If you haven’t yet looked at the June and July curriculum, you need to dive on in as it is a very fun train theme to go with our nine-week study of creation.

Each week, a new train car will pull into Creation Station to teach the children about that special day of creation. We have provided many ways for you to incorporate the train images on the download page, but we wanted to do something just a little bit “more” for you.

Therefore, the Parent Take Home for this summer is the Creation Station Trading Cards. They come in a set of nine (an engine and then eight cars—we need two for day 6) cards that you can distribute weekly or all together at the end of the unit.

The cards are designed so that our little friends can line them up on the floor or table while they tell their family about how God made everything.

In addition, each of the train cars has a “Family Fun” activity on the back that encourages families to enjoy God’s creation together.

There is a limited supply of these trading cards so be sure to get yours soon!

Also, check out our Creation Station Tattoos. Your preschoolers are going to love those too!

Let us know the feedback you get from your families as you distribute these. We love to hear stories!

What is that one idea, that one key difference, that could be a game changer for your ministry?

Maybe there was an idea that ignited something within you at The Orange Conference. Or maybe it’s something that you’ve thought about for months, but just aren’t sure how to take the next step.

We’ve debuted some new resources at Orange 2012 that may help. Here are just a few we want to highlight for our First Look friends.

Parenting is Wonderful by Sue Miller and Holly Delich
By making them laugh and cry (at the same time), Sue Miller’s newest book introduces new parents to the WONDER of parenthood in a whimsical way. Full of real-life stories, humorous quotes, and words of encouragement, this book is a great way to introduce parents to the idea of partnering right from the start.

Whoooo Loves You CD
Our latest preschool worship CD introduces listeners to Ollie the Owl, who teaches them three basic truths—God made me; God loves me; Jesus wants to be my friend forever—through his favorite songs. Sure to be an instant hit with any preschooler, Whoooo Loves You will have them dancing in their car seats.

Surviving to Thriving: Successfully Including Children with Special Needs by Amy Fenton Lee
This DVD offers practical ideas to help you in serving children with special needs. From creating a schedule to sharing the Bible story, this resource will give you best practices in keeping kids engaged and helping them retain the lesson.

First Look Toddler Posters 2012-2013
Each poster displays simple, engaging activities that your volunteers and staff can do with children younger than two, along with the Basic Truth, Bottom Line, and Bible words for the month’s corresponding First Look curriculum. This bundle contains 12 posters—one for each month of the year from September 2012 to August 2013.

First Look Basic Truth Posters 2012-2013
The First Look Basic Truths Posters enhance your preschool environment, as well as reinforce the three basic truths for parents. This bundle consists of three 24” x 36” posters: God Loves Me, God Made Me, and Jesus Wants To Be My Friend Forever.

Amber Sky Gift Card – $5, $10 and $15 quantities
Amber Sky Records is a great place where you can download kids’ music for both church and home. These gift cards are a wonderful tool to hand out to kids and families!

Parent Cue Magnet
These fun Cue Magnets are a great giveaway for families. Use them to keep First Look and 252 Parent Cues on the fridge where families can be reminded to use everyday moments to connect with their child about spiritual truths. Sold in packs of five.

For more information or to purchase these resources, visit the Orange Store.

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good,” Genesis 1:31, NIV. That is what we will be teaching our preschoolers this month. God created the entire world in seven days, and everything He made was “good.”

For the months of June and July, we invite you and your preschoolers to “Creation Station,” an amazing place where they can learn about each day of creation as a special train car brings it into the station. We’ve provided our typical First Look lesson but intensified the Bible story time just a bit by combining the introductory sketch and Bible story so that the Storyteller is the conductor of the railroad.

Look for the extra “Creation Station” panel on the download page where you will find many helpful documents for making the months of June and July a HUGE success for your preschool environment. It also includes artwork to help you create your own Creation Station and 7-Day Express train cars. You’re going to want to spend some time investigating this panel.

In addition, starting the first week of May we will have trading cards and tattoos available at www.TheReThinkStore.org to send the creation learning home. The trading cards are designed for you to send home one each week during the “Creation Station” unit. Be sure to get yours quick!

Don’t miss this month’s Wonder! Look at God’s Story DVD. Creation Station comes alive with our three different Storytellers as conductors. It’s a must see! It is available at www.TheReThinkStore.org, and you can even sign up for a monthly subscription. Use this DVD to supplement a live Storyteller and/or Host for the Make It True section of the curriculum.

