At the end of the month what is the ONE thing I want my boys to remember?
Jesus is the source of our courage! His life showed us what it looks like to live courageously for the glory of God. The truth is that we can be strong and courageous and not afraid because He is and always will be with us wherever we go!
There is nothing stronger than memorizing scripture about courage. Pictures help preschool children to write God’s word on their heart. Click on the activity sheet for this free download!
God’s power and greatness were displayed through the courage of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel Chapter 3). The boys especially love retelling this story using wooden peg people and this home-made furnace created from a box and tissue paper!
We conclude the retelling of Bible stories by wondering together.
Wonder Question for kids: I wonder which part of the story you liked best?
Wonder Question for adults: I wonder what it looks like to not bow down to the idols in our world today?
What foods is your child curious about tasting? Take a trip to the grocery store and have the kids help pick out a new fruit or veggie to try! My boys wanted to be like Pete the Cat and the Perfect Pizza Party and tried papaya and mango.
Activating the mind and body through exercise reminds our children to be STRONG and COURAGEOUS. Using the Courage playlist we set up a Be STRONG Circuit Work Out.
Children make predictions about what happens to their courage when fears arise! Will the water which represents our courage leak out?
All four of my boys enjoyed making their own courageous silverware as a reminder to not lose courage when trying new foods during mealtimes. We highly recommend this clay!
After reading Pete the Cat and the Perfect Pizza Party, the boys made pizzas (and used lots of math concepts such as counting and addition) then we used those pizzas during this play activity. Kids use teamwork to deliver pizzas to the animals or houses! This provides an easy way to practice letter and number recognition doing what preschoolers do best…playing!
C.I.A. stands for Character In Action which is one of our three ultimate goals/motivation for implementing CB&J. We want our kids to actually put this character trait of Jesus into action! Cultivate your child’s self awareness using bronze stars to call attention to moments of courage (both large and small). As we begin to call out moments of courage our children begin to notice them more as well and realize how much courage they already have!
We have used this playlist SO much over the past month. Songs have a way of nurturing the heart no matter what your age! I even noticed myself singing these songs to the boys during moments of uncertainty. Kirsten Shive helped with this playlist and her song, “Fear Not” which puts music to the scripture of Isaiah 43:5-7 is delightful! The picture below is linked to our Spotify list.
Our Parent and Teacher’s Guides also include a Rainy Day section which give activities that require little preparation to use on those days where you just need a little something extra! Telling the story of Benaiah (2nd Samuel 23:20-23) was the perfect Rainy Day Activity for this month. Our takeaway was that although we may not all be actual lion chasers, we all have fears/lions in our lives but God gives us courage to chase them down and defeat them.
Lastly, don’t forget the power we have to help other’s courage grow through the gift of encouragement. The Joshua19 Foundation has encouraged our family through sharing their story and by sending us these amazing dog tags. Justice has carried his with him everywhere. Some of my favorite moments have been when strangers have asked him what his necklace says. In the sweetest three year old voice he responds, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified. For God is with us, wherever we go. That’s from Joshua 1:9.”
If you are looking for MORE ways to reinforce this truth with preschoolers, we have developed a Parent’s Guide which is available for $15 and has step by step instructions and patterns for the activities listed on the calendar below. Each activity also cites the Pre-K standard so you can quickly see how the activities not only reinforce social, emotional, and spiritual growth but also target kindergarten readiness skills as well!
Our shop is not up and running yet, but this product is finished. If you are interested in the digital download, email erin@characterbuildsjoy.com and I will get it to you! *Side note: Our Teacher’s Guide is different from the Parent’s Guide and is available for school/church organizations to purchase based on the number of children using the curriculum.
Mr. Marc was our next door neighbor and often played songs on his guitar as the boys ran around in the backyard. As part of the Speer Family, he grew up singing gospel music and continues using his gifts to record hymns for CB&J today! These hymns are a timeless way to remind children about the character of Jesus, and we are grateful to be able to share these with you.