From A to Z: Letter G

A few days ago, I walked into our back room and found my oldest son lining up 8 or so glasses on the floor with murky brown water. I calmly asked him what he was doing (since I couldn't figure out why the water was brown) and he bashfully told me he was making sugar pop. I looked over at the couch and discovered that he had opened up the brown sugar on the couch--and there was a huge mess of brown sugar, water, measuring cups, and spoons.

I could tell he was nervous about getting into big trouble, and to be honest, I was far from thrilled that there was brown sugar all over the couch. I also knew (because I was like him as a kid) that he was simply trying to experiment and play--not damage the couch. 

I decided to give him grace instead of harsh consequences in this moment. We still chatted about how the couch was not the best place to mix water and brown sugar, and I knew by his honest nodding and humble attitude that he understood that it wasn't the best idea. But I think he was also surprised that he didn't get into trouble.

Where I gave my son a tiny glimpse of grace (grace simply means that he didn't get what he deserved), God gives us unmeasurable and unmatchable grace. 

The letter G is all about how God Give us Grace. 

In this lesson, we read how Saul became Paul, do a simple experiment to demonstrate how grace covers sin, and talk about what grace means. 

My hope is that this lesson provides a launching point to share the gospel with your little ones and all the good news it brings! 

Have a good one!

Nicole

From A to Z: Letter F

There are many stories in the Bible that are just a little weird: a burning bush, a big ark full of animals, and a guy being swallowed by a big fish. As strange as some of these stories are, they always have something important to tell us about God. Mainly, they remind us that God is God. And His ways usually don't look like our ways. 

Letter F is about Following God's ways--not because we should follow the rules but because God knows what's best and we can trust Him.

Ps. Make your own Jonah peg doll to act out the story. Ours might have gotten a bit dramatic ;) 

The letter F pack includes a simple science experiment (we had a "blast!"), learning about Jonah and the big Fish, and playing Simon Says. 

Here are some other resources you may enjoy (ps. some of these are affiliate links):

• Read 1000 Things Under the Sea--we've had this book for a while and LOVE it! So many cool sea creatures!
• Pick up One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish from the library--so fun!
• If making peg dolls isn't your thing this Jonah play mat or Bible Story in a Bag are both adorable options!

Have a good one!

--Nicole

Project: Bible Character Peg Dolls

Ps. This post includes a few affiliate links. You can learn more about what that means over here.

Did you know that Noah's ark has boosters? Or that Jericho may have been build with magnetic tiles? Or that Jesus' disciples were sleeping in a giant heap on the night Jesus was arrested?

According to my four-year-old, these were all viable possibilities as he played and imagined with our set of Bible character peg dolls we had painted.

I wanted to create something we could use to play and act-out the Bible stories that we are learning. So, I picked up some peg dolls from Michaels (although these ones are actually much cheaper), grabbed some brushes, and picked out some paint (we used acrylic, but you could use tempura too). 

We kept the clothes pretty simple and didn't create any specific characters apart from Jesus. Luke and I painted their "outfits," and I finished off their hair and faces. It was actually a much simpler project than I anticipated. It only took about an hour to finish them up and start playing. However, I quickly realized that painting peg dolls will definitely not be my next side hustle. Ha!

After they had dried and got their faces on, we had fun setting up some Bible scenes. 

We made Noah's ark, the walls of Jericho, Jonah and the big fish, and Jesus teaching to the crowd. It was fun to watch him create, build, and imagine the stories he knew with everyday objects like magnetic tiles, duplos, rocks, plants, and plastic animals. You could also use wooden blocks, play dough, legos, Lincoln logs--so many possibilities! 

So, if you are looking for a simple project that you can use for playing and teaching, try making your own set of Bible character peg dolls.  You can also purchase some pretty adorable sets like this one or this one if making your own isn't your thing :) 

Have a good one!

Nicole

From A to Z: Letter E

Remember the days when snail mail was the only way you could send someone a letter? I still remember getting sweet letters at camp, exchanging letters with my friends during college, and writing lots of love letters to my now-hubby while we were dating long distance. 

As much as we enjoy getting a good, old fashioned letter, you can imagine how much a letter strengthened and encouraged the early church--and they still encourage us!

The Letter E's big idea is Encourage One Other

This lesson is about the letters the early church exchanged, making snail mail cards (and sending them!), "stamping" letters, and encouraging your local postman. 

I don't know about you, but I can always use a little reminder (and perhaps a little push) to take a few extra steps to encourage someone--maybe through a letter, a quick phone call, a text, or face-to-face. 

As you chat about letters and encouragement, here are some other resources you may enjoy (ps. some of these are affiliate links)

• Print + color some coloring cards from the shop--blank + thank you cards
• Check out Mr. Postmouse's Rounds from your local library or bookstore. We took it home in our library haul and it really is so cute (and the illustrations had us laughing and pouring over the page for a long time)
• If you want to set up some dramatic play, this is so adorable! 

Have a good one!

--Nicole

On the Bookshelf: An Easter Pick

As Easter nears, I'm on the hunt for quality stories that help bring the gospel story to life. Recently, I saw someone share the book The Garden, The Curtain, The Cross*, and I ordered it right away. I don't buy too many books (thanks to the library!), but I thought this one would make a lovely addition to our ever-growing library. 

When we got it, I fell in love with the illustrations (because Catalina Echeverri is such a wonderful illustrator!). I also loved the depth, and the fresh perspective, of the story. Even now, it's not often that I think about that huge curtain that loomed in the temple--a very literal separation of God and His people. For kiddos (and adults too!), the symbolism of the curtain tearing is a strong visual for understanding how Jesus' death and resurrection allows us access to God.

I think some of it was a bit over my 4-year-old's head, but the main idea was strong:

Sin separated us from God, BUT Jesus died on the cross and took our sin so that we can be with God again.

And that's really the most important thing, right?

Do you have any favorite books for Easter?

ps. Don't forget to download some free Easter prints + coloring pages to enjoy as we near Easter. 

Have a good one, friends!

--Nicole

*Affiliate links were used in this post. Learn more about that here.