Welcome

            Thank kids for coming.

            Just for fun, have children shake hands with four friends using the back of their hands.

            Make announcements.

            Introduce new kids.

            Celebrate birthdays by having preschoolers sing a birthday song off-key.

            Collect the offering.

Introduce the Lesson

            Say: Today we’re going to learn that God made us for a reason. Did you know that? God made you, you, and you. Point to each child. Let’s talk about some things we’ve made.

Share

            Tell about a few things you’ve made. Be sure to share three different things to give preschoolers ideas for when it’s their turn to share. For example, you might say that you made a scarf from yarn, you made a doghouse from wood and nails, or you made cookies by putting all the ingredients together and baking them.

            In leader-led small groups, have preschoolers share about something they’ve made.

            After small groups have discussed, have adult or teen helpers share with the whole group what they talked about in their small groups.

Summarize

            Open a Bible, and say: Wow! You all have made a lot of interesting creations. But the most interesting creations are you! God made you special, and God made you for a reason. Let’s see what the Bible says about how God made us. The Bible isn’t like other books—it’s really special. That’s because God can talk to us through the Bible. God is here right now, ready to talk to you!

            Pray, thanking God for creating us for a reason.

Tip 

• Don’t have internet in your classroom? That’s okay! You can choose your own worship songs from our Best Of Dig In Music DVD here.

Sing Songs to God

          Sing the three songs in any order.

Make a Home

            Say: Today we’ll learn that God made us for a reason.  Before we get started, I want to tell you about a new friend coming to our class today. Show children the laundry basket or large box. He’s smaller than you and I, and I thought we could make a nice home for him, so I brought this laundry basket. Let’s think about what we could add to make it feel like a home.

            Show the cup. Say: To make a nice home for our friend, we might want to have something for him to drink.

            Point to the pile of items. Say: These are some other things I thought we could use to make a nice home for our friend. Let a few children take turns pulling objects from the pile and putting them in the laundry basket. Help kids talk about why the object might make the home nice. For example, the new friend might like a comfy place to sleep (the blanket), something to eat (the plate), something to play with (the ball), and a friend to spend time with (the toy person).

            Invite children to add additional things to the “home” to make it nice. These can be toys or other objects from your room.

            Say: I think our friend’s home would be nicer if we set up all of his stuff for him. Invite some children to help you set up the items in the “home.”

            Say: This is a really nice home, and when our new friend comes, I think he’s going to like it. That reminds me of our Bible story for today. God made the whole world, and he set everything up for us, kind of like we set up a nice home for a new friend who’s coming. God made us for a reason. He made us to be his friends. Let’s look at the Bible to hear all about it.

Act It Out

            Dim the lights. Show the Bible, and say: The Bible says that before God made us, he made the world. There was no light in the world. It really wasn’t a cozy place at first, but God made a lot of things that made it into a nice home. On the first day, he made light. Turn on the light.

            Say: God made day and night. Dim the lights, and have the children pretend that it’s night and lie down, pretending to sleep. Then turn the lights back on, and have them pretend it’s day and jump up and stretch. Turn the lights on and off several times.

            Say: It’s nice that God made light. It’s pretty hard to see when there’s no light! And it’s nice that God made night because it gives us some time to lie down and rest. So far, our home seems okay; we have light and day and night. Make sure the lights are now on.

            Say: On the next day, God made the sky. Encourage kids to reach up to the sky by reaching as far above their heads as possible. Then share something you like about the sky. For example, you might like how blue it is or the big, puffy clouds. Invite children to tell things they like about the sky.

            Say: The blue sky and puffy clouds are pretty nice. God did a great job making our home beautiful. Let’s see what God made next.

            At that time, water covered the whole earth. There was no dry ground to stand on! Lead kids in pretending to swim. After about 30 seconds, say: It would get tiring to swim all day with no place to stop and stand. So God made the land on that day. He moved the water aside so there was water and land.

            Then God made plants like trees and flowers to grow on the land. Share about a plant you like.

            Ask: • What are some plants you like?

            Say: God made flowers that make our land pretty. He also made trees, and some trees even have fruits or vegetables that we can eat! Lead the children in pretending to pick a fruit from a tree and eat it.

            Say: So far, God made a great home for us. He made day so we can go out and play and night so we can rest. He made the beautiful sky and land for us to stand on. He made plants, and now we have something to eat.