July’s Preview Video is on the First Look website, www.WhatIsOrange.org/firstlook. You can purchase a download of the video for your church’s use at www.TheReThinkStore.org. This product includes the script we used in case you want to record it yourself. The video is also available at http://Vimeo.com/WhatIsOrange/videos to imbed into your church blogs. Feel free to share the vision with everyone!

Our team will be praying for you to have moments filled with wonder as you give preschoolers a “first look” at the God who loves them, made them, and wants to be their friend forever.

Kathy Hill
Editor in Chief, First Look
The reThink Group

That means the entire Orange team will be at the Gwinnett Arena and Convention Center hosting over 5,000 of our Orange friends!

If you are coming to the conference, we can’t wait to see you! You can find Kathy Hill, editor of First Look, at the Orange curriculum boot most of the time. You can find your Orange Specialist by asking for her at the Genius Booth near either store location.

The First Look team will be hosting a networking event at Dave and Buster’s on Thursday night starting at 7:30. You can sign up for that on The Orange Conference website (on the same page you made your breakout reservations).

If you are unable to attend Orange Conference, you can still join in the fun by following the Orange Bloggers. Read their posts to get a feel for all that can be learned at Orange Conference. Or, follow all our Twitter friends with the hashtag #OC12.

In addition, we are bringing amazing speakers from Orange Conference to you through streaming sessions each day. You can even watch the opening session live.

Be sure to visit www.OrangeLeaders.com to see more.

We are SO VERY EXCITED about Orange Conference and can’t wait to share it with you!

So, we decided to do a video tutorial.

First Look Editor-in-Chief, Kathy Hill narrates while her daughter, Maggie, demonstrates how to dye pasta for crafting purposes.

Remember, once it’s dyed, you don’t want to eat it. Yuck!

Don’t want to watch the video or need a refresher? Here you go.

To dye pasta, you need five things:

1. Pasta
2. Rubbing alcohol
3. Food coloring
4. Freezer sealable baggies
5. A wax paper covered area

You want your work surface to be covered in newspaper or towels and then wax paper if it is at all porous. The food coloring WILL bleed through the wax paper.

Basic steps

1. Pour pasta in freezer baggie.
2. Pour in half a cap of rubbing alcohol.
3. Drop in 15 drops of desired food coloring (more for red).
4. Seal bag.
5. Shake bag to cover pasta with liquid.
6. Pour on wax paper lined newspaper to dry.

We hope you found this tutorial helpful.
Let us know how your pasta dying goes!

What other tutorials would you like to see?

We created the Baby Dedication Celebration product just for those parents. By following the program as it is designed, you can cast vision to these new parents through podcasts and short meetings. Then, with their homework, they are introduced to the concepts of “Keeping the end in mind” and “Make it personal,” building blocks for both their newborn’s faith and theirs.

Finally, there is the Baby Dedication event itself. Whether you are dedicating 20 babies or two babies, this event offers a time to pray over each family and allows these new parents to publicly profess that they plan to raise their child with God’s help. What a powerful moment for these new parents. What an opportunity for you, the church, to partner with them.

Baby Dedication Celebration is the first step for a new parent to learn about the Orange Strategy. It introduces them to the preschool ministry and the partnership you want to provide. Be sure to keep in contact with them via the Parent Cue offered with each month’s curriculum. When their baby becomes a toddler, invite them to attend the Create A Rhythm training so they can be reminded that investing in their preschooler’s spiritual development is a daily thing.

If you haven’t already, take some time to investigate the Baby Dedication Celebration product. Your newborn parents will thank you.

Do you use Baby Dedication Celebration at your church? If so, what’s your favorite part?

Teaching our children about the wonder of creation is one of the most important things we do in preschool world. Understanding that the God of the universe created not only the world, but them. That the same God who put those beautiful colors on the butterflies also chose the color of their hair. Learning about creation is always a magical time, and this year will be no different.

For the months of June and July, we invite you and your preschoolers to “Creation Station,” an amazing place where they can learn about each day of creation as a special train car brings it into the station. We’ve provided our typical First Look lesson but intensified the Bible story time just a bit by combining the introductory sketch and Bible story so that the Storyteller is the conductor of the railroad.

