Free Watchdog Sunday School Lesson for Children

 

 

The following Sunday School lesson for children is a free sample Sunday School lesson. It is the first lesson in a series of lessons about watching your tongue. The rest of the lessons in this series is available on The Resource Room.

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Bible References:

"I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. " Ps 39:1, KJV

Printable Bible Verse Cards:

Print out onto card stock, write the Bible verse on the Cards and make copies. The children can also make File Boxes for their cards.

Teaching Concept:

We should keep watch over what we say so we don't sin with our tongue. Children will learn to be aware of what they are saying and learn how to control their tongues.

 

Early Arrivals Activity

 

1. Bible Verse Coloring Sheet

(Preschool Children or Not Much Time)

 

2. Moving Head Watchdog Picture

What to do:

1. Before class print out the Dog Head Pattern and the Dog Body Pattern on to card stock (Heavy paper). (You will need four body patterns for every head pattern because there are four heads per page.)

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2. Cut out the heads.

3. In class have your children color the head and body and then attach the head to the body using a brass paper fastener. Place the fastener through the nose and then through the dot on the body picture and open up the fastener from the back of the page. Your children will be using these during the lesson.

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What you will need:

Colorful pieces of card stock (Heavy Paper)

Scissors

Colored Pencils

Glue

 

What to do:

1. Before print out the Frame Pattern onto colorful card stock and cut out around the frames.

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2. Print out the Paw Print Patterns onto different colors of card stock and cut them out.

3. In class have your children color the dog picture and then glue the paw prints onto the frame.

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Preparation

 

Before class make a large watchdog puppet like the ones your children will be making in class. Print out the patterns onto card stock and then use paper glue (Elmer's Rubber Cement) to glue another piece of card stock to the back of the pattern. Cut out the patterns and use a paper fastener to attach the head to the body.)

You can use this puppet during class each week to remind your children to "watch their ways". When a child is talking too loud or is talking during the lesson, etc. you can tilt the dog's head so that the ear is lifted up like the dog is hearing something. Tell your children that the watchdog is hearing something he is concerned about. Then tell them, for example, "He hears someone who is not watching his tongue. He hears someone who is being too loud, or talking when the teacher is talking". (If you don't have time to make the paper puppet, you can use a real dog puppet or stuffed animal.)

 

Membership Cards

 

The Lesson

 

What do you think of when I say "watchdog"? Do you think of a dog that protects its family? Do you have a dog? Is it a good watchdog? (Give your children time to respond.)

The best watchdogs keep alert at all times. They make sure you know when something or someone might be coming onto your property. They protect you by letting you know if anything is out of the ordinary.

Is your dog a good watchdog? Does it keep alert and bark when it hears a strange sound? Does it bark to let you know when a stranger comes to the door? Does it bark and growl when it thinks you may be in danger?

You think of dogs when I say "watchdogs", but did you know that a person could also be a "watchdog"? People can form watchdog groups. Watchdog groups watch certain things and alert others if they see something is wrong.

There are all kinds of watchdog groups. For example, there are watchdog groups that look out for people who try to scam others over the Internet or through the mail. There are watchdog groups who try to protect the earth by keeping an eye on people who might be harming the environment.

Do you think you might want to join a watchdog group? What kind of watchdog would you like to be? (Give your children each time to respond.)

I am starting a watchdog group that you may want to join. We will be meeting every Sunday morning for the next four weeks in this very class. If you decide to join, you will get this official membership card (Hold up a sample membership card.) It will have your name on it. In order to join this watchdog group there are several things you have to do.

1. You must memorize the watchdog motto.

2. Learn some very important Bible verses.

3. And take the Watchdog oath.

We will be learning all this in the next couple of weeks.

You're probably wondering what or whom we will be watching out for. Let's open our Bible to help you find a clue about what this watchdog group is all about.

(Open your Bible to Psalm 39:1) Good watchdogs, as you know, have to have very good ears. I want you to practice being a watchdog by listening very carefully to what I am reading. See if you can figure out what this watchdog group will be watching out for.

"I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. " Ps 39:1, KJV

Did you listen very carefully? What clues does this Bible verse give you that our watchdog group will be watching? (Give your children each time to respond.)

