"God is My Song" Lesson for Toddlers

This is the fifth lesson plan in our series titled, “Toddlers Knowing God.” Each of these studies help children age 18-24 months better understand the character & nature of God. Click here to see the main index for these Bible lessons.
This particular lesson is based on Exodus 15:2, Psalm 118:14. In very simple language, it shows how God gives joy to our hearts.
We’ve listed supplies needed according to each learning activity. Please choose which options work best for your class.

Bible Passage: Exodus 15:2, Psalm 118:14
Bible Lesson Title: God is My Song
Target Age Group: Toddlers, age 18-24 months
Original Teaching Context: Toddler Sunday School
You Can Help: We love to read your ideas to make the lesson plan better. Click here leave a comment.
Supplies: Bible, picture of children singing or laughing. See additional activities for other supplies and preparation.
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 is God’s Word.  The Bible tells us God is our Song. (Show picture of children singing or happy children). He is the joy of our hearts! (Repeat three times.)
The following activities are designed to reinforce the simple Scripture truth, encourage their development, and engage their imaginations and creativity. Choose the ones that will work best for your classroom.

Learning Activities:

Find the Music Notes

SUPPLIES: Music notes cut out of black poster board, cardstock, or construction paper, tape, song sheet with notes

 DO: Tape the music notes in various places around the room where your toddlers can reach them. Show them a music note and instruct them to go find as many as they can. As they are looking, turn on some background praise music. Bring them all back together after the music notes have been found and count them out loud.

 SAY: You found all the music notes! Music notes make songs (hold up a song sheet). God is our song! He brings us joy! He makes our hearts happy!

Bird Watch and Listen

SUPPLIES: Pictures of birds and/or bird puppet. You could also bring in a real bird.

DO: Open the window or go outside to hear birds sing. If your class is too big or you are unable to do this, show your toddlers pictures of birds and discuss them. Ask questions like, “Can you see any birds? Can we count the birds we see outside? What do birds say? Who made the birds? Can you hear the birds singing? Who are they singing to?

 SAY: A bird’s song is beautiful! God created the birds to sing for Him. God is our song! He brings our hearts joy. He makes our hearts happy!

Praise God through Song

SUPPLIES: Praise and worship CDs your toddlers are familiar with.

SAY: God is our song. He makes our hearts happy! We can worship God through singing to Him. Let’s sing together to God now!

DO: Sing some slower worship songs together to God, maybe two or three short ones. Then follow with the next activity.

Musical Instruments

SUPPLIES: Various musical instruments that toddlers can play(drums, triangle, shakers, tambourines, etc.) If instruments are unavailable, make your own with various bowls and spoons, plastic eggs filled with rice, balloons filled with rice and blown-up, paper plates with bells tied around them, etc.

DO: Sing some upbeat worship songs together while playing the instruments. Encourage your toddlers to dance too! Have fun praising God together.

SAY: God is our song! He makes our hearts happy! I love to praise God! When we are sad, we can always remember that God is our song. He brings us joy when we sing to Him!

Identify Emotions

SUPPLIES: Yourself and your toddlers; you could also make paper plate faces that display different emotions and glue them to a popsicle stick for the children to play with.

DO: Show a sad face. Have the children imitate you and tell you what emotion you are showing. Repeat with mad, surprised, scared, and happy. (Or ask them find the paper plate face that shows the same emotion you are displaying. Ex. “Can you find the made face?”)

SAY: God is our song! He makes our hearts happy! Can you show me the happy face again? Sometimes when we are sad (make sad face) or mad (make mad face), we need to remember that God is our song! He makes our hearts happy!

If Your Happy and You Know It

DO: Sing If Your Happy and You Know It, encouraging the children to really express it with their faces while they do the motions.

SAY: God is our song! He makes our hearts happy! We can always show our happiness through singing and praising Him!

Pray

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 our Song. You bring us great joy! We love you! Thank you for loving us. Amen.