            But God wasn’t done yet. He still had more things to make and add to the earth. On the next day, God made the stars and the moon. Bring out the stars and moon, and then dim the lights so kids can see that they glow. Let children pass around the stars and moon so they can get a closer look. As they pass them, invite children to share about times they’ve looked up at stars in the sky. Then collect the stars and moon, and set them aside.

            Turn on the light and say: God made the sun, too. And he made the seasons of the year. When it’s really sunny and hot in the summer, that’s because God made summer. Have kids fan themselves with one hand. When it’s cold, that’s because God made winter. Have kids pretend to shiver.

            Say: On the next day, God made fish. Lead children in pretending to swim around like fish by putting their hands together in front of themselves and weaving them back and forth. God also made the birds in the sky. Lead kids in flapping their arms like wings.

            Say: And after that, God made the animals on the land, like lions and dogs and cows. Let’s think of our favorite animals and make those animal sounds. Demonstrate by telling kids your favorite animal, and then make the animal sound. Allow a moment for kids to think of their favorite animals, and then have all the children try to make their favorite animals’ sounds.

            Say: It was noisy once God made all the fish, birds, and animals! And God really liked all of the things he made. But all of it wasn’t enough, so he made a man and a woman. He made our bodies, and he breathed life into us. Blow up the balloon, and tie it off. Let the children see the face. Look, our new friend has arrived! Let’s show him the home we made for him.

            Place the balloon in the “home” so kids can see the face. Say: We made a nice home for our new friend, like God made a nice home for us. God made animals and fish and plants for us to take care of. And he made the earth so that we have food to eat and things to drink. Hold up the cup and plate. He made day and night. Hold up the blanket. God even made friends for us. Show the toy person. And he made us to live in the home he built. Hold up the balloon. And God made us for a reason—he made us so we could be his friends.  

Be Blessed

            Say: God made us for a reason, and he made the world to be a nice home for us to live in. Point to the rope circle. Let’s pretend this is the world. God made the world, and then he made us. He made me for a reason. Step into the circle. And, [name of one child], God made you for a reason. Have the child you named join you in the circle. Continue naming children and having them join you inside the “world” as you do.   

            After all the children have joined you in the “world,” say: God made all of us for a reason. He made us to be his friends. End in a prayer thanking God for making each child to be his friend.

To use this feature, please ask your DIG IN Director to create a One Room classroom. For instructions and tips on creating a classroom for at-home lessons, click here.

Tips:

• Talk-About Videos may work for preschoolers, but they’re geared more toward elementary kids. If you find that the videos aren’t hitting the mark for your preschoolers, try using the Preschool Puppet Skit activity block instead.

• Don’t have internet in your classroom? That’s okay! You can download the videos before class using the “download” button at the link provided, or purchase DVDs here.

Discuss and Watch “God’s Creation”

            Say: We’ve been learning that God made us for a reason. We can praise God in a special way. Praising is when we tell or show God he’s great. But the Bible talks about how everything God made can praise him. Let’s watch a video about that.

            Watch “God’s Creation.”    

            Ask: • Tell about an animal you saw on the video that you think is amazing.

            • Tell about a tree or the sky or something else on the video that you think is amazing.

            Say: God made each one of those animals and things you shared about. They’re all amazing, and they show us that God is even more amazing than every single thing he made. God made us, too, and God gave us a special way to show that he’s amazing—we can use our voices and praise him with our words.

            Ask: • What are some words or songs you can use to praise God?

            Say: Even though everything God created can praise him, nothing can love or praise him quite like we can. God made us for a reason—to love him, praise him, and be in a relationship with him.

Tip

• You may find it helpful to highlight your part and set the script on a music stand nearby during the skit.

Leader: It’s time for our puppy friend, Theo, to come for a visit. Let’s call him to our class with a “woof, woof.” Ready? (Leads kids to bark until Theo is brought into view.)

Theo: It’s good to see you! (Pants.) I really, really want a good scratch. Will you give me a scratch on the head? (Circulates among kids so each child can pet him.)

Leader: Thanks for giving Theo a warm welcome, friends! (Looks to Theo.) What did you bring today, Theo?

Theo: (Holds up his plastic bag.) Oh, this? I was planning to make a box to hold my Nutter Butters.

