It is my month for teaching the cute preschoolers at my church for Sunday School. Since I was given December, I decided to break down the Christmas Story and go over the important people God chose to be a part of it. We focussed on the Shepherds for the first week.
First thing, the kids came into the class and as I welcomed them, they can go over and color a picture to keep them busy as we wait for the kids to all get to class.
First thing, the kids came into the class and as I welcomed them, they can go over and color a picture to keep them busy as we wait for the kids to all get to class.
We then moved on over to our reading circle where we had our praise and worship singing time and then our story time.
We focused on the Shepherd's story. Before beginning the story, I talked with the kids about the importance of a Shepherd's job in the time of Christ's birth.
We focused on the Shepherd's story. Before beginning the story, I talked with the kids about the importance of a Shepherd's job in the time of Christ's birth.
- The shepherd faced the continuous challenge of teaching the sheep to obey his commands. A good shepherd took care of the animals in their charge, even giving them names to which they would respond.
- For many days, shepherds would work and sleep outdoors so the flock could graze in the fields and spent the nights guarding them. At times, the shepherd might shelter his flock overnight in a cave, where they would be protected from wild animals that could harm the sheep. If the howl of a wild animal panicked the flock of sheep in the dark of night, the shepherd’s calm reassuring voice would still them.
- Each evening, the shepherd counted the sheep and checked the health of the animals. In the morning, he would call, and the flock would follow him to the pasture ground. (John 10:3, 4) During the day, shepherds led the animals to the water to drink.
- Good shepherds were diligent, dependable, and brave. They would even risk their lives to protect the flock.--1 Samuel 17:34-36.
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I LOVE using this Bible that our family purchased for our kids. The stories and pictures are very detailed and engaging!
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After our story, the kids moved over to the table to work on our Sheep ornament. It was simple for the kids to complete but kept them busy and engaged. I precut the sheep and the stars before class and hole punched them and strung them.
Click here for the sheep pattern
Click here for the star pattern
The kids added the cotton balls, googly eyes and glued the verse on the star. They LOVE having an ornament to take home for their tree. I used a verse from Veggie Tales that I found online but you could use any verse.
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We moved on to our HERDING SHEEP game. This is so very simple and the kids had a blast!
I made 2 "corrals" out of popsicle sticks and put a bunch of sheep in random places in front of the corral. The kids had to "herd" the sheep (by blowing air) into the corral. We made it a kind of competition. Even my teen helpers had fun playing. haha!
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The last thing we did was our snack time...this was a hands-on snack time today. We talked about the importance of the Shepherd's staff.
- The staff was used to help a sheep find it's mother if he gets lost. The shepherd will gently use his staff (with the rounded "crook" on the end) to help lift the sheep and get it back over by it's mother.
- It is also used for guiding his sheep. Either down a path or to help guide them away from danger if they were too close. The hook can be used to catch a straying sheep and bring it back to safety. The hook could fit nicely around a sheep's neck when the sheep is out of arms reach from the shepherd.
We had a box of fruit loops (I bought the fruit rings from Aldis) and a pipe cleaner for each kid. The were able to make a shepherd's staff with their pipe cleaner and fruit loops.
Of Course they were given a pretty large pile so they could also enjoy these for their snack.
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We had a great class! It was fun and the kids learned a lot about the life of the Shepherds.
The Lord used them for an important role in the Christmas story. We will continue our study of the important people that God used during the birth of Christ with next week's lesson!
The Lord used them for an important role in the Christmas story. We will continue our study of the important people that God used during the birth of Christ with next week's lesson!
Even my son who was my helper, enjoyed making the shepherd's hook! :)
He was helpful with the other kids too!
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Enjoy & Christmas Blessings!
