Lesson 45 — A Mother’s Love

ay Scho From Unit 11: God Has a Plan for Families

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PRESCHOOL

Lesson Objective: To help the children understand that God plans for parents to take care of their children.

Bible Memory Words: I John 4:7 — “Let us love one another.” (KJV & NIV)

Preparation: Remind parents to bring a picture of their child for the Art Center, or bring an instant camera and snap away! (Or tear
pictures of children from magazines.) Cut out the visuals of Moses, Basket Lid, Moses in Basket, Miriam, Jochebed, and Pharaoh’s
Daughter from Teaching Visuals 45A and 45B. Cut a slit in Jochebed’s arms, as shown. Cut a 5” x 3” piece of construction paper
and trim it to look like grass or reeds. Glue flannel or felt to the back of each visual. Bring a flannel board. For the Bible Words
Memory Time, cut a big heart from red poster board and a small heart from red paper. Post the large heart on a wall or bulletin
board at the children’s eye level. Read through this lesson for additional preparation tips.

parents. If a child is not living with his parents, encourage him to

Arrival Activity
Welcome: Say, Hi, [Brenna]. Today we’re going to learn about
God’s plan for families. Let the children use blocks to construct
flat top houses. Post a picture of a Bible times house nearby
or use the House on Rocks visual from Teaching Visuals 45C.
Point it out to the children as they work.
Learning Centers
❑ Home Living Center
Provide baby dolls and baby care items. Encourage the
children to pretend to be parents and to take care of the babies.
Ask, What things do people do to care for babies? (feed them,
dress them, play with them, hold them, pray for them, rock them
to sleep, etc.) Compliment the children on how well they are
doing these things for their baby dolls.
❑ Art Center
Spread pictures of your preschoolers on a table. Help each
child find the picture of himself. Let him mount the picture
on poster board and print his name on it. As an alternative,
bring a collection of children’s pictures from magazines. Let the
children select pictures they think look like them and mount
the pictures on poster board.
Circle Time
❑ Prayer Time
As the children gather, encourage them to share their
learning center experiences. Invite each child to thank God for his
also thank God for his grandparents, or other influential figures.
Thank God for all the things parents do for their children.
❑ Puppet Skit
Use the Cubby Bear Puppet or a puppet of your choice in
a conversation with the leader.
CUBBY: (Enters counting very slowly on “fingers”)
One, two, three, four, five…
LEADER: Cubby, what are you counting?
CUBBY: I’m counting how many things Mama did for me
today. She does a lot of things for me every day.
LEADER: What has she done today?
CUBBY: Well, she cooked my breakfast, she put ice
on my knee when I fell, and she gave me a
cookie.
LEADER: Did she do anything else?
CUBBY: Oh, yes, she helped me cross the street so I
could visit Roddy Rabbit. But one of the best
things she did was give me a big hug and say,
“I love you, Cubby.”
LEADER: Your mama really has helped you. Would
you like for us to sing a thank-you song to God
for her?
CUBBY: Oh, yes. (Let Cubby lead the group in singing
JESUS, WE JUST WANT TO THANK
YOU.)
❑ Song Time
Sing PRAISE HIM, PRAISE HIM. Let the children
suggest actions for this song. Say, We can praise God when we

45 A Mother’s Love • Teacher’s Guide

Copyright © 2009 Christian Ed. Publishers • P.O. Box 26639 • San Diego, CA 92196 • 800-854-1531
ChristianEdWarehouse.com • Permission is granted to reproduce this page for ministry purposes.

