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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Flame: Advent Prayer Bags
November 29, 2022 by
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: 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Christmas Card Boxes and Advent Calendar
December 22, 2021 by
I always keep my Nativity themed Christmas cards because the children, especially at our school, love to look at them and talk about the Nativity story.
DIY Nativity Advent Calendar
November 17, 2021 by
If you’ve ever thought of making your own Advent calendar but wondered if it would be too tricky, this is the post for you! Here you can make your own Nativity-themed calendar that can hold candy, small toys, or personalized daily Advent activities.
Flame: Advent Wreath Craft
December 2, 2020 by
We’ve now entered Advent and I was thinking of how families could use the tradition of the Advent wreath at home in a craft and prayer activity. Of course it’s great to have the real candles to light, but here’s an alternative to make and do.
Advent Journey Spirals
November 24, 2020 by
This craft explores the idea of a journey towards the birth of Jesus, echoing the journey that Mary and Joseph take to Bethlehem and our own waiting for Jesus to come again.
Flame: David and Goliath Balloon Inflation Trick
October 13, 2020 by
We acted out the story of David and Goliath, focusing on the fact that, though others thought that David had no chance against Goliath, David trusted God and God was able to use him and the skills he had.
Flame: Strength in Christ Yarn Craft
August 1, 2020 by
This craft is very messy, requires some patience and is very effective for exploring the idea of Jesus giving us the strength we need (e.g when looking at verses such as Philippians 4:13).
Flame: Playdough World Map Prayers
January 8, 2020 by
This is a very hands on and tactile way of praying! Ask children to choose a country to pray for and give them some playdough.
Flame: Praying for Sad Situations
October 30, 2019 by
Children can really identify with a sense of sadness, and, as a fact of life, sad things happen. They occur in our lives, in the lives of people we know, and in the world as a whole. Here is a prayer station to help children (especially younger ones) pray that God will bring joy and happiness to those experiencing times of sadness.
Flame: Psalm 23 – Overflowing Cup
October 2, 2019 by
Verse 5 of the twenty-third Psalm speaks about the overflowing cup that God gives and this craft is a way of exploring and thanking God for His many gifts. Each creation will be unique!
Flame: God Protects Me
August 28, 2019 by
This activity, based on Psalm 139, comes in two parts—a game and a craft—and is best for children between ages five and eight.
Flame: Sensory Prayer Path
February 19, 2019 by
I was inspired by a photo I saw on Pinterest recently of a sensory pathway and it got me thinking about how we could use the idea to help children to connect with God.
Flame: A Lesson in Self-Control
July 25, 2018 by
Today we continued studying the fruit of the Spirit by looking at self-control. We tried a game to start that involved marbles and cut up paper towel tubes.
Moses in the Bulrushes: Prayers for Safety
March 14, 2018 by
When telling the story of baby Moses being left in a basket in the river by his mother, I like to focus on the theme of safety. Here is the prayer activity we ended with. It was so easy but felt so significant!
Flame: Creation Story Circles
June 6, 2017 by
I get really excited by visual ways of telling stories, so I thought I’d make some for us to use. I chose to use cork and paper as we are trying to get away from plastic, if possible!
Flame: Zacchaeus Tree-building Challenge
August 2, 2016 by
If you want to offer an absorbing and challenging way for children to explore the story of Zacchaeus, then look no further. This is a great way to help them think about Zacchaeus’s determination to see Jesus because it will take some determination to complete the task!
Flame: God Is Close to Us Safety Pins
February 17, 2016 by
Here’s an idea to help emphasize God’s closeness to us, wherever we are, and whatever we’re doing. It works for adults or children, individuals or groups, so be prepared.
Flame: Children Teach the Story of the Lost Sheep
January 5, 2016 by
One of the new ideas we’ve tried out this year is to encourage the children to take a more active part in the teaching on a Sunday morning. This was our first attempt.
Flame: The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
June 8, 2015 by
This week I’m going to be talking about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. When I’ve taught this before, I’ve focused on how we come to God in prayer, but this time I’m looking at the idea of grace.
Flame: Loom Band Advent Stars
December 10, 2014 by
Here’s a way to use up some loom bands in a reflective Advent activity. After sharing the story of the WIse Men, make 5 popsicle sticks into a star shape and secure each point of the star with a loom band.
Flame: Loom Band Prayer Bracelet
July 23, 2014 by
I finally cracked and bought some loom bands this week. It’s always great to use something children already enjoy to help them experience prayer, so here’s an idea for making loom band prayer bracelets (without the loom)