He ate locusts and honey. His clothes were made from camel hair. People came to him in droves to be baptized. Here are some lesson ideas for teaching John the Baptist.

The ideas below may help you when teaching your preschoolers a lesson about John the Baptist. Feel free to use these ideas to supplement your current curriculum or to make your own lesson.

Story Suggestions

• Matthew 3 - John the Baptist Prepares the Way
• Luke 3 - John the Baptist Prepares the Way
• John 1:19-28 - John the Baptist is Not the Christ

Game Ideas

Stoop Tag

Directions: Have all the players but one form a circle, with the extra player in the middle. Those in the circle skip or hop to the right while singing a song that the class knows very well. As soon as they have finished the song, they all stoop down. The player in the middle tries to tag someone before he stoops all the way down. The player tagged is now the one in the center. Play the game as long as you like.

Lifesaver Relay

Directions: Divide the children into two teams. Place gummy Lifesavers in a bowl on a low chair at one end of the room. Each child holds a drinking straw in his mouth, picks up a Lifesaver on the straw, and carries it back to the other end of the room where another bowl sits to receive the Lifesavers. Once a child has gotten back with a Lifesaver, take their straw from them to prevent playing with the straws. Each team member takes a turn at retrieving a Lifesaver and bringing it back to their team's bowl. The first team to get through all of their players first wins.

Snacks

A good snack for this lesson would be:

Worms in Dirt

Ingredients:

• Gummy worms
• Oreo cookies
• Zip-lock snack bags

Directions:

1. Have children put two or three Oreo cookies in a zip-lock snack bag. They can crush the cookies without making a mess.
2. Add gummy worms to the bag and mix with the cookies.

Another good snack idea would be:

Honey Rolls

Ingredients:

• Crescent roll dough
• Raisins
• Pretzels
• Honey

Directions:

1. Shape crescent roll dough to look like bugs.
2. Use the raisins for eyes.
3. Use the pretzel sticks for antennae and legs.
4. Bake according to package directions.
5. Brush the rolls with honey when done.

Art Center Ideas

Lighthouse

Materials:

• Quaker Oatmeal container (or something similar)
• Clear plastic report cover
• Construction Paper
• Tape
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Glue
• Crayons
• Small flashlight (Dollar Store, Dollar Tree)

Directions:

Preparation: Cut plastic report cover to a size of 4 inches wide by 15 inches long.

1. Remove the top from the container. Set aside.
2. Cover the container with construction paper and tape in place to secure.
3. Let the children decorate their lighthouse with a door and some windows.
4. Wrap the strip of report cover around the top of the container 1 inch from the edge. Secure with tape.
5. Set the flashlight inside the container.
6. Place the container lid on top of the plastic.

John the Baptist Paper Doll

Use the directions at Making Friends to have children make a John the Baptist paper doll. The material list and detailed instructions can be found at the website.

Suggested Prayer (or use your own)

Lord, thank you for the time that we shared learning about your Word today. May we use it in our lives every day. Help us to pray every day for those we love. Thank you for your Son Jesus that came from above. Amen.

See the full list of Sunday School lesson ideas on both the Old Testament and the New Testament!