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I am so excited to finally be sharing our preschool curriculum with you! I knew this would be my last year with a preschooler in the house (unless the Lord blesses us with more), so I really wanted to make it fun and special for my youngest daughter.
I brainstormed several names for Christian preschool curriculum, but I couldn’t quite figure out the right one. Then, early one morning, my daughter suggested the name “God’s Little Explorers” and it just seemed to fit. During the year we’ll be journeying through the Bible (exploring God’s Word) and we’ll also have a new letter and theme each week (exploring God’s world).
A few more things to know about God’s Little Explorers:
- There are 28 weeks of lesson plans.
- I will be posting a new lesson plan each week on Thursday evening (to give you time to look it over and prep for the next week). I’ll also included a link to each lesson at the bottom of this post.
- The alphabet will not be presented in order.
- I will be focused on teaching lowercase letters first (see why on this post I wrote about teaching your child to read). If your child already knows lowercase letters, feel free to add capital letters, too!
- You can begin whenever you desire (although I set it up so J for Jesus would fall in December if you begin the program the first or second week of September).
- I’ve tried to make the lessons fairly simple and use items you can easily find around the house. There are some projects that require a little more preparation though.
- It’s mostly hands-on and active.
- Feel free to use one, two, three, or more of the ideas each day. Just like any lessons or curriculum, modify them for your needs and your child’s needs.
- If you do everything in the plans, you will spend approximately 30-45 minutes per day on focused instruction.
Please remember, this is still in-process! I am open to suggestions or modifications. I’m still pondering the best way to present the activities and make sure everyone understands the vision.
How God’s Little Explorers Christian Preschool Curriculum is structured
Each week when I post the lesson plan, you will find four main parts to the program:
1) Bible Adventure: This is the time to read the Bible story, sing any recommended songs, and do a related craft or project.
2) Theme Adventure: During this time, we’ll be exploring the theme with crafts, science projects, cooking projects, and so forth.
3) ABC & 123: This time will specifically introduce an alphabet letter. We’ll also be exploring colors, shapes, and numbers during the year.
4) Life Skills: Preparing a preschooler for life is much more than teaching them the ABCs! Each week, we’ll review various self-help skills, learn to complete chores correctly, practice manners, and do a service project.
I’ll also list additional activities you can use to substitute for ones you might not like or have time to complete.
Two other optional sections:
Book Bag: I will list books to go along with the theme and suggest an activity to be completed around the book.
Learning Bags: These are my version of busy bags. I use these when my little ones need an independent activity to work on while I work with my older daughter. I’ll be sharing links to some you can create to have on-hand and use when desired.
The only things you will really need to participate in this program with us are basic school and craft supplies and a children’s Bible (we are using the Read And Learn Bible
I do have a few other recommendations for some of my favorites that we will be using! You can find all of my recommendations for our home preschool curriculum here. I’m sure I’ll be adding and updating as we use more that I forgot about!
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have! I would absolutely love your input and ideas to make this a fun and excellent experience!
Links to the Weekly Lesson Plans:
Week 1: “X” Marks the Spot (God’s Word is a Treasure)
Week 2: G is for Garden (Creation Story)
Week 3: A is for Apple (Adam and Eve)
Week 4: Z is for Zoo (Noah’s Ark)
Week 5: T is for Tent (Abraham)
Week 6: C is for Colors (Joseph)
Week 7: I is for Insect (Moses)
Week 8: Q is for Quail (Moses, Manna, and Quail – God Provides)
Week 9: R is for Rocks (David & Goliath)
Week 10: K is for King (King David and King Solomon)
Week 11: F is for Fire (The Fiery Furnace)
Week 12: W is for Whale in the Water (Jonah and the Whale)
Week 13: J is for Jesus (Birth of Jesus + Candy Canes)
Week 14: J is for Jesus (Review)
Week 15: D is for Desert (John the Baptist)
Week 16: N is for Name (Jesus Calls the Disciples)
Week 17: B is for Boat (Jesus Calms the Storm & Jesus Walks on the Water)
Week 18: H is for Hungry (Jesus Feeds the 5000)
Week 19: L is for Love (The Good Samaritan)
Week 20: V is for Vision: Five Senses (The Blind Man Sees)
Week 21: O is for Opposites (Mary & Martha)
Week 22: P is for Pig (The Prodigal Son)
Week 23: Y is for You (Jesus Welcomes the Children)
Week 24: M is for Money (Various Bible Stories about Money)
Week 25: S is for Servant: Community Helpers (The Last Supper)
Week 26: E is for Excited: Emotions (Jesus is Alive)
Week 27: U is for Up in the Sky (The Ascension)
Week 28: Review Week & Party!!
