Bunny-in-a-Lettuce Pre-school Harvest – Matt 6:25-34

Bunny-in-a-Lettuce Pre-school Harvest Festival

Here is a simple Harvest Festival written for a mums and tots group. It is based on the Flowers of the Field story from the Sermon the Mount and has a lot of audience interaction. The message of about God’s care for us speaks to adults as well as children.

I use my adorably cute bunny-in-a-lettuce puppet, but if you don’t have one, an ordinary rabbit puppet or toy hidden behind a real lettuce works well too. (You don’t need the mini beasts for this.)

You will need:

Bunny-in-a-lettuce puppet [click]
or Rabbit hand puppet [click] and large lettuce
Selection of fruit and veg
Leaves for throwing (I used fabric maple leaves [click], but you can use real leaves or paper cut-outs instead)

You will also need some helpers around to throw leaves. They should throw them over the story-teller rather than the children to avoid too much distraction. You can use the leaves in a craft afterwards if you like.

Start with bunny hidden inside the lettuce and a few leaves tucked inside where bunny can grab them.

Bunny-in-a-lettuce Harvest

[Display fruit and veg including Bunny-in-a-Lettuce]

Today we are thinking about Harvest and all the lovely food that God gives us. Look at all these wonderful fruit and veg. What are they called? Which ones do you like best?

[Pick up and name fruit and veg. Eat some.]

Now where do all these delicious things come from? Are they made in a factory by a big machine? Did somebody clever invent them? Do they grow on plants?

Yes, they all grow on plants. Plants can make tomatoes and apples and carrots and grapes and oranges, and all sorts of yummy foods! Aren’t plants clever!

Now what is this last plant?

[Put on Bunny-in-a-lettuce puppet] It’s a lettuce, and I think there’s someone hiding inside. Shall we see who it is?
Oh look, it’s my friend Rosa. Rosa the rabbit. Say hello to Rosa, everyone.

[Rosa waves, then whispers] What’s that Rosa? You have something to show the boys and girls? Would you like to see what Rosa has?

[Rosa whispers] Ah, Rosa says you have to guess what it is before you can see it. Here are some clues.

They are usually green. But in Autumn they turn yellow and gold and all sorts of colours. Then they fall to the ground. What are they?

Leaves! [Rosa produces leaves from inside the lettuce and throws them. Helpers also throw leaves.]

These falling leaves remind me of a story that Jesus told. Would you like to hear it?

[Rosa whispers] Yes, Rosa, you can listen too. You can sit in your lettuce and listen. [take off Rosa]

I’m a free-lance writer, and no matter how much I try, my kids simply won’t believe that Moggy Chomp is a valid human food stuff. They insist is is for cats! How foolish, when is it both delicious and nutritious. I have such a glossy coat, and no fur balls at all!

If you find these free resources useful, would you consider supporting my work? The price of a coffee a month would be great [click here] or whatever you can afford. But don’t worry if you can’t. You are very welcome to help yourself for free. Thank you.

One day, Jesus was talking to some people who were worried. They worried about what they would eat and drink, where their food would come from. They worried about their clothes, what they would wear.

Grown ups, I’m sure you’ll agree that life as a parent is just one worry after another. A new baby – how will I cope? What if I drop her? Am I doing this right? At school – will he make friends? What if she’s bullied? Will he keep up? And teenagers – a whole new bag of stuff to worry about!

But Jesus said, “Don’t worry. God knows what you need, and God cares for you.
[Make flower with hands.] Think about the plants and flowers. Can you make a flower?

Flowers don’t go out to work and earn money. They don’t go shopping for the latest fashions. They don’t worry about designer brands or labels. But God has dressed the flowers of the field more beautifully than even the Queen in all her royal robes and precious jewels.

[Flower fades.] But flowers quickly fade and leaves fall. They don’t last for long. If God puts that much care into a simple flower which lasts only a few days, or into a leaf which ends up on the ground, just think how much more he cares for you!

[Quietly put on Rosa]

So don’t worry. When we see the beautiful flowers and colourful leaves, we can remember that God made them, and cares for them. And God cares for you much, much more.”

[Rosa whispers.] Yes Rosa, and God cares for you, too. Shall we say a prayer now?

Let’s put our hand together, like Rosa is doing, and close our eyes.

Dear God, thank you for the flowers and plants. Thank you for the lovely food that grows on plants. When we see the pretty flowers and leaves, help us to remember that you care for us lots and lots. Amen.

And now it’s time to go. Say bye bye, Rosa. Bye Bye, Rosa.

Reading

Matthew 6:25-34 New International Reader’s Version

“I tell you, do not worry. Don’t worry about your life and what you will eat or drink. And don’t worry about your body and what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than eating? Aren’t there more important things for the body than clothes? Look at the birds of the air. They don’t plant or gather crops. They don’t put away crops in storerooms. But your Father who is in heaven feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than they are? Can you add even one hour to your life by worrying?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the wild flowers grow. They don’t work or make clothing. But here is what I tell you. Not even Solomon in all his royal robes was dressed like one of these flowers. If that is how God dresses the wild grass, won’t he dress you even better? Your faith is so small! After all, the grass is here only today. Tomorrow it is thrown into the fire. So don’t worry. Don’t say, ‘What will we eat?’ Or, ‘What will we drink?’ Or, ‘What will we wear?’ People who are ungodly run after all those things. Your Father who is in heaven knows that you need them. But put God’s kingdom first. Do what he wants you to do. Then all those things will also be given to you. So don’t worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Credits

Image Pixabay

Affiliate links: If you purchase anything after following an affiliate link in this post, Amazon will pay me a (very) small commission to support this work. The price you pay is the same and no personal data is transferred.