 Good morning everyone and welcome to the class on children's ministry, welcome to class on children's ministry. I hope you enjoyed this class. Please feel free to share any feedback you have regarding the class so we can, I can make some changes and it will be a good learning experience for all of us. Because sometimes when we teach we kind of, you know, kind of do the same thing but if some things are not working out, you have better suggestions, something that they can improvise on, please feel free to, you know, share it with me and it will just help us enjoy the class together and have a good learning experience. Can one of you please lead us in prayer even before we continue looking at the developmental needs of children in different age groups? Anyone lead us in prayer please? Shall I pray ma'am? Thank you Staviti. Yes please. Now the God we are so very thankful to you for once again bringing us all together in your presence father for this important teaching that we are in taking father. Lord we ask you to anoint ma'am and father anoint each of us to receive the word, receive the teaching father and be equipped to touch these precious lives that you are giving us to father, minister to father. And we pray that your divine presence, your wisdom and your guidance shall be with our portion father throughout the class as we receive the word that we may be able to apply it and bless those who come and father who want to receive the word. Lord each of us need your guidance, each of us need your touch father. Help us to be good stewards of your kingdom father and do what you have called us to do father with faithfulness, with diligence and with honesty. In all things empower us with the power of your Holy Spirit as we learn father and as we impart it further. In Jesus's name we pray. Amen. Amen. Thank you Sister Abhidhi. So last class on Monday we looked at the developmental needs of children that were common to all age groups. Basically we are looking at developmental needs which will help us to counsel, mentor, work with children, prepare relevant lessons that can cater to their needs in their specific age group, how to narrate a story, what kind of activities that we need to use, whether it's craft or games or even in terms of a skit or how to relate to them, questions that we need to ask. So these developmental needs of children will just help us to understand them better, teach in part and make a lasting impact in their lives for eternity. Okay. So we looked at the developmental needs common for all age groups and then we began looking at the development needs of preschoolers, basically three and four year olds. We looked at a few of them in a few needs there last class. We'll continue with that. We will look at the intellectual or the mental needs. The children in this age group three, three year and four year olds, they have very sharp attention span, which means your game, the song that you're teaching needs to be short so that you can move on to the next song, you can move on to the next activity. Even the story that you're telling them, the narrative you're telling them from the Bible needs to be very short, don't give too much of details, narrate the whole incident or the story and bring out the learning. Children in this age group ask a lot of questions so there will be kind of interrupting in between when you're teaching. It can kind of get a little frustrating because they have, they suddenly think about some way, question, you know, about something which has happened in the week or, you know, something that their friend is doing, something that they have seen and they'll ask you so you need to just be patient because I need to know how to channelize their attention back to what you are trying to get them to listen and teach. They are learning language very quickly and rapidly, but they're more familiar with their own mother tongue. So, you know, if you're speaking to them in that dialect is they'll be comfortable, but if you're speaking them in English, we need to keep the language very, very, very, very simple. Sometimes, you know, when we teach children, we, in any age group, we tend to speak to them like we are speaking to our own peers, to our own people in our own age. But we need to understand that they are children, we need to get down to their level of understanding and how to use the right kind of language. Also be very careful using Christian jargons, you know, if you say, you know, we've been made righteous, the blood of Jesus cleanses us, they will always think that blood is something that is very terrifying. How can it clean, water only cleans, washes us because, you know, that's how, that's why they, they, they use to wash their face or their hands. So how can the blood of Jesus cleanse us, you know, they won't understand atonement, righteousness, they're justified by faith and all of those things. So please don't use Christian jargons, you know, keep the language very, very simple. And that is why it's so important. We'll come to how we need to write a lesson plan. So important that we need to write down what we are telling children. Sometimes we think, oh, it's just a child. Why do I need to make notes? Why do I have to have a, like, you know, a sermon written down if I'm teaching preaching adults, you know, I might have to write down the whole entire sermon. But the children, I can just run it through my mind. But so important, because when you use certain language that they don't understand, they, you know, or you speak to them in a language which they don't relate to, you will see them totally disconnected, and then they'll be playing, they'll be running around and you cannot catch their attention because anyway, their attention span is very, very less. So very important to even write down what you're trying to teach them, you