Fall is a beautiful season and this lesson focuses on the changes that happen during fall. This lesson teaches kids that God made each season and each season has a purpose. They will learn that God made the world for them so that farmers can grow food so that we won’t go hungry.
Lesson Title: God Made the Seasons (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2)
Bible Reference: Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
Target Age Group: Preschool
Learning Context: Sunday School
Target Time Frame: 1 hour
Optional: Seasons coloring pages
Learning Aim: God made the seasons.
Teach It
Before the Activity: You will need seeds to show the class, a house plant or picture of a plant, and corn or another vegetable that grows in your area.
During the Activity: Display and read the Bible verse: “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
Say: Let’s look at this verse. What does it mean? Allow kids to answer. Yes! It means that God made each season and every season has a purpose.
Show the seeds. Say: In spring, we plant seeds like this. Spring is a time to work hard planting food that we can eat.
Show the plant. Say: During the summer the seeds keep growing until they turn into plants like this. During summer we have to take care of the plants and make sure they get plenty of water and sun. God makes the plants grow and we have to take care of them.
Show the ear of corn or other vegetable. Say: In the fall it is time to go and gather the harvest. Big tractors collect the veggies that have been growing all year. Now we have lots of fresh yummy food to eat! Some of this food we can eat now and some we will save so that we can eat it during the rest of the year.
Say: Next comes winter. In winter the ground and farmers rest and start planning ahead for the next year of planting. Just like the verse above says God made a time for everything. In spring the new plants are born and they are plucked up during autumn. In winter the plants die, but that is ok because we know they will grow again in the spring. God made the changing seasons and change is good. God is so good to us! Let’s thank Him for making the seasons today.
Sing It
Sing This Little Plant of Mine to the tune of This Little Light of Mine.
This little seed of mine, I’m gonna plant it now
This little seed of mine, I’m gonna plant it now
This little seed of mine, I’m gonna plant it now
Plant it now, plant it now, plant it now.
This little plant of mine, I’m gonna watch it grow
This little plant of mine, I’m gonna watch it grow
This little plant of mine, I’m gonna watch it grow
Watch it grow, watch it grow, watch it grow.
This little plant of mine, I’m gonna eat it now
This little plant of mine, I’m gonna eat it now
This little plant of mine, I’m gonna eat it now
Eat it now, eat it now, eat it now.
God made us four seasons, I’m gonna praise Him now
God made us four seasons, I’m gonna praise Him now
God made us four seasons, I’m gonna praise Him now
Praise Him now, praise Him now, praise Him now.
Sing Autumn Leaves are Falling Down to the tune of London Bridge Is Falling Down.
Autumn leaves are falling down, falling down, falling down,
Autumn leaves are falling down, Welcome Autumn.
Time to harvest the vegetables, vegetables, vegetables,
Time to harvest the vegetables, Thank you, Jesus.
Every season has a purpose, has a purpose, has a purpose,
Every season has a purpose, Thank you, Jesus.
Change It: Color Changes
Before the Activity: You will need a paper plate for each child, red and yellow finger paint, paint smocks, and wet wipes for clean-up.
During the Activity: Say: One of the most exciting things about fall is watching the leaves change colors and fall off the tree. God makes the leaves change with the seasons and change is good. Today, we are going to use our hands to see if we can change red and yellow into orange. Red, yellow, and orange are colors of fall leaves. You will get a paper plate with yellow and red paint on it. Use your fingers to mix it together and see what happens!
Play It: Corn Sensory Bin
Before the Activity: Fill a sensory bin with dried corn. Add farmer toys, animals, and tractors.
During the Activity: Let the class play in the sensory bin. While they play talk about fall. Ask them what their favorite part of the season is, etc. Thank God for giving us a changing Earth that can give us food.
Tip: Have half the class play in the sensory bin while the other half paints and then switch.
Taste It: Popcorn Snack
Have popcorn for snack. As you eat, talk about the process that the corn had to go through to become popcorn. Thank God for all the plants that are being harvested this fall.
See It: Take a Nature Walk
Take a nature walk around your church. Collect anything that shows that the Earth is changing. When you get back inside talk about how the items are changing since it is now fall.
Say: God made the seasons and each season is good and has a purpose. This year as you celebrate fall make sure to thank God for all that He has given us.
End It: Closing Prayer
Sit in a circle and have each child say one thing about fall that they are thankful for. Pray together thanking God for allowing the Earth to continuously change so that it can provide us food. Thank God for fall and pray that each child will remember God as they celebrate the season.
What a wonderfully crafted lesson! This would be a great way to introduce and explain the seasons. Keep up the great work! I really appreciate all of your hard work. It helps me so much. God bless you and yours, Dee.
I am homeschooling my 5 year old daughter this year (along with my 3 year old son and 2 year old daughter). This lesson is helpful to me for what I have planned this week for the weather and seasons. Thank you for sharing your lesson with the rest of us, your time and hard work is much appreciated!