God Controls The Season Children's Lesson

I taught this Bible/science lesson about the four seasons to a group of kids from 3 years - 4th grade. The first section included the preschool age children, but the second section is geared more towards upper elementary.

God Controls The Seasons

Introduction:

I introduced the topic of seasons with a kids video. I used one from Harry Kindergarten, but you could use a different one. 

If you don't have a way to show a video, you can sing a song like one from this webpage. 

Four Seasons Flip Book:

I used this four seasons flip book as a short, easy activity to help the kids learn more about the seasons. This was focused on the younger students (I had a preschooler who could use a little more review on what the seasons were).

Act Out The Seasons:
Have the children act out the seasons in the following scenarios:

• Be a tree through the four seasons.
• Be the weather through the four seasons
• Be a bear through the four seasons.

Seasonal Clothing Race:
Form teams of four for a relay race. Lay out the seasonal clothing at the other end of the room. The first person on each team races to the other end of the room and puts on the Spring items. Then, they return to tag the next person in line who races down and puts on the Summer items. The race continues through the items for all four seasons. The first team to race through all four seasons wins.

4 Seasons Tree:

Print out 4 copies of the tree printable on cardstock for each child. Have the kids decorate a tree for each season. Then fold them all in half and glue the backs of all four together in order of the seasons.  Here is how I did them: 

• Spring - stamp on pink paint with the bottom of a small soda bottle
• Summer - stamp green ink with a leaf stamp
• Fall - glue on pieces of orange and red colored tissue paper
• Winter - glue on pieces of cotton balls for snow (maybe even make a snowman)

If you don't have the supplies for these or if you have a Cricut, you can easily switch up some of these ideas. Just watch that you don't add too much dimension to the trees because the cardstock will need to be folded.

• stamp paint or ink with q-tips, individually or bundled with a rubber band
• stamp paint with a potato stamp
• place stickers or foam stickers of leaves, flowers, or snowflakes
• make flowers by gluing on puffy tissue paper 
• color with crayons or markers
• add color with thumbprint painting
• glue on green or fall-colored leaves cut out of construction paper

God Controls The Seasons - For Older Kids

Introduction:
I introduced the science behind seasons by showing a Crash Course YouTube video. These videos are great because they are fun, but introduce the concepts in a simple way.

Model the Seasons:

Use a globe and a flashlight, lantern, or lamp without a shade to model the seasons. Show how the globe is tilted and how that affects the sunlight hitting the globe at the four "corners" around the sun. If you are unfamiliar with the concept you can check out this video on how it works.

The Earths Tilt is the Reasons for Seasons Printable:

Print the worksheet and have the students fill out the worksheet introducing the ideas of solstice and equinox. Then, use a highlighter to show where the sun�s most direct light falls on the globe

God Made The Seasons Printable: 

Print out this printable and have the students look up the verses and match them with the concept supported by each verse. 




Discuss the Purpose of the Seasons: 
Ask these questions and help lead the students to the answers.

• Why are there days and nights? (to spread out the warmth of the sun East and West)
• Why are there seasons? (to spread North and South)
• How do seasons affect where humans can live on earth? (it spreads out where people can live so that there are more inhabitable areas that would otherwise be too cold or too hot)
• How do seasons affect weather? (some places have rainy and dry seasons) 
• How does it affect agriculture? (some plants require the cold of winter to grow again, it also makes growing seasons) 
• How do the seasons affect insect population? (bugs die or go dormant in the cold - this stops insect-borne diseases)
• How did God equip plants and animals for seasons? (some plants going dormant, some animals hibernate)

Here is a printout of the whole lesson, but feel free to pick and choose from the activities for what best fits your students and your time. You can also check out my pinterest board on this subject.

If you liked this activity, check out my God Controls The Weather Bible Lesson.

God Controls The Weather Children's Lesson

This is the first of two children's Bible lessons about God's control over the earth.  This first lesson is about weather and the second one is about the seasons. I chose these two topics because there are plenty of Bible verses and stories and plenty of hands-on activities for both. I had broken each lesson into two sections: one for all the kids (as young as three) and one for the older kids (probably 8 and up).

While I created this lesson for a children's Bible class at a Bible conference, it could easily be used for homeschooling either as a whole lesson or just selecting some of the activities or printables with your curriculum. 