know, so that the language is very, very simple. And wherever you're using big words, like if you're teaching them about, you know, Zacchus, you know, saying Zacchus was the worst sinner. They won't understand what is worst, who is a sinner, you know, he was a tax collector, they won't understand tax collector, who a tax collector is. So how are you going to simplify all of these terms? And for example, you know, if you're saying, you know, the prodigal son, they won't understand what is prodigal. You know, the lost son, you know, how can the son be lost when he is with his father, you know, so all of these questions can pop up in their minds, they won't relate to what you say. I can say the prodigal son or the lost son went and, you know, wasted all of his father's living, father's money in wild living. You understand what is wild, you know, so that's why it's so important for us to write down so that our language is simple so that we can communicate very easily to them and they are able to understand and relate to us and learn as well. They have a fear of the unfamiliar. So, you know, it's important that you have the same classroom, the same place where you meet regularly because now they're learning to step out of home for shorter periods of time being away from their parents, away from home. So if you're taking them to a new place and they're not familiar, it can kind of scare them. They can start crying, then they'll want their parents and then, you know, that will be something very difficult for you to handle because you'll have to go and look for their parents and all of that is unnecessary, uncalled for. So keep a very familiar place, an environment which they're used to, they know where they're meeting, they kind of feel secure in that place, you know, they will just enjoy themselves. It's also important that, you know, it's also very important to make them feel that they are important by asking them to help, they love to help. So get them to do little things, you know, okay, why don't you take this crayons and give this three to this child, give this, you know, another child, you can say give this three to another child, take this paper, give it to her, give it to him. Small jobs, you can't say take this crayon and, you know, give three to each of them, they will find it difficult. If you give three in their hands, they go and give it to this child, they find it more easier. So they love to help. So make them feel important by asking them to help. They learn through their senses, they learn through, what are the five senses? Anyone knows how we learn from not only children, but all of us learn through five senses. What are the five senses? Can I give you the first two? Yes, go ahead. You have hearing, the sense of hearing, the sense of smelling. Maybe I can add the third one, the sense of feeling that is touching and then seeing and tasting. Yes. Thank you Charles. So these are the five, you know, senses through which they learn. So, you know, most of the time we just use the one sense that is hearing. You know, we're just narrating the story, but it's important that they see. So use pictures, use PowerPoints, you can use small movie clips that they can see. So seeing and hearing is done with, then also through, you know, through touch, you know, just sensing things. So you can give them, you know, if you're talking about the soil, when to sow, you know, some seeds. You can give them seeds in their hand. You can give soil, you know, you can have thorns so they can just feel. So some children feel, learn through the touch of feeling, taste, you know. You know, you're talking about the prodigal son, you know, he loved to enjoy good food and all that. So you can just give them little pieces of cake or, you know, anything or a chocolate or a fruit that you have that you've cut into small pieces. It just makes it exciting when you're talking about the fruit of the spirit or, you know, when you're talking about the very family story of five loaves and two fishes out Jesus. Son, you can have bread, you can get them to touch the bread, you can get them to taste the bread. Children learn through all of these senses. So when you use, we will study more of this when we are learning how to prepare a lesson plan. Now, when you're using all of this, it just becomes very exciting for them and they learn through their senses. They're very, very curious. You know, what looks very ordinary for us is full of wonder for a young child. So you can talk about, you know, the beautiful world that God created. You can talk about the planets and the stars and they'll be so fascinated with the whole of creation. You know, and they can explore God's fascinating world to their hearts content because they have active imaginations, they imagine things. We looked at it, they can fantasize, they, you know, imagine things. You know, paint things or the way you narrate the story should be in such a way that you're just painting their imagination, getting them to think, you know, through voice modulation to your eyes, to your body language, to your hands, you know. So when you're doing that, they have active imaginations. They are just able to think that they're just, you know, listening intently to you what you're saying. So for this age group, you basically have to, you just can't sit and say, you know, Jesus went to the city and there was a blind man who was sitting there. You know, he was blind. And, you know, he wanted Jesus to heal him. But, you know, if you, if you just use more of excitement, you know, the blind man was so excited that Jesus is coming because this is the only chance that this blind man can see, you know, and you're using all that, you're closing your eyes and you're doing all of this drama. They are quite excited about the whole thing because they have, you know, active