Happy Birthday!

Make a list of your students' birthdays. (This Jesus Loves the Children Incentive Chart can keep track of attendance or memory verses plus birth dates. Comes in a pack of two.) As new children join your class, keep track of their birthdays, too. If you have a large group of students, consider having a monthly birthday celebration. Include everyone with birthdays during that month as your guests of honor. If you have a dozen students or less, try celebrating each child near the date of his or her birthday.

Decorate one wall or bulletin board with this Birthday Celebration mini bulletin board set. It includes twelve cake slices labeled with each month of the year, 32 candles (one for each of your students), plus decorative balloons and noisemakers to put on the bulletin board. You may also want to give the birthday child a large Birthday star sticker that says, "It's my birthday!" These large 3 x 3-inch stickers come 36 to a package.

Let the birthday child stand in front of the class next to you. Consider providing a special "Birthday Hat" for the child to wear during class. Celebrate the child's special day by leading the class in the Happy Birthday song. After singing it once through, add a second verse:
    God's blessings to you,
God's blessings to you,
     God's blessings to [Jamie],
God's blessings to you.

You might want to provide an inexpensive present for the birthday child, such as a sheet of stickers. Choose napkins and a snack with a birthday theme (cake, cupcakes, muffins, circus animal cookies, etc.). Conclude with a prayer of thanks for the birthday child.

If the child's birthday occurs during a time when your class is on vacation, send a "Happy Birthday" postcard. Visit ChristianEdWarehouse.com for birthday postcards. (Or send a card to each child the week before his or her birthday. Children love getting mail and they don't get it very often. How special to get a card from their teacher.)

Thanking God for His World

Help your students begin to appreciate God's creation. No matter the weather, you can use the outdoors as an opportunity for the children to thank God. (This is a photo of a hiking trail up Cowles Mountain in San Diego, California.)

If it's too cold to actually take your class outside, have them look at the view from a window. Then open the window and let them feel the cold air (make sure the window has a screen). Talk about how God made the seasons for us to enjoy.

If it's not too cold, bundle up your students and take them for a brief walk in the snow. Show them the different sizes of footprints as they walk. Observe the trees and bushes covered in snow (or peeking out from the snow). If it's snowing, have them stick out their tongues and catch snowflakes. Point out the each snowflake is unique or one-of-a-kind. Explain that God created each person to be special and unique (one-of-a-kind), too. Here's a picture of snow falling in Virginia:

If you live a warmer climate, take your students outside to enjoy the warm weather. Stroll along the beach and let them collect seashells. Talk about the creatures that make the shells their homes. Explain that God gives people homes, too. This is a wonderful opportunity to talk about God's love and care for each person. Here' a beach in Kona, Hawaii:

You may live near hiking trails or woods. Point out the variety of leaves and trees as you take a walk with your students. Pick some berries or grapes and thank God for giving us good food. Here are some grapes growing in Napa Valley, California:

Wherever you live, take advantage of your location to share God's creation with your students–even if it's through your photos. Take some time to thank God for His beautiful world each day.

The Wise Man and the Foolish Man Action Song

After telling the Bible story of the two builders from Matthew 7:24-27, read I Corinthians 10:4. Say, "Jesus said, 'People who hear what I say and obey Me are like the wise builder. When problems come, they will be safe. But people who hear me without obeying what I say are like the foolish man. When problems come, they will be in BIG trouble.'"

"When we obey Jesus, we are like the wise builder. Many times in the Bible Jesus is called our Rock. This means that those who love and obey Jesus will be kept safe. He is our 'solid foundation.'"

"Some people think they are as safe as a house built on a rock, just because they hear Jesus' words and study about Him in Sunday school or Bible club. But Jesus said that in order to be safe we must obey His Words as well as listen to them."

Sing the following song with your students to the tune of THIS OLD MAN:
     This wise man, he built well (pretend to hammer)
He built well upon a rock;
     When the rains came down
And the floods came up (lower and then raise hands),
     This man's house stood firm and strong.

Foolish man, he built wrong;
    He built strong upon the sand (pretend to hammer);
When the rains came down

     And the floods came up (lower and then raise hands),

This man's house came tumbling down (fall down).
For another fun activity to reinforce this Bible story, try this action lesson, The Wise and Foolish Builders.

Why Worry?

Matthew 6:25-34 is one of the most frequently quoted Scripture passages in discussions about money and work. Sadly, there are some who use this text to imply that Jesus was against earning money and that He considered work a distraction from things that really matter. Nothing could be further from the truth.

A careful examination of these verses reveals that Jesus was condemning worry, not work. He called us to make God the object of our faith, for He is the one who ultimately supplies our physical, material, and spiritual needs. The following are seven reasons why we should not worry:

• The same God who created life in us can be trusted with the details of our life (verse 25).
• Worrying about the future impedes our efforts for today (verse 26).
• Worrying is more harmful than helpful (verse 27)
• God does not ignore those who depend on Him (verses 28-30)
• Worrying shows a lack of faith in understanding of God and His love for us. (verses 31-32).
• Worrying keeps us from real challenges God wants us to tackle (verse 33).
• Living one day at a time keeps us from being consumed with worry (verse 34)

These are concepts we can start to instill in our youngest students as they watch us live them out in our own lives. So when we're tempted to worry, we can turn to God's Word instead!

Think of Yourself As a Tour Guide

Think of yourself as a tour guide instead of just a teacher. Now picture your students as your tour group. You are actually life's tour guide for the children in your care. Your task is to plan the itinerary, show the children the places of learning, and then let them explore and discover God's Word for themselves. As you open Biblical places, scenes, people, and adventures, you can remind them that these are true stories from God's Word, the Bible. Help your older students understand that God's Word is not a fairy tale.

Hold your open Bible when you say a memory verse or tell a Bible story. Say, "This is a true story (or lesson or adventure) from God's Word, the Bible." Point out the rich history of the places you mention. Use maps, charts, and visuals to help your students picture the people, houses, clothing, food, climate, and landscape.

Talk with your students like a tour guide. For example, while finger painting or sculpting clay, talk about the color and texture of the materials. Describe what you and the children are experiencing. Let your students share their own descriptions. Linking language with sight, sound, and activities teaches important pre-reading skills to your preschoolers and helps reach students of all ages who learn in different ways. In fact, the more senses students use to experience a lesson, the more likely they are to remember the lesson long after it's over.

(If you're looking for Bible lesson ideas, visit ChristianEdWarehouse for suggestions.)