Here are some ideas that you could do with your children at home, that link the children’s everyday experiences to the Bible. As you play or create, you can talk about what happened in the story of Joseph.

TEACHING POINT

We can trust God to take care of us.

PROGRAMME

Let’s Pretend

Pretend to be Joseph in prison, reading the Bible /praying while sitting in the crepe paper jail. What dreams did he have? Can you remember?

Messy

Make a gingerbread man with a technicolor dream coat.

Design

Design your own coat... What colours would you choose? You could collage, paints, colouring pens or you could use a computer program to do this.

Game - I Spy

Play the game ‘I spy with my little eye something beginning with….’ For older children you can use the beginning letter of an object and for younger children you could use the colour of an object.

Craft - make binoculars

God was watching Joseph everywhere that he went. God took care of He made the bad things in his life turn out to be good things. God is always watching and taking care of you too!

You’ll need:

scissors
cardboard (toilet paper) tubes
coloured tape
crayons
yarn or lacing
hole punch
clear tape

To prepare, print and cut the binocular cover from here.

Place two cardboard tubes side by side, and wrap colored tape around the top and the bottom to connect them, and give them a finished look. Cut wool, or string, to approximately thirty-inch lengths.

MESSAGE AND PRAYER TIME

Joseph went through a lot, sold as a slave, put in prison, told dreams, worked for people in high places, helped his country and then his family and throughout it all God was with him. God will be with us all and look after us too.

Up to 3 years old (Fruitshoots)

Thank you God that you take care of us! Thank you that we can talk to you about anything and thank you that you talk to us.

From 3 years to Reception age (Acorns)

Thank you God that you take care of us! Thank you that we can trust you and listen to you when you speak to us. Help us to hear you talking to us this week in our dreams, in our thoughts and our feelings.

School years 1-6 (Hive)

A question: Joseph’s coat was a special gift from his father. What special gifts have we received from our family? Why do they matter so much to us? What has your heavenly Father God blessed you with?

Pray for your families! What can you ask God for, that will bless your families over the next few weeks? Pray for any known situations too. Ask God to be in it all because we can trust God to take care of us and them.