The idea to do nature based character studies came to me one day while sitting in church. I thought of the many examples that God gives us in Scripture of things that are found in nature that He uses to help shape our character. Probably the most familiar example is the ant in Proverbs 6:6-8. God tells us to take time to observe the ant and see how she works. Her very nature is diligence. She doesn’t need someone standing over her telling her what to do. She has initiative and a hardworking spirit. I don’t know about you, but that’s the kind of character I want for myself and my family.
This led me to start thinking about studying the examples that are laid out for us in Scripture and to faithfully teach them to my children. I was thrilled with the results! Scripture was easily memorized, character was supernaturally developed and fun was had as we snacked, read and crafted our way through the unit.
God designed us in such a way that the more senses we use, the more learning will take place. With that in mind, I designed activities that use various senses. As you work through the character study activities, be sure to incorporate the verse for that unit during your time with your child. God’s Word is hidden deep in our hearts simply by talking about it regularly. In fact, young children will often memorize things without any effort on their part simply because they heard something over and over. I can think of no better way for them to meditate on and memorize God’s Word than by hearing a caring adult talk about it with them often. (Psalm 119:11; Deuteronomy 6:9)
I used this character study with my children ages 4-12. You will probably find that it will take you about a week, on average, to work through all of the activities. I wrote only one character discussion for the unit but as you personalize it and share with your children what God is teaching you, it will organically develop more fully.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.