Sunbeam Lesson Sorry

Welcome everyone by name.

Practice the Hand Raising game. Children at this age need to practice hand raising without calling out. We usually start each lesson with a small snack and we practice raising our hands to respond to questions without calling out.  We will make statements like, “Raise your hand if you like graham crackers,” or “Raise your hand if you are wearing red today.” We emphasize that they can answer the question not with calling out, but by raising their hands.

Use a video or a book to tell the story of Jonah. I used a read aloud iPad app that tells the story of Jonah but there are many options. Remind the children of the past lesson on obedience and the consequences of Jonah’s refusal to be obedient to Heavenly Father. Point out that Jonah felt sorry however, and returned to do Heavenly Father’s will.

Explain that sometimes we do things we are sorry for and we need to apologize. Explain what the word apologize means. Explain to the children that there is a special way to truly be sorry. Have the children follow the path and color in the diagram as you explain each step in the process.

Show a picture (I found one online by Googling Baseball, Boy, Broken Window) of a broken window from a baseball. Tell the story of a boy who accidentally broke his neighbor’s window with a baseball. He was sorry and told the neighbor he was sorry. But the neighbor needed his window replaced and the boy did not have the money to do that. Another person came by and said he would pay for the window to be replaced. Explain how when Jesus Christ died for our sins, he was paying the price that we are not able to pay. Just the like boy who was sorry, but couldn’t pay for the window so someone else paid for him. Compare that example to how Jesus can help us be forgiven for our sins if we are sorry and ask him for forgiveness.

There are several other books and videos that can be inserted into the lesson. Martha Doesn’t Say Sorry,

or Patrick n Friends Sorry.

Have the children play the Sorry Game. I use a dice from another game to roll and I bought inexpensive plastic cars for game pieces. The “reward” was that the children got to keep the cars at the end. You can make the game board yourself, or use the one here made on Excel so it can be printed in a large size. You can change the game text in any way you think appropriate.

Sorry Game

Template from notebookingfairy.com

 

 

Insects and Birds Sunbeam Lesson

Welcome everyone by name.

Practice the Hand Raising game. Children at this age need to practice hand raising without calling out. We usually start each lesson with a small snack and we practice raising our hands to respond to questions without calling out.  We will make statements like, “Raise your hand if you like graham crackers,” or “Raise your hand if you are wearing red today.” We emphasize that they can answer the question not with calling out, but by raising their hands.

Use colored pictures (on cardstock if possible) of different insects to make small puzzles for each child. I like to have a different insect for each child. Be sure to cut up the pictures into large enough pieces so the children are capable of putting them together. I found small wooden puzzles of insects at our local craft store for $1 each so I bought those and will re-use them each year. Ask the children to put their puzzles together and have each of them tell what their insect is, or the teacher can tell them what the insect is if they don’t know. They might point out the different things they observe like wings, spots, antennae etc.

Remind the children of all the things we have learned about in God’s creation so far. Explain that we don’t often think about something as small as an insect, and sometimes we don’t like insects, but they are important in the Lord’s creation.

Create a PowerPoint presentation, or use colored pictures, to show lots of different insects and what they do. Bees make honey and pollinate other plants, ladybugs get rid of aphids, birds eat them for food, beautiful butterflies etc.  Have the children look closely at each one, learn the name, and what use it might have in the world.

Show Youtube video of bees making a honeycomb.

Give each child an outline picture of an insect. Have the additional parts cut out for them to glue on. For instance, have the body of a butterfly, children glue on wings, antennae, head, legs. Could also do a caterpillar with children gluing onto the paper the different parts of a caterpillar. It would be good to have a model or example as a guide for them to see the final product.

Show a short video on insects. Explain that insects are part of the world the Lord created for us. They have a place in God’s world and are useful. We should try to keep our earth clean and healthy so every creature can live and fulfill its purpose.

Explain Heavenly Father made other things that fly in the air, like many insects do. He made birds.

Show PowerPoint or many pictures of different kinds of birds. Have the children describe them, point out features like wings, beaks, feet etc. Talk about why we should thank Heavenly Father for birds. They eat insects, the have beautiful sounds, they keep rodent populations down, they spread seeds and fertilize the ground etc.

Show short video from Youtube. Great little song about birds.

Explain how Heavenly Father wants us to help take care of his creations. One way we can do that is by feeding the birds. Help the kids make a simple bird feeder. There are dozens of ideas online, but a bowl of Cheerios or other ring shaped cereal, and some pipe cleaners is the easiest. Children add the loops to the pipe cleaner and make a hook on the end to hang from a tree branch.

I always have a coloring page with the lesson’s theme ready to fill