imaginations. They think very concretely in clear, definite ways and ways that they can be seen or felt. So for example, you know, when you say that the sun comes up in the morning, they think that, okay, the sun comes up in the morning. That's when we wake up or, you know, when you wake up is when the sun comes up in the morning. Now, if, you know, a child in this age group asked a pregnant lady, you know, what is in your stomach. So the pregnant lady replied to this three or four year old and said, you know, there's a baby here in my stomach. So, you know, this child said, oh, there's a baby. Then they said, did you eat a baby? So, you know, they basically think that what you eat goes into your stomach and it stays there. So this child asked this pregnant lady, did you eat a baby? Because if a baby has to be in your stomach, obviously you had to eat one. So they basically think, you know, very concretely in the way that can be seen or felt. So they think based on their natural surroundings to their senses like touch, seeing, smell, taste and hearing. So, you know, so you need to be very careful in how you narrate things to them and how you tell them things. Because they're, you know, they think very concretely. They think in clear definite ways. They also have very intense emotions. Sometimes they can be excited, happy. Another time they can be very moody or crying or, you know, bored. So just fluctuations, but very intense emotions. So if you look at some intense emotions of them suddenly crying and all, you know, don't be taken aback. It's because in that age group, they basically show very intense emotions. The next one is socially. Socially, they are very self-centered. So if you give them crayons, they like to keep everything for themselves. Or if you give them a ball, they like to hold it for themselves or play or a toy. Or if you give them color pencils, they like to keep everything near them. They don't like to share it with others. So it's important for us to keep it in the center so that, you know, we learn to tell them to take exactly one what they need to color so that others can use the other colors. Just teach them don't think that child is a bad child. It's just basically all of them are very self-centered. They're learning to take turns so, you know, they can all speak up at the same time. They all want to do things at the same time. So you need to teach them how to take turns. You know, they like to try new things. So teach them new things, craft, you know, painting, have finger painting, cutting, small things. You know, also teach them songs, action songs that they learn. You know, memory burst in a very creative way. You can teach them as well. They also enjoy playing side by side. So sometimes, you know, when you're teaching them the story, suddenly you'll find two children playing by themselves. You know, they don't like group games. Like I mentioned last class, they like to just play with two or three children. So group games don't really go with these children in this age group. If you're having a group game, it should be very just short, quick and fast because they just like to play with two or three children a max. Okay. And also, as I said, they have intense emotions. They laugh at one minute. They cry the next. So it's not that they are pretending or they're being over-emotional. It's just who they are. Spiritually, these children. Sorry, this is socially. Okay. Spiritually, you know, they can understand that Jesus loves them. This is an age where they need a lot of love, care, informative years. So you can, you know, show a lot of love to them. Also teach them a lot about God's love. They're filled with wonder about everything. How Jesus healed the blind man. How Jesus raised Jerry's daughter. How Jesus multiplied the five loaves and two fishes. So, you know, they're filled just with wonder about everything. So, you know, you can talk about creation. Most of the lessons that, sorry, I plan for children in this age group are on creation and all about Jesus's miracles. I love Bible stories being read to them, but please don't read the Bible stories. It's good to narrate, but at the same time, it's good to have the Bible open. So they know that you are teaching them from the Bible. You know, they easily accept everything that is told to them. So be careful how you present the truths of God's Word. They begin to see the difference between right and wrong. So it's important that the young age should teach them about what sin is, what right is, what is the wrong things. So, you know, it's a good age to begin teaching them. Don't think that they're too small, that we can't talk about sin, that, you know, we shouldn't be talking about what is wrong and right. It's not an age, but it's important at this age that they understand. They can differentiate. So good to teach them how to be caring, sharing, not to be selfish, not to be, not to fight, not to hit others and all of those things. Also, they experience worship, so lead them into meaningful time of worship. You know, sometimes we can just tell, get them to sing a song or two, but lead them into a meaningful time of worship because they can, you know, they can experience worship as well. Okay. Yeah. Yes, Christopher. Yes, thank you, Pastor. How do we explain to them the form of spiritual point of view, you know, the supernatural aspect of having someone like Jesus, you know, love them, and they're not able to actually see him, you know, so it's more of, you know, I guess the early stages of believing in faith and, you know, that there is a supernatural being who is there for them. How do we talk to that? And, you know, so I just wanted to understand that. Yeah, good question. Like I said, you know, they are the age group where they accept anything, whatever you tell them. So you tell