Lately, I’ve seen a variety of lovely ideas online for helping children and families to get involved with the Advent season. Drawing on some of the ideas I’ve seen, I’ve come up with a little bag of items that will take children through some of the main Advent themes.
Flame: LEGO Prayers
November 14, 2023 by Leave a Comment
This prayer activity is suitable for groups of children or even a whole congregation as long as you have enough bricks. Have an adult or child to lead the prayers for each group, however big.
Flame: Cardboard Tube Cross
October 3, 2023 by Leave a Comment
Last week my children’s ministry team and I visited our church’s preschool to run a prayer workshop for each class in celebration of the church’s 10 Days of Prayer initiative. This was one of their favorite activities.
Flame: Joshua and the Walls of Jericho
September 13, 2023 by Leave a Comment
The walls of Jericho were closed to God’s people. No one could get in or get out. The walls were tall so no one could climb them, either!
Crossroads: Following God
September 4, 2023 by
I loved to talk when I was a kid. I talked all the time. And at school, there are times when you’re supposed to be quiet. But sometimes I couldn’t help myself and I talked to the people around me. And of course, I got in trouble. I got I’s (needs Improvement) and sometimes U’s (for Unsatisfactory) on my report card for talking.
Live the Stories: Noah’s Ark
June 14, 2023 by
Remind the children of how Adam and Eve made a mistake in last week’s story. That mistake caused the world to be an unhappy place where people didn’t treat God or each other the right way. Begin by asking the children if they know what an ark is. They may respond by stating that an ark is a boat or something that Noah built.
Flame: Pentecost Flames Salad Spinner Art and Prayer Ideas
June 6, 2023 by
I found a cheap salad spinner ($4 in IKEA!) and was finally able to try out some spinner art! It’s brilliant: quick, clean (because the spinner sits in its own bowl) and each piece is unique! The process of making the art really lends itself to Pentecost themes so here’s an idea to help celebrate the occasion.
Flame: Pentecost Painting
May 24, 2023 by
I know it’s a bit early for Pentecost, but I like to be ahead of the game and there are so many stories where flames are useful! This is a really great idea for all ages.
Crossroads: Ascension, A New Chapter
May 22, 2023 by
New chapters are exciting, but also a bit scary. Moving to college was an important step for me, and it was part of being able to do things on my own. The disciples face a new chapter of their own that begins in the book of Acts.
Flame: Sharing God’s Love
May 2, 2023 by
The rainbow is a great symbol for Christians of God’s love and promise to us. It’s also the symbol of new beginnings, a key message of Christianity. This activity helps children to think about their own ability to share God’s love with others and to pray for those who don’t yet know that love.
Crossroads: The Shepherd
May 1, 2023 by
“Don’t talk to strangers.” It’s what my mother told me all the time growing up, and I’m sure it’s what you tell your own children. Strangers aren’t safe because you don’t know them.
Crossroads: Don’t Be Afraid
April 17, 2023 by
The disciples were afraid. Jesus had been arrested and killed because of who he was. And the disciples were afraid that they, too, would be arrested and killed because they followed Jesus. So they hid, locking the doors and hoping people would forget about them.
Flame: Oil and Paper Suncatchers
April 4, 2023 by
This is an activity that can be done by children of all ages and is a great illustration of Christ’s light shining through us. Gather the necessary materials and wait for a sunny day.
Crossroads: My Shepherd
March 27, 2023 by
Most of the time, I associate this Psalm with funerals. I don’t like to read this Psalm because it brings to mind sadness and pain. And yet, this Psalm is all about peace.
Flame: Esther’s Strengthened Heart
March 7, 2023 by
Esther showed great love for her people and for her uncle Mordecai, but she also showed that she had a great deal of courage in her heart. Ask the children to think about times when they have needed to show love to others or needed to be brave so they could help others.
Crossroads: Ashes
February 27, 2023 by
I always feel the weight of the ashes on my forehead on Ash Wednesday. It wasn’t until I went to a Catholic middle school that I began participating in Ash Wednesday services. From that first Ash Wednesday service until now, it never ceases to amaze me how much I feel those ashes.
Flame: “God Loves Me” Stained Glass Windows
February 14, 2023 by
This week one of our focus stories is the Prodigal Son. The main point we want to get across is that God loves us and wants to be involved in our lives. This is a craft we will be doing with our 3-5s group on Sunday and also with the 5-7s.
Flame: Memory Verses with Duplo Blocks
February 1, 2023 by
As part of our lesson looking at endurance (a link to athletes preparing for the Olympics), we used Duplo blocks and labels to put together the memory verse we were looking at.
Pass the Parcel Nativity Story
December 20, 2022 by
I wanted a simple, interactive way of telling the Nativity story, as my Sunday group can be a bit lively, so I decided that we would use some of our leftover Christmas cards.
Crossroads: Count Your Blessings
November 28, 2022 by
This is the time of year when we stuff our faces with turkey, dumplings (my grandmother makes the best!), mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, and a lot more dessert than we need.
Flame: Boxes Prayer Game
November 9, 2022 by
Children love this game and may well be familiar with it, but here’s a twist that adds prayer to the mix. Draw some dots in lines and columns on the paper (see below). I used 10 rows of 7 dots.
Crossroads: Remembering the Saints
November 7, 2022 by
On All Saints’ Day, we remember the important people in our faith. We remember people like Abraham and Moses. We remember David. We remember Peter and the disciples. We remember Paul.
Crossroads: Easy vs. Difficult
October 17, 2022 by
There have been many times that I have put off doing something because I either thought it was going to take a while or I thought it would be hard to do. For example, I tend to put off washing pots and pans after I cook because I think it’s going to take forever.
