Picture Book Bible Tales
Things to Do in Advance
Here are some activities which will take advance planning. But don’t worry if you don’t get to these, there are other options in each session which do not take advance preparation.
General –
1)This is an ideal program to recruit a song leader who can teach Bible songs and then keep on visiting to provide support for continuous singing.
2) Recruit a photographer(s) (perhaps at Parent Orientation) who will help document the sessions for the “Session #16 Your Own Picture Book” session in which pictures from the sessions are shared.
SessionPreparation
1Invite a singer/instrumentalist to come in and teach the Bible Songs.
Invite families and congregants to share a family Bible, and perhaps stay
for the sharing.
Locate a variety of Bibles.
Locate as many of the picture books for this curriculum as you have ready,
to display.
2Explore options for a fire activity, such as a fire pit or commercial fire
stand that might be used outdoors.
3Locate unspun wool or other accoutrements of a shepherd and fruits and
vegetables for a cornucopia or other accoutrements of a farmer, as
story props.
6Ask if anyone in your congregation has a “Moses Baby Basket” to share
for this session. These are woven baby baskets.
7Request or locate a traditional Passover Seder plate.
9Invite a friendly cat to the session on Daniel in the Lions’ Den.
Locate a DVD of “The Lion King” or bring in a laptop for the YouTube
excerpt of “Hakuna Matata.”
Locate “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” song by the Tokens to play (MP3 such
as Itunes.)
10Find or make a boat, large enough for the entire class to sit in – a real raft,
a blow up swimming pool, a circle of chairs or a large box.
Find or make the belly of the whale with room for 1-2 children – a large
box, a closet, a blanket over a table, that can be darkened.
11Invite a harp player to attend and tell about their instrument and play a
tune.
Invite a large person to attend long enough to be outlined as “Goliath” on
a large piece of mural paper.
12 Locate an Ethiopian restaurant and bring in some food of “Sheba.”
13Locate a crèche that can be manipulated by the children.
14Locate images of Mary, such as a “Virgin of Guadelupe” or “Blessed
Virgin Mary” candle, sometimes found in the Hispanic foods section of a
grocery store, library book of Marian Art, Web pages of Marian art.
Ask your congregation if anyone has access to a rosary. Would they like to
visit and say the rosary for the children?
15 Ask your congregation for any crosses that they use/own and might be
able to share with the class. This might include jewelry, or a family
picture.
16Create an album or picture book of pictures collected throughout the
curriculum.