This fall I shared about the preschool curriculum, All Aboard the Animal Train, that I got from My Father’s World (read about that here). While we had started using some of the books and activities I wasn’t quite ready to start the curriculum yet. When I originally purchased the curriculum, the co-founder of My Father’s World suggested a book to me that I could use since my daughter was so young.
Play Through the Bible by Liz Millay (view book here) has been a wonderful starting point for us. It is extremely affordable, hands-on, and such a fun way to lay a Biblical foundation. It does not focus on things like colors, numbers, shapes, and the Alphabet (although you can easily incorporate it), but rather on learning about God and foundational stories from the Bible starting with Creation.
Snake Craft from the Garden of Eve Story
While we are using it for our first homeschool curriculum, this book can also easily be used by working families who are not homeschooling. We try and do a new theme each week with activities each day, but the stories, crafts, and activities are very flexible and can be used in longer or shorter periods of time. With each story theme you can use your own children’s Bible and add in any other books that you would like. There is a memory verse, suggestions for guided discussion, and teaching tips at the beginning of each theme. For each theme there is also a song, snack and sensory bin idea, five different activities, and five different craft ideas.
Sensory bin from Abraham and Sarah
Most of the activities use basic craft supplies like construction paper, paper plates, crayons or markers, and other items you can find in your house like recyclables, and beans or oats for sensory bins. If you find it easier to have a fuller list of things you can get upon purchasing the book, here are a lot of the items that we use. As we go through the book, I use it flexibly and have added and/or substituted some extra activities and books that I feel will fit well with each theme.
Snack from Noah’s Ark Unit
We have really loved using this book and it has been such a simple way to start laying the foundation for preschool and for understanding the Bible. My daughter begs to do school and if we miss a day or two she says, “Mama we need to do some school, we forgot to do it!” Watching her, at only 3 years old, being able to understand concepts and memorize scripture has been incredible and I truly cherish this time together. I’ve had families ask me about devotionals and teaching the Bible to littles and I HIGHLY recommend this as a great starting point for laying that Biblical foundation!
Sensory bin idea from the Creation Unit
It is easy to have a captive audience at a young age. They retain information so easily. This is a great way for such a “SOLID FOUNDATION” as the beginning of knowing Jesus. The sensory bins and snacks used for sections of the book, create excitement in chikdren.