The Treasure Box Lesson

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also"
Luke 12:34

Oh Boy! Do children love that magical work "treasure!" Why do you suppose that is? I think because we are all intrigued by treasures of any kind and we know that just by the simple word "TREASURE" something good is going to come out of it.


The Webster Dictionary states the meaning of the word TREASURE as, " a collection of precious things"

Luke 12:34 states "for where your treasures is, there your heart will be also". I love to connect the two in a way that children can see the simple tangible treasures they can carry in their hearts and simple treasures they have at home. Just mentioning the "Treasure Box Lesson" gets them excited and giddy with the thought of the tangible treasures that they are going to get to put in their boxes.

The day of the lesson, I have treasure shaped boxes ready for them to embellish and decorate. You can purchase these from Discount School Supply, use shoe boxes or any other small boxes. Provide jewels, beads, seashells, small rocks, glitter paint, glue and markers.

At circle time I asked the children what they think the word "treasure" means to them and I chart the words for them to see. Here is a list that they provided for me:

• Money
• Jewels
• Gold Coins
• Necklaces
• Rings
• Bracelets
• Earrings
• Shiny Things (this was a great response)

After we are done charting I tell the children that they are going to make treasure boxes today to take home and fill with treasure. I tell them that they can't fill their boxes with the treasures they said, but they can fill them with other treasures that I will explain to them after the story.

I read the book, "The Greatest Treasure" by Arcadio Lobato; The books is a story about one of the most valuable treasure, on that money can't buy - friendship. After the story we discuss other treasures that the children can put in their treasure boxes that come from their heart or simple treasures from home, that money can't buy. I give each child the bible verse "for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also", Luke 12:34 printed on gold paper. The verse can be glued on the outside of their treasure box or simply put into their box.

We decorated our boxes as a group project so that we can discuss what other treasures they can put into their boxes from home.

Here are some of the treasures they said they wanted to put in their boxes after our discussion:

• Pictures of their families
• Pictures of their pets
• One child said he would put in his favorite book
• A kiss (how sweet)
• A hug (another sweet gesture)
• A pretty rock
• A leaf
• A key that mom gave him to play with
• My love

It always amazes me how they are able to comprehend this lesson into the non-tangible treasure or simple treasures instead of their original understanding of the word "treasure".

The boxes turned out beautiful and most importantly they left class that day eager to fill their boxes with treasures from their hearts and simple treasures from their homes.

I would love to hear your experience with this lesson and the treasure your children brought from home

HAPPY TREASURE HUNTING,
Barb