Jacob and Esau sort

In class we were learning about Jacob and Esau.  We talked about their differences.  I made pocket chart cards to sort in the pocket chart during our lesson.  Then for our craft, each child got a 12x18 piece of construction paper and 2 paper doll die-cuts.  They made one look like Jacob and one look like Esau.  They also labeled each side and glued on the man.  The word strips were pre-cut and in baggies.  We would all search for the same strip then glue it on the correct side.

Hide the Word - organization

We think in folders and spreadsheets!  To organize of Hide the Word materials for first grade, we made a file box.  The whole year of verses fits in this box. At first we also kept the 3-D leftovers, but it got too full.  Each blue tab is a new month.

 Within each month, there are three file folders.  They are labelled "to be mailed home", " to be used in class" and "in class activities."  In the "to be mailed home" we keep the verse card, letter for that month, and any flat game pieces.  In the "to be used in class" folder we keep the song sheet of that verse, the copied Bible and monthly idea sheet.  In the "in class activities" folder we keep worksheets for class, games that are not mailed home, craft instructions for in class crafts and other game "stuff."

Hide the Word - supply box

As you begin making games each month, you will have some leftovers.  This is not the best way to store them, but it is what we have for now with the space we have available.  It is a fairly large basket from Michael's.  Inside we have each month's leftovers in a gallon baggie.  Within the gallon baggies, there are also sandwich baggies with smaller pieces.  

Hide the Word - record keeping race track

There are oodles of different ways to keep records of your children who say their memory verses.  In our three year old class, they use this adorable race track.  The track goes around the whole room!  The cars are an Ellison die-cut, but I'm sure Cricut has a car too!

The teacher writes the child's name and scripture reference on a car each and every time they say the memory verse.  So in June, they get one car each class time.  Then in July, if they say both the June and the July verse, then they get 2 cars.

 Each month, the teacher also puts up a van/bus with the verse on it.

Jericho activity

This year when we learned about the battle of Jericho, we got to act it out in a new way!  I got little army men from the dollar store and a bunch of mini marshmallows.  As a class, we built the town of Jericho out of big and little marshmallows.  Then we each took our army men and walked around the city, one time for six days.  Then on day seven, God knocked down the walls (read Mrs. Kim jiggled the table) and the army men took the city.  Each child got to bring home a baggie of men and marshmallows.  I can attest to the fact that 6 year old boys LOVE this and will almost drive their mommas crazy telling and retelling this Bible account with their baggie of fun!

Tower of Babel craft

This craft came mostly from pinterest too!  In class, we built a tower together and the kids were allowed to talk and communicate verbally.  Then we told them to build a tower again, but this time, they had to be silent.  This was HARD!!!

 

 

 For our craft, we made paper towel tube towers.  Before class, glue the paper towel tube to a small paper plate.  Then the kids color the plate green for grass or brown for dirt.  They also draw on brick lines on their tube.

I did not get a good photo, but if you look behind this child, you will see a brown circle.  This is cut in a spiral.  We also printed a sentence and cut it up for the kids to clue onto the spiral.  This took a while. Next time, we will write some of the words and leave blanks for the cut-up words.

 

 After the words were all glued, then we taped on end of the spiral at the top of the tube and wrapped the spiral around the tube to make a "ladder/steps" up to the top.  Tape the spiral at the bottom too.    Here's two darlings with their finished towers.

 

 

This was a HUGE hit!!! My two kids (those adorable ones above!) have it still in a place of honor in our house over a month later.

These last two photos show the Tower up close so you can see the word strips a little better.

 

 

Tower of Babel words  - Again, when we do this again, we will do a fill in the blank instead of having the children glue all the words on the tower.

 

We didn't have time to glue cotton ball clouds to the top of the tower, but hope we'll get time to do so next year!

Noah food craft

Noah is one of those topics that there are a zillion ideas for!  I wanted to do something new, so I turned to pinterst for help.  This came straight from pinterest and the kids loved it!

First we painted half a paper plate to the the rainbow. Some kids painted with their fingers, others used q-tips.

 As the paint dried, I retold the Biblical account of Noah.  Then all the kids gathered on the floor.  I gave each child a pre-cut ark to add the wood slat marks and glue onto the paper.  After they glued on the ark, then I gave them a big handful of animal crackers.  I got the slightly more expensive Nabisco Barnum ones because they have more details!  The kids made pairs of one male and one female animals.  They traded with each other to make pairs.  Then they glued their pairs and ate the rest!

Days of Creation Step Book

We made the coolest step book for days of creation!  Before class, I assembled the books and gathered the supplies for each page.  Then the we all worked together to make the booklet.

At the bottom of each step, I glued a strip that said "On day ___, God made ____."  To save time, I filled in the blanks before xeroxing them.  Here's what went on each page...

Day 1 - black square of paper and white square of paper

Day 2- cotton ball clouds

Day 3- grass strip at bottom that the kids cut along the top to make it "fring-y", tree trunk and tree top die-cut, flower foam stickers

Day 4 - sun and moon die-cut, glitter star stickers

Day 5 - torn-edge strips to be water, fish stickers in the water and bird die-cuts in the sky

Day 6 - various animal die-cuts to choose room (lion, camel, cow, cat, dog, etc) and everyone got one man

Day 7 - empty

Tissue Paper Mosiac

In class tonight, we made tissue paper mosiacs. We prepared the craft by cutting tissue paper into 1 inch squares. We cut black construction paper into the shape of a cross, and attached transparency paper to the back of the construction paper with tape. If you're going to have children write anything on the black construction paper in white crayon, this is the time to do so.

 

 

 

We had the children put elmer's glue on the transparency side of the craft, and glue the tissue paper pieces in random orders on the back of the craft.

 

 

Gluing is fun!!

 

 

Scattering tissue papers on the back of the cross. 

 

The finished project!  Make sure to let it dry before putting it down!

 

Hang in a window and let the light shine through.

 

*note, the black construction paper can be cut into any shape you want before gluing tissue paper. We suggest butterflies, crosses, feet, or any other shape that is specific for your lesson.

 



Triumphial Entry

We love to act out stories from the Bible!!  I could not find a stick horse, so we used a bulletin board set horse.  I cut big leaves out of construction paper.  You can see my sweater on the ground for the coats.

 After teaching the text, we acted this out 3 times so that each child could be Jesus.  As the kids waved the leaves, they loudly said, "Hosanna!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

Another class favorite!