This lesson plan was designed for preschoolers who are 3 and 4 years old and was presented at First Presbyterian Church, Napa, CA. Some ideas were found at mssscrafts.com (site no longer active) and modified.
Permission to use in the local church setting only.
Lost & Found - Preschool Lessons
Summary of Workshops
- Art: find sheep hidden in room; make pop up sheep; celebration game; sheep snack.
- Cooking: Find a lost coin & puzzle piece then celebrate by decorating cupcakes.
- Drama: act out story- Lost Son; play hide and seek.
- Video: Several videos on the lost & found parables will be shown: “Harry, the Dirty Dog” and “Parables From Nature: Bootsie the Lamb / The Feather that was Lost”.
Art Workshop - Lost Sheep
Lesson Summary:
Find sheep hidden in room; make pop up sheep; celebration game; sheep snack.
Teacher Preparation:
- Gather materials for each workshop as indicated below.
- Hide stuffed sheep.
Activity #1: Finding the Lost Sheep
Supplies: toy stuffed sheep
[A stuffed sheep will be hidden somewhere in the workshop.]
When you first arrive, ask them: Who loves you? (God, family, friends, people at our church – remind them that YOU love them, too!) Tell them that they’re going to hear a story about how much God loves them.
Ask if they hear a sheep baa-ing quietly. Ask them to help you find the sheep. When it’s found, pass it around the circle so each child can hold and hug it. Ask them questions about sheep and shepherds (if this is not the first workshop of this rotation they may be able to give you some details they learned the week(s) before).
Activity #2: Make Pop-Up Sheep
Supplies: copies of a small small sheep about 2" by 2", crayons or washable markers, glue, popsicle sticks, and styrofoam cups.
Put the sheep in the middle of the circle and have them each make a “pop-up sheep” that will help tell the story.
Directions:
Cut out a small sheep about 2" by 2". Have kids color it then glue to a popsicle stick. Poke a hole in the bottom of a styrofoam cup with the stick, making the sheep go inside the cup with the other end of the stick poking out the bottom.
Tell the story Jesus told of the lost sheep, having the kids use their sheep. They'll just "hide" the sheep inside the cup for the part of the story where the sheep is lost.
Activity #3: Celebration Party
Supplies: Crepe paper and big confetti pieces.
Directions:
Go to the game workshop for some “celebrating” in a larger space.
Tell them that the shepherd knows all about each one of his sheep. He knows which ones are playful, which ones are quiet, which ones have the softest “baa” and which ones like to stay close by his side.
Just like a good shepherd, God knows all about us! He made each one of us special. Let’s have some fun celebrating how much God loves us!
Choose 1 child to sit in the middle of the circle of kids. Give the rest of the kids handfuls of crepe paper and big confetti pieces. Have the kids gently toss their confetti onto the child in the middle and say “The Lord loves you very much!” Then take turns with another child in the middle till all who want to have had a turn. Then have them help you pick up all the confetti and throw it away.
Activity #4: Making a Sheep Snack
Supplies: large and small marshmallows, pretzel sticks, and baggies.
Directions:
Take the kids back to the art workshop and make a sheep snack! Using large and small marshmallows and pretzel sticks have the kids each make a sheep … and then eat it (or if they want to, they can take it home – provide baggies).
Extra activity: Have the kids take turns hiding the sheep and others finding.
Cooking Workshop – Lost Coin
Summary of Lesson Activities:
Find a lost coin & puzzle piece then celebrate by decorating cupcakes.
Supplies:
- Puzzle,
- coins,
- party decorations,
- pre-made cupcakes with hidden surprise,
- icing and decorating supplies for cupcakes.
Activity #1: Children will try to put together a puzzle that’s missing a piece.
Activity #2: They’ll hear the story of the lost coin and join the “woman” in trying to find the coin and the puzzle piece.
Activity #3: Once found, they’ll celebrate with a party. As they decorate and eat cupcakes at their party, they’ll discover a surprise inside their cupcakes.
Activities for extra time:
Kids can take turns hiding the coin and finding it.
Coloring page
Moderator adds additional ideas:
Chocolate pudding with a slice of banana hidden in the bottom. The banana represents the woman's lost coin, an idea from http://weewaughs.blogspot.caCheese & Pretzel Sweepers (some sites use the word "Broomsticks" instead of Sweepers), do an online search.
Drama Workshop – Lost Son
Summary of Lesson Activities:
Act out story; play hide and seek
Use the Beginner’s Bible and read the story “The Lost Son”.
Have the kids act out the story using costumes and props. Act it out several times with them changing which role they have.
Moderator adds: with our Pre-k's I simply used a straw hat for the father, a bandana around the neck of the son, a large stuffed battery operated pig for the pig farmer, and boa's/party hats for the party friends, and something for the other son if you're including him.
Extra activities:
Play hide & seek
Coloring page for extra time.
Movie Workshop – Lost & Found
Summary of Lesson Activities:
Several videos on the lost & found parables will be shown:
- “Harry, the Dirty Dog”
- “Parables From Nature: Bootsie the Lamb / The Feather that was Lost” (no longer available).
Ask questions after each one, alluding to the parables of lost and found that Jesus told.
Resources (added by Volunteer Moderator)
- Harry the Dirty Dog Video - we found on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPQuQaYBXbk
- Parables from Nature: Bootsie the Lamb - we found on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dWpljsqzD4
A lesson set written by Jan Hanson from First Presbyterian Church, in Napa, CA
