God Controls The Season Children's Lesson

I taught this Bible/science lesson about the four seasons to a group of kids from 3 years - 4th grade. The first section included the preschool age children, but the second section is geared more towards upper elementary.

God Controls The Seasons

Introduction:

I introduced the topic of seasons with a kids video. I used one from Harry Kindergarten, but you could use a different one. 

If you don't have a way to show a video, you can sing a song like one from this webpage. 

Four Seasons Flip Book:

I used this four seasons flip book as a short, easy activity to help the kids learn more about the seasons. This was focused on the younger students (I had a preschooler who could use a little more review on what the seasons were).

Act Out The Seasons:
Have the children act out the seasons in the following scenarios:

• Be a tree through the four seasons.
• Be the weather through the four seasons
• Be a bear through the four seasons.

Seasonal Clothing Race:
Form teams of four for a relay race. Lay out the seasonal clothing at the other end of the room. The first person on each team races to the other end of the room and puts on the Spring items. Then, they return to tag the next person in line who races down and puts on the Summer items. The race continues through the items for all four seasons. The first team to race through all four seasons wins.

4 Seasons Tree:

Print out 4 copies of the tree printable on cardstock for each child. Have the kids decorate a tree for each season. Then fold them all in half and glue the backs of all four together in order of the seasons.  Here is how I did them: 

• Spring - stamp on pink paint with the bottom of a small soda bottle
• Summer - stamp green ink with a leaf stamp
• Fall - glue on pieces of orange and red colored tissue paper
• Winter - glue on pieces of cotton balls for snow (maybe even make a snowman)

If you don't have the supplies for these or if you have a Cricut, you can easily switch up some of these ideas. Just watch that you don't add too much dimension to the trees because the cardstock will need to be folded.

• stamp paint or ink with q-tips, individually or bundled with a rubber band
• stamp paint with a potato stamp
• place stickers or foam stickers of leaves, flowers, or snowflakes
• make flowers by gluing on puffy tissue paper 
• color with crayons or markers
• add color with thumbprint painting
• glue on green or fall-colored leaves cut out of construction paper

God Controls The Seasons - For Older Kids

Introduction:
I introduced the science behind seasons by showing a Crash Course YouTube video. These videos are great because they are fun, but introduce the concepts in a simple way.

Model the Seasons:

Use a globe and a flashlight, lantern, or lamp without a shade to model the seasons. Show how the globe is tilted and how that affects the sunlight hitting the globe at the four "corners" around the sun. If you are unfamiliar with the concept you can check out this video on how it works.

The Earths Tilt is the Reasons for Seasons Printable:

Print the worksheet and have the students fill out the worksheet introducing the ideas of solstice and equinox. Then, use a highlighter to show where the sun’s most direct light falls on the globe

God Made The Seasons Printable: 

Print out this printable and have the students look up the verses and match them with the concept supported by each verse. 




Discuss the Purpose of the Seasons: 
Ask these questions and help lead the students to the answers.

• Why are there days and nights? (to spread out the warmth of the sun East and West)
• Why are there seasons? (to spread North and South)
• How do seasons affect where humans can live on earth? (it spreads out where people can live so that there are more inhabitable areas that would otherwise be too cold or too hot)
• How do seasons affect weather? (some places have rainy and dry seasons) 
• How does it affect agriculture? (some plants require the cold of winter to grow again, it also makes growing seasons) 
• How do the seasons affect insect population? (bugs die or go dormant in the cold - this stops insect-borne diseases)
• How did God equip plants and animals for seasons? (some plants going dormant, some animals hibernate)

Here is a printout of the whole lesson, but feel free to pick and choose from the activities for what best fits your students and your time. You can also check out my pinterest board on this subject.

If you liked this activity, check out my God Controls The Weather Bible Lesson.