God Controls The Weather

Introduction:

To introduce the topic of God being in control of nature, I read Psalm 104 and had them draw what I read. I had a large tablet (like an easel pad). Here are some of their drawings. 

Water Cycle Video:
We watched a video to introduce the water cycle. I used "The Great Aqua Adventure" by Crash Course Kids. You could use a different video about the water cycle.

Water Cycle In A Bag:
I found this awesome experiment that lets kids see the water cycle with their own eyes. All you have to do is pour some water in a bag and tape it to a window that gets lots of sunlight. Then you can just sit back and watch the water cycle.

Rain In A Jar:

I just included this activity because it looked like fun and illustrated to the younger ones how clouds can get "full" and start raining. The best part is they get to use pipettes or eye droppers - and kids love pipettes. All you need is jars or cups of water, shaving cream, pipettes or eye droppers, and food coloring.

Weather In The Bible Activity:

Print out a set of the Weather Icons for each student (or you could give each student one icon) and glue them to popsicle sticks. Then, read the Bible verses from the list on this matching sheet and have the students hold up the icon for each weather when they hear it mentioned or described. Alternatively, you can print on the matching sheet and just have them match, but I usually like to give the students a chance to move around instead of just complete worksheets. The point in most of these verses is that God used weather to accomplish His purposes. 

God Controls The Weather - For Older Students

How Much Does A Cloud Hold:

I found this fun experiment from the National Weather Service that helps kids visualize how much water is in clouds. And they get to use pipettes again! Basically, you count how many drops you can drop onto a cotton ball before it reaches capacity and starts dripping. You can have them hypothesize beforehand how many drops will fit and also see who can get their cotton ball to hold the most. Of course, clouds aren't made of cotton (actually a cloud is formed by water droplets bonding to dust and pollen in the atmosphere), water droplets are much smaller than the drops released from pipettes or eye droppers, and an updraft helps a cloud hold more water, but this activity gives them an idea of just how much water a cloud can hold. 

The Water Cycle In The Bible:

If you are focusing on teaching the vocabulary for the water cycle (evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff) and demonstrate that each of these is discussed in the Bible, this activity will work well for older students. Print out this worksheet. Then, have them cut off the vocabulary words and Bible verses and glue them to the proper location in the picture. 

Discussion:

It's great to see if the students can process the ideas from the lesson, so I ended this lesson with a discussion about the purpose behind the water cycle (in other words, Why did God create water to go through the water cycle?).

1. Who needs water? How do they use it? (plants need water; animals and humans drink it)
2. What does the water cycle do to the water? How does it benefit the water and us? (it purifies it - like distillation - and moves it to different locations; this gives us fresh water and brings water from oceans to inland)
3. What else does the water cycle affect? How else does it change nature? (Runoff causes erosion and sedimentation which causes in geography like deltas at mouths of rivers and canyons exposing new minerals)

Here is a printout of the whole lesson, but feel free to pick and choose from the activities for what best fits your students and your time. You can also check out my pinterest board on this subject.

If you liked this activity, check out my God Controls The Seasons Bible Lesson.

Bible Lessons on the Five Senses

Kids Bible Lessons on the Five Senses

This collection of lessons is great for any age children.  It has a lot of interaction, especially using their five senses.  Each lesson is based on one of the five senses and uses a Bible story that emphasizes that sense.

Below are descriptions of each lesson with a link.

Lesson 1 - Taste - Esau's birthright

Bible story: Esau sells his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew

Theme: Hunger for God
Passage: Genesis 25:19-28
Key Verse: Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.�

Activities:

• Paint and decorate Jacob and Esau
• Taste test - taste things when blindfolded and guess what they are

Lesson 2 - Touch - Woman touches Jesus' garment

Bible story: A sick woman touches Jesus' garment and is healed
Passage: Mark 5:24-34
Theme: Turn to Jesus with our problems
Key Verse: Luke 8:48 And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace."
Activities:

• Touch test - touch things inside a paper bag and guess what they are
• Jesus and woman puppets - glue fabric onto Jesus and the woman and add popsicles to make them into puppets
• Play "Who touched me?" or "Heads Up, 7 Up"
• Make tassel bookmarks