Crossroads: I Know Whom I Have Believed
October 10, 2022 by
When we ask Jesus to be our friend forever, when we tell God that we know that Jesus died for us and that we want to follow God, we are committing our lives to God. We are saying that God knows better than we do and that we will listen to God and follow what God tells us to do. We will act like Christ by following God.
Unless You Come unto Me as These
October 5, 2022 by
This one is going to be a problem for us. You know that most adults have forgotten that they were children once upon a time. In fact, how long has it been since most adults have included “once upon a time” in any sentence?
Strangers: A Meditation for Teachers
September 14, 2022 by
They walk, run, tumble, and drag into your room on the first day of school—complete strangers. At the beginning of the year they all seem to look alike.
Flame: Jesus Calms the Storm – Sensory Bottles
September 13, 2022 by
I’ve been doing a little bit of experimenting with sensory bottles this week as I wanted to make some to help the children under 5 years old to explore the story of Jesus calming the storm.
Crossroads: Entertaining Strangers
September 5, 2022 by
Have you ever helped someone you didn’t know? Or has someone come into your life at just the right time and it felt like they were sent from God? Pick one of these times to talk about with your family.
Bells: A Meditation for Teachers
August 23, 2022 by
Telephone bells, doorbells, school bells, and fire alarms all alert us and prepare us to go into action. Our modern use of bells is totally different than one hundred years ago. Church bells rang the hour of the day and told of a death.
Crossroads: By Faith, pt 2
August 22, 2022 by
Tell your family’s story of faith. If your ancestors were immigrants, your family faith story may begin with something like “by faith my great-great-great grandparents left the home and land they knew and came to America in search of a better life.”
Flame: Pipe Cleaner Intercessions
August 16, 2022 by
I love the versatility of pipe cleaners and children seem to feel the same! They are great for playing with and they are also great for praying with.
Crossroads: Greed
August 8, 2022 by
As an only child for seven years, there have been times in my life when I wasn’t great at sharing. Even now, I want to make sure someone is going to take really good care of my stuff before I let them borrow anything.
Crossroads: Being Busy
July 25, 2022 by
I like to be busy. If I’m watching TV or even a movie, I want to also being doing something else so that I don’t feel like I’m wasting time. So when I watch a movie or TV show at home, I also find myself looking at Facebook, my email, or even playing an online game like Candy Crush.
Crossroads: The Good Samaritan
July 18, 2022 by
As a young teenager, I went with my youth group to a soup kitchen one Saturday morning to feed the homeless. Several of my friends were going, and I wanted to have fun with my friends.
Flame: Light of the World Lantern
July 12, 2022 by
Lanterns and lamps appear in many Bible stories and they’re so easy to make, but I’ve always been disappointed that it’s difficult to put a light in a lantern without risking the whole thing going up in flames.
Crossroads: Sing Praises to God
July 11, 2022 by
God has answered many of my prayers over the years. Some of God’s answers have been yes, some no, and some that it wasn’t the time and I needed to wait. But I know that God always hears my prayers.
Crossroads: Don’t Give Up!
June 20, 2022 by
When we were kids, my sister hated school. She didn’t want to do her homework or study, so there were many times when she didn’t understand the material. When she was in middle school, though, she had an especially hard time with math.
Crossroads: Understanding Each Other
June 13, 2022 by
I’ve always loved the French language, and when I got into French classes in high school, I had the opportunity to travel to Paris. I was so excited!
Crossroads: Jesus Is in Charge
June 6, 2022 by
As a teenager, I loved volunteering for Vacation Bible School. It felt like a promotion to be able to help. Suddenly, I was in charge (sort of). Instead of listening to what I was supposed to do, I was the one giving direction.
Formations 05.22.2022: Our Adoption
May 15, 2022 by
A solid foundation of trust and security is essential to healthy child development. Research indicates that the first three years of life are the most fertile for building this foundation.
Crossroads: Recognizing Jesus
May 2, 2022 by
Talk about a time when you were surprised by a friend/relative who you didn’t recognize initially, but who recognized you. Was it a time when you got lost and that person found you?
Crossroads: Seeing Is Believing
April 25, 2022 by
Has something ever seemed too good to be true? Was it? Talk about a time when you didn’t believe something someone said until they showed you proof. Why didn’t you believe? Did the proof change your thinking?
Flame: Easter Cards
April 12, 2022 by
We made Easter cards last year and, when I got the Easter box down this week, I found we had loads of materials left so we did it again.
Crossroads: Waiting on the Lord
March 14, 2022 by
I find myself anxious a good bit of the time. I worry about what will happen, whether or not something will actually occur, and if things will turn out okay. It seems like Psalm 27 was written for worriers.
Crossroads: Everyone
March 7, 2022 by
My granddad loved to fish. And I wasn’t a fan of fishing. In fact, I thought fishing was pretty boring. But one day he talked me into going fishing with him for a tournament. We have pictures to prove that I caught a fish that day (that I wouldn’t touch).
Crossroads: God’s Great Plan for You
January 31, 2022 by
As a child, I never liked to see people unhappy. I always wanted to do what I could to help. When I was about five, we went to a local nursing home to sing for the residents. While we were there, we met a lady in a wheelchair who really wanted to go home.
Crossroads: The Body of Christ
January 24, 2022 by
Talk about a time in your life when you had to work as a team with others. Talk about what your role was and how each person had a different role. What were you trying to accomplish?
Crossroads: How Big Is God’s Love?
January 17, 2022 by
I can remember saying “I love you this much!” as a child, with my arms open wide. I’m sure you’ve seen children do this before: they open their arms as wide as they can and say “I love you this much!” Or they give you a bear hug and squeeze and say the same thing.