Circle Time, Continued
sing. We can praise God when we pray, too. Ask one of your
coworkers to pray, then sing GOD IS SO GOOD.
Bible Story
❑ Listen to the Bible Story
Before the lesson, cut out the visuals of Moses, Basket Lid,
Moses in Basket, Miriam, Jochebed, and Pharaoh’s Daughter
from Teaching Visuals 45A and 45B. Cut a slit in Jochebed’s
arms, as shown. Cut a 5” x 3” piece of construction paper and
trim it to look like grass or reeds. Glue flannel or felt to the
back of each visual. Bring a flannel board.
Say, I’m glad Cubby’s mama takes care of him. Ask the
children to name people who help take care of them. Then say,
I’m glad God planned for people to care for us. Let’s listen
quietly to a Bible story about a boy whose mother loved him
very much.
A MOTHER’S LOVE
Amram [AM-ram] and Jochebed [JOCK-uh-bed] had a
secret. Big brother Aaron and big sister Miriam had a secret,
too (place Miriam visual on the flannel board). They had a
new baby boy in their house, but they couldn’t tell anyone.
Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, thought there were too many
Hebrew people. Pharaoh said that all new Hebrew baby boys
had to be killed.
When Jochebed’s baby was born (place Jochebed visual on
the board), Jochebed knew God had given her a special child
(place Moses visual in Jochebed’s arms, sliding it into the slit).
Jochebed loved her baby very much. She did not want her
baby to die, so she hid him in the house. She took good care
of the baby and he grew bigger and stronger. Soon he could
cry loudly, and Jochebed knew it was not safe to hide him in
the house any longer.
Jochebed had an idea. She took a strong basket and made
sure that no water could get in it — not even one drop. Then
Jochebed lovingly wrapped her baby in a blanket. She gently
laid the baby in the basket (remove Moses visual and place
Moses in Basket in Jochebed’s arms).
“Come, Miriam,” Jochebed said to the baby’s big sister. “I
need your help.” (Move Jochebed and Miriam visuals to the
middle of the flannel board.) Miriam and Jochebed went to
the river, and Jochebed put the basket in the water near some
tall grass (place grass visual to the right of Jochebed; place
Moses in Basket to the right of the grass; place the Basket Lid
on the basket).
Jochebed pointed to a nearby spot. “Now, Miriam,” she
said, “stay here. Watch the basket and see what happens to our
baby.” (Place Miriam visual slightly behind the grass.)
Soon the princess, Pharaoh’s daughter, came to the river
(place Pharaoh’s Daughter on the board). The princess looked
out into the river, and saw something strange floating in the
water. It was the basket!
When the princess opened the basket, the baby was
surprised (remove Basket Lid and move Moses in Basket beside
Pharaoh’s Daughter). The baby began to cry.
The princess was surprised, too. “Look,” she said. “This is
a Hebrew baby. I feel sorry for him. I want to keep him.”
Just then Miriam came out of her hiding place and ran to
the princess (move Miriam next to Pharaoh’s Daughter).
“Would you like for me to find a Hebrew woman to help
you feed and care for the baby?” she asked.
“Oh, yes,” answered the princess.
Miriam ran home (remove Miriam). She told her mother
what had happened and brought her to the princess (place
Miriam and Jochebed on the board).
“Here, take the baby,” the princess said to Jochebed. “Feed
him and take care of him until he is old enough to live with
me. I will pay you.”
Jochebed agreed (remove Moses in Basket; place Moses in
Jochebed’s arms). She took her own baby boy home. She did
just what the princess told her. God helped her so she was able
to care for her own little boy. When the boy was old enough,
Jochebed took him to live with the princess. The princess
named him “Moses.” Moses grew up to be one of God’s great
helpers.
❑ Review the Bible Story–Bible Activity Sheet A
Give each child a red, blue, purple, and green crayon and
Bible Activity Sheet 45A. Read the Bible story summary aloud.
Discuss which pictured event happened first, next, etc. Help
each child draw a circle around the pictures in the correct order
(left to right = purple, red, blue, green). Give younger children
one crayon at a time and have them circle each picture as you
discuss it.
❑ Let’s Act Out the Story
Bring a basket (or a shoe box) with a lid, a doll and blanket,
three pieces of fabric or large towels, and three headbands or
fabric strips for Bible times costume items.
Ask, Who took care of baby Moses? (Jochebed) Pause for
responses, then ask, Who else helped care for Moses? (Miriam
and Pharaoh’s daughter) Say, I’m glad God planned for parents
and families to take care of children. Let children volunteer to
portray Jochebed, Miriam, and Pharaoh’s daughter as you retell
the story. Place a piece of fabric or towel over each volunteer’s
head and secure it with a headband or a long fabric strip to create
simple costumes. Let each child have a turn, as time allows.
45 A Mother’s Love • Teacher’s Guide • page 2