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Just to let you know, I am *very* excited about this!
Thanks, Laura!
I’m excited that it all finally seems to be coming together!
I am excited to see the preview! You’ve been working hard!
Mackenzie
cheeriosandlattes.com
Thanks, Mackenzie! I have been working hard…and I think it’s going to take some more work, too! But it’s fun and I love doing it!
I’m really excited about this! Our youngest is 3. He’s always asking to do school while his brothers are working on their schoolwork. I’m SO not good at planning/organizing so this is exactly what I need! I found your blog just a couple weeks ago, I think, and now I look at it daily! I have used several of your printables already.
Thanks for being a blessing to me!
Oh, I almost forgot, I printed your “find the letter” pages for kindergarten, and my 5 year old absolutely loves them! When he sees the right letter to circle he says, “ding, ding, ding, I found one!”
So, now I feel really dumb! It just hit me that yours isn’t the site where I printed those pages. Sorry! (I use my 5 boys as my excuse for my bad memory!)
However, My schoolroom is much more organized because of you! I’m doing better teaching my 6 year old to read because of you! And I’m still working on putting together reading and math boxes.
Thanks for all you do!
Ha, ha! I was trying to think what printable that might be! Well, I hope this will be helpful for you and at the very least give you a few new ideas!
This is fantastic and so exciting!
Thank you for doing this! I have two 4yr olds at home with me this year and I am excited to try this out with them. Can you tell me where I go to download it? Forgive me if you haven’t yet posted and I am jumping the gun!
Hi, Kayla! It will be a new blog post each week with the lesson plans. I just posted today’s, so you can find it at http://www.motherhoodonadime.com/kids/gods-little-explorers-week-1/. I’ll also be updating this post each week and adding the link to it.
I’m excited to see your posts. I just started homeschooling my 5 year old two weeks ago. I also have a 3 year old (turning 4 in a few weeks), a 2 year old and 7 month old. My almost 4 year old has really wanted to do “school” like her big brother so I am excited that I will have something to do with her. Thanks for your time and talent!
Thanks, Becky! I hope there are some fun ideas you can use!
Just happened across this curriculum via Pinterest. A friend and I were talking about collaborating to teach our 2 year olds this year. Looking forward to using this (and making whatever modifications necessary)!
Thanks for joining me, Ashley!
Thank you so much for sharing this great curriculum!!!
What a blessing this is!!! I have been trying to prioritize my schedule and need activities to do with my preschooler. Thinking up curriculum is so time-consuming, it just hasn’t made the schedule. And then I stumbled on to this!! It’s perfect!! Thank you so much for sharing this. I can’t wait to begin these activities with my daughter
Thanks, Sam! Hope you have a great time with your daughter!
My fourth child will be ready for preschool next year. I too designed my own curriculum for preschool so I have spent many hours searching online. This is by far the most unique I have found. I have new excitement for preschool next year! Thanks for sharing your ideas! They are great!
Thanks, Jen! It’s a labor of love, but my littlest daughter has been having so much fun! It’s great memory-making time. Please feel free to share your ideas. I’m always updating and changing and looking for new ideas!
I am so excited a friend recommended this to me! I have been doing basic curriculum with my 3 year old son for about 2 weeks now and wanted something a little bit more. This is perfect! I can not wait to teach my son more about the Bible and his basic everyday life skills. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I am starting this on Monday! Have a blessed day!
Thanks, Bobbi! So glad to have you! Also, feel free to share any idea….it’s a work in progress!
Hi Stacie! I’m excited to have found this curriculum! I can see that a lot of thought and planning has gone into it. I can’t believe it’s free! I really struggle with finding age-appropriate activities to do with my super-smart, super-busy 2.5-year old daughter. How old is your youngest daughter? Is 2.5 too young to start using this curriculum, do you think? I don’t want to rush her for sure, but I want to do more things with her that she might enjoy.