them, you know, there is God, but we can't see him. But, you know, he's there with us. He loves us. He cares for us. Just like you are here sitting with me in class. You can't see your mommy and daddy. But, you know, you know that your mommy and daddy loves you. They care for you there. And I'm going to just leave you here alone, but they're going to come and take you. They're not forgotten about you because they love you. They care for you. So in those terms, you can explain because, you know, they are able to just basically accept everything you tell them. Even if you say that there is a God, they'll believe there is a God. We say that, you know, we can't see God. They will learn that, yes, we can't see God. And you tell them that God loves them and cares for them. Even if you can't see them, they'll just take you at face value. So they're not in an age where they're looking for a logical reasoning like when they reach grade of six, seven, when, you know, that age they're learning proofs and theorems and proving A is equal to B, B is equal to C, so A is equal to C. They're not in that phase of life, but here they're in a phase where they'll just believe anything you tell them. You tell them, why is the grass green? Because God made it green. They'll just believe that God made it green. Why is the sky blue? Because God made it blue. They'll just believe you for that. So, you know, some of these truths which are kind of abstract which we are not able to prove and logically think through, you know, if you just tell them, they just believe it that, believe what you say. Yes. Is that that's our help, Christopher? Yes. Yeah, Charles. I wanted to share especially when we are teaching the boys and girls about Christ, we do what they call little kids, cannot God. So you teach them using the senses, especially the sense of touch and the sense of sight. So you bring a stone, you bring a leaf, you bring things that God made and then you show them to them and then you tell them these things are here, not by accident, but there is someone who made them and then you tell them God made them. Later, maybe when they have crocked, maybe seven years or somewhere there, that's when they will start asking you some questions. But why didn't God make a car? Then you would now explain God made man, gave him knowledge to make a car. So in that way. So these children, though they ask why and how questions at that age, but their high and high questions are literally there. They are not so deep. So the moment you teach them about God, they will pick it. Totally and wholly they will pick it. Thank you. Thank you, Charles. Yes. So what you're saying basically is using object lessons. We'll do that when we are learning how to write a lesson plan or write a curriculum. Okay. Thank you. So we'll move on to the physical aspects of the faculties of children of in age three or four. So physically they are very active. They love to run and jump. So you can have games activities based on this. They're developing their large muscles. That is their hands, their legs. It's good to use the floor and not the table because they basically feel more comfortable on the floor and not the table. They're also growing rapidly. Use the floor, not the table. Basically get down to their level. Provide for them kids size chairs, tables so that they feel more comfortable and it's nice that the teacher gets to their level or even sits down. Sits down with them, gets to their level. It just basically helps them so that you can look at them. They can look at your face. You can have eye contact with them. You can catch their attention. It will just enhance the whole learning experience for them. They're also growing rapidly. They also have boundless energy. So you need to know how you can use, channelize that energy in the right means to achieve the right things so that you're getting that concentration at the same time learning is happening. And that energy is not getting drained off them in a negative way where learning is not happening. They also have, even though they have a lot of energy, they get very tired very easily. So you need to balance the activities that you're having so that you can channelize the energy that they have, the boundless energy that they have. At the same time, they don't get tired very easily and they're not interested in doing what you are asking them to do. They're also developing their fine motor skills, which means their hands. So they can't do cutting, like I said, or they can't paint with a paint brush. They can use fingers for painting. They can't draw perfectly. So all of those things have to be done by the teacher beforehand or the children's church minister. Just the basic things that they can do is coloring within the boundary. Just basic things like the for craft work that they can do. But it needs a lot of assistance because they are developing their fine motor skills. So to teach preschoolers effectively, help children feel comfortable when parents leave. So that's important so that you create a bond with them. And you don't have every week, you don't have a new teacher. If there are two or three of them, they're consistent throughout that year, so that the child feels a bonding to the teacher. They know who their teacher is. If you have a different teacher every week, it's not going to go well with these children because they're learning to get out of home, step out of home, out of the comfort zone of their parents and stay away from their parents for about two hours. So that for them to feel comfortable, make sure that it's the same teachers and also make sure that it is the same place where you're meeting and it's consistent. These two things are consistent. Also involve all the five senses in the learning activities, the class activities in your teaching. Provide time for worship. Use