Lesson 3 - Sight - Elisha and the Blind Army

Bible story: Elisha shows his servant an invisible army of angels who then makes their enemies blind
Passage: 2 Kings 6:8-23
Theme: Trust God
Key Verse:  2 Cor. 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight
Activities:

• Optical illusions
• Use watercolor paint to make an invisible army appear (or DIY scratch off craft)
• Play a blindfolded game such as blindman�s bluff, blind potato race, pin the horse to the chariot

Lesson 4 - Smell - Fiery Furnace

Bible story: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego emerge from the fiery furnace smelling of smoke, but unburned
Passage: Daniel 3
Theme: Be faithful
Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;
Activities:

• Guess the Smell game - smell things when blindfolded and guess what they are
• Fiery Furnace Board Game
• Fiery Furnace Craft
• Play "Musical Furnace" - like musical chairs, but when the music stops you jump in the "furnace"

Lesson 5 - Hearing - Saul Disobeys

Bible story: Saul disobeys God's command to destroy the Amalekites and their belongings
Passage: 1 Samuel 15
Theme: Obey God completely
Key Verse: Luke 11:28 But He said, "On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it."
Activities:

• Identify the Sounds game - listen to noises and guess what they are
• Play "Samuel Says" (like Simon Says)
• Make a lying tongue craft
• Play "Caught in the Web" - make a web of string and have the students try to get through it
• Play "Whisper Down The Alley"

Lesson 6 - All Five Senses Review - Jacob Steals the Blessing

Bible story: Jacob tricks Isaac and steals the blessing intended for Esau
Passage: Genesis 27:1-9
Theme: Senses can deceive, so trust and obey God instead
Key Verse: Colossians 3:9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,
Activities:

• Worksheets about the differences between Jacob and Esau
• Review craft of all the units Bible stories
• Bible drill on verses that incorporate one of the five sense

 Click here or below for more Bible Lessons

Top Free Online Sunday School Resources

When I'm working on a Sunday School lesson or just something to teach my kids the Bible at home, I have a few free online resources that I've found helpful.  I have these bookmarked so that I can find them easily.  

Disclaimer:  While I like these websites, I can't vouch for every piece of material on them. As always, be discerning and evaluate each thing you plan to use to make sure that it is biblically accurate.

My Wonder Studio

One of the things I look for in online resources is great graphics.  This is mostly because I am not a great artist and can't draw pictures that kids will enjoy.  That is why I love My Wonder Studio.  Some of their excellent free printables include pictures for flannelgraph stories, coloring pages, 3D pictures, and "dissected" pictures to let the kids "Be The Artist".  They also have animated videos, songs,  and audio adventures.  The resources are navigated pretty easily by either searching or clicking on the archives on the right side (divided into age group), which takes you to an index of the tags for all of their posts.

Crafting the Word of God

This website is a collection of children's Bible crafts by Jesus Rolon, a children's ministry leader.  There are a ton of printables for crafts, coloring pages, and activity pages.  Crafts are easily found for your lesson because they are categorized (Old Testament, New Testament, VBS, holidays...).  The crafts do a great job of getting to the heart of the Bible story.  There is even a Spanish version of the website.  

Aunties Bible Lessons

Aunties Bible Lessons has great printables for Bible crafts.  Many of them have added interest (texture, moving parts, flaps, and more).  There is a search box in the right column of the website to help you find what you are looking for.   There is also an index for the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Amy's Free Ideas

Amy is a super talented crafter who is kind enough to share her awesome ideas for crafts.  She has an entire section for Sunday School and Bible clubs.  There are ideas for working on Bible verses, crafts, and game.  Some of her crafts are a little more complicated, but are awesome for older kids who need a little more of a challenge.

Sunday School Sources

Kim Dailey from Sunday School Sources has a lot of games, memorizing ideas, and songs, but my favorite resource is the set of Bible character trading cards which are great for learning about the people of the Bible and where they fit into the overall timeline.   There are also Books of the Bible card that would be great for memorizing the order of the books of the Bible.

Bible Fun For Kids & More

This website has a lot of printable resources such as file folder games, lapbooks, and Bible verse printables.  They especially have a lot of preschool and primary grade resources, but quite a bit of it could also be used with older children.  I like the file folder games that help kids learn the books of the Bible and the characters of the Bible.

