I really love the Old Testament. I love reading about the covenants. I love the dramatic and sweeping stories. I love the typology and finding connections with the New Testament. However, this is a fairly recent love that I have found. When I was younger, I thought nothing could be drier, longer, weirder, or more boring. But I realize now that I didn't like it because I didn't know it well enough. Kids don't know the Old Testament. Sure, they might be able to tell you that Noah took two of every animal onto the ark, or that David used a slingshot to best Goliath. But do they really know the stories beyond the superficial coloring-book page? Do they know how the people fit into the grander picture of Salvation History? Do they know how the message of the story always points to Christ? Do they know how the Scriptures teach them about their relationship with God? I think that the answer is usually no. Not that I think that I can fix this problem, but I would like to create some opportunities for kids to learn about the Old Testament in a meaningful, applicable, and challenging way. My plan for this summer is to work my way through the Old Testament to create some activities that bring a little more meaning to the normal CCD lesson. So, as Maria Von Trapp would say, let's start at the very beginning... Creation Numbers Coloring Book Yes, I know that I just complained about coloring pages above, but I hope that this one is a little bit different. I think that the target audience would be Pre-K through 1st grade, depending on how it was used. It has emphasis on numbers, so there are some nice opportunities to tie in some math. There is a page for each day, with pictures and words about what God created on that day. I also wanted to help kids understand more about the ascending order of creation and God's plan. For example, God gave the world form (light and dark) and filled the void (sun and moon). The last page of the book emphasizes that pattern: I also included a set of blank numbers. These could be used for more hands-on teaching. For example, you could work on some tactile skills and make a series of collages: Day 1: Just torn yellow and black construction paper, showing light and dark. Day 2: Strips of paper, add some yarn for waves of the sea and cotton for clouds of the sky. Day 3: This one is hard to see in the picture, but it has the sky and sea, and some pictures torn out of magazines for land, trees, and plants. Day 4: Cellophane sun, metallic fabric moon, star stickers. Day 5: I am sure that you can come up with something better, but I cut out a bunch of fish and birds that the kids could glue on their number five. No comments about how my birds look like mustaches. Day 6: Collage of magazine pictures and stickers of people and animals. Day 7: Collage of the Sabbath- This one has a pretty sunrise, a church, priest celebrating Mass, and a girl raising her hands in praise. It also has glitter to emphasize that the seventh day is set apart from the rest. I am sure that you can come up with lots more creative ways to connect numbers with the first story of Creation. Here is the link to the coloring book: And here is the link to the plain numbers:
