I have been in charge of the childcare for volunteers' children during River Community Church's Marketplace Vacation Bible School since we started this program in 2011.
We have been working our way through the Old Testament, starting with Creation in 2011. In addition to one year where we spent all five days on Abraham stories, we have had an overview lesson about him several times, so I will include some extra ideas from those lessons.
My lessons have gotten more detailed as the years passed, but I will share all of my Abraham materials here, in case the general ideas from my rough outlines are of use to someone.
I filled our 3 1/2 hours each day with story and activities related to some of the same Abraham stories the "big" (elementary aged) children were studying. Most of the time was spent in centers related to the story and in free play, so it was not truly rotation, but many ideas were gleaned from this site and some ideas listed here could be expanded to full Sunday-school-hour-long lessons for younger children.
Each year we had a different overarching theme for the week. Those are included in the lesson notes below. Some of the activities tie into those as well.
Resources for all lessons are noted here:
- ASL Browser - with videos of the signs used for the memory verse: https://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/OTHER/308/1
- I have recently discovered the retellings of Abraham's at Paul Dallgas-Frey's website (BibleStoryGuy). They are wonderful for learning and sharing with preschoolers (and older children, too)! I recommend you take a look at them in addition to the story notes I included below.
Summary of our five day Abraham series:
THEME: JESUS: OUR REDEEMER
DAY ONE:
MAIN STORY: Abram’s call by God and Abram’s worship
God calls Abram from Ur to journey to a new land. Abram travels and builds altars to offer God gifts of thanksgiving - worship.
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 11-13 (or Gen 12?)
POINT: God loves us and calls us by name.
MEMORY VERSE: “I have called you by name.” Isaiah 43:1b
DAY TWO:
MAIN STORY: Abraham intercedes for Lot
Lot and Abraham separate; Abraham offers Lot first choice of land. Lot is taken captive during war and Abraham risks his life to free him. Abraham asks God to spare Lot from Sodom’s doom.
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 13, 14, 18, 19
POINT: God loves us and wants us to pray for others.
MEMORY VERSE: “Pray for each other.” James 5:16
DAY THREE:
MAIN STORY: Abraham believes God and His promises
Abraham asks God about His promises. God wants Abraham to know He keeps His promises. God makes a covenant with Abraham.
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 15
POINT: God loves us and wants us to love Him.
MEMORY VERSE: “Believe in the Lord, Jesus.” Acts 16:31a
DAY FOUR:
MAIN STORY: God helps Abraham follow him
Hospitality shown to three visitors. Isaac’s birth at last.
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 18 and 21
POINT: God loves us and helps us make good choices.
MEMORY VERSE: “Do not forget to do good.” Hebrews 13:16a
DAY FIVE:
MAIN STORY: Abraham gives God everything
God tested Abraham - to give Isaac as a gift offering. Abraham obeys and God spares Isaac. God provides the ram as a gift offering.
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 21:1-8 and Genesis 22
POINT: God wants us to trust Him, always.
MEMORY VERSE: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” Proverbs 3:5a
