Scripture: Psalm 145:9, 86:5, 1 Chronicles 16:34, Romans 12:2
Bible Lesson Title: God is Good
Target Age Group: Toddlers, age 18-24 months
Original Teaching Context: Toddler Sunday School (these are also great for parents who desire to bring the knowledge/wonder of God to their children during daily playtime).
Main Idea: God is good; he loves to bless his children!
Supplies: Bible (See additional activities below for supply list.)
With toddlers, you want to keep your lesson simple. If your class is able, get them to sit together on floor in front of you. Hold up your Bible. SAY: The Bible tells us God is good; he loves to bless us! The Bible is God’s Word. He wrote it, so we know everything in it is true. The Bible tells us God is good; he loves to bless his children! (Repeat three times.)
The following activities are designed to reinforce the simple Scripture truth, encourage toddler development, and engage their imaginations and creativity. Choose the ones that will work best for your classroom or family. For this particular topic, think through the gifts or blessings God has given to you over the years in his goodness. Incorporate them as you show your toddlers the goodness of our God.
God is Good Intro
(Truth to reiterate throughout your time together.)
SAY: The Bible tells us God is good and he is kind! He never changes, so we know God is good all of the time. God’s goodness and kindness never end and never change! Every page of the Bible reminds us that God is good, and he loves to give you gifts of his goodness! God has already given you many gifts in his goodness, and in his kindness, his arms are always open. He loves to bless His children!
God Provides Us Clothing
SUPPLIES: Adult clothing (ties, hats, pearl necklaces, shoes, dresses) or child dress-up clothes (doctor, cowboy, princess, etc.) If you are a parent doing this at home with your toddler, another idea is to encourage your child to “help” you fold laundry and talk about God’s provision of clothing while you do this daily chore.
DO: Encourage the kids to dress up and play pretend. As they are playing, SAY: God provides you with clothes to wear every day. He promises to provide ALL of your needs. God is so good; he loves to bless his children!
God Gives Us Family and Friends
SUPPLIES: Baby dolls or dollhouse families, baby items or dollhouse.
DO: Encourage your toddlers to play families with the babies or dollhouse dolls. Be sensitive to your toddlers unique family situations. SAY: God has give you people who love you and take care of you! God has give you a family. God has given you friends. God has made you to love! You can love others. You can help take care of others. God has give you his love. He loves you so much! His love and kindness go on forever! God is so good; he loves to bless his children!
God Provides Us Food
SUPPLIES: Toddler-friendly snack. Check for food allergies beforehand.
As toddlers are eating, SAY: God is so good! He provides you with food to eat and water to drink every day. He promises to provide for ALL of your needs. He takes care of you. God is so good; he loves to bless his children!
God Provides Us Homes
SUPPLIES: Any type of blocks that toddlers can manipulate.
DO: Encourage toddlers to build homes using the blocks. As they are playing, SAY: God gives you a home, a place to rest your head. God takes care of you. God promises to provide for ALL of your needs. God is good; he loves to bless his children!
Paint Creation
SUPPLIES: Photos of creation to show, pictures of creation to paint or blank paper, paint brushes and washable paint.
DO: Show the children photos of the beautiful world God made for us or look outside to see his creation. SAY: God made an amazingly, beautiful world for you to live in. He made so many different colors and so many unique animals. (Add specific descriptions from the photos or outside.) God is so good; he loves to bless his children! Let’s make pictures together of the beautiful world God has given to us.
God Gives Us Jesus
SUPPLIES: The Jesus Storybook Bible or your own Bible.
Gather your toddlers around you on the floor. SAY: Read from the Jesus Storybook Bible, showing the picture, or SAY the following excerpt from the Jesus Storybook Bible, p. 17, : There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them. It takes the whole Bible to tell this Story. And at the center of the Story, there is a baby. Every Story in the Bible whispers his name. He is like the missing piece in a puzzle-the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together, and suddenly you can see a beautiful picture. And this is no ordinary baby… This baby was Jesus. God sent him to the world to rescue us because of his great love for us. Jesus came and he died for me and for you! But he didn’t stay dead-he rose again and defeated death! Because of Jesus, you can talk to God whenever you want. Because of Jesus, God is always with us. Because of Jesus, everyone who believes in him will one day be able to live with him forever. God is so good for sending us Jesus! He loves to bless his children!
Transition this time to praising God through song below.
Sing
SUPPLIES: Musical instruments or consider making some DIY instruments for your toddlers if you don’t have instruments on hand. (Here a link to ideas on Pinterest: DIY Musical Instruments.) Songs that declare God’s goodness. Examples: God is so Good or Good, Good Father by Chris Tomlin.
SAY: God has given us the gift of music. We can make a joyful noise to him together! We can praise him with our songs! God is so good; he loves to bless his children!
DO: Pass out instruments and sing/dance together in praise of God’s goodness.
Pray
SAY: In his goodness, God promises to always hear your prayers. Let’s talk to him now.
Hold hands or bow your heads together (just demonstrate and ask them to do the same. Some may, most may just watch.) Say a short prayer like the following: Dear God, you are so very good to us. You love to bless your children! Help us to remember your goodness, even on the hard days. We love you. Thank you for loving us. Amen.