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Impossible Iguanas
(God's Animals)
by Sandra Harris

Iguanas are fascinating creatures who sometimes appear to move slowly. But when it comes to escaping an enemy, the iguana can do some pretty amazing things that seem to be impossible. This lesson teaches about "all things are possible with God."

Characteristic: trust in God

Bible Verse: All things are possible with God. Mark 10:27

Also check out:
I praise God for His word. I trust God, so I am not afraid. Psalm 56:4
Trust the Lord with all your heart. Don’t depend on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
“If you will be calm and trust me, you will be strong.” Isaiah 30:15

Concepts:

There are many kinds of iguanas, a reptile whose natural habitat ranges from the southwest United States to the northern tip of South America. The green iguana (which can be a variety of colors, by the way) is perhaps the most commonly known. This herbivore is often bought as a pet, but it can grow to be over 4 feet long and requires a lot of special care.

The iguana can be slow and timid. It is often able to escape from its enemies by doing something that looks impossible: the iguana can drop off a tree limb high above water, fall into the water and swim away.

Sometimes we feel like we get into impossible situations from which there are no solutions. But God says that all things are possible with Him if we trust Him to help us.

Child Development Note: Typical characteristics of a four-year-old include the inability to distinguish between fact and reality, concrete thinking skills that interpret things quite literally, and a growing body that likes lots of physical play. The combination of these characteristics can often get a four-year-old into a lot of trouble! For example, when Superman was a favorite TV show with kids, doctors noticed they were treating a lot of preschool-age kids for broken bones. These kids were putting on a Superman costume and, fully believing they could now fly, jumping off roofs, fences, etc. When you teach this lesson, use a little caution with this age group. Make sure they understand that they can’t do everything that’s impossible, but only those things that God enables them to do!

Center Activities

Art: Have the children cut out magazine pictures of things that look impossible to them. Make a collage with the pictures. Or, have children draw a picture of something they think is impossible.

Games: Play Pick-Up Sticks or a similar game. Watch for times when the pile stays together even though it looks look it won’t.

Manipulatives: Show a picture of the Leaning Tower of Pisa (before it was fixed). Try to make a leaning tower of blocks. How many blocks high can they get before it topples over?

Craft: Solargraphics

Purchase a Solargraphics Kit and follow the instructions in the kit to “take a picture without a camera.” This project takes about ten minutes to complete. (These kits are often available at toy and art supply stores. A computer search will lead to many online sources.) A less costly but more time consuming method is to place objects (leaves, paper clips, puzzle pieces, etc.) on dark construction paper (dark blue seems to fade the fastest). Set this in the sunlight for a day or longer, depending on how strong the sunlight is. Remove objects to see the “picture” of them.

Story Time: Iguana, Iguana, You Go Too Slow!

Enrichment Ideas:

1. Bible Story: Tell the story of Gideon found in Judges 6-8.

2. Make kazoos using toilet paper tubes, cellophane or waxed paper and a rubber band. Re-enact the story of Gideon, using the kazoos for the trumpets.

3. Check your local library or bookstore for books about iguanas. Here are a few to look for:
The Iguana Brothers: A Tale of Two Lizards, Johnston (ages 4-8)
A Flower for Iggey, Hoffman (ages 4-8)
Private I Guana: The Case of the missing Chameleon, Laden (ages 4-8)
Your Pet Iguana, Landen (ages 9-12)

4. Iguanas can be an expensive pet. Studying chameleons or other lizards along with iguanas might help your child to consider other lizards as pets.

5. Show the children a couple of simple “magic” tricks, then show the children how to do them. Discuss the difference between tricks and miracles.

6. Bulleting board idea: Put up brown tree limbs against a blue background. Put a river near the bottom. Have children make cotton ball clouds for the sky and iguanas to put on the limbs.

7. Visit a local pet store or zoo to look at the lizards.

8. Iguanas aren’t always slow on the land. Desert iguanas can run faster than men when their body temperature is warm enough. In the story for this lesson, the iguana was slow – perhaps it was a cold morning and he just awoke. Discuss the different ways people wake up. Some people seem alert and active as soon as their eyes open. Other people are very slow to wake up and can be grouchy or “fuzzy-brained” until they shower or eat or just sit for 30 minutes. How can we respect these differences in our family members and friends?

9. Study the characteristics of reptiles. Compare and contrast reptiles and mammals.

10. Look for a book or video on natural wonders of the world.

11. Study some favorite heroes in history who did remarkable things (Joan of Arc, Harriet Tubman, Marie Curie, Wilma Rudolph, etc.), or someone featured in your local paper who did something difficult.