the felt board on the floor or on a table. Place the felt pieces next to the board. Encourage the children to place the pieces on the board to make a person. Encourage the children to change the square and the skirt/pants pieces to “change” the person’s clothes. Be sure all of the children have a turn to change the person’s clothes. What You Say: Before the Activity: “We have a lot of different shapes to play with today.” (Point.) During the Activity: “Place the different shapes onto the board (point) to make a person. The circle can be the head (point) and the thin rectangles (point) can be arms and legs. Use the squares as shirts and these rectangles (point to the pants) as pants. You can use the different colors to change their clothes.” (Do activity.) After the Activity: “Great job! We are going to hear an awesome Bible story today about someone who helps make others clothes to wear. I cannot wait for you to hear this true story from the Bible.” Transition: Move to Worship and Story by asking the children to line by the color of their shirts. Example: “Everyone wearing a blue shirt, please line up.” Continue by naming all of the colors of the shirts that the children are wearing.

Connecting: Making the Story Apply to Them (Small Groups, 25 minutes) Create a safe place to connect through activities that are written to reach every learning style while reinforcing the Bottom Line that was introduced during the Bible Story and applying it to real life experiences. In addition, these activities provide preschoolers with an opportunity to build relationships with their Small Group Leader. 1. Memory Verse with Motions Hear from God | Memory Verse Review Made to Move: An activity that uses a preschooler’s natural desire to move to help them learn What You Need: No supplies needed What You Do: Before the Activity: Say the memory verse and do the following motions in front of the children.

Always (arms up around to side) give thanks (ASL thank you) to God (both hands pointing up), Ephesians 5:20. (Open your hands like a book.)

During the Activity: Say the verse again with the motions and invite the children to do it with you. Repeat several times. What You Say: Before the Activity: “I am going to say our new memory verse today. Everyone watch me! Always (arms up around to side) give thanks (ASL thank you) to God (both hands pointing up), Ephesians 5:20.” (Open your hands like a book.) During the Activity: “Now let’s do it all together! Are you ready? Always (arms up around to side) give thanks (ASL thank you) to God (both hands pointing up), Ephesians 5:20.” (Open your hands like a book.) After the Activity: “Our memory verse tells us that we should always thank God for all that He does for us. Who are you thankful for? [Bottom Line] I am thankful for people who help me!”

2. Get Dressed, Quick! Live for God | Application Activity Made to Move: An activity that uses a preschooler’s natural desire to move to help them learn

What You Need: Two pairs of sunglasses, two T-shirts, and two scarves What You Do: During the Activity: Divide the class into two teams. Place a set of items for each team (a pair of sunglasses, a T-shirt, and a scarf) about five feet away. Explain to the teams that the first child on each team will run to the items and put each one on. Once they are dressed and a leader gives them a thumbs up, they must take each item off, place it back on the floor, and run back to tag the next person. Continue until every child has had a turn. What You Say: During the Activity: “First, we need to get into two teams. (Count off children and line them up in their teams.) Now that you’re on a team, I want you to run to the items, put them on, watch for me to give you a thumbs up, take the items back off, and then run back to the next friend in line so everyone has a turn.” After the Activity: “You are fast! Way to go, friends. Can someone tell me how Tabitha helped others? (Pause for answers.) Yes! She helped them by giving them clothes. But I’m sure she didn’t make them run and put them on quickly! Tell me: Who are you thankful for? [Bottom Line] I am thankful for people who help me.”

3. Necklace Live for God | Application Activity Made to Create: An activity that allows preschoolers to review the Bible story, Bottom Line, or memory verse by creating a craft

Be sure to list the items you will be using today on the “Allergy Alert Poster” and post it at the door to your room. What You Need: “Allergy Alert Poster,” “Charm” Activity Page, white cardstock, scissors, hole punch, yarn, and uncooked rigatoni noodles What You Do: Before the Activity: Copy “Allergy Alert Poster” on white cardstock and hang it on the door. Copy the “Charm” Activity Page onto the cardstock and cut on the dotted lines. Use the hole punch to punch a hole on top of the black circle at the top of the charm. Cut the yarn into two-foot sections. Each child will need one charm and one section of yarn. Tie a large knot at one end of the yarn. During the Activity: Help the children thread four pieces of rigatoni onto the yarn. Add the charm and then add four more pieces of rigatoni. After the Activity: Tie the ends of the yarn together to make a necklace that the child can wear. What You Say: Before the Activity: “We are going to sew a necklace today!” During the Activity: “We are going to sew just like Tabitha did in our story today. First, we are going to thread the pasta onto the yarn. (Demonstrate.) Next, we add the charm (hold up) that is about the Bible story we heard today. Then we can add more pasta to finish our necklace that we can wear.” (Do activity.) After the Activity: “Nice work! Now you can wear your necklace and tell everyone all about our Bible story today. God gives us people to help us. Who are you thankful for? [Bottom Line] I am thankful for people who help me!”

BIBLE STORY

Choose an engaging adult to tell the Bible story. This person should be able to command the attention of preschoolers and control the group through animated storytelling. These scripts are written to be “told” and not “read.” Advanced preparation is necessary. What You Need: A Bible LEADER: “Hello, friends! If you’re happy to be here with me today, say, ‘SO happy!’” CHILDREN: “SO happy!” LEADER: “Yay! I’m SO happy to be here with you too, because today I want to share a story—a TRUE story—straight from the Bible. (Hold up Bible.) Remember, the Bible is full of God’s words to us, and everything we read inside it is true. “Today’s true story is about a woman named Tabitha. Tabitha was a member of God’s Happy Helpers Club. Because the Bible says that Tabitha loved Jesus and was ALWAYS helping others. That’s super cool. “Tabitha would look for people who needed help, like women whose husbands had died or families who didn’t have much money. And then Tabitha would make them clothes. “Tabitha helped lots and lots of people. She would help people if their clothes got too small because they were growing. Raise your hand if some of your clothes have gotten small because you are so big now. (Pause.) Wow! Lots of you are growing. “Tabitha, would help people if they were cold and needed a coat to wear. Show me how you look when you’re cold. (Demonstrate shivering.) Oh, you all look so cold. When we’re cold we need coats or sweaters. Tabitha would help people by making them clothes. “What a happy helper Tabitha was! I am SO thankful for people who help me, aren’t you? When I say, ‘Who are you thankful for?’ you say, [Bottom Line] I am thankful for people who help me. Are you ready? Who are you thankful for?”

CHILDREN and LEADER: [Bottom Line] “I am thankful for people who help me.” LEADER: “Yes! Tabitha made so many clothes for people who needed them. She was definitely a happy helper. Let’s pray and thank God for people who help us.” PRAYER LEADER: “Dear God, thank You for the true story of Tabitha and how she chose to help people by making them clothes that they needed. We are so thankful for people who help us! And we are thankful for You, God. We love You. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.”