Be sure to look for the extra “Creation Station” panel on the download page where you will find many helpful documents to help with making the months of June and July be a HUGE success for your preschool environment. It also includes artwork to help you create your own Creation Station and 7-Day Express train cars. You’re going to want to spend some time investigating this panel.

Don’t miss this month’s Wonder! Look at God’s Story DVD. Creation Station comes alive with our three different Storytellers as conductors. It’s a must see! It is available at www.TheReThinkStore.org, and you can even sign up for a monthly subscription. Use this DVD to supplement a live Storyteller and/or Host for the Make It True section of the curriculum.

June’s Preview Video is on the First Look website, www.WhatIsOrange.org/firstlook. You can purchase a download of the video for your church’s use at www.TheReThinkStore.org. This product includes the script we used in case you want to record it yourself. The video is also available at http://Vimeo.com/WhatIsOrange/videos to imbed into your church blogs. Feel free to share the vision with everyone!

Our team will be praying for you to have moments filled with wonder as you give preschoolers a “first look” at the God who loves them, made them, and wants to be their friend forever.

Kathy Hill
Editor in Chief, First Look
The reThink Group

So, it was rather exciting!

I quickly grabbed the scissors and ripped it open.

And then, I cried.
Actual tears in my eyes.
Down my face.
I cried.
Why?

Because I felt God’s love emanating from this box.
My hands still shake even as I type.

It was a care package. Just like we used to love to get when we were in college.

A simple package, with a loving note and some goodies that say, “I get it. You’re working hard, and we appreciate it.”

It couldn’t come on a more perfect Monday.

This is crunch week here at Orange. All projects that need to be in print by Orange Conference MUST be done this week. People are running hither and yon making sure i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed. Artwork is flying through email. There is meeting on top of meeting. It is a high pressure, get it done, week.

In the midst of the to-dos, we can lose the why we dos. This package with the cute kid pictures and awesome note re-centered both me and my whole team.

So, thank you.

Thank you to the leader who took the time to send the package. Thank you for sending us God’s love in a box.

The question that now haunts me: Who needs me to send them a box of God’s love?

Next year’s First Look Scope and Cycle. . . .

1213_FLTODDLER_ScopeCycle

1213_FL_ScopeCycle

We are so excited about next year’s plan! Our writers are already working hard on the fall months, and we can’t wait to share them with you.

Do what’s right! How often have we heard that in our lives? We are constantly being told by people to do what’s right. And, if we’re honest, we’re constantly telling the little people in our lives to do what’s right. What we need to remember is that they are just learning what is right. We need to help them. We need to teach them.

In the month of May, we will be guiding our preschoolers to the Bible where they can “Learn to do what is right,” (Isaiah 1:17, NIrV). They will be introduced to two amazing Bible heroes who knew they should do the right thing even when it is hard. Their stories are great examples for our littlest friends.

First, we will meet Daniel. Daniel did not have an easy life. He was taken from his home and asked to do some pretty incredible things. Through it all, Daniel looked to God for guidance and continued to follow His commands even when it meant almost certain death. However, we learn that God is more powerful than our enemies and even lions.

Then, we meet Joseph. Poor Joseph. First, his brothers sell him to slavery. Then, he ends up in jail for something he didn’t do. If anyone had a reason to be bitter, it was Joseph. In contrast, Joseph continued to do what he knew was right; what God wanted him to do. And, God used his obedience to save a nation.

Our prayer is that our preschoolers will hear the stories this month and know that God will teach them to do what is right through His Word. And, by doing what is right, by showing obedience to God, they will glorify Him every day.

May’s Vision Video is on the First Look website, www.WhatIsOrange.org/firstlook. You can purchase a download of the video for your church’s use at www.TheReThinkStore.org. This product includes the script we used in case you want to record it yourself. The video is also available at http://Vimeo.com/WhatIsOrange/videos to imbed into your church blogs. Feel free to share the vision with everyone!

We’ve had AMAZING feedback about the changes we’ve made to our Wonder! Look at God’s Story DVD. It is available at www.TheReThinkStore.org, and you can even sign up for a monthly subscription. Use this DVD to supplement a live Storyteller and/or Host for the Make It True section of the curriculum.

Our team will be praying for you to have moments filled with wonder as you give preschoolers a “first look” at the God who loves them, made them, and wants to be their friend forever.

Kathy Hill
Editor in Chief, First Look
The reThink Group