Almost Unschoolers

While Almost Unschoolers is mostly about homeschooling, there are quite a bit of Bible resources there.   I especially love that there are a lot of active Bible learning, like the game where they have to categorize the books of the Bible by jumping into the correct spot drawn onto a driveway (as in the diagram above).  In fact, I've used this game for lots of different Bible categories (like prophets, judges, kings, and priests...)

Bible Class Creations

There are lots of printable resources at Bible Class Creations.  They like to do shadow stories for telling the Bible stories and share the printables to do that.  There are lots of other crafts and ideas that are tagged by the Bible character or story as well.

Sermons 4 Kids

There are a ton of free Bible lesson worksheets available at Sermons 4 Kids.  If you are looking for a coloring page, word search, or multiple choice quiz, you will probably find one available on this website.  They are easily found on their Old Testament and New Testament indices or you can search the website at the very top of the page.  In addition, they have lots of craft and activity suggestions for each Bible lesson.  The best thing is that there are a ton of Bible stories available, so if you need it you will probably find it here.

Jesus Without Language

Jesus Without Language has loads of craft, game, and printable resources.  The cute little Bible characters remind me of Veggie Tales characters and are made by a missionary named Kate. I love that many of the crafts are movable, since that keeps kids interested in the craft even after they are done making it.  There are also little character cards that can be used in the lesson or as trading cards.

Okay...  I said ten, but here's a bonus:

Bible Today 4 Kids

Bible Today 4 Kids has seven units of Bible lessons, each with 7-13 lessons.  The lessons include activities, worksheets, and crafts.  The worksheets can be connect-the-dots, word searches, unscrambles, fill-in-the-blanks, codes, and more.

And don't forget to check out my 

Children's Bible Lesson Units:

Jesus said "I am..." - Lesson 6 - The True Vine

Lesson 6:  The True Vine

Introduction: Get connected activity
Have a student attempt to turn on an electrical device that is not plugged in.  Try plugging it into something besides an electrical outlet (have another student hold the plug, put it under a pillow, attach it to a chair...).  Ask the students why the device won't turn on. (It's not connected to the power source - not plugged in to the right thing)

Have several branches from a plant in some vases.  Some can be freshly cut.  Some a little older.  Others should be wilting.  If possible, also have a potted plant.  Ask the students why the branches are dying. (They aren't connected to the plant)

Discussion:  Read John 15:1-11.  Ask the following questions.

• Who is the vine? (Jesus)
• Who is the vinedresser (the caretaker)? (God the Father)
• Who are the branches? (Jesus' followers)
• What is the fruit? (the good things that they do)
• Why do some branches bear more fruit than others?  (they are connected better to the vine)
• How do Christians prove they are followers of Jesus?  (doing things like He would)
• How are Christians able to do those things?  (by staying connected to Jesus and His Word, the Bible)
• Why did Jesus tell his disciples these things?  (to bring them joy)

Craft: Soda Bottle painting from AlphaMom.com

      Materials:

• soda bottles (enough for one for each student if possible)
• pink paint (or other flower color)
• brown or green paint
• paint brushes
• paper
• markers or crayons

      Instructions:

• Using a paint brush, paint a vine with some branches coming off of it.
• Dip the bottom of the bottle in the flower color paint and stamp it beside the vine to make the flowers.
• Add the Bible verse (John 15:5 - "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing"

Game:  Vine tag (like chain tag)

• Have one person start out as "it".  Define the boundaries for the kids.
• When "it" tags someone, they must hold hands and form a chain/vine.
• They continue to be "it" and chase others.  Only the people on the ends (with a free hand) can tag someone.  
• Anyone tagged joins the vine until everyone is part of the vine.

Game:  Link tag or elbow tag

• Define the boundaries for the kids.  Have everyone grab a partner and link elbows with them.  
• Chose one pair and a partnerless child (if you have an odd-numbered group) to be unlinked.  Assign one to be "it".
• Whoever is "it" chases those who are unlinked.  The unlinked person can join a pair of linked kids and is now safe, but the person on the other end of the link must then become unlinked and can be tagged.
• After you have played for a while and everyone seems tired, discuss how it was better to be linked then unlinked.  Compare that with abiding in Christ.

