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Bible Story: “Deborah and Barak” (Judges 4)

Babies
Our Bible story for this week is about making choices. Babies have lots of choices—they hear music in the room, see toys on the mat, and watch your face as they hear you talk to them. You will notice they want to be near you. Babies learn how to play with a particular toy because of the way you offer it to them. Use language as you show them something new. Include words that describe the actions they take during play. The play babies begin during these months will encourage them as they make choices in future play decisions. Make comments such as: “Thank You, God, for hands to hold the toy. Thank You, God, for eyes to see the toy.” The soft tone of your voice will help set an attitude of reverence for God. You have an important part in helping children develop a foundation for faith.

1s
Gather two of each type of toy (shaker/rattle, musical, ball, and a cardboard block). Place one set of toys on the floor and the other set in a large paper bag. Ask the child to choose a toy from the bag, and then direct him to find the matching toy on the floor. Tell the child that he is making choices. Try to encourage two children to play beside one another as they take turns finding a toy in the bag. A child may choose one toy and decide to move to another toy. Ones will not stay with any activity for long, but they will enjoy trying something new as they interact with you. Say, “Thank You, God, for hands to play with the toy.” They will make choices throughout the morning. Encourage new skills as ones learn to play along-side one another.

2s
Set up two obstacle courses. Draw arrows on paper for the directions you want the children to move. You may want to make the activity weave through the learning centers in the room. Encourage them to choose which way they want to walk. Give them an option of going through both obstacle courses. The choice is theirs. This week’s biblical learning is about making good choices. Use the words “making choices” often. Say, “Thank You, God, that ________ (use child’s name) can make choices.” Twos are learning to play together, and this activity may encourage them to play with friends.

3-Pre-K
As you tell the Bible story in Group Time, ask a child to find the Bible Verse Marker in the Read-to-Me Bible. Repeat the Bible verse together. Guide that child to choose a friend to find the Bible Marker. Continue letting each child choose a friend to find the Bible Marker after he/she has a turn finding the verse. The children will enjoy “choosing” friends and saying the verse with you. The repetition of saying the words will help them remember the verse. Say: “In our Bible story today Deborah and Barak made good choices. Today you were able to choose friends to find the Bible marker and say the verse.”

Kindergarten
Locate the Bible-learning activity “Make a stand-up verse” on page 10-BTH in your leader guide. (These are the additional “Bonus Teaching Hour” activities in the back of the book.) The following suggestion is a small change to the activity. Instead of drawing pictures on the back, place the cards on the table after they have finished copying the verse. Ask the children to make identifying marks (circle, triangle, X, etc.) or use matching stickers in front of and after the words on each of the cards. Then the Bible verse word cards can be put in order by matching the marks/stickers. The activity can become a game for the children when they get home. Provide a small zip-lock bag so each child can take his Bible verse cards home.

Bible Story – “Joshua and Jericho” (Joshua 6:1-21)

Babies
Babies begin to understand more about their world through their senses (touching, tasting, smelling, hearing, and seeing). Encouraging babies to try new things will enhance their learning. Try placing a toy under a small blanket. Direct a child’s attention to the blanket and gently lift an edge of the blanket. Say, “Can you see something under the blanket?” If you need to continue lifting it until a child sees it, exclaim, “There it is!” Describe the toy once the child sees it. Say, “Thank You, God, for eyes to see the _______________ (identify the toy).” Just as God encouraged the children of Israel, you can encourage the babies you teach as you mention the name of God and say it with a loving tone of voice. You are laying a foundation for spiritual development in these early years! Thank you.

1s
Place tape on the floor in an area where the children can walk. Ask them to place cardboard blocks, two or three blocks high, around the walking area (to represent a wall). Tell a portion of the Bible story as the children walk. Say: “God helped Joshua and the children of Israel by making the wall come down. They did what God wanted them to do. God loved them very much. God loves you.”

2s
Prior to the session and during the session, stack cardboard blocks three blocks high to resemble a wall. Gather a few rhythm instruments from the resource room. When two year olds arrive, they will see the blocks set up. I know what you are thinking—the children will immediately knock them down! What a great segway into the story for the day. Guide the children to stack them up and knock them down. Mention the portion of the Bible story where God told Joshua and his men to walk around the wall. Show two year olds the musical instruments; guide them to walk around the room and play the instruments as they march around the pretend wall.

3s – Pre-K
Gather lunch size brown paper bags, one or two for each child, and newspaper (two sheets per child). Show the children how to open a bag, stuff it with newspaper, and then close the open end so that the bag resembles a stone block. Be sure to print each child’s name on his/her paper block. After the blocks are made, guide the children to combine them to build a “stone wall.” When you tell the Bible story, sit with the new “stone wall” behind you. As a closing activity, allow the children to walk around the wall and pretend to blow horns and gently knock down the wall. Say: “Joshua and the people did what God had asked them to do. They followed God’s instructions each day and the wall fell down. God took care of Joshua and the people.”

Kindergarten
The Bible story for today shows us know that God is mighty and takes care of us. He knows what we need. God provided for Joshua and the people. God had something for them to do each day for seven days.

Use the following activity to remind children how God took care of Joshua and the people. Build a block wall. Prepare seven cards. On one side of each card, write the number 1 – 7. On the first six cards, print: “Walk around the wall without saying a word.” On the seventh card print: “March around the wall seven times. On the seventh time, ask a designated ‘priest’ to blow the pretend horn.” Then let all the children shout and knock down the wall. Say, “God wanted Joshua and the people to have the city of Jericho.”

As a child you might remember the Bible story because you sang about it, built a wall, or even blew a pretend trumpet. These activities will help preschoolers remember one more way God provided for the people He loved.