simple songs about Jesus. I already talked about this in the last class. Use clear and simple words. Just reiterating what I said. Always teach with your Bible open. Tell stories, the Bible stories with great enthusiasm and expression, voice modulation, eyes, expression, hand movement, your body movement and all that so that they are into it. They just imagine, they're excited. Get all the children to give a chance to all children to help you. I also mentioned that include active times for larger muscle movement, means to use their hands and legs. Encourage them to do things for themselves. Don't always be helping them. Teach them how they can do things on their own. Ask questions that begin with, I wonder. Because I told you that they like to fantasize a lot, imagine a lot. You can just say, you're talking about creation. You can say, I wonder how the world would have been before everything, everything that we see around. The plants, the grass, the blue sky, the birds, the ocean, the seas, the river, these flowers, these stones. I wonder how the world would be, or I wonder how the world, what God would have said when he looked at, when he created the sun and the moon and the stars. What do you think? I wonder what he would have said or what was his expression. So they would just think and imagine. So just good to get them to wonder, think along, imagine. Also, let me put down the next slide. Move them to transitions by giving them clues about what is going to happen next. Connect one part of the story to the other. Give them a smooth transition. Give them clues of what is going to happen next so that they're able to understand. Also emphasize how much God loves them because it's a very important phase where love is so much an integral part of their very nature. So they want to feel loved and accepted. So teach them about God's love and also encourage sharing. Very, very important. Encourage them how to share with others. Faster how much information can a three to four year collect in their mind. What's their limit and boundary in all cause little ones get cranky or restless. Yes. I said, you know, maximum seven to eight minutes for the story can help. If you have all the pop lines and the pictures and all 10 minutes can help. So, you know, even when you're teaching them a song, 10 minutes, activity, 10 minutes, everything can just be minimal to 10 minutes. Yes, it can help. Anything, any other questions? Just a few more things that I would like to mention here for the three and four year old is, you know, let them feel in control of their own surrounding, their environment, you know, get them to, you know, they usually like to take things apart if they're playing with puzzles or blocks or, you know, Legos, they like to put everything away. They like to put things apart. The whole place will be messy. Don't think, you know, these children are really, you know, creating a mess, but that is how they like to work. That's part of their discovery process and how they, you know, dismantle everything and put everything back together. That's how they also feel control over their environment. You know, as I said also that they're very curious and observant, you know, what is ordinary for us is like full of wonder for a young child. I remember when my niece was three or four year old, I narrated to her the blind man, Bartimier's story and I did it with such expressions and with such drama that she really loved that story. So, you know, in a day, she asked me to narrate that same story about four to five times even before going to bed. She called me and said, can you tell me that blind man story? You know, and I was like, you know, I mean, what's so much about that blind man story, but, you know, it's just that they are so fascinated about this whole thing about, you know, the way the blind man shouted and screamed and ran to Jesus. I think it just thoroughly fascinated her. She listened to that story more than four or five times in that day. Tired me out, but she didn't get tired listening to it. So that is how they are. So even if they ask you to keep repeating stories, you can just do it because they're so fascinated by what God does and creation and all of that. You know, these little ones, you know, they don't express emotions. You know, they experience emotion, sorry, that they don't understand. So, you know, suddenly if they're crying, they're not able to basically articulate in words what they are feeling. So you need to tell them, you know, why are you crying? You know, then they say, you know, I lost my, I can't find my water bottle. So you say, oh, you're feeling frustrated or you can't find your shoes or you're, you know, you're worried how you're going to walk home or how you're going to go without your shoes. So you need to get them to explain, you know, and understand their emotions. So even, you know, at times when they are sad or angry, they can be angry, but you need to get them to, you know, express their emotions, articulate in words why they are angry, what is upsetting them, why are they so happy, why are they so sad? Okay, and lastly about this age group is like, you know, these little ones need to use their imaginations. They have trouble sorting out what is real and what isn't. So, you know, you need to explain to them what is real, what is not. You know, for example, if I remember a couple of years back, there was a TV serial that came in India and kids were very fascinated by this person. And they showed kids, you know, if the kid jumped off a wall or something, there was this Superman kind of a person who'd come and saved them. And we had kids literally trying that. So one child jumped off the balcony thinking, you know, this person would come and save them. And then they had to stop this whole, this TV serial, you know, with children were