At church I have the amazing blessing of having the 4&5 year old class. What a fun age right?
This age, while so incredibly fun, can be challenging on keeping attention so it has been my mission lately to find crafts and lessons to be fun for them. They always love to glue stuff right? and cut things too (With the help of an adult if need be)? Yep, they love it all, anything they can do and see themselves creating something.
As I enjoy teaching my class I thought I might start sharing the things they find fun with you all. Excuse the lack of descriptive pictures that I usually share with my post but because this is a Sunday school craft/lesson I either am making the photos before c:lass with the example craft or I am taking them after class. Not able to take pictures during class and teach and that is first priority there.
This lesson was on Daniel and the lions den.
Daniel 6:6-23 KJV
6 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom;
2 And
over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes
might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
4 Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.
5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.
6 Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever.
7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.
8 Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.
10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.
12 Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
13 Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.
14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him.
15 Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.
16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.
17 And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.
18 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.
19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.
20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?
21 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.
22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
23 Then was the king exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.
This story can be rather harsh to teach given that the lions were intended to eat and kill Daniel and for children that might be a bit scary. This is however, reality in the story so in my class, 4 & 5 year old it is a great opportunity to talk about how our amazing Lord and savior can protect us from anything.
Point 1- The king favored Daniel of the others and they were envious of him. Talk about things the children may be jealous of in their lives (toys that cost too much, not going to kindergarten, less chores, more allowance etc) and let them relate to understand what these men being envious were feeling. And talk about how that is wrong and we shouldn't be like that.
Point 2- Because they were envious and they did seek revenge by convincing the king to put in place the law of no praying for 30 days. This is something we can also place in the child's minds by talking about how we aren't supposed to be mean or seek revenge with people around us in life just because they got something we wanted or made us mad.
Point 3- Daniel was told not to pray. It was made a law like a rule a kid would relate to in daily life. Even when told not to pray, Daniel followed the law of the Lord instead and prayed, trusting the Lord. Daniel did not even try to hide, he was not ashamed of his faith.
Point 4- Daniel faced his punishment. He trusted the Lord as he was thrown in the lions den. We may have to face punishment in this world but we need to ALWAYS follow Christ and his lead in our lives.
Point 5- Daniel was saved. As it says in the scripture an angel shut the lions mouth and after the entire night Daniel was still alive. The Lord will always protect us even in extreme measures. Children may have a hard time relating to a lions den so we can use things they understand but still relating and bringing back the lesson and the story.
CRAFT TIME:
We made a lion out of a few simple craft supplies.
Supplies per 1 Lion head
-Scissors
-Glue stick or hot glue
-Orange Foam Circle
-Yellow Foam Circle
-2 plastic wiggle eyes
-2 orange pipe cleaners
-3 small white puffy balls
Depending on the age and child you may be able to let them cut the orange circle with instruction but cut little bits that can be uneven but similar in depth around the edges of the orange foam circle. Cut the yellow circle down in size to fit in the center of the orange one and glue into place. Draw the mouth onto the yellow circle and then glue the white balls on with 1 above the other 2 and glue the eyes on too. Cut the pipe cleaners to about 2 inch pieces and glue them on as whiskers. Gluing the fuzzy things can be difficult so either use hot glue or use a LOT of glue stick rubbed on the fuzzy part and on the foam piece. Write select verses on the back as a reminder for the kids of the lesson. The verses I chose were ones at the end when the king saw that Daniel was still alive.
