Creation Day One (Preschool Bible Lesson)

This lesson plan is designed to teach preschool aged children about the first day of creation. It could be used in any setting with children age 2-5 at church, including a preschool Sunday School class or a preschool children’s church class.  This lesson is part of a series of Bible lessons about creation. As always, consider your own ministry context and modify it as needed. Please leave any feedback or suggestions for improvement in the comment box at the bottom of this page.
Bible Story: The first day of Creation from Genesis 1:1-5
Learning Objectives: After this lesson, the children will demonstrate an understanding of what God created on the first day of creation by showing hand motions.
Target Age: 2 year olds – 5 year olds
Items Needed:

• [print_link] this lesson plan
• Bible, Genesis 1:1-5.
• Creation Storybook for Preschoolers
• Playdough (any colors) and Green & blue Playdough
• Flashlights
• ½ sheet of black construction paper per child, ½ sheet of yellow construction paper per child, full sheet of white construction paper (with a crease in the middle) per child, 1 slip of paper with following written on it per child: “God said, ‘Let there be light.’ And there was light.”  Genesis 1:3. Glue, Marker to write children’s names on their papers

Worship

• You can print off these “Creation Songs” and use to lead the children to sing before the Bible lesson.
• You can also try the “My God is so BIG” preschool song.

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Teaching Plan: The First Day of Creation
Bible Lesson Introduction
* Playdough Creations – let the children play with Playdough – encourage them to “create” things with the Playdough – talk to them as they are creating and try to get them to name the items they are “creating”.

Bible Lesson
Read Genesis 1:1-5 aloud to the children.  There is also a book that you can print out that has the story along with simple pictures to help the children understand what is being read.
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth didn’t have any shape. And it was empty. Darkness was over the surface of the ocean. At that time, the ocean covered the earth. The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

God said, “Let there be light.” And there was light.  God saw that the light was good. He separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light “day.” He called the darkness “night.” There was evening, and there was morning. It was day one.”
NIrV (New International Reader’s Version)
Read the verses (story) to the children.  If you are using the print out story, point to the pictures as you read the story so that the children can better understand what you are saying.
Read the verses (story) again using the flashlights when you get to the part about God creating light.  Depending on your children, if they aren’t scared of the dark, you can even keep the lights off while you read the story again, using the flashlights for effect.
Discuss the Bible Reading
When you are finished reading the story the second time, ask the children the following questions so that you can know they understood it.
“Who was in the story?”  God
“Was is dark at the beginning of the story?”  Yes
“What did God create in the story today?”  Light
“What number day was it in the story today?”  One

Let There Be Light! Coloring Sheet

Let There Be Light (Creation Day One)
This coloring sheet features the events from Genesis 1:3 where God says, “Let there be light.” The picture features the sun and stars that radiate that light on the first day of creation. Click the link above to see download and printing options. This was the first day of the biblical creation story. Don’t miss all our creation coloring pages.
Bible Lesson Craft / Activity
Use the following activities to reinforce the learning goals. If time is short, move on to the evaluation portion of the lesson plan.
Activity: Light/Dark Paper
“We are going to make a dark and light paper to help us remember what God made on the first day of creation.  First you are all going to get a white piece of paper.  We have a Bible Verse to put on the back.”

• Give each child a piece of white construction
• Let the children glue the paper with the verse on it onto the white construction paper

“Now I want everyone to flip your paper over so that we can start making our paper.  Do you see how your paper has a fold in the middle?  We are going to glue different colors of paper on each side.  God made the darkness into the light.  So we are going to have a dark side and a light side of our paper.  You each are going to get a piece of black paper.  Now you can rip this paper into pieces and then glue them onto one side of your white paper.”

• While they are making their paper you can be writing each child’s name on their paper with the marker.

“Now we are going to make our light side of our paper.  So you can do the same thing with the yellow paper that you did with the black paper.  Tear it up and glue it on the other side of your white paper.”


Activity: Bible Verse Memorization
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”  Genesis 1:1
(New International Reader’s Version)
Have the children do the following sign language along with repeating the words after you, to help them learn the Bible Verse:
“In the beginning”—the index finger twists between the fingers of the other hand to indicate the turning of a key in an ignition switch
“God”—hold hand up with fingers towards the sky…the hand is raised to the heavens and then downward in a sign of respect
“created”—the hands (in fists on top of one another) twist as if they were putting something together
“the heavens”—the hands move up, in a large circle, towards the heavens
“and the earth”—the thumb and middle finger pinch the side of the wrist which represents the earth rotating on its axis