Creation

Creation is such a fun Bible story to teach.  As you teach the kids all that God has created, it is easy to be fascinated yourself at the artistry of God.

I like to break down the days of Creation and teach one day at a time.  This really helps the kids grasp the Bible story and memorize the sequence of events.  Since I teach Chapel only 2 days a week, I use a month to teach Creation like this:

Day 1-Light
Day 2-Water and Sky
Day 3-Land, plants, and vegetation
Day 4-Sun, Moon, and Stars
Day 5-Animals in the sea (fish), animals in the air (birds)
Day 6, Part 1-Animals on the land
Day 6, Part 2-Adam and Eve
Day 7-Rest

The best resource I have found for explaining each day can be found at AnswersInGenesis.org here and here. Simple illustrations for each day is easy for children to comprehend.  I like to draw each day on a dry erase board in my classroom.  Then, on the very last day, we learn about the day God rested and we review the other days.  I also pass out an 11 x 7 piece of white paper, folded into thirds, and have the kids draw along with me as we review.  It's so interesting to see what the kids draw.

Keep it simple and fun and it will be easy for the kids to comprehend.

Little Red Caboose

Little Red Caboose is based on a popular children's book about, well, a little red caboose.  It was first published in 1953 by Marian Potter and has since turned into a popular children's song.  It is a great song to use while focusing on transportation, the color red, and coordination.

I've used the song from the CD collection, Best of the Best Preschool Play Songs.  The song starts out slow and gets faster and faster.  It's a great way for children to recognize the change in dynamic and keep up with the faster pace.

Recently, I found Laurie Berkner's version of Little Red Caboose and love it!  There are different colors used for the caboose besides just red.  I decided to make felt cabooses as a visual and attach them to a felt board.

I drew a rough template of a caboose on a red felt piece and then copied it onto the other colors of felt.  I cut out white felt squares and black felt circles and hot glued them onto the caboose.

It's a great visual for younger 1 year olds and babies.  For children older than that, you can make a pretend track on the floor using painter's tape and "chug" along the track to the beat of the song.

You can find the lyrics to Laurie Berkner's version of Little Red Caboose here.
You can find the song on Laurie Berkner's Buzz Buzz album here.

Happy Chuggin'!