Bible Memory
❑ Bible Words Memory Time
I John 4:7 — “Let us love one another.” (KJV & NIV)
Before the lesson, cut a big heart from red poster board
and a small heart from red paper. Mark your Bible at the Bible
Words with the small heart. Post the large heart on a wall or
bulletin board at the children’s eye level.
During class, point to the large heart. Ask, What word
do you think of when you see a heart? Say, Here in the Bible
it says, “Let us love.” Do you know whom the Bible tells us
to love? Read the whole verse. Say, We can begin by loving
everyone in the room. Hand out the pictures the children
made earlier in the Art Center. Let each child tape her picture
near the heart. As each child does this, say the Bible Words.
Substitute the child’s name for “one another.” When all the
pictures have been posted around the heart, have the children
say the Bible Words together.
Bible Activities
❑ Bible Activity Sheet B
Give each child Bible Activity Sheet 45A and six stickers.
Discuss the pictures of the various adults and how they are
caring for the children. Let the children place a sticker by those
pictures showing families caring for each other. (all pictures)
Say, Families care for each other in many ways. I’m glad God
made families.
❑ Bible Activity Sheet C: Fiction Story
Read the fiction story from Bible Activity Sheet 45C. Show
the pictures as you tell the story. Then talk about the questions.
Say, God gave us parents to take care of us.
❑ Bible Activity Sheet D: Craft Time
Give each child scissors, crayons, glue, and Bible Activity
Sheets 45D and 45E. Help the children color and cut out the
baskets and baby Moses. Show how to glue the basket pieces back
to back and glue Moses in the basket. Help them fold down the
basket lid. Point to the words on the basket as you say them.
❑ Snack Time
Say, Baby Moses grew big and strong because his mother
helped him eat properly. It is important that we eat good
food. I’m glad God planned for families to care for us. Serve
fruit juice and crackers. Say a prayer of thanks before eating.
Praise the children who practice good manners.
❑ Mother, May I?
The object of the game is to get from one side of the play
area to the other while obeying the Mother. Choose a leader
to be the Mother. The children may only move if Mother
approves. For example, the Mother may say, “Take two large
hops forward.” The children must ask, “Mother, may I?”
before they move. When Mother says, “Yes, you may,” they
may move. If a child moves before asking, he must take a step
backward. The first one to make it across the play area is the
next Mother.
❑ Take-Home Paper
Give each child a Take-Home Paper 45. Explain that the
children can complete the activity and do the Family Project
at home during the week. Encourage the children to bring
back the completed Take-Home Papers the following week to
earn stickers. (Give a sticker to any child who completed and
brought back last week’s paper.)
Closing
❑ Closing Prayer Time
Pray, thanking God for giving us parents to care for us.
Hand out today’s craft and the completed activity sheets to
each child.
Teacher Tips
❑ Tip: Simple Rules
Preschoolers need friendly reminders in the form of simple
rules and classroom procedures. By planning ahead, you will
avoid many unpleasant situations.
When you are sitting together on the floor during story
time, Jason (who is sitting in front) might not realize that, by
sitting on his knees, he is blocking Sarah’s view. You can avoid
a distracting situation in the middle of your story (“Teacher, I
can’t see!”) by starting out with two very simple rules: (1) Sit
cross-legged (or fold legs together to one side) during story
time and (2) No talking during Bible story time without raising
your hand. You can make these rules the norm for every group
discussion, and, by doing so, avoid many time-consuming
corrections.
❑ Bible Background
From all outward appearances, it would seem that Moses’
mother was abandoning her baby to a tragic death. But she
apparently was aware that Pharaoh’s daughter often bathed
in that area of the Nile. She hoped that this woman, when
she found the abandoned baby among the reeds, would show
compassion on him and adopt him. As part of the plan, Miriam,
45 A Mother’s Love • Teacher’s Guide • page 3
 Teacher Tips, Continued
Moses’ sister, stood at a distance to see what would happen to
the baby (Exodus 2:1-4).
As Miriam watched, Pharaoh’s daughter approached the
riverbank to bathe. She spotted the basket among the reeds and
sent one of her slave girls to retrieve it. When she opened it, she
recognized the child was a Hebrew baby and felt compassion
for him. In defiance of her father’s decree, she determined to
raise the child as her own — making Moses a member of the
royal household (Exodus 2:5-6).
God’s sovereign control of events is clearly evident in this
episode early in Moses’ life. Pharaoh’s daughter handed over
the baby to Moses’ mother and instructed her to nurse the
baby, a service for which Pharaoh’s daughter promised to pay.
So Moses’ mother took her baby and nursed him during his
childhood years (Exodus 2:7-9).

45 A Mother’s Love • Teacher’s Guide • page 4

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Moses’ Family Cared for Him

Jochebed [JOCK uh bed] hid her new baby. Pharaoh’s daughter named the baby
baby boy so Pharaoh could not have him Moses (Exodus 1:22; 2:1-10).
killed. When Jochebed could no longer Look at the picture story. Show what
hide him, she put the baby in a basket happened first by drawing a red circle
in the river. His sister, Miriam, watched around the first picture in the story. Draw
as Pharaoh’s daughter found the baby. a blue circle around the second picture
Pharaoh’s daughter wanted to keep the in the story. Draw a purple circle around
baby, but she needed a nurse for him. the third picture, and draw a green circle
Miriam went to get her mother, and around the last picture.
Jochebed became the nurse for her own
Bible Activity Sheet A 45 A Mother’s Love
Copyright © 2009 Christian Ed. Publishers • P.O. Box 26639 • San Diego, CA 92196 • 800-854-1531
ChristianEdWarehouse.com • Permission is granted to reproduce this page for ministry purposes.
 ay Scho
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Lessons Name ____________________________
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PRESCHOOL

My Family Cares for Me

Glue a sticker by the pictures of families caring for each other.