viewing because it was becoming very harmful for them. They were taking it literally very real. So, you know, they have trouble sorting out what is real and what isn't. So we need to help them out to see things very clearly. So they also like to pretend, you know, they, you know, they, by school age, they begin to realize that there is logical explanation for everything. But now they, you know, there is a lot of pretense that happens. So we need to teach them all of these things. Asha's question is, will puppets help them in narrating a story or will they be afraid of it? No, I think they'll enjoy puppets. Yes. And enjoy puppets and be fascinated, you know, because they like fascinated with everything. So this is like a fascination for them. It's quite exciting for them. So they would be fascinated. Yes. Any other questions in this age group? No questions. Yeah. Thank you. Okay. There are no questions. Okay. So we will move on to the developmental needs of children ages five to seven. Okay. We look at what are the developmental needs of children in ages five, six and seven. Children in this age group basically, you know, are learning how to relate to God, to family members and to other people in the world. They're learning more and more about the world outside, what it is like, because now, you know, they're not just like two or three hours in a preschool, but they kind of begin full day school, they're full day away from home for about five to six hours. So, you know, they're learning more about the world, what is like outside home. They're also learning to separate from family for their parents on extended periods of time in a day before it was just two hours, but now it's like more than five, six hours. They're also learning new skills to take care of themselves when they're away from their family. They're basically building confidence in their new abilities, you know, on how they can be away, how they can manage themselves, how they can eat on their own, tie their own shoes, put on their own shoes, tie their shoe laces, you know, how they can manage themselves in class, writing, listening to the teacher. They're just building confidence in their new abilities, also how the new abilities of making friends, connecting with so many other classmates. Before in preschool, it's like, you know, maximum around 10, 15 children now, you have around 25 kids or 30 kids in the class. So, you know, making friends outside the family circle, outside people who are familiar to them, familiar faces, they're learning all of these things. They're also learning to read, but they're not usually fluent leaders. So, you can't give them the Bible and ask them to read a Bible narrative, you know, but you can get them to read a short memory verse that you can write on the board or, you know, on the chart or anything like that, you know. So, for the purpose of curriculum, you know, this age group is referred to as pre-readers. So, you can't have anything that will, you know, they can't give them a workbook or anything like that. They have to read and write or you have questions and answer it because they're just learning to write their names well. Okay. They don't even know how to write their names. They're learning to write all of the alphabets, the letters. They're learning to read and copy individual words and short sentences or phrases. So, best to this age group, you know, don't give them a student workbook. Don't give them a worksheet where they have to write things, write question and answers or do puzzles, you know, or even get them to, you know, you can just basically get them to write short memory verses if you want them to write. They're also learning spellings. So, their spellings, they will find it very difficult. So, you need to get them to spell it out. So, basically, you know, keep the sentences very short that they need to write. Perfecting their larger motor skills, you know, they're learning to use their legs and upper arms. So, running, jumping, climbing, standing on one foot, balancing. They're also learning rhythmic movements, dancing, hopping, marching so you can teach them to, you know, choreography a little bit, you know, during worship time. They are also learning complex skills such as kicking a ball, sometimes throwing a football or a throw ball to somebody else, you know, batting, running a race with others, jumping on the rope and all of those things are something that they're learning, developing their skills so you can have some basic games along these lines. You know, they're also perfecting their fine motor skills, how to use their hands and fingers. So, they're clapping their hands, snapping their fingers, picking up things, working with small objects so you can teach them a little more complex, you know, action songs compared to the three and four-year-old. They like coloring but, you know, you can have a little more complex drawing for them but they will have very simple, a simpler complex drawing but, you know, which they can color with crayons or color pencils or markers. They learn to draw stick figures of, you know, people, animals, places and things. Sorry. Yeah. I'm just moving so fast and I'm not able to. Okay. You know, they also finger painting, they go on with using their fingers for painting but slowly they can start using the brush but they're not very good at it. You know, they also can create objects with clay so you can give them clay, songs with more complex actions, hand movements, finger motions, which you can do, writing letters, numbers, names, words, or, you know, short phrases and short sentences. They can do that. Children in this age group, you know, enjoy these kind of play. They like to imagine things and pretend to play so they, you know, will find them acting like their teacher, playing teacher-teacher or, you know, like, you