### Lesson Plan: The Creation Story
#### Age Group: Toddlers (2-4 years old)
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#### Objective:
- Introduce toddlers to the concept of creation as depicted in the Christian faith.
- Help toddlers understand that God made the world and everything in it.
- Encourage toddlers to appreciate nature and express gratitude for God’s creations.
##### Materials Needed:
- Children's Bible (preferably with colorful, engaging illustrations)
- Creation-themed felt board and felt pieces
- Pictures of nature (animals, plants, sun, moon, etc.)
- Simple craft supplies (crayons, paper, stickers)
- Snack (optional, something like animal crackers or fruit slices to tie into creation)
- Music player for songs
#### Duration:
- 30-45 minutes
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### Lesson Outline:
#### 1. **Welcome and Introduction (5 minutes)**
- Greet each child warmly as they arrive.
- Begin with a simple prayer thanking God for the day and the friends in the class.
#### 2. **Story Time: The Creation Story (10 minutes)**
- Gather the children into a circle and introduce the topic: “Today we are going to learn about how God made everything, the sky, the animals, and even you!”
- Read the creation story from a children's Bible, showing them the colorful illustrations.
- Keep the story engaging by using expressive tones and pointing to the illustrations. (You can also use props or plush toys to represent parts of creation as you tell the story).
#### 3. **Interactive Felt Board Activity (10 minutes)**
- Use a felt board to retell the creation story briefly.
- Invite toddlers to come up and place felt pieces (representing the sky, land, animals, etc.) on the board as you talk about each day of creation.
- Encourage participation by asking questions like, “Who made the stars?” and prompting them to say, “God!”
#### 4. **Craft Activity: Creation Art (10-15 minutes)**
- Provide the toddlers with paper, crayons, and stickers.
- Ask them to draw something from the creation story. It could be animals, trees, or the sun and moon.
- Walk around, offering assistance and positive reinforcement.
- Hang their artwork on a bulletin board or around the room to create a "Creation Gallery".
#### 5. **Music and Movement: Creation Songs (5-10 minutes)**
- Play a simple and catchy creation-themed song like "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" or "All Things Bright and Beautiful".
- Encourage toddlers to sing along and move to the music. Provide simple instruments like shakers or tambourines if available.
#### 6. **Snack Time and Conversation (optional, 5-10 minutes)**
- Serve a simple snack that can be related to the creation story, like animal crackers or fruit slices.
- Use this time to talk about the different things God created that we see in our snacks.
#### 7. **Closing and Prayer (2-3 minutes)**
- Gather the children again and thank them for participating.
- Close with a short prayer thanking God for creating the world and everything in it.
- “Dear God, thank you for making the beautiful world around us, for the animals, the plants, the sun, and the moon. Thank you for making each one of us. Amen.”
#### 8. **Goodbye Song (2-3 minutes)**
- Sing a simple goodbye song to end the session on a positive note.
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### Tips for Success:
- Maintain a gentle and patient demeanor throughout the lesson.
- Keep instructions and explanations simple and clear.
- Use lots of visual aids and hands-on activities to engage toddlers.
- Be flexible and ready to adapt if certain activities or parts of the story particularly capture the toddlers’ attention.
By making the lesson interactive and visually stimulating, toddlers are more likely to grasp and remember the key messages of the creation story.