Hi, Lori! My daughter is 4, but I think the lesson plans are easily adaptable. I designed it very hands-on, so you could pick and choose what would work best for you. I have no doubt some 2.5 year olds would be quite able to take part. Feel free to give it a try, change what doesn’t work for her, and use what does!
Thank you so much for providing this Stacie! I’ve been looking for something new to do with my toddler/preschooler so I could incorporate them both into the learning and not feel like it’s a repeat of what we’ve done in the past. This is perfect! I love the way you’ve structured it and can’t wait to get started!
Thanks so much, Cindy! Hope you have fun with it!
LOVING this resource. THANK YOU!!! We’ve been working on cutting and tracing worksheets for my 2 year old but I am looking for ideas to incorporate Christ in our studies and this seems to fit the bill!!!
p.s. I’ve added this to my pinterest board so that I can come back in the future when we’re in need of activity ideas (and so I actually remember where I found this great idea!). thx again.
Thanks, Rachel! I really wanted to take my daughter on an exploration through the Bible. I’m trying to hit major stories…and have a lot of fun and memory-making along the way! Glad you’re joining us!
thank you so much! I have been looking for more ideas to keep my 3 year old busy as he will not be attending a regular Pre-K program. What an awesome site you have here!
Thanks so much, Patricia!! Hope it is helpful for you!
I ran across this from freehomeschooldeals.com and am SO thankful! What we were doing wasn’t working for my almost 5 year old. I sat down at the PC and prayed about what we should do and God said “Character.” Though this isn’t specifically character it’s perfect as it takes us through the Bible where God’s character is revealed and we can talk about it, it isn’t too crafty for me, doesn’t require me cutting out tons of pieces and print tons of worksheets, my son LOVES it and so does my daughter (2.5yrs). We’re supplementing handwriting since my oldest is almost 5 and very ready to write and we’re doing Biblical Character specific devotion at night as a family. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Welcome, Kristin! That’s so awesome! I was hoping that everyone would just take from it whatever God leads them to use and supplement however necessary! God knows your child best and you know him second best, so I love when I hear that others can use what I’m sharing and make it fit for their child and family.
Blessings to you!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I have two daughters ages 6 and 3. I am teaching my 6 yr old who is in 1st grade but have been having trouble finding the right resources for my 3 yr old who wants to “do school” too. This sounds like something that is fun and at her level.
Thanks for joining us, Paula! I hope it is helpful for you!
Thanks so very much for sharing this!! I am just starting on the homeschool journey with my almost 3 year old after having her enrolled at a local preschool for the past 5 months. She has been sick since we started and I just can’t handle the germs anymore. Here’s to hoping we can do this at home instead!
You can do it!! I hope it’s fun for you, too!
Thank you SO much for sharing this! It isn’t often that I find a complete curriculum for FREE!! I am super excited. I’ve been trying to find a more complete curriculum for my 3 year old and have looked into several that I would purchase, but just not completely satisfied and not willing to pay so much for it, not knowing if I’d really use “all” of it. I’ve been eclectically teaching my 5 year old, which is working for him, but I just feel like I’m leaving my younger one behind and I just want something that is easy and fast to plan. I can’t tell you what a blessing it is to have found this!! I can’t wait to get started!!!!
Yay! It’s very flexible…and I hope you have a great time with it!!
I would just like to thank you for your generosity in making this resource freely available. I plan to start using this in September for my children who will be 3 and 4. I’m sure my youngest children ages 2 and 1 will enjoy participating/observing as this seems to be highly adaptable for those ages as well. Thank you so much for letting others benefit from the time you spent putting this together!!
Yay! I’m always sooooo excited to hear that my work will be helpful to others! It’s been a fun adventure, and I’m glad to share it!
Thank you so much for this wonderful resource! I was wondering at what age you recommend starting this. My son will be 3 in the fall.
Hi, Michaela! It is easily adaptable for 3-5 year olds…and maybe even some 2 year olds. Just take what works for your son and leave the rest!
Is there a reason you don’t do the alphabet in order?
Because I’m going through the Bible and by theme, I picked the letters based on that. I know some people are bothered by that, but it really makes no difference when you are teaching the letters. I focus on letter sounds and visual recognition and not the letter names.
Hope that helps!