Activities, lessons, songs, and stories bring the Foothills Children’s Program to you!
June 28, 2020
Sing Along!
I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me (YouTube video by John Stevens, with lyrics)
Here’s a rhythmic and lively version of a favorite spiritual from our hymnal. Celebrate God working through our lives “anytime and anywhere.”
June 22, 2020
Father’s Day Story with Laura >
Story Time with Andrew
Papa, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse
Set in Africa and featuring the Maasai culture, with beautiful watercolor illustrations, it’s the story of the universal love between a father and child. Ages 5-6
Little Beaver and the Echo by Amy MacDonald
Little Beaver thinks he hears a friend across the pond and goes to search for him.
Ages 4-8
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
Separated from her mother before she is old enough to fly, the little fruit bat Stellaluna meets unexpected friends who show her a surprising new way of seeing the world.
Ages 4-7
I Wish I Were A Butterfly by Ed Young
The Wise Old One teaches the littlest cricket that being special has nothing to do with flashy colors or shimmering wings.
Ages 4-7
Story Time with Isabelle
Mama Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse
A child tests the limits of independence and comfortingly learns that a parent’s love is unconditional and everlasting.
Ages 2-4
The Donkey’s Dream by Barbara Helen Berger
A story of the Nativity.
Ages 3-7
Thank You, God by Holly Bea
An exuberant reminder of the power of appreciation.
Ages 3-7
Feeding the Sheep by Leda Schubert
This warm story describes work throughout the seasons on a farm.
Ages 3-6
June 20, 2020
Sing Along!
There’s a Spirit in the Air
“May the Spirit fill our praise,
guide our thoughts and change our ways;
God in Christ has come to stay,
Live tomorrow’s life today.”
(YouTube video with lyrics. Music: Jim and Jean Strathdee © 1993 Desert Flower Music Text: Brian Wren, © 1979 Hope Publishing Co. Reprinted under ONE LICENSE #732109-A)
June 13, 2020
Bible Stories with Laura
The Garden of Eden
Jonah and the Whale
Story Time with Isabelle
The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle.
A classic story of the life cycle of a flower told through the adventures of a tiny seed.
Ages 3-8
A Special Trade by Sally Wittman
As the years go by, a little girl is able to help an old man as he helped her when she was very young.
Ages 4-8
What Kind of Bird Is That? by Mirra Ginsburg
Adapted from a Russian story, this is a sweet and funny tale about self-acceptance. An envious goose trades his various features for those he admires on other animals until he becomes a strange, unrecognizable bird.
Ages 4-8
Sky Tree: Seeing Science Through Art by Thomas Locker
Exquisite paintings are paired with questions about nature, making science comes alive through art.
Ages 4-8
June 6, 2020
Bible Story with Laura
The Parable of the Leavened Bread
June 1, 2020
Sing Along!
“Dona Nobis Pacem” (YouTube video)
You’ll recognize the friendly face and beautiful singing voice(s) in this video – it’s Foothills’ own Mike Ellard (x3!) singing this timeless canon (or round) from the Elementary Choir repertoire. “Grant us peace.” Amen.
May 31, 2020 ~ Pentacost
Sing Along!
“We Lift Up Our Hearts” by Richard Bruxvoort Colligan (YouTube video with lyrics)
Rev. Matt Broadbent introduced this song to Foothills years ago, and we’ve sung it in Children’s Program (grades 2+) ever since. The strong beat and repeating lyrics make it really easy to sing along. Open your mind to “the Spirit’s wind” of Pentacost.
May 24, 2020
Sing Along!
“The More We Get Together” (YouTube video)
We often sing this well-known song in the Kindergarten-1st grade class. How can you get together with friends as we shelter-in-place? Phone calls, Face Time, Skype and Zoom are all great ways to get together. Another way to be “with” someone is to send them a card or letter. Everybody loves to get mail!
May 20, 2020
Sing Along!
“Psalm 100 (Make a Joyful Noise all the Earth)” by Linnea Good is a lively song of praise from our Children’s Program (grades 2+). Here are two different YouTube videos to try:
– an instrumental version, with lyrics and the notes of the melody line
– Linnea Good’s recording with a fun piano accompaniment
After you sing or listen to this psalm you might enjoy comparing it to the text in your bible, or go to BibleGateway.com to explore different versions.
May 13, 2020
Sing Along!
“The Ha Ha Song – In the Beginning Was the Word” by Linnea Good
(YouTube video)
Stories of creation; Sarah; Shadrach, Meechach and Abednigo; and Lazarus with a chorus of laughter! We sing this in Children’s Program, grades 2+.
May 6, 2020
Story time
“God In Between” by Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso and Sally Sweetland
Read by Andrew
This story teaches that God can be found where we are: within all of us and the relationships between us.
Ages 5-10
“Brother Eagle, Sister Sky” by Susan Jeffers
Read by Andrew
A story that eloquently captures the central belief of Native Americans: that this earth and every creature on it is sacred.
Ages 4 and up
“The Ten Commandments for Children”
Read by Isabelle
“Ten Little Rabbits” by Sylvia Long and Virginia Grossman
Read by Isabelle
A counting book. Each number introduces a facet of traditional Native American culture, such as Pueblo corn dances or Navajo weaving, and the simple, rhyming text is enhanced by a brief afterword on Native American customs.
Ages 3-5
Bible Story with Laura
The Mustard Seed
April 28, 2020
Sing along!
“Go Make a Difference” by Steve Angrisano and Tom Tomaszek (YouTube video with lyrics)
Here’s an uplifting song with a great beat. We sing the chorus of this song in Children’s Program with grades 2 and up. As you listen or sing, think about how we can make a difference in the world even as we shelter-at-home.
Bible Stories with Laura
Doubting Thomas
A story about the importance of asking questions.
Story Time with Andrew
“Does God Know How To Tie Shoes?”
by Nancy White Carlstrom and Lori McElrath-Eslick
Katrina wants to know more about God: “Mama, what does God wear? Does God like to paint? Does God ever cry, Papa?” Her parents’ responses, based on the Psalms, help Katrina to know God in ways that are very real to her.
Ages 4-8
Part 1 Part 2
April 22, 2020
Sing along!
“Garden Song” by David Mallett, performed by Pete Seeger (YouTube video)
Join beloved icon Pete Seeger on this wonderful family-friendly song, a relatively new folk standard (written in 1975). The lyrics display in the video.
April 16, 2020
Sing along!
“You Are Welcome Here” by Mark Burrows, sung by Anna (audio file) Copyright © Choristers Guild. Used by permission.
A song of grace and belonging from our Children’s Program (grades 2+).
Lyrics
Am I welcome here? Am I safe to sing or laugh or shed a tear?
Will I be loved the way I am? Will friends be near?
Am I welcome here? Am I welcome here?
You are welcome here. You are safe to sing or laugh or shed a tear.
We love you just the way you are, so have no fear.
You are welcome here. You are welcome here.
This is a place, of peace and grace,
where all God’s children have a home.
For you for me, this place will be
where all are loved and no one stands alone.
All are welcome here. All are safe to sing or laugh or shed a tear.
God loves us just the way we are, so have no fear.
All are welcome here. I am welcome here.
April 12, 2020–Easter
- Easter Story (Godly Play Lesson with Laura)
- A story about spring and how Easter, Passover, and Ramadan share similar themes (with Laura)
- Easter egg dying with Andrew
2. Blown Eggs
3. Making Dye
4. Hard Boil
5. Finishing Hard Boil
6. Decorating
7. Finishing Up - Decorating Easter eggs without eggs (painting) with Laura
- “Happy Easter, Curious George” by H. A. Rey and Mary O’Keefe Young, read by Isabelle. Part 1 Part 2
Ages 4-7
April 5, 2020–Palm Sunday
“Enter He, Triumphantly” by David Davenport (publisher’s audio file)
To listen to the song, click the little arrow in the dark box on the left side, below the image of the sheet music.
Before shelter-in-place, Foothills kids and youth in grades 2 and up were preparing to sing this anthem for Palm Sunday with the adult choir. When we were learning this song in Children’s Program one Sunday, one of the youth remarked “That song is in a minor key! I like it, but isn’t that strange?” Another chimed in, “Yeah, shouldn’t church songs sound happy?” So we talked about how this song expresses that Palm Sunday carries with it both the joy and excitement of Jesus’ triumphant processing into town, and the foreboding of what is to come for him just a few days later.
March 2020
- “God is Always There” by Toni Sullivan (publisher’s audio file)
Click the small white triangle in the grey box to listen.
Elementary Choir was scheduled to sing this song in church on March 8. Enjoy these reassuring words of God’s presence in our daily lives. - “Shout with Joy” by Mark Patterson (publisher’s audio file)
Click the picture of the sheet music to listen.
A lively selection from Elementary Choir’s planned March 8 program. - “Like a Rock” by Linnea Good (YouTube video)
This song is sung in all our Children’s Program classes. Here is a lovely recording by Linnea herself, which includes the words so you can sing along. Children’s Program kids and youth can show you the hand motions! Linnea also adds a lovely verse in Gaelic. - “Jesus and the Twelve Dudes Who Did” by Mindy Macdonald, read by Isabelle. Part 1 Part 2
Ages 2-4 - “The Peace Book” by Todd Parr, read by Isabelle.
Positive and hopeful messages of peace and the importance of friendship, caring, and acceptance.
Ages 3-6 - “On Noah’s Ark” by Jan Brett, read by Andrew.
Told from the perspective of Noah’s granddaughter.
Ages 4-8
Part 1 Part 2 - “Red: A Crayon’s Story” by Michael Hall, read by Andrew.
About being true to your inner self and following your own path despite obstacles that may come your way.
Ages 4-8 - “Curious George’s Dream” by H. A. Rey and Margaret Rey, read by Isabelle.
After a long day at the fair George is frustrated. It seems he is always too small! But when George falls asleep and wakes up BIG, he discovers being too large can be difficult, too, and maybe he’s the right size after all.
Ages 4-7 - “The Gruffalo” by Julia Donaldson, read by Andrew.
Ages 3-5 - “The Three Questions” by Jon J. Muth, read by Andrew.
Nikolai is a boy who believes that if he can find the answers to his three questions, he will always know how to be a good person.
Ages 5-9