know, a driver driving the school bus or like parents or whatever. You know, so they like to do a lot of pretend play. They're learning to play now in larger groups of children for a longer period of time. So group games can work pretty well in this age group compared to the three and four years, three and four years old. They discover more about sound, textures, colors, smell, taste. So, you know, they'll be quite fascinated, excited. They want to explore. They want to implement things so you can use a lot of different sound variations when you're narrating, use different colors, smell, taste for their learning experience. They work with paint, colors, markers, glue, scissors, strings, yarn, and, you know, they can use all of this for, you can use all of this for their activity, which excites them, which would help them also reiterate the learning, what you're teaching them. They also play simple instruments like drums, cymbals and bells, but, you know, they're not, they don't play in perfection. Two music, in rhythm, in time, they can be very noisy, very, very loud, but they love to beat on the drums. They love to, you know, climb the cymbals and all of that, but that will be noise, so better avoid it. But if you see children running to the drums and trying to play with it, it's because this age group just loves to do that. You know, they like to sing familiar songs, so when you teach them, don't teach them new songs, keep singing new songs for the entire worship time each Sunday, but sing some familiar songs, also teach them one new song and then, you know, kind of sing that over the week so that they get more familiar with it, because they like to sing familiar songs. They like dancing, marching, they like moving to music, so you can see them dancing more, excited to worship God. You know, simple games that will require some new skills, which if you're using games which require new skills, you know, then you have to keep the games very, very simple. They like acting out stories and retelling stories, so, you know, you can get them to tell them what you have narrated to them so you can understand how much they have learned, how much, you know, they have, comes back to their memory and important things with the miss out, you can reiterate that learning, okay? So, what are the spiritual messages that children in this age group need to learn? They need to know that God loves them, that God loves not just them, but everyone, their family, their friends, their neighbors, the children in school, their teachers. They also need to know that God made everything perfect. You know, they also need to know that God knows each one of them, even that there are so many of them in this world because they're learning to explore the world apart from their family. Now, it's becoming so many people, a huge son, but in spite of them, in spite of there being so many people in this world, they need to know that God knows them, God loves them, they're precious to God, that they're made unique and special. You know, so talking about creation, how God created Adam and Eve, how he's created each one of us, unique, different, talented, that they're valuable to God and to others, encourage them to pray because they will learn that God hears their prayer and why does God hear their prayer? Because God will answer and when God answers, we can trust him. The prayers that we ask him, what he does in our life, he's always good, he's someone that we can depend on, you know, also teach them what's the difference between right and wrong, good age to continue teaching them about right and wrong, continue from when they were three or four years old. You know, teach them how God is involved with us throughout history, you know, from creation, Adam and Eve, you can take them through history, how he's right up till now, he's, you know, he's involved in our lives, he cares for us, he loves us. Also talking about how God has a plan and future for them, talking that Jesus is God's son, Jesus loves us. Sometimes, you know, we can choose to do things that are wrong, we can choose to sin, do things that are bad, but, you know, we need to reassure them that, you know, even though we make mistakes, all of the mistakes, you know, are called sin and how sin takes us away from God, how it breaks the heart of God, it makes God sad. Just talk about how, you know, they get punished when they do something wrong in school, how their parents punished them when they do something wrong, but how Jesus, you know, took the punishment upon himself, he paid for our sins, how he died for us, what Jesus did for us, you know, and how we can live for him forever and how we can accept Jesus as our personal savior. So these are some things, of course, you know, when we are talking about these things, we can say, hey, they're only, you know, in this age group of five to seven, they're very young, so how can we talk about sin, salvation, Jesus dying? It all has to, again, be something that is very, very simple, something that is age-related, specific to their age, you know, and how we are going to explain it to them is also very, very important. Okay, we'll stop here, we'll look at how, you know, how we can communicate, how they hear and understand Bible stories in the next class. Anyone has any questions? I hope I was not too fast. No, just going through things because it's quite easily understandable and easy to perceive and understand. I hope it's not too fast. Anyone has any questions? Thank you, Kung. Okay, there are no questions then. We'll end class. I posted the notes on the Development Leads of Children on the stream page. You can access it. Yeah, so we'll end class here. Thank you, everyone. Have a blessed day and week ahead. I'll see you all on Monday. Thank you. Thank you, everyone. Thank you, Ben Street. Thank you, Asha.