Songs:  Sing John 15:5 to help the kids remember the Bible verse.

Closing:  Show the kids a dead branch.  Ask them how the branch got to be that way.  (it fell off the tree)  Ask them if they want to be like the branch.  (no)  Ask them how they can avoid being like the branch spiritually.  (spend time with Jesus by praying and reading the Bible)

Unit wrap-up craft: "I am..." Spin Wheel from Crafting The Word of God

Do you have anything to add?  I'd love to hear how you have taught about the True Vine or any ideas for crafts, games, or songs in the comments below.

Here are links to all the lessons in my Jesus Said "I am..." Bible Lessons Unit:

Lesson 1 - The Bread of Life 
Lesson 2 - The Light of the World
Lesson 3 - The Door and the Good Shepherd
Lesson 4 - The Resurrection and the Life
Lesson 5 - The Way, The Truth, and The Life
Lesson 6 - The True Vine

Jesus Said "I am..." - Lesson 5 - The Way, The Truth, and The Life

Lesson 5: The Way, the Truth, and the Life

Introduction: Name all the things we have learned that Jesus is (the bread of life, the light of the world, the door, the good shepherd, the resurrection and the life)

Read John 14:1-6.  Ask the following questions:

• What was Jesus describing? (heaven)
• What was Thomas worried about?  (not knowing the way)
• How did Jesus say they would find their way? (through Him)
• Is there any other way? (no)

Activity:  Treasure Map
Create a treasure map for the students to find a hidden snack in your classroom.  Have them follow the map to the treasure (the snack).  In our Bible verse, what is the treasure? (heaven)  What is the map? (Jesus)


Worksheet:  "I am the Way" Maze from sermons4kids.com


Discussion: The Truth

• Who is the truth? (Jesus)
• Is there more than one truth? (no)
• Does Jesus ever lie? (no)
• Is Jesus ever not true to who He is? (no)
• Our world likes to say that everyone's experience is their truth.  Everyone's experience is important, but only Jesus is the truth.
• Can we trust anything besides Jesus?  Is anything else truth?  Can we trust our own feelings?  Read Jeremiah 17:9. (we can't trust anything else)

Craft: "I am the Way" Map Craft from the Come and See blog
Cut up an old map and have the students glue them onto construction paper and write John 14:6 on it.

Discussion:  The Life

• How is Jesus "The Life"? (He lives forever and we can live forever too if we believe in Him)
• What kind of life does He give us? (eternal, spiritual)
• What stories have we talked about that go with Jesus being The Life? (Lazarus, Jesus' resurrection)
• If Jesus is life, what does it mean to be separated from Him? (spiritual death)
• How do we have eternal life too? (believe in Jesus - John 11:25)
• When does eternal life begin? (the moment we believe - John 3:16)
• What does it mean that we have eternal life when we are saved?  (We will live forever and never be separated from Jesus)

Game:  The Way, The Truth, and The Life Mixer
Give each child a sticker that says either "The Way", "The Truth", or "The Life".  Have them sit in chairs in a circle with one person in the center.  The person in the center says either "The Way", "The Truth", or "The Life" and the people with that sticker have to find a new seat.  Meanwhile, the person in the center tries to steal a seat.  The person left without a seat is the new person in the center who gets to choose a new group to switch seats.  After a while, you can have the students remove or cover their stickers so the person in the center doesn't know who is in which group.

Song:  Try a song for John 14:6.  Here are a few.

Possible Craft:  One Way Door Knob Hanger
I don't know where I found this printable door knob hanger, but I imagine that it would be easy to duplicate.  My son has had hanging on his door knob for more than six months and still likes it.

I hope you enjoyed another lesson about the times when Jesus said "I am the...".  Did you have any other ideas of activities, songs, crafts, of snacks that you could use to teach John 14:6?

Here are links to all the lessons in my Jesus Said "I am..." Bible Lessons Unit:

Lesson 1 - The Bread of Life 
Lesson 2 - The Light of the World
Lesson 3 - The Door and the Good Shepherd
Lesson 4 - The Resurrection and the Life
Lesson 5 - The Way, The Truth, and The Life
Lesson 6 - The True Vine

Click here for all of my Bible Lessons Unit: