Oh, Be Careful Little Mouth...!

OPENING ATTENTION-GETTER: Sing the nursery rhyme "Glub, Glub Went the Little Green Frog." (Author unknown.) You may use hand motions for added interest. (I have a little stuffed frog finger-puppet I like to use with this rhyme.)
"Glub, glub went the little green frog one day.
Glub, glub went the little green frog.
Glub, glub went the little green frog one day,
and his eyes went BLINK, BLINK, BLINK!"

DISCUSSION: Explain to the children the concept of using our mouths in ways that could hurt ourselves and other people. Ask the children for examples. Then ask them for some ways we can use our mouths in ways that help. Take a few minutes to talk with the children about this.

SONG: Sing "Oh, Be Careful Little Eyes..." with the children. I like to use Colin Buchanan's version from his "Follow the Saviour " recording.

STORY: Read The Big Wide-Mouthed Frog by Ana Martin Larranaga. Take a few minutes after the story to highlight the main ideas and lessons presented in the narrative.

SONG: Sing "Shhh!" from the Cedarmont Kids "Happy Songs" recording.

BIBLE VERSE: Colossians 3:17, "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

(Print out, on a brightly-colored sheet of paper, today's verse repeated down the page. Cut between each verse so that you have 10-15 strips, each with the verse printed on it. Ask the children to form a line, and using tape to stick the ends together, wrap a "Bible Verse Bracelet" round each little wrist. Some children do not want to wear it; in that case, hand it to them and tell them to use the verse as a bookmark. The children love these, and come to expect them at each session! The verses also find their way home to parents and siblings, and help to spread the news about that day's storytime.)

FINGERPLAY: "A Green Frog" (author unknown)
~Use hand motions to act out the rhyme...
"Said the little green frog as he sat on a log,
'Nobody really likes me!'
A snake came along and said,
'You are wrong!'
And gobbled him up for tea!"

FINGERPLAY #2: "5 Little Speckled Frogs" (author unknown)
~Remember to use hand motions to act out the finger play...
"Five little speckled frogs
Sitting on a hollow log
Eating some moist delicious bugs (yum, yum!)
One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Now there are four speckled frogs! (Ribit! Ribit!)"
...continue until there are "no more speckled frogs!

STORY: Read, What Would Jesus Do? by Helen Haidle. Explain how He wants us to use our mouths to encourage, heal, praise, and help. Give some concrete, age-specific examples of these.

ART: Make googly-eyed frogs! Prepare green frog shapes from suitable green card stock. Cut out enough for the number of children you anticipate to attend. (Always make more than you think you'll need!) Have enough plastic wiggly eyes (the kind you can find in the craft section of arts and crafts stores) for each child to have two. Let the children decorate their frogs with colors, chalk, glitter-glue, etc. Then help them glue on the plastic eyes.

CLOSING RHYME: Recite the following rhyme with the children:
"2 little eyes to look to God,
2 little ears to hear God's Word.
2 little feet to walk God's ways,
2 hands to serve God all my days.
1 little tongue to speak God's truth,
1 little heart for God in youth;
Take them, oh Jesus, let them be
always willing, true to Thee."
(~From Through the Church Door, by Louise Marshall Haynes.)

DISMISSAL: Say a prayer over the children and ask that God will help us to use our words to help others.