God Rescues
Here are 9 retellings of Old Testament rescue stories aimed at 0-4 year olds. Ideal for a story time in a Playgroup or Church Crèche setting. They were loved by the toddlers I told them to.
Each lesson includes a written story and powerpoint pictures to go with it, a craft idea, and suggestions for songs and toys that fit with the theme of the story. Use the ideas you need for your group.
1. God Will Rescue Creation
God’s World
Why does God’s world even need rescuing? And how will God rescue us? [Genesis 1-3]
Story: God’s World - story
God’s World - powerpoint
Theme: Plants
Songs: Twinkle, twinkle little star; The sun has got his hat on; 5 Little peas; Mary, Mary, quite contrary; Round and round the garden; Here we go round the mulberry bush; If you’re happy and you know it
Toys: Any plant or animal toys you have work great. Also think about a sensory box with pine cones, seeds, bark and conkers to feel and herbs to smell. If you don’t mind getting a bit messy bury some plastic toys in a box of earth and let the children dig them up.
Craft: Fruit Printing
You will need:
Different fruits cut into large chunks
Shallow plates with different colours of paint on
Somewhere where the kids can wash and dry their hands.
Thick white paper or card
Let the kids dip the chunks of fruit into the paint and then press them firmly onto the paper. When finished put the paper somewhere out of the way to dry.
2. God Rescues Noah
God’s Big Boat
The story of the Ark is a rescue story where God rescues Noah and his family but also rescues the human race from their downward spiral and gives them a new start. [Genesis 6-8]
Story: God’s Big Boat – story
God’s Big Boat – powerpoint
Theme: Animals
Songs: See the little Bunnies (and crocodiles and camels etc.); Old man Noah had a boat (to the tune of Old MacDonald had a farm); Hickory Dickory Dock; Incy-Wincy Spider (or Itsy-Bitsy); Baa Baa Black sheep
Toys: Any animal toys from hand puppets to plastic ones. If you have a Noah’s Ark toy get that thing out!
Craft: Paper Plate Rainbows
You will need:
Crayons/Pencils
Paper plates cut in half
Colour in the paper plate to look like a rainbow! You could pre-divide the plates with coloured lines to show them where and what colour to draw or you could let them just go to town.
3. God Rescues Through the Red Sea
God’s Way Out
Caught between the Egyptian army and the deep Red Sea God still finds a way to bring his people to safety and freedom. [Exodus 14]
Story: God’s Way Out – story
God’s Way Out – powerpoint
Theme: Water
Songs: Row Row Row your boat;1-2-3-4-5 Once I caught a fish alive; 5 little ducks; 5 little speckled frogs; A sailor went to sea, sea, sea; All the little ducks; It’s raining, It’s pouring
Toys: Paper boats and bath toys in shallow tubs of water. We used a couple of the storage boxes emptied out and some tupperware all on a couple of big towels obviously. Sensory bottles are a great idea as well!
Craft: Sensory Bottles
You will need:
Baby lotion OR vegetable oil
Glue
Clean empty plastic jars
Food colouring
(Funnels can be helpful)
Half fill a jar with oil.
Top it with water.
Add a couple of dops of food colouring.
Glue round the top and twist the lid on tight.
4. God Rescues in the Desert
God’s Meal Plan
Some rescues are miraculous and spectacular, and some rescues are small daily occurrences over many years. [Exodus 16]
Story: God’s Meal Plan – story
God’s Meal Plan – powerpoint
Theme: Food
Songs: Pease porridge; 5 little peas; 10 fat sausages; A Pizza Hut; Hot cross buns; I’m a little teapot; Pat-a-cake
Toys: Plastic food, kitchen sets, dried beans or lentils in a tub (for them to hide stuff in), spaghetti cooked and cold on a mat or a sandbox (bring wipes!), empty egg & cereal boxes etc.
Craft: Lentil pictures
You will need:
Dried lentils and beans of all colurs
PVC glue
glue sticks
Cardboard
Let the children spread some glue on part of the paper, then sprinkle on some of the beans on it and press them down. Then go again. After it’s dried then shake off any lentils that didn’t stick into a bowl.