It says, "I will take heed to my ways". That means I will watch my ways or pay attention to what I am doing. The second part also gives us a clue. It says, "that I sin not with my tongue". So we will learn to watch our tongues so we don't sin with them. Did you know that you can sin with your tongue? There are many, many ways that we can use our tongues to sin. We will be learning more about these ways in the next couple of weeks.

The last part of this verse says, "I will put a bridle on my mouth." Does anyone know what a bridle is? A bridle is a set of leather straps that are put on a horse's head to allow its rider to control it.

So our watchdog group will be a "Watching our Ways" watchdog group. We will learn how to keep a watch on our tongue and control what we say.

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Watchdog Prayer

 

Father, "Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips." Amen. (KJV Psalm 141:3)

 

Crafts and Activities

 

1. Listening Activity

Tell your children that we are going to practice being a good watchdog. Good watchdogs are always listening. They can hear very well. Let's see how many things we can hear if we really practice listening. If you have a dog, you may have noticed that it sometimes perks up its ears and tilts its head when it hears a sound. The watchdog you made today can do the same thing. Tell your children to pick up their watchdog pictures and to listen very carefully. If they hear a sound, tell them to move the head on their watchdog picture so that the ear on the right side is facing up and to hold their picture up. When someone holds their picture up you should ask them what sound they hear and write it on the board. (Note: If you didn't make the moving head watchdog picture, you can just have the children bark a couple of times when they hear something.)

They may hear someone coughing, breathing, talking in another room, or singing in another room. They may hear a fan or noises from outside. When your children can't hear any more noises, congratulate them for having good listening ears. Tell them that they will be learning more about being a good watchdog next week.

 

 

2. Play "Doggy, Doggy, Where's Your Bone" Bible Verse Game

 

What you will need:

Paper

Scissors

Ruler

Markers

1/2" Brass Fasteners

Glue and a Hole Punch

 

What to do:

1. Before class cut sheets of paper to make the paper dog craft. Prepare a sample craft from the directions on the Dog Crafts Page.

2. Cut bone shapes from different colors to paper and write the words from the Bible verse on the bones. Make a set for every child in your class.

3. In class pick a child to be the doggy. Place a set of bones in order behind the doggy to spell out the Bible verse. Have the children say the chant, "Doggy, doggy where's your bone? Somebody took it from your home." The doggy then turns around and decides which bone is missing by reading the words on the bones. He then tries to guess who took the bone. If you have younger children use only part of the Bible verse. If you have preschool children, use only one bone. When the doggy guesses who took the bone, the child who took it has to say the Bible verse before he gets to be the new doggy.

 

 

3. Play a Bible Verse Review Game Using Doggy Biscuits

Use the doggy biscuits from the previous game. Turn all the doggy biscuits over and take turns seeing who can find the correct doggy biscuit. Start with the first word of the Bible verse. For example, everyone will take turns trying to find the word "I". If a child turns over the word "I", he gets to take another turn and look for the word "will". Keep going around the circle until a child finds the word "will". Then have the children take turns looking for the next word. The child who has the most bones at the end of the game wins. If you have very young children, use only a few words or only one word such as "tongue". Or just put a star on one of the bones and if a child turns over the star bone, he gets to say the verse and gets a treat.

 

 

4. Make Doggy Snacks

 

 

5. Practice the Watchdog Motto and Watchdog Promise

Watchdog's Motto: I will watch my ways and control what I say.

Watchdog's Promise

By God's mercy and hiding His word in my heart
I will watch my ways and the words I say
So that, through me, others will be blessed today.

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Songs

 

Watchdog Motto
Written by Narita Roady
Sing to the tune of "The Old Gray Mare"

I will always
(The old gray mare,)
Watch my wild tongue,
(She ain't what she used to be)
Be careful what I say,
(Ain't what she used to be)
Let scripture light my way,
(Ain't what she used to be)

I will guard my
(The old gray mare,)
Mouth in what I say
(She ain't what she used to be)
Cause I am a watchdog now.
(Many long years ago.)
I am a watchdog now
(Many long years ago.)
I am a watchdog now.
(Many long years ago.)

I make sure my
(The old gray mare,)
Words are always kind
(She ain't what she used to be)
My words are always pure
(Ain't what she used to be)
And My words are Christ like.
(Ain't what she used to be)

I make sure my
(The old gray mare,)
Words always please God
(She ain't what she used to be)
Cause I am a watchdog now!
(Many long years ago.)

