Introduction

Option 1: (Materials: Touch and Feel Mystery Box or, blindfold, stuffed or plastic birds and fish in a basket, covered

with a cloth). Tell the children that we’re going to play a guessing game and the teacher’s going to volunteer to go first.

Place the covered basket in front of you and then narrate your play-by-play actions. For example: “Teacher is going to

put on the blindfold. There; now; I cannot see anything. I will reach into the basket and choose one item. I slowly take it

out of the basket and feel it, sniff it, listen to it, squeeze it…. Hmmm. What could it be?” Allow the children to help you

guess what the item is and then offer to let each child have a turn at the game. (For those not wanting to use the

blindfold, allow them to guess their chosen object before taking it out from under the cloth.) Close by teaching the

children the songs Animals, Animals (Little Voices Praise Him, #67), God Made Everything (Little Voices Praise Him,

#162), God Made It So (Little Voices Praise Him, #163).

Bible Verses

• Genesis 1:20-23
• Mark 6:35-44
• Matthew 14:15-21

Application

Practical Application

(Materials: Three large, aluminum baking dishes, tempera paint, sheets of blue construction paper, water,

towels.) This is a sensory walk activity that is best done outside! In one pan, slightly cover the bottom with yellow or

orange paint. In another pan, place a sheet of paper. In the third, fill it half full with water. Line the pans up in order:

First paint, second paper, third water, fourth towels. One at a time, help the children walk into the pan of paint using

only one foot at a time. (Hang on to the kids! This is a slippery activity even when using one foot!) Then walk onto the

paper to make a foot print. Then walk into the pan of water for rinsing off feet. Finally, walk onto the towels for drying.

The same basic assembly line idea can be done with their hands for handprints.

Once the paint is dry, make birds and fish out of the prints. Handprints can be made into fish, crabs, turkeys or chickens.

Footprints can be made into octopi or peacocks. Add a little ocean scenery to enhance the prints. Frame with a different

colored construction paper.

Spiritual Application

Is there a fish tank in the classroom or program? Does one of the families own a bird? Learning about these

can provide a fun way to introduce or enhance this lesson. Read Genesis 1:20-23 to the children using pictures, felts or

stuffies as props. Be mindful to ensure the children learn that it was Jesus, the Son of God the Father that created these

animals. Help the children learn how to care for the animals, including what to feed them, how to care for them and keep

their cages/tanks clean.

Assessment

Plan a field trip to a local pet store or to an aquarium to specifically learn about fish and birds. Specify with the tour guide that your class is learning about fish and birds, so request that the tour focus on different types of fish and birds, what they eat, their habits, fun facts, etc. How many names of the birds or fish can the children identify? What characteristics do they know about the birds and the fowl?