Day 4: Soil and Sprouts
*There are 6 activities for this day’s lesson. Feel free to choose one or two of the activities OR spread them out across several days.
- Materials:
- Bible (I like the NirV)
- Children’s Bible (I’m using the Say & Pray Bible for this lesson)
- Lesson: Stick from outside
- Activity #1: Potted plant, watering can with some water in it
- Activity #2: Medium plastic tub or container, potting soil or dirt, water, rake, shovel
- Activity #3: Blank sheet of paper, school glue, dry dirt, real flowers (to press), wax paper, heavy books
- Activity #4: Fake leaves, fake flowers
- Activity #5: Small plastic container, various rocks, various containers to put rocks in
- Activity #6: Sand, shovels, rakes, cups, sand castle molds
- Activity #7: Basket, sticks
- Activity #8: Books with pictures of fruit growing on trees, apple, knife or apple slicer
Day 4: Lesson
- Find new sticker of what God has made: Flowers, Plants.
- Open Bible to Genesis 1:9-13. Ask if child wants to touch God’s Word. Touch gently. Then, read the verses.
- God made dirt. God is good! Clap and cheer for God.
- God made plants, flowers, and trees. God is good! Clap and cheer for God.
Children’s Bible Reading: Open Say & Pray Bible.
- Use a stick to point to the tree, branches, leaves, bushes, grass, and flowers.
Activity #1: Potted Plant – Dirt, plant
- See dirt in potted plant. Water it with watering can.
- Sing (Tune: Mary Had a Little Lamb) Plants grow in the dirt, dirt, dirt. dirt, dirt dirt. dirt, dirt, dirt. Plants grow in the dirt, dirt, dirt. Thank You, God, for dirt!
Activity #2: Dirt Play- Dirt
- Prep: Fill container with potting soil or dirt from outside.
- Feel it and speak poem: Pat my hand, pat my hand. Pat it in the dirt. I feel it in my fingers. I feel it in my hands. Squeeze it and shake it and watch it slowly fall. Thank You, God in heaven, for hands and dirt and all.
- Add water to container of soil and dig in the mud. Speak above poem inserting “mud” for “dirt.”
Activity #3: Dirt and Pressed Flowers Craft – Dirt and Flowers
- Put glue on paper and sprinkle dirt on it. Shake off excess dirt to see pretty pattern (dirt stuck to glue lines).
- Take a “tour” of plants outside. Gently touch.
- Pick and smell some flowers.
- Sing (Tune: Mary Had a Little Lamb) God made flowers smell so sweet, smell so sweet, smell so sweet. God made flowers smell so sweet. Thank You, God, for flowers.
- Press flowers in wax paper under heavy books. Put others in small vase.
- Add pressed flowers to dirt picture.
Activity #4: Leaves and Flowers – Leaves and Flowers
- Plants and flowers have leaves. Blow leaves around on table.
- Hold flowers (fake or real) – start low and move up with voice during song.
(1) Little flowers grow and grow
(2) Sometimes very, very slow
(3) They start out to be so small
(4) Then (5) they (6) grow (7) up
(8) Oh so tall!
- Speak Poem: Let’s all nod like the flowers nod: Nod, nod, nod (2x) Let’s all bend and sway in the breeze Underneath the trees What a marvelous day, a marvelous day! Nod, nod, nod, nod, nod
Activity #5: Rock Sort and Shake – Rocks/StonesCollect rocks in basket. Bring inside to sort (round, flat, smooth, bumpy…).
- Roll rocks, stack rocks, place rocks in various containers (close and shake!).
- Sing (Tune: Three Blind Mice) Hear the stones fall. God made them all. They drop in the tin. They drop in the tin. They rattle and shuffle and make lots of noise. It sounds good to girls and it sounds good to boys. Hear the stones fall. God made them all!
Activity #6: Sand Play – Sand
- Make moon sand and pat it.
- Speak Poem: Pat my hand, pat my hand Pat it in the sand I feel it in my fingers I feel it in my hands Squeeze it and shake it And watch it slowly fall. Thank You, God in heaven, For hands and sand and all!
- Rake it, play in it, pour it with cups and spoons, build with cups to make bricks.
Activity #7: Tree Tour and Music – Trees and Sticks
- Tour of the trees in the yard. Oh, who can make the trees? I know I can’t, can you? Oh, who can make the trees? I know it’s God, ‘tis true!
- Collect sticks and bark pieces in basket – tap them to make sounds.
Activity #8: Apple Slicing – Fruit
- Talk about apples/fruit growing on trees – look at pictures in books.
- Sing (Tune: Mary Had a Little Lamb) God made apples taste so sweet, taste so sweet, taste so sweet. God made apples taste so sweet. Thank You, God, for apples!
- Cut up apple and eat it! Look at seeds.
Closing: Colossians 1:16, He created everything in heaven and on earth. God made the Dirt, Plants and Flowers, Rocks, Sand, and Trees! Clap and cheer for God.