Golden Calf Centers

Some of my favorite class activities came from this lesson.  We first talked about how Moses came down from the mountain and was so mad when he saw that the Israelites had made a golden calf.  He was so mad that he threw the 10 commandments down and smashed them everywhere.  So, I let the boys throw down graham crackers (relating to the snack the night before) on some paper.  At first, they were a little hesitant, but then got right into it.  They did a great job pretending to be mad throwing their graham crackers down.

Then, we talked about how Moses melted the golden calf down and made it into powder.  I had a golden calf (see picture at the bottom of this post) and put it over the campfire you see in this picture.  I switched the golden calf (that I had put in the pot that you also see in the picture below) and showed them how the fire made it into powder.  I had put UNsweetened lemonade powder in the pot before class began.  I showed them how Moses took the powder and poured it into their drinking water for the children of Israel to drink.  I had a pitcher of water and poured our powder into the water, mixing it up.  Then, I gave each child a cup with some of the water in it.  We had talked about how the water was very bitter for them to drink, and this showed them how bitter it was.

Their faces were so funny drinking the bitter water!!! One child actually liked it!! Go figure!

Then, we made golden calves.  I used the die cut machine again to make 3D golden calves for them to take home.

Of course, we had to have a picture of them with the golden calf - which I actually took on Tuesday night because I had to get their paper bag scrapbooks ready to give them this night.  Diane had found a blow up calf and spray painted it gold. They loved it!

We had a great time learning about Moses this year at VBS!

10 Commandments Activities

I don't know where all my 10 Commandment center pictures are.  I guess that is what I get for FINALLY putting them up in December when it happened in June!!! Oh well!!!  We did have some great centers!  The first being our drama center.  I loved how each night the mountain stayed the same - yet changed!!!  For the mountain of the Lord, we added clouds and lighting bolts to the top and let the kids climb up the mountain to receive the 10 commandments.  I love how the 10 commandments are about as big as the kids!!! Ha Ha! They did NOT care!

We also played "Find God's 10 laws" over and over and over again.  Our church as a tablet die cut so I made 10 of them to hide all over the room.  We would count them as we found them and would remind ourselves that God gave the Israelites 10 laws.  This, of course, was a huge hit!

Crossing the Red Sea Centers

To help us review the Red Sea lesson, we did the following centers.  The kids really enjoyed these activities.

The first thing we did was allowed them to make their own pillar of cloud and fire to take home.  This especially was great after the big hit it was during class.

Then, we gave each a child a SNACK size Zip-loc bag.  We put a little bit of toothpaste (usually a line of toothpaste squeezed at the very bottom of the bag) at the bottom of the bag and sealed it up.  Then we let them spread the toothpaste all over the bag.  Then we talked about how the Israelites crossed on fry land.  The children took their fingers and separated the toothpaste at one point on the bag to separate the toothpaste.  Then, we found footprint stickers for them to place on the dry land.

Their favorite center was the drama center where we let each child be Moses and separate the Red Sea.  Our Burning Bush mountain, turned into the mountain where Moses stood to cross the Red Sea.  Each child got to stand up on the mountain with a staff.  My helpers were on the floor by plastic blue tablecloths and when "Moses" raised his rod, the helpers raised the "waters."  The children who were not Moses were able to cross on dry land and they LOVED it!!!!!

They wanted to do this the next night as well!!

Going Through the Red Sea

We have a small walkway that leads from our classroom to the other rooms we used during VBS.  Kim turned it into the Red Sea.  I am sad that I don't have too many pictures from this because the kids loved it.  She hung blue paper on each side of the walkway and put fish all over it.  At the every beginning (you can see it on the side), she put brown paper on the side (and over a chair) so the kids could stand and part the sea before they walked through it.

It was a wonderful addition to our activities that night.

Pillar of Cloud/Fire

The night we learned about the children of Israel crossing the Red Sea, we briefly talked about how they followed God to where they were suppose to go.  We talked about how God led them by a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night.  I made (very quickly) a pillar of cloud by gluing cotton balls to a white sheet of paper and I glued it to a Popsicle stick.  I made a pillar of fire by gluing red and yellow flames to a Popsicle stick.  

Here we are talking about what each meant and what the Israelites would do when they saw the pillars.

Then, I let them take turns being the leader (holding the pillar) and the rest of the class would follow behind the pillar.

Then we would sleep and another pillar would appear and we would follow it.

This wound up being an AMAZING tool for the rest of the week.  We would use it to line up to go to the other rooms we used and we used it to play "follow the leader" to review the lessons.

I would definitely do this again!!! I love it when those last minute ideas become wonderful ones you want to use again and again!

Finding Moses' Sheep

This activity could be used for many lessons that deal with sheep.  My kids LOVED this activity and wanted to do it every night!  I made different colored sheep from our die cut in the workroom and hid them ALL over the room.  After we talked about how Moses was a shepherd and how he looked out for the sheep, they were able to go all over the room and collect the sheep.  They would bring them back to me when they found them.  

Look, Mrs. Becky, at all the sheep I found!

My friend, Kim, taught the 3 year olds and she had the kids find the sheep as well. She took it up a notch and had a "pen" (strawberry basket) for each color sheep.  In each "pen" was a sheep the color that was suppose to be in that pen.  As the children collected the sheep, they had to put the sheep into the correct color pen.  Again - a HUGE hit!

Trash-Filled Thursdays - Paper Towel Scroll

We have used this countless times in Bible class. you need two paper towel rolls and roll of white paper. We added cardboard circles to the ends of the paper towel rolls and then spray painted them black. Once it had dried, we attached the ends of the paper to the paper towel rolls (a heavy glue or tape works well). Then we rolled the paper up on the rolls to form the scroll.

The scroll is something many children have trouble with because we don't use a scroll today. However, this visual gives them an idea of what it was like and how it was used.

Taking Food to my Brothers

I have been teaching the 3 year old class on Wednesday night where we are studying the life of Joseph. Tonight we learned how Jacob had asked Joseph to take food to his brothers. When Joseph's mean brothers saw him, they took his beautiful coat and threw him in a well or pit. I made an arrangement of Going on a Bear Hunt for this lesson. We had to do this multiple times in class tonight. It was a huge hit!!

I'm taking food to my brothers.

(walk around the classroom, slapping your legs in time as you walk)

Here is a river. I have to swim across the river.

(Using breaststroke movements "swim" across the river)

I'm taking food to my brothers.

Here is a tree. I have to climb the tree.

(Pretend to climb up and down the tree.)

I'm taking food to my brothers.

Here is a wheat field. I have to go through the wheat field.

(rub hands together as you walk through the wheat field.)

I'm taking food to my brothers.

Here is a stinky mud pit. I have to go through the mud pit.

(Lift legs up high as you walk through the thick mud)

I'm taking food to my brothers

Here are my brothers. I have to give the food to my brothers.

We went all over the classroom doing this (I was exhausted afterwards!!). You could also use this with David and Goliath when David takes food to his brothers in the army. I hope your little ones enjoy it as much as mine did.