### Lesson Plan: The Walls of Jericho (For Toddlers)
#### Objective:
To introduce toddlers to the story of the Walls of Jericho, emphasizing themes of obedience, faith, and God's power.
#### Duration:
30 minutes
#### Materials Needed:
- A children's Bible or a storybook version of the Walls of Jericho
- Simple props (blocks, cardboard cutouts) to represent the walls of Jericho
- Small musical instruments (shakers, tambourines) or simple noisemakers
- Coloring sheets of the Walls of Jericho
- Crayons or markers
- Stickers for rewards
#### Lesson Outline:
1. **Welcome and Introduction (5 minutes)**
- Begin with a simple greeting and a short prayer.
- "Dear God, thank you for this wonderful day and for our friends. Help us to learn more about you today. Amen."
- Briefly introduce the story of the Walls of Jericho.
- "Today, we are going to hear a special story from the Bible about a big city with tall walls called Jericho and how God helped His people."
2. **Story Time (10 minutes)**
- Gather the children in a circle and read a simplified version of the story of the Walls of Jericho.
- "A long time ago, God's people wanted to take over a city called Jericho. Jericho had very tall walls. God told Joshua to have the people walk around the city once a day for six days. On the seventh day, they walked around the city seven times, and on the seventh time, they blew their trumpets and shouted. Do you know what happened then? The walls fell down!"
- Use props (blocks or cardboard cutouts) to represent the walls and show visually how they fell down when the people followed God's instructions.
3. **Interactive Activity: Marching and Music (5 minutes)**
- Have the children stand up and pretend to be the people of Israel marching around Jericho.
- Give the children small musical instruments or noisemakers.
- March around the classroom, pretending it is Jericho, and on the seventh lap, have the children blow their “trumpets” and shout, and then "make" the walls fall down.
- "Let's pretend to be the people of Israel and march around Jericho. On the seventh time, blow your trumpets and shout!"
4. **Coloring Activity (5 minutes)**
- Hand out coloring sheets depicting the Walls of Jericho.
- Provide crayons or markers and let the children color their sheets.
- Discuss the story while they color, reinforcing that God made the walls fall because the people obeyed Him.
5. **Conclusion and Reinforcement (2 minutes)**
- Briefly review the main points of the story.
- "What happened to the walls of Jericho? That's right, they fell down! And why did they fall? Because the people listened to God and did what He said."
- Encourage the children to show their parents their coloring sheets and tell them the story.
6. **Rewards and Closing Prayer (3 minutes)**
- Give each child a sticker as a reward for participating and listening.
- End with a simple closing prayer.
- "Dear God, thank you for the story of Jericho. Help us to listen to you and trust you just like the people did. Amen."
#### Notes:
- Keep the language simple and engaging.
- Ensure activities are short to maintain toddlers' attention.
- Be flexible and ready to adjust based on the children's responses and energy levels.