LHTH’s Bible Activities Box of Plans

LHTH’s Bible Activities Box of Plans

This “Inside the Guide” series provides a quick snapshot of Little Hands to Heaven (LHTH)! It’s a handy “how-to” reference, just one box of plans at a time. Have you ordered Little Hands to Heaven from Heart of Dakota? Thank you – so fun! Are you getting excited to start? Totally understandable! Well, here’s your quick-start “Inside the Guide” for…LHTH’s Bible Activities box of plans!

Quick Start Info

Time It Takes: 5 minutes

Days It’s On: Days 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5

Description: Bible Activities teach skills such as number and color recognition, counting, cutting, gluing, coloring, listening skills, directional words, dramatization, and life application. Each unit has a theme centered around Bible characters, and the daily activities are linked to the Bible stories.

A Handy How-To 

Each unit includes a rotational balance of skills. Several weekly Bible Activities include whole body creative responses, such as acting out the stories using objects. For example, children use stuffed animals, small toys, blankets, or pillows and follow provided directions to reenact the Bible Story.

For weekly Count on Me activities, just photocopy the page and follow the step-by-step directions that guide children to draw simple objects and count them. The objects they draw match the Bible Story, so as kiddos respond to the Bible Story, they learn drawing and counting skills simultaneously.

Another weekly activity includes oral discussion that connects appropriate emotion to the story. For example, kiddos respond with “surprise” at Pharaoh’s daughter finding baby Moses and “sadness” at Pharaoh’s refusal to listen to Moses during the plagues.

Other Bible Activities teach directionality, as well as colors and shapes. For example, “Draw a blue cloud at the top of the page to show Solomon’s dream. Draw a red smile in the middle of the page. Draw a yellow rectangle at the bottom of the page to show the temple.” Left/right directions are also used. The point of this is not a beautiful art drawing; rather following directions and connecting to the story is the focus.

Finally, children create their own Numbers book and Colors book. They cut out a certain number of pictures from a catalog and glue them on Numbers or Colors pages. Pictures match the Bible Story of the day. For example, children cut out 8 pieces of jewelry to show the Egyptians gave the Israelites jewelry when they asked them to leave. Or, children cut out red items to show Red is for the Red Cross, a symbol of helping others. At the end, children have created their own Numbers and Colors books to save!

Box Specific Notes

Before we start, I photocopy the Count on Me pages (35, to have a few extra). Likewise, I photocopy the Numbers and Colors pages. These are easy to find! There is one per unit and they come right after the “day” of plans they are used on. I put these all in a folder, so they are ready for the year!

For Count on Me, I often draw the first object for them. I keep it simple, like the directions say! For example, the first activity says to “Draw caterpillars by making a green squiggle in the boxes.” So, I use a green Crayola marker to make a squiggle in the first box. Markers work well, as they glide and aren’t as small to grip. Then, I help them write the numbers as we count. Dots can be made to connect for the numbers too. As the year goes on, I help less. Eventually, our kiddos could even do the “olders” directions, which involve drawing two or three things per box and skip counting by 2’s or 3’s!

I collect a few big catalogs for the Numbers and Colors pages. Grocery, hardware, jewelry, and toy stores often have free catalogs. Also, I make sure to have scissors that fit my child best. The small scissors with pointed ends works well! (The blunt, “paper only” scissors cut NOTHING – not even paper!) The directions say to draw a circle, box, or outline around the object. Very important to do! I use a black Sharpie, and the circle is easiest at the start. Glue sticks work better than liquid, if the catalog paper is thick. For thin catalog paper though, liquid glue is better. Colored glue sticks/liquid glue work well, as they can see where they put the glue!

When my little one is acting out the Bible story, I jump in to act it out too if my kiddo wants that assist! Shy little ones might need encouragement to creatively “act out” things. It’s important to make this fun! If you do this right, kiddos will love it and often keep doing this activity long after their “school day” is done!

When we finish the Bible Activity, I like to read the “Key Idea”. It connects it all together so well!

As far as what order to do the boxes in, I liked Bible Story, Bible Activity, Fingerplay, Letter Activity. Then, the only boxes left are the rotating box and the music box!

Finally, when I was teaching multiple guides, my oldest son did the LHTH Bible Activity with my youngest son. They also marched around the room and sang the Corresponding Music together. I taught my middle son during that time instead. They still have fond memories of it!