Leader: Nice, Theo! I know you love your Nutter Butters!

Theo: I do! And I want to make sure they have a special place so I can always find them. (Looks to kids.) Do you have something so special to you that you don’t want to lose it? (Listens and responds to kids’ answers. They might share about a blankie, stuffed animal, or special toy.)

Leader: Can we help you make your box, Theo?

Theo: Sure! (Dumps out the supplies.) I wonder how we can use these craft sticks to make it? (Encourages children to pick up the craft sticks and discuss different ways they might make the box. After some good discussion, Theo has kids vote on what they’ll do, then Theo lets the kids help him glue the craft sticks together to make a simple box. Kids work until they’ve completed it.)

Leader: What do you think of your box, Theo?

Theo: I think this is going to be great! Thank you so much, friends!

Leader: We were glad to help! It sounds like a you had a good reason to make it.

Theo: It’s going to keep my Nutter Butters safe! That’s a very important reason.

Leader: Theo, did you know we’re learning today that God made us for a reason?

Theo: Really? What was God’s reason for making you?

Leader: (Invites kids to share what they remember from the lesson.) God made us to be his friends!

Theo: I’m glad you can be God’s friend! I’m going to take my box home and tuck my Nutter Butters safely inside it!

Leader: Great idea, Theo! Friends, let’s give Theo a big “woof, woof, goodbye”! (Leads kids to say “woof, woof, goodbye,” and then places Theo out of sight.)

Tips

• Seeds can be a choking hazard. Make sure preschoolers don’t put the seeds in their mouths.
• If watermelons are in season, we recommend including them since seeds can be found in each piece.

Find the Seeds

            Say: God made some plants for us to eat. Did you know that fruits have seeds inside? God made seeds for a reason. Hold up a seed. I took this seed from [name of fruit], and if I put it in the ground and watered it and took care of it, it would grow into another [name of fruit]. Let’s find the seeds in our fruit and take a closer look!

            Give each child a piece of fruit on a paper plate. Have kids clean their hands and then find and remove seeds with their fingers. Have kids use magnifying glasses to examine the seeds, and ask questions about what they see. Ask questions to aid discovery regarding the seeds’ color, size, and quantity. If using a fruit with one large seed, pass the seed so kids can take turns examining it.

Eat the Fruit

            Say: Now that we’ve found all the seeds, let’s pray and thank God for creating this fruit for a reason—to eat it!

            Say a short prayer of thanks, and then enjoy! Have wet wipes ready to clean up sticky hands and tables after kids have finished. 

Talk About It

            Say: God made seeds for a reason. He made some small and some big. Some seeds are easy to find, and others are a little tricky. God made seeds on purpose so that more fruit could grow. God said the plants and fruit he made were good.

            Ask: • What is your favorite fruit or vegetable that God made?

            Say: Just like you have a favorite fruit, God has a favorite thing he made—people! He created every single thing about us and said that the people he created weren’t just good but very good! God made us for a reason. We are his favorite creation because we can love and obey him.

Talk About How God Could Have Made Us

            Say: Today we’re learning about everything that God made. God made every single thing in the world—all the animals, the plants, the ocean and mountains, even the stars in the sky. And God made each one of us, too! God likes all of the things he made in the world, but he really loves us. We are God’s special creation! And he made us just the way he wanted us to be. God could have made us with eight legs like an octopus (wiggle your arms like tentacles) or with a long trunk like an elephant (move one arm in front of you like a trunk).

            Ask: • What are other ways God could have made us? Encourage children to use their imaginations to think of fun and silly ways God could’ve created people.

            Say: Those are all such fun, creative ideas! Let’s look at ourselves in a mirror to see how God did make us.

Play With Mirrors

            Form pairs, and give each pair a hand mirror with something drawn on it or have each pair stand by one of the images drawn on the full-length mirror. Have one child in each pair look in the mirror first. Then after a few seconds, have partners switch so each preschooler gets a turn.  

            Say: God did such an awesome job making you! He gave you [describe features on the mirror]. Wait a minute…That’s not right. That’s not how God made you! That would be silly! Now it’s your turn to draw on the mirror a silly way God could have made you.

