Bible Teaching and Play
Bible Story: Battle of Jericho
Scripture: Joshua 6
Intentional Play
Build a wall using large blocks or tissue boxes, then march around the "walls" while playing homemade musical instruments (instructions below). After completing your laps, have fun knocking the walls down, reenacting the fall of Jericho.
Create homemade instruments for your child to play while pretending to march around the walls of Jericho.
Maraca
Place a few dried beans or rice onto a paper or plastic plate. Take a second plate and place it upside down on top, sealing the beans inside. Staple the edges to secure it. For extra fun, decorate with streamers, yarn, stickers, or markers. Another option is to place dried beans inside a plastic Easter egg and tape it shut.
Drum
Take an empty oatmeal container with a lid and cover the sides with paper to decorate. The child can drum along as they march!
Tambourine
Poke holes around the edge of a paper plate, then push the base of small jingle bells through each hole. Tie the bells together underneath with yarn to secure them. Decorate and add streamers for flair. Alternatively, use a plastic bowl, threading the jingle bells through the holes and securing them with pipe cleaners.
Cymbals
Find two metal lids from baby food or other glass jars. Carefully poke a hole in the center of each lid using a hammer and nail. Fold a 3-inch pipe cleaner in half and thread it through the hole, twisting the ends inside the lid. Fold the pipe cleaner so the ends are secured against the base, then use the pipe cleaners as handles while your child bangs the lids together like cymbals.
Tune: Three Blind Mice
God loves kids (repeat 4x) (point up, cross arms over chest, point at self with thumbs)
He loves me more than I can know (cross arms over chest, point to head)
I don’t know why He loves me so (shake head and shrug)
I guess I’ll never, ever know (cross hands in front)
Why God loves kids (point up for God, cross arms over chest, point to self with thumbs)
Give your preschooler a head start on pre-reading skills with age-appropriate poems that your child will enjoy. Colorfully created packets contain recognizable images and fun actions for carefully chosen poems.
Academic Teaching and Play
Letter Formation Chants
Introduce the letters Gg using the tactile letters and decorate the Letter Gg Poster to add to the "Letter of the Week" book.
Add to your Shape Family by creating a Circle Buddy. Cut out a large circle from construction paper. Then, accordion-fold long, thin strips of paper to make arms and legs, and glue them to the circle shape. Add a face, using small circle shapes for the eyes and nose. The child can also add shoes, hands, hair, or any other accessories to personalize their Circle Buddy.
Intentional Learning
Shape Walk through Goodnight Moon looking for circles and squares in the illustrations.
Add to your Shape Family by creating a Square Buddy. Cut out a large square from construction paper. Then, accordion-fold long, thin strips of paper to make arms and legs, and glue them to the square shape. Add a face, using small square shapes for the eyes and nose. The child can also add shoes, hands, hair, or any other accessories to personalize their Square Buddy.
Number Rhyme
Put on a hat. Then take a dive. Make a big round tummy. Now that’s a five! - or-
A little bit down. Circle the drive. Put on a hat. That makes a five!
Intentional Learning
Count out five piles of five Bugles snacks to enjoy while listening to the story of Joshua. As you snack, remind your child about how the horns were played while the people marched around the walls of Jericho. This can be a tasty way to connect the story to the activity.
Using letter tactile cards or flashcards, present the child with the letters of her name plus a few extras. Guide her in placing the letters in the correct order, helping her develop letter recognition and spelling skills.
Celebrate the journey to Jesus' birth with the interactive Christmas Advent Workbook! It features a fun tree-building activity and 25 engaging daily guides that explore Jesus' wonderful characteristics through crafts, songs, baking, and games. This delightful resource is perfect for families, churches, and preschools!
Pre-Reading Learning
The classic Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown is a timeless bedtime story about a little bunny saying goodnight to the objects in his room, such as the moon, stars, and a red balloon. Don’t rush through this beloved book. Take time to explore the details in the illustrations, pointing out each item as the bunny says goodnight. When the book mentions the moon, ask your child to look outside at the moon. Notice its position at bedtime and again in the morning. Sometimes, the moon can be seen during the day too! Additionally, use this time to focus on the /g/ sound in the word "goodnight." At bedtime, say goodnight to various objects in your child's room, mimicking the story's rhythm and making bedtime an interactive and calming routine.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
All the King's horses and all the King's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again
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Developmental Learning and Play
Hide five little beads in a large piece of play dough or putty. Instruct the child to use his index finger to find the beads. Using the thumb is "cheating" and not working the weaker muscles.
Discover More Fine Motor Activities
Instead of using the regular Twister rules, simplify the game for preschoolers to focus on color recognition while having fun with movement! Here's how to play:
Lay the Twister mat flat on the floor. Make sure there’s enough room for the child to move around safely.
Call out a color and a body part. For example, you could say, "Put your hand on blue," or "Place your foot on red." The child must find the correct color on the mat and place the chosen body part on it. Encourage them to name the color aloud as they move.
Switch roles so both you and the child get a chance to call out colors and body parts.
Once the child is comfortable, add a challenge by calling out two colors or asking them to switch body parts quickly (e.g., "Now, put your knee on yellow!").
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