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Hints and Tips
Ages 4-5
Threading Activities Made Easy
Before using yarn for threading activities,
dip the ends of the yarn in glue, twist
them, and let them dry overnight. Or tape
the ends with a small amount of clear tape.
This will give the yarn a firm point to work
with. For smaller threading projects, use
chenille wire.
Special Delivery
Send letters to your children. You can
include a stick of sugarless gum or similar
gift. The parents will appreciate the
letter and the child will remember the
gift. Sending letters to absentees is
always a good idea, but don't forget to send
letters to your faithful members too.
Making Tempera Paint
When mixing powdered tempera paints, add a
small amount of powdered detergent. This
will give the paint body and will also make
it wash out of smocks and clothes more
easily. Adding a pinch of salt will keep
the paint from souring.
Let Your Fingers do the Story Telling
Try using finger puppets if you are telling
a story with many characters. Finger
puppets can be made from strips of
construction paper that are decorated with
crayons and then taped around your fingers.
Finger puppets can also be quite elaborate
creations made from felt and yarn. Fingers
of gloves can be decorated so each finger
becomes a different story character. Keep
fingers bent when those characters are
offstage, and raise your fingers as the
story characters appear.
Handle with Care
The way you handle an object shows how much
you value that object. If something is
cheap, you don't mind tossing it around. If
something is valuable, you handle it with
care. Show your children that you value the
Bible by handling it with care. Whenever
you pick up your Bible, use it, or lay it
down, let your actions demonstrate your
reverence for God's Word.
Puzzling Stories
Tell your next Bible story with a puzzle you
make yourself. Glue the lesson's picture to
a piece of cardboard and cut it into six to
eight pieces. Cut at least one puzzle piece
into a recognizable shape, For example, if
your lesson is on love, make one puzzle
piece in the shape of a heart (other lessons
might have a star, an apple, an animal,
etc.). If you are not artistic, draw around
a cookie cutter as a guide for the shape.
Letting the children play with the puzzle
afterwards provides an excellent review of
the story.
The Do-it-Yourself Sound of Music
Fours and fives love making music and it's
good for them. Playing instruments
strengthens their hand-eye coordination and
listening skills. You can make simple
rhythm instruments from materials found in
most homes. Ask parents to begin collecting
the items several weeks before you actually
need them. Drums can be made out of 3 pound
coffee cans with plastic lids (remove rough
edges and tape the lids in place), ice cream
cartons, large shortening cans, or plastic
wastebaskets. Shakers can be made by
filling small boxes, plastic Easter eggs,
etc with dried beans, pocorn, rice, or
anything else that makes an intersting
sound. Packing tape works best as a seal.
Sand blocks can be made by gluing sandpaper
to old toy blocks or lumber scraps after
sanding rough edges. Bells can be made by
sewing 3-5 jingle bells to a 6 inch length
of elastic. Sew the ends of the elastic
together to make bracelets that can be used
on wrists or ankles.
Measuring Attention Span
Don't think of a preschooler's attention
span in terms of time. Think of it in terms
of activity. Is the activity an appropriate
level of difficulty for this age? If it's
too difficult, the children will give up and
feel frustrated. If it's too easy, the
children will get bored. At the proper
level of difficulty, the activity will hold
the child's attention.
Your Creative Child
Keep in mind that creativity means doing the
"extra" ordinary. There's no wrong way to
mold clay, paint a picture, build with
blocks, etc. Offer suggestions or
assistance only when your child requests
help or gets frustrated. Never push your
child to try (or continue) an activity he
doesn't enjoy. The process and the creation
need only be pleasing to your preschooler,
not to you. Find something to compliment in
each of your child's works, but don't overdo
it to the point it becomes insincere.
Display your child's pictures and works of
art around your home, make a scrapbook of
art he can flip through, and send card-size
creations to relatives. Show off your own
creativity (arranging flowers, making up a
story, etc.) in front of your child. Let
those creative juices flow!
Peek-a-Boo Story Review
Place last week's story picture in a large
envelope or folder. Review the story by
pulling the picture out of the envelope and
inch at a time. Tell the children to examine
the revealed portion of the picture and see
if they remember what the story was about.
Even after they correctly identify the
story, continue revealing the picture an
inch at a time, asking for specific details
of the story as new elements of the picture
are revealed. |