5. God Rescues David
God’s Big Fight
We might be little, weak and scared but we have a great big God! [1 Sam 17]
Story: God’s Big Fight – story
God’s Big Fight – powerpoint
Theme: Bodies
Songs: Hokey Cokey (it’s the Hokey Pokey in the US); I will bend down and touch my knees; If you’re happy and you know it; 1 finger, 1 thumb, keep moving; Head, shoulders, knees and toes
Toys: Dolls, dressing up and dancing. Also big and little sorting games – you can use dried pasta shapes, bouncy balls, toy cars, cut up paper etc. anything that’s in two different sizes!
Craft: Face Masks
You will need:
Paper plates cut in half and with eye holes
Paper straw
Tape
Crayons/pencils
Before you start have the plates halved and with holes roughly eye distance apart.
Design your mask.
Flip mask over
Tape a straw to the back of the plate.
6. God Rescues Jonah
God’s Big Message
God wants to rescue the Ninevites, and he wants Jonah to tell them that. But first he’s got to get Jonah there. [Jonah 1-3]
Story: God’s Message – story
God’s Message – powerpoint
Theme: Transport
Songs: The Grand Old Duke of York; The wheels on the bus; If I go Climbing; Row, Row, Row, your boat; A sailor went to sea, sea, sea
Toys: Cars, planes, etc. We also got some empty cardboard boxes out and used them as cars or boats and then joined them together to make a train!
Craft: Paper Boats
You will need:
Crayons
Paper
A shallow plastic tray with water
7. God Rescues Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
God’s Fireman
Bible Passage: Daniel 3
Story: God’s Fire Man – story
God’s Fire Man – powerpoint
Theme: Music
Songs: I am the music man; Let’s make a loud noise; Old MacDonald had a band to the tune of Old Macdonald had a farm.
Toys: Shakers and bells and rattles (bring ear plugs!) We got out some drumsticks and different sizes of cardboard boxes for them to drum on – with strict instructions that sticks were for hitting cardboard NOT people.
Craft: Shakers
You will need:
Plastic eggs or small yoghurt pots or similar hard containers
Dried Rice/lentils/beans
Spoons
Electrician’s (or any other) tape
Use a spoon to put the dried grains into the bottom half of your container.
Choose a top to go on – it doesn’t have to match!
Tape around the join.
Shake it!
8. God Rescues Daniel
God’s Helping Hand
This true story has everything you want as the basis of a make believe game. A king, a hero, lions, bad guys, an angel and a last minute rescue - plus the grown ups might have some idea of where it’s going! [Daniel 6]
Story: God’s Helping Hand – story
God’s Helping Hand – powerpoint Bonus: Darius is actually being portrayed by himself in these pictures.
Theme: Animals
Songs: The lion-ifed verses (and any ‘normal’ verses) from: Row Row Row your boat; A lion went to sea, sea, sea; If you’re a lion and you know it roar out loud; Old man Noah had a boat to the tune of Old Macdonald had a farm; See the little Bunnies (and the lions which roar).
Toys: Any animal toys from hand puppets to plastic ones; especially lions. It’s also a fun week to bring some sheets/boxes and make dens!
Craft: Lion Faces
You will need:
Paper plates
Brown/orange/yellow Wool – 2-3cm lengths
Yellow paints/crayons/pencils
Glue
Googly eyes/buttons/bottletops for eyes
Colour a paper plate yellow – if you use paint wait for it to dry.
Draw a lions face on it (mouth shut).
Stick two eyes on – or draw the eyes if you’d prefer.
Cover a section of the plates rim in glue then stick the wool to it. Keep doing this in sections until you have a complete mane.
9. God Rescues the Jews through Esther
God’s Queen
Story: God’s Queen – story
God’s Queen – powerpoint Xerxes here is a modern reconstruction of him from historic pictures.
Theme: Royalty
Songs: The Grand Old Duke of York; Crowns, shoulders, knees and toes; If you’re a princess and you know it to the tune of If you’re happy and you know it; 5 Little Princes
Toys: Dolls and dress up – particularly good are costume jewellery, scarves and dresses! Also if you have a play palace now’s the ideal time for it. Or ask them to make a palace from bricks.
Craft: Crowns
You will need:
Gold/silver/shiny paper
Stickers
Tape/staples
Cut paper into long strips: 8cm (3 inches) by 40cm (16 inches)ish. I cut A4/Letter paper in half lengthways.
Add designs (stickers or drawing).
Measure paper round child’s head and mark the end. Away from their head tape or staple the paper together at your mark.