Bible Activity Sheet B 45 A Mother’s Love

Copyright © 2009 Christian Ed. Publishers • P.O. Box 26639 • San Diego, CA 92196 • 800-854-1531
ChristianEdWarehouse.com • Permission is granted to reproduce this page for ministry purposes.
 ay Scho
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A Special Helper
“What happened to my happy girl Stephanie had to stay at home without
today?” Mother asked. her mother. Are you ever going to leave
Janie frowned as she dragged her rag me?”
doll behind her across the kitchen floor. Mother took Janie to the big chair and
“Are you ever going to leave me?” they sat together. “Janie, I don’t plan to
Janie wondered out loud. leave you, but if I did have to go away,
Mother dried her hands and held Janie Daddy and I would find someone special
in her arms. “Why do you think I would to care for you. That is what Stephanie’s
leave you?” mom did.”
“Stephanie’s mother went away. continued on page 2

Bible Activity Sheet C 45 A Mother’s Love

Copyright © 2009 Christian Ed. Publishers • P.O. Box 26639 • San Diego, CA 92196 • 800-854-1531
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continued from page 1
Janie looked up in surprise. “You mean
Stephanie isn’t at home all alone?”
“Oh, no!” Mother explained. “Mrs.
Martin didn’t leave Stephanie alone. Your
special sitter friend, Mrs. Bass, is staying
with Stephanie.”
Janie giggled. “Mrs. Bass is fun! She
knows how to play games and tell funny
stories. And, she gives great big hugs
when she tucks me in bed.”
“I’m sure Stephanie misses her mother,
but Mrs. Bass will take good care of her
Bible Activity Sheet C page 2 45 A Mother’s Love
until Mrs. Martin comes home. God gave
mothers and daddies the job of caring for
their boys and girls. But sometimes they
have to go away for a while, or cannot
be with their children at all. Then, other
special people love and care for them.”
Janie was silent. She was thinking.
“You mean like Tommy? He lives with
his grandmother.”
“Yes, God gave Tommy a very special,
loving grandmother. She cares for him
and they do fun things together.”
 Mother added, “Julie stays with the
Hankins while her mother works. They
take care of her and love her, too.”
“I’m glad Mrs. Bass is taking care of
Stephanie,” Janie said smiling. “Let’s
invite them to our house.”
“That’s a good idea,” Mother agreed.
“I’ll call Mrs. Bass right now.”
“Oh, thank you, Mom. And thank you
for taking care of me,” said Janie with a
big smile.

TALK ABOUT IT
1. Who was taking care of Stephanie while her
mother was away?
2. Who takes care of you?

Bible Activity Sheet C page 3 45 A Mother’s Love

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Baby Moses Was Loved
Color the basket and baby Moses pieces and cut them out. Glue the basket pieces together. Glue
baby Moses inside the basket. Fold down the lid to close the basket. Lift the lid to see Moses.

fold

Bible Activity Sheet D 45 A Mother’s Love

Copyright © 2009 Christian Ed. Publishers • P.O. Box 26639 • San Diego, CA 92196 • 800-854-1531
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Completed Basket

fold

Let us love one another.

— I John 4:7

Bible Activity Sheet E 45 A Mother’s Love

Copyright © 2009 Christian Ed. Publishers • P.O. Box 26639 • San Diego, CA 92196 • 800-854-1531
ChristianEdWarehouse.com • Permission is granted to reproduce this page for ministry purposes.
 ay Scho
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PRESCHOOL
Cubby’s Parents Care for Him
Cubby is thinking of ways his mother and the things his parents do and provide to care
father care for him. Draw a line from Cubby to for him.

FAMILY PROJECT
Ask your mom or dad to help you cut some paper hearts from
colorful paper. Watch your mother or the person who cares for
you. Give her a heart when she does something kind for you. Tell
her you love her. Remember to say “thank you.” Thank God for
your parents.

MEMORY VERSE TO LEARN

I John 4:7 — “Let us love one another.” (KJV & NIV)

Take-Home Paper 45 45 A Mother’s Love

Copyright © 2009 Christian Ed. Publishers • P.O. Box 26639 • San Diego, CA 92196 • 800-854-1531
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 Teaching Visuals 45A • A Mother’s Love

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Moses
(Lesson 45)

Basket Lid
(Lesson 45)

Moses in Basket
(Lesson 45) Miriam
(Lesson 45)

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 Teaching Visuals 45B • A Mother’s Love
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PRESCHOOL

(Cut slit to insert Moses

into his mother’s arms.)

Jochebed (Lesson 45) Pharaoh’s Daughter (Lesson 45)

Copyright © 2009 Christian Ed. Publishers • P.O. Box 26639 • San Diego, CA 92196 • 800-854-1531
ChristianEdWarehouse.com • Permission is granted to reproduce this page for ministry purposes.