            Give each pair of preschoolers a paper towel and a dry-erase marker. Have preschoolers wipe off the images you drew on the mirrors, and have each preschooler draw something on their pair’s mirror. It’s okay if preschoolers just draw lines or squiggles. Once preschoolers have each contributed to their pair’s drawing, they can each look at themselves in the mirror again.

            Say: There are so many ways God could have made you. But God made you for a reason just the way you are! Have preschoolers wipe off the drawings so they can see themselves clearly in the mirror. Each of you is perfectly and wonderfully made by God. He made you just the way he wants you to be!

            God didn’t just make you to look like you; he also gave each of you special gifts and talents. Maybe God gave you the gift of giving really good hugs to people when they’re sad. Or maybe he made you to like science or painting pictures. Or maybe he made you so you can run really, really fast! Strike a pose in the mirror of a gift or talent God has given you—something that you like to do!

            If you’re using hand mirrors for this lesson, have one preschooler hold the mirror for his or her partner while the partner strikes a pose, and then have partners switch. If you’re using full-length mirrors on their sides, have preschoolers back away from the mirrors so all the children can see themselves at the same time while they strike poses.

            Say: God wonderfully made you and gave each of you special gifts, talents and interests. God made you for a reason and has good plans for each of you. You are God’s special creation, and he wants you to be his friend!

Recommended for 4 or more kids.

Play a Game

            Say: God made people to do special things. Let’s play a game to celebrate being made special by God!

            Choose one child to be the “high-fiver” and stand in the middle of the playing space. Have the rest of the kids go to one side of the room. Stand with the high-fiver in the middle of the room.

            Say: I’ll shout out something special about people. If it’s true for you, hop to the person in the middle to get a high-five and then hop to the other side of the room. When kids are ready, begin. Hop to get a high-five if you are wearing blue, and then hop to the other side!  

            Celebrate everyone who:

• ate breakfast
• brushed their teeth
• has a pet
• likes to sing
• likes to play catch
• likes to play outside

            Add in your own ideas if you’d like. Select a new high-fiver for each new celebration. If your kids are older, encourage the high-fiver to call out ideas to celebrate, only helping him or her if needed. Mix things up by calling different ways to move to the other side after kids get a high-five. Ideas include:

• jump like a kangaroo
• walk backward
• jog
• tiptoe
• gallop
• take giant steps

Talk About It

            Ask: • Think of a person you really love. What are special things about that person? Share about someone from your life to begin the conversation. For example, share things about your spouse or best friend.

            Say: It’s fun to celebrate the special things people do. God made us for a reason. He made us all special, and he celebrates each one of us!

Tip

• You can purchase downloadable music and other items to enhance your DIG IN program here.

Recommended for 4 or more kids.

Pretend to Mix Cookies

            Put on an apron as if you’re getting ready to bake. Have kids sit in a circle around your “mixing bowl.” Say: Have you ever helped make chocolate chip cookies? When you bake, there’s a reason for each ingredient you add to the mix. Let’s make some imaginary cookies here in our classroom. Since I don’t have any real chocolate chips, sugar, butter, flour, or eggs, I need you to pretend to be ingredients.

            Tell kids that the circle on the floor is a pretend mixing bowl where you will mix the cookies and that you will pat kids on the head when it’s their turn to go into the bowl. When they hear the “mixer” music playing, kids in the circle should walk around in the “bowl.” When the music stops, they should freeze and get ready for the next ingredient.

            Say: Since cookies are sweet and yummy, we need to start with some sugar. Who is sweet like sugar?

            Go around the room and randomly pat several kids on the head, inviting them to hop into the bowl.

            Say: Next we need some smooth and creamy butter. Who will be our butter?

            Pat several more kids on the head, inviting them into the bowl.

            Say: Let’s mix the butter and sugar a bit.

            Play music, and have kids in the circle walk around inside, pretending to be stirred. As the music plays, move your arm like you’re stirring ingredients in the bowl. Stop the music after 30 to 60 seconds.

            Say: Next we need eggs! They’ll help our cookie dough stick together.

            Pat several more children on the head, and have them link arms with people in the circle so all the “ingredients” are connected.

            Say: Let’s mix the sugar, butter, and eggs!

            Play music again, and have kids move around the circle with their arms linked while the music plays. Move your arm as if you’re stirring, and then stop the music after about a minute. 

