Every Preschool Leader Needs a Sub Tub!
It can happen. You are suddenly ill. You have to work late. Or there is a crisis at home. You are expected to lead Mission Friends tonight and you can’t be there. You have a substitute, but they don’t know your plans for the session and there isn’t time to get materials to them. What to do?
It is time for a “sub tub” to come to the rescue!
Most schoolteachers have a sub folder with basic information and planned activities for a substitute teacher. A sub tub is similar but with all the materials needed for a session kept in a labeled container and stored in a convenient place. Preparing a sub tub before it is needed can make the difference between providing a meaningful session and an hour of babysitting.
What goes in a sub tub? The sub tub should hold materials for some simple activities with an explanation of what your substitute is to do in each activity area. It will vary depending upon your preschoolers’ needs and church resources.
Sub Tub Ideas to Get You Thinking
The Basics: Include basic policies and procedures such as checking for allergies and drop-off and pick-up times and procedures. A general schedule, directions for suggested activities, and explanations of where additional supplies are stored should be added as well.
Allergy Alert Chart: Include copies of the Allergy Alert Chart with instructions for filling out the top portion of the form and sharing the form with parents. Include examples of items preschoolers may taste, touch, and/or smell that need to be disclosed to parents. The Allergy Alert Chart which is available for download at wmu.com/preschool under Free Downloads.
Art: Provide art materials to make appreciation cards for church staff members. The substitute can point out that missionaries often need encouragement. We can encourage others with a card.
Blocks: The substitute can suggest preschoolers build roads for missionaries to travel to visit people in their area. Or they could suggest types of church buildings to build. Include pictures of types of roads in various terrains or pictures of various churches.
Books: Include a copy of one of the preschool books designed for Mission Friends such as Always Remember to Pray or One Little Child. The substitute can read the book and lead a prayertime for missionaries who may face similar situations. Or the substitute may share how your church supports missionaries in similar situations.
Homeliving: Place play dough in the tub for sculpting foods. The substitute can discuss ways missionaries meet people and share Jesus over a meal.
Music and Movement: Include scarves to wave as preschoolers move around the room to praise music. Pray for missionaries to have times to worship with other believers.
Nature: Place nonperishable nature items (such as large shells or artificial flowers) to explore in the tub. Say: God made everything.
Puzzles and Manipulatives: Save a matching game or other activity from a previous Mission Friends Leader Kit with generic topics (such as things we do at church, things a missionary might use or do, and so on). Include suggestions on how to use the activity.
Group Time Option 1: Since your substitute may not have access to the mission story in the current Mission Friends Leader, you may want to opt out of a group time for the evening.
Group Time Option 2: Since your substitute may not have access to the mission story in the current Mission Friends Leader, you may want to include basic, preschool-friendly information on a missionary or local ministry your church supports to be shared with preschoolers. Include pictures if you have them. Suggest prayertime prompts for that missionary or ministry.
The evening won’t be the same without you. However, you will be able to focus on your personal situation for the evening and know that your responsibilities at church are covered. Your substitute will thank you for your advance planning. Best of all, your preschoolers will continue learning about missions.
by Vivian Howell