 

Guard Your Mouth
By Narita Roady
Sung to the tune of “Row, Row, Row, Your Boat”

Guard, guard, guard your mouth
In all you do and say.
Let all the words you choose to speak
Please God in every way.

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Comments About this Lesson

My Sunday school class loved the watchdog lesson series. I took the template for the potato chip can dog, colored it and printed the Bible verse and glued it to the back. I made slits in the tongue and inserted a party blower. We used these instead of toy dogs during the listening activity. They enjoyed blowing their blower once each time they heard backbiting! Julie K

I used a little stuffed dog to help remind my children to control their mouths. Whenever a child talked when I was talking, interrupted, or didn’t raise his hand, I would give him a little stuffed dog to hold. I would tell him that the dog would remind him that he needs to control his mouth. I told him if he talked out again while holding the “watchdog”, he had to go sit at the far end of the room away from all the other children so he wouldn’t distract the class. If another child talked out, I would give the dog to him and tell him the same thing. So whoever had the dog, had to be extra careful not to talk out. It seemed to work very well. Carolyn

I used the Good Watchdogs lesson this week and the kids really enjoyed it. I brought in a real big stuffed dog to be our class watchdog and whenever one of them would do something they shouldn't have I would raise his ear in their direction. It seemed to work. I bought dog sun catchers at WalMart and they painted them and we made the Watchdog Membership cards. I told them we would be meeting on Wednesday night for the next few weeks and they should invite their friends to come and join our club. I am looking forward to the next few weeks and the rest of this series. Vicki

We are doing the Watchdog Lessons for this month for our Pre-k and Kind. And 1 and 2nd graders. We did lesson 1 and 2. Lesson 2 we did last week. I made the sock puppet to use; and we have stuffed dogs we use. We had the kids bark like a dog when they heard the words “backbiting” and that worked out really well. The kids are enjoying the crafts that go with each lessons, the motto and the watchdog prayer they are learning really well. We appreciate the lessons that you have and we will continue to use the lessons to teach our children. Thank you and God Bless, Debra

Hi, I teach Sunday school class. The children range from 4 to 8 years old. We started the lesson on watchdogs; my children loved it. The idea of being in a watchdog club excited them very much. The next Sunday I did lesson 2 on backbiting. We made the puppet out of the paper sacks. The next Sunday we did lesson 3 on whining. We made the stand up dogs and I let the children write little notes to put in the dogs mouth to help them remember not to whine when they do get there way or they need to do something they don't want to. I just wanted to let you and others that this is a really good lesson series. The watchdog club really will catch your children's attention. Thank you for all the great lessons. Keep it up. Edna Ash

My preschool Sunday school class recently did the Watchdogs: Lie Detectors lesson. The children loved this lesson! We talked about how there is no such thing as a "little lie"or a "big lie". The children seemed surprised by this concept. We made FBI badges (Firm Believer In Christ) that I ordered from Oriental Trading Company (Type in 48/4482 in the search box at the top of the page). For a snack, we had hot dogs, Scooby-Doo Graham crackers (bone shaped crackers), and juice. Ella Price

We used the watchdog lesson (combination) for our last monthly kids program. It was wonderful and a great lesson for everyone (adult helpers & kids). We all made badges and agreed to the pledge to control our tongues. I even passed them out to the whole congregation the following Sunday and made everyone members of the watchdog group. The highlight came when at the end they all got to take home small stuffed dogs we purchased from Oriental Trading Company. It was a great night, everyone is still talking about it. Thanks so much for the great idea!!!!! Deb A.

 

Other Lessons in this Series:

 

Watchdog Lesson 2 - Backbiting

Children will learn what backbiting is and how it hurts others.

Watchdog Lesson 3 - Taming the Tongue

Our tongues can be like poison and hurt people if we don't learn to control it.

 

Watchdog Lesson 4 - Watchdog Training

We do not like it when our dog whines and teach them not to do it. God teaches us through his words that he does not like us to whine and complain.

 

Watchdog Lesson 5 - Lie Detectors

Good watchdogs are good detectors. They can detect noises and smells much better than humans and warn them when danger is near. We need to be good "lie detectors". Lies can sometimes be hard to detect because they come in so many forms - little white lies, exaggeration, breaking a promise, leaving out some of the facts, flattery, etc.