            Say: And we can’t forget flour! Flour will help us form the dough into cookies.

            Pat several more children on the head and have them join the circle.

            Say: Let’s slowly stir in our flour.

            Play music again, and have kids move around the circle very slowly while the music plays. Move your arm as if slowly stirring, and then stop the music after about a minute.

            Say: Hmmm…What’s missing from our chocolate chip cookies? We need chocolate chips!

            Pat the remaining kids on the head to be chocolate chips and join the circle. Have the kids get “stirred up” and move around in the circle as the music plays.

            After a minute, stop the music and tell kids that the spoon isn’t mixing them well enough and that it’s time for the electric mixer. Have them be crazy and wiggle, hop up and down, and move quickly around while the music plays. Repeat several times, each time saying the dough isn’t quite ready and starting the music again.

            Say: I think our cookie dough is perfect! Let’s sit down around the circle and pretend our cookies are baking.

Talk About It

            Say: There’s a reason for each cookie ingredient. Sugar makes cookies sweet. Butter makes them smooth and tasty. Eggs hold them together. Flour gives them their shape. And chocolate chip cookies wouldn’t be chocolate chip cookies without the chocolate chips! We pretended to make cookies, but God really did make the whole world. Everything he made is an important part of his creation. And people are the most important ingredient! God made us for a reason. The world wouldn’t be the same without [name] and [name] and [name]. And God knew our class would need [name] and [name] and [name]. Name all the kids in your class.

            Ask: • What makes you important? Share your own example to start, such as you can teach God’s Word or you can cook food for your family.

            Say: God is happy when we use our special gifts to make his creation a sweet place!

Make Dough

            Divide preschoolers into groups of four, and have helpers nearby to each assist a couple of groups. Give each group one mixing bowl and the measured ingredients in small cups.

            Have one child in each group add the flour, one add the cornstarch, and the third add the salt to the bowl. Have kids mix these dry ingredients with their hands. Finally, have the fourth child add the water a little bit at a time as the others stir and knead the dough with their hands.

            As kids mix the dough, walk around with a cup of warm water in case groups need a little bit more. After preschoolers have had the opportunity to knead the dough for a few minutes, the helpers can finish kneading the dough to make sure all the ingredients are completely combined.  

Make a Sculpture

            Give each child a plate with a sheet of wax paper on it. Help preschoolers each take one quarter of their group’s dough.

            Say: God made us for a reason. God made people so that we can take care of all his creation, all the plants and animals. And God made people for the special purpose of being his friends! Now that you have your dough, make something that has a special purpose. You could make a bowl or a plate that can hold things or a cool sculpture that will make you smile when you see it.

            Allow time for preschoolers to sculpt. As kids work, have them talk about what they’re making and what the purpose of their creation is.

            Say: You might not have known what you were going to make until you started playing with the dough. But God knew what he was doing when he made people. God made us for a reason. He knows just why he made you!

            Encourage kids to take their crafts home and tell their friends and family the purpose of what they made and that God created us for a reason. The clay will take a couple of days to dry, and then kids can paint it if they want.

Act It Out

            Say: Today we learned that God made you for a reason. Let’s think of some of those reasons right now. Go through the following list and have kids act out each reason. Invite older preschoolers to share any other reasons they can think of.

• God made you to love others. (Kids hug one or two others in the group.)
• God made you to take care of others. (Kids pretend to rock a baby.)
• God made you to be a good friend. (Kids shake hands with or high-five one or two others in the group.)
• God made you to tell others about him. (Kids whisper “God loves you” in others’ ears.)
• God made you to love him. (Kids point up.)

Receive a Blessing

            Say: Those are some reasons God made you. And as we grow and change, we’ll learn more and more reasons God made us. God loves each of you so much, and he made each of you special! In adult or teen leader-led small groups of about six kids, have leaders tell each child, “[Name], God made you for a reason” and then lead the children in saying, “Thank you, God, for [name].”

            After each child has been affirmed, pray: God, please help us love like you. Thank you for making each of us for a reason. In Jesus’ name, amen.

            If you have extra time, spend some time reading today’s Bible story from the Friends With God Story Bible.

            Thank kids for coming, and let them know that you hope to see them again soon.

            Distribute a copy of the “Dig In @ Home” handout to kids as they leave, or email it to parents during the week.