God Made Me Special (Preschool Bible Lesson)

“Mama, I just wish I was more like Samantha” my daughter sighed as she mentally calculated all the ways she didn’t measure up to her new friend. I pulled the covers tight up to her chin, kissed her cheek, and reminded that her Daddy and I loved her, just the way she was – because that’s exactly who God created her to be.

My five-year-old spoke out loud what so many of us inwardly think: I wish I was better, faster, taller, more out-going, smarter, neater, I wish I was someone different.

Our children need to be reminded of the truth from Scripture, again and again: God made you on purpose, and for a purpose. God didn’t design us to all be carbon-copies of one another. He has uniquely formed us and gifted us to be the different members of the body of Christ and advance the Gospel here on earth. There are no two people in all of history who have been exactly alike – and that’s good news!

Kids these days (and all days!) are looking to hear that they matter. That they’re wanted. That they’re unique.

While many will mistakenly look to the world to answer that question and meet that need, we know where our identity and worth lies: The God of the universe created you and sent His Son to die on the cross so that all might be reconciled back to Himself. Our perfect God makes no mistakes. He longs for all to know Him and be conformed to His image as we are led by the Holy Spirit.

True or False? Kids are too young to learn about the truths and principles from the Bible?

FALSE!

Believing adults have a responsibility to guide, train, and teach the next generation about God and His Word. It is not a suggestion, it is a command:

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:5-9

But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” Matthew 19:14

While kids may not fully grasp all the complex concepts in Scripture (hey, even adults don’t fully grasp them all!) when we teach out kids the truth from God’s Word, we are digging a trench and we pray that, when they are ready, the Holy Spirit will flood the trench with the waters of understanding.

To help drive home the biblical idea that each of us was created on purpose and for a purpose, I have created a mini unit you can use with your little learners, “God Made Me Special”. The activities in this resource were designed for kids ages 3-5, but you can modify them for a wide range of children.

What’s included?

Because I want to save you precious time (no more scouring Google and Pinterest for hours, piecing together units and copying blurry coloring pages) this download includes everything you need to teach the unit: a complete lesson plan with materials you’ll need to gather, Bible verse, lesson introduction, Bible story (paraphrased for a young audience, but still biblically accurate), and lots of games, crafts, and activity ideas for you to use.

–The Bible Story

This download comes with a sweet printable story, “God Made Me Special,” that teaches the children that God created the world and everything in it, the trees, the seas, the animals, etc. But there was one thing that God made more special than the rest: people! He made them male and female, in His image – and that’s worth celebrating! The story will challenge the children to think of ways that God made them special. The story comes in color, black and white, and a half-page booklet version for the kids to color.

–The Bible Verse:

The verse for this unit is Psalm 139:14 “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” I have included a printable color poster with the verse on it and little Bible verse cards to print and send home with each student.

–Activities

In addition to the Bible story, there is so much for you to use with the children: song suggestions, a poem page, skill pages (numbers, letters, tracing, etc.), and more.

Here are a few of my favorite activities:

Someone Special in a Box: Stand a large box on its side, and set a mirror inside it. Drape a towel or blanket over the open side of the box. Tell the children that there’s someone special inside the box. Allow them to take turns lifting the towel and looking inside the box. (Make sure others don’t see inside the box until it’s their turn.) Children will be delighted to see themselves in the mirror. Be sure to have each child whisper and tell you what special person he or she saw.

Fantastic Fingerprints: Remind the students that their fingerprints are another reminder that God made them special. No two people have the same fingerprints – not even twins! The activity has the students color the hand template and use ink to press their fingerprints on the page. Then they can use a magnifying glass to look at each print and see how special God made them!

Finding my Face: Bring in a quick study of physical features and your God-given senses with this fun activity that helps strengthen fine motor skills. Tell the kids that God gave them a special face to help them experience the world. He gave them eyes to see, ears to hear, a nose to smell, and a mouth to taste and smile. Help the children cut out the different features, color them according to their physical traits, and glue them on the paper face where they belong.

There are lots more fun activities for you to use when teaching the children this important lesson:

How long does this unit last?

This unit can be adjusted based on the age and attention span of the children you are working with, as well as the time you have. Some people teach the Bible story and pick two or three activities to do if you’re tight on time (such as a Sunday school setting). Others will space the activities out over 5 days (Christian preschool or a homeschooling parent).

What other Teachers/Parents are Saying:

As a teacher/director I love that you have a full set of resources and you don’t have to worry about coming up with anything extra. The kids always stay really engaged while we do the activities! I use this kind of packet for a weekly program that I do with babies- 5 year olds. I make this resource into a 4-5 week series. They work out great!! -Lizzy M.

I have been wanting to enrich my Jesus time curriculum and these lessons are just what I was looking for. Lots of great ideas and very simple to use! -Jenni S.

This was such a sweet time for my kids and I – I loved how everything was laid out and I didn’t have to search around the Internet and piece everything together. Save your time – and your sanity! – and invest in these units! -Michaela F.

You can download the print-and-go unit here: