Parting of the Red Sea Preschool Lesson.

Last Sunday I taught my nursery/Preschool about the Hebrews crossing the Red Sea. I just wanted to share a few things I did...including writing a song! 

Everything is better with a song!

First, last week I put up a door display that we finished this week. I've seen similar, individual crafts like this but I applied it to the door. Last week, I put up brown paper in the center and curled blue paper along the sides for the parted sea.  This week we colored the people that I found HERE and added them to cross the Red Sea. I liked them for the ease of cutting out.


Second, my song!  I wrote a quick dittie to the tune of "Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho." Here's my lyrics..

The Hebrews crossed the Red Sea

on dry land

on dry land

on dry land

The Hebrews crossed the Red Sea

on dry land

And the Egyptians said bye-bye.

Now, I did mention what actually happened to the Egyptians that followed the Hebrews into the Red Sea, but I just couldn't fit that in the song!

Third, I usually like to have a snack I can relate back to what we learned from the Bible. We made Red Sea graham crackers.  Pillsbury Funfetti Aqua Blue Vanilla is perfect for this snack because of the color and the fact you get little fish as the Funfetti! 

Here's what it looked like made:

 We left it "dry" in the middle, added the Red Sea on the sides and some little fish in the water. Before we ate our snack we finger-walked the Hebrew across the dry land a few times while singing our new song.

A good time was had by all and I heard a few little voices singing while leaving class!

Now if I would have had more time or maybe children's church on this subject, I might have included part of the Nest Entertainment video on Moses. I have always appreciated Bible videos from Nest. I find them good quality for little ones and right now they are on sale! Right now you can download the Moses video and coloring book for only $1.34!! (affiliate link)

Do you teach "the littles" Sunday School? I'm always looking for new ideas. Please share!

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What Princess Charlotte’s Portrait Teaches Us about Raising Adults

What Princess Charlotte’s Portrait Teaches Us about Raising Adults

Whenever a picture of one of the royal children comes out, it’s sure to be plastered over every magazine and newspaper for days to come. Such is the case with the latest birthday portrait of Princess Charlotte (shown above), which Kensington Palace posted on its Instagram page.

As has been noted, the portrait shows that Charlotte, dressed in a yellow sweater with lambs dancing across the yoke and a Peter Pan collar peering out from beneath, is quickly moving from babyhood to girlhood.

What’s fascinating, however, is that the latest photo of the little princess continues to show the Royals’ habit for dressing their children in traditional clothing. As The Telegraph explains, the Royals are able to fulfill this penchant by turning to Spanish clothing designers:

“‘Culturally the Spanish have always dressed children up at the weekends in a very classical fashion; traditional Sunday best styles and beautiful fabrics without a hint of fad or trend,’ editor-in-chief of Smallish Magazine Estelle Lee says of the newfound interest in Spanish childrenswear amongst the UK’s elite parents. ‘Here, there seems to be a backlash against the vulgarity of dressing children as mini-mes, in eye-watering designer wear that can only be dry cleaned. So recently there has been an influx of brands importing the Spanish aesthetic: tasteful, keeping childrenswear simple and age appropriate. Parents want to keep their children looking as though they've just tumbled out of Enid Blytons faraway tree. Which is exactly as it should be.’”

Another Spanish clothing designer notes:

“‘The style is much more classic for children with peter Pan collar shirts, soft colours, floral prints. We keep the essence of timeless clothing for children and enjoy seeing our children look like children.’”

Pondering such comments, I can’t help but wonder if the Royals have caught onto an idea that’s been completely overlooked by all of us commoners across the pond.

In the U.S., we’ve completely latched on to the idea of “dressing children as mini-mes.” Such dressing – whether it be a little tot in a itsy bitsy yellow polka dot bikini, or another in black leather motorcycle gear, or still others with any number of questionable sayings emblazoned across the bottom of their pants – is often adored by adults because it’s both humorous and cute.

But after reading the ideas behind the Spanish approach to children’s dressing which the Royals follow, I had to ask myself if the American habit of dressing children as mini-mes has helped to fuel the rise of immature and incapable adults.

You see, by dressing children as adults, we treat them as such far before their time. We allow them to have the attitudes and privileges of an adult before they have learned the maturity and responsibility to effectively handle those same privileges, thus removing the incentives driving them towards maturity and responsibility.

Is it possible that in treating children like children – both in the way we dress them and the activities we allow them to pursue – we will better prepare them for a natural, responsible transition to adulthood some day in the future?

Image Credit: Duchess of Cambridge, Kensington Royal Instagram

This post What Princess Charlotte’s Portrait Teaches Us about Raising Adults was originally published on Intellectual Takeout by Annie Holmquist.