good

Happy "first day of Spring!" Although it is slowly but surely warming up outside, some days are still a bit too windy and chilly for outdoor play. So I thought an indoor activity would be nice to share today. 
In both Genesis 1:31 and 1 Timothy 4:4, the Bible tells us that everything God created is good. Why not read those scriptures to your little ones, and then play a fun game with stuffed animals. 

Gather all the fuzzy toys and line them up on the floor or couch. While holding each animal, talk about where we can find a real one, what it likes to eat, and what sounds the animal makes. As you set an animal down, say together "...and everything God made was good." Then pick up another fuzzy critter and repeat. Have fun!

a wee little man

The story of Zacchaeus is a classic Sunday School lesson. Our littles enjoyed pretending to climb up and down a tree yesterday, and took turns telling Zacchaeus to climb down from the tree.

This "tree" was fairly simple to create, and could be used in a variety of lessons. I started with a paper towel tube, and drew lines and knots to create a woodgrain look. Four "squares" of green tissue paper are twisted and glued inside the top of the tube. Two layers of magnetic tape (long strips) are adhered inside the tube and a piece is on the back of the Zacchaeus figure. 
  ***Craft Tips:
1) Be sure to flatten out the magnetic tape before adhering it into the tube.
2) Place a dowel inside the tube on top of the magnetic tape, and rest a phone book on top for a few days to be sure the magnetic tape sticks.
I also placed a bit of magnetic tape on the back of the Jesus figure, and I used a bookend to support the scene. (The tree can be attached to the bookend with yarn or more magnetic tape.) The children took turns retelling the story and making Zacchaeus slide down the tree. 

extra recess!

Remember when you were in grade school, and the next best thing to eating that rectangle of pizza at lunch was earning an extra recess? With this looooooong, cold winter still hanging around, we think everyone should get both this Sunday!

All families are invited to join us for a playtime on March 9th. There will be scooters, a variety of games for all ages, and time to chat while the kiddos burn off energy. When we're done, we can head over to the church for pizza! 
You don't even have to rsvp... just come over to the DISC.  **Gym shoes and comfy clothes are recommended.  :}

going fishing - part 2

In my previous post, I promised you a fun snack idea to go with the "fishers of men" lesson... and here it is! 

You wouldn't think these flavors go well together, but I found the snack to be surprisingly tasty! It was such an enjoyable snack to share in class... we will be having this one again soon!

going fishing - Part 1

More than once in the Bible, the metaphor of "fishing for men" is written. This past Sunday our pre-schoolers listened to Luke 5:1-11. We talked about living the way Jesus wants us to live, and then about praying for our friends, and inviting our friends to church. Then we played a fishing game! 

These cute fish came with our Sunday School curriculum, but you can easily make your own at home. You can print fish images onto card stock, or simply cut fish-shapes out of construction paper. If you are using construction paper, you could also add an extra activity (great for these really cold days) of decorating the fish with markers, stickers, and even sequins! 
On each fish, write a name - your pre-schooler, friends, family, etc. Attach a small piece of magnetic tape to the back of each fish. Create a fishing pole by taping yarn to the end of a straw, and tie a paperclip to the end. Spread the fish out on a table, the floor, or even in a bowl, and "fish for men."
***Variation for older children: Sandwich each fish between two layers of clear Contact Paper. Leave a border around the edge when you cut the fish out, and be sure to seal the edges firmly. Then add the magnetic tape. Your child can now go fishing in a bowl of water, a water table, or even a baby-sized swimming pool (you might need a longer fishing pole for this). 

I also have a free printable for you today:

Print the fish onto card stock, write your little one's name in pencil, and help "write" the name again using glitter-glue. FUN!!

Be sure to come back on Monday... I have a really fun snack to share with you that fits perfectly with this Bible story (Luke 5:1-11)!

Jesus grew like me!

Our pre-schoolers had fun yesterday in Sunday School. We are learning about how Jesus grew up (just like them) and read important lessons to learn about God (just like them). He even sometimes made people angry with him.
To add some movement to the lesson, our little ones got to take a walk around the inside of the church. They were asked to picture Jesus walking right alongside them. They could tell Jesus whatever they wanted. How wonderful to help these eager, young learners develop a personal relationship with Jesus!
Returning to the classroom, the children were asked to think about foods that perhaps Jesus ate when he was growing up. So, for snacktime we had flatbread, grapes, and Feta cheese. 

I knew the grapes would be a winner, but to my surprise, the flatbread and cheese were gobbled up, too! Of course I'll never know, but I wonder if the lesson and activities preceding snacktime influenced their willingness to try the new foods. Just a thought in case you have a picky eater at home!
My next post will have a snacktime prayer for this snack. So add flatbread, grapes, and Feta cheese to your grocery list and meet me back here on Thursday!

seeing stars

Our "toddlers & twos" are continuing to learn about the wise men who followed the star to find and worship Jesus. We are also working on identifying the simple star shape. So today I thought I'd share an activity you can use at home. 

*** Tip: If you print this page onto cardstock, it will last a little bit longer. 
Have your little one decorate the stars with crayons, markers, stickers, etc. Then cut out the stars, and work together to line up the stars from smallest to largest. Repeat the activity, but order them from largest to smallest. Click here for a simple song to conclude your activity.
When you are finished, tuck the stars into a plastic bag and toss into your diaper bag. Then you will have an activity ready to play the next time you are stuck waiting with your little one.

Jesus loves my friends

Today I thought I'd share an easy activity for your little ones. Just print out this page, read and discuss the sentence together, then let the drawing time begin! 

Solomon Builds the Temple

This past Sunday, our Pre-School classroom listened to the story of how King Solomon built the Temple. Inspired by today's rain and most children's love of building, I thought I'd share an indoor activity today. 

The next time you and your little one are building with blocks, why not try making different church buildings. As you work, you can talk about how church buildings can be very different from one another. Share with your little one that Solomon prayed to God, and God told Solomon how to build the Temple. You could even try to build what you imagine the Temple looked like, including the two very important rooms: the "inner holy place" with an altar, and the "most holy place" which contained the ark of the covenant.

BIG & little

Throughout October, our toddlers have been learning the story of David and Goliath. Part of the lesson yesterday in our Sunday School class was a sorting game. The poster pictured Goliath on one side, and David on the other. The objective was to sort the picture cards of small things onto David's side, and pictures of very large things onto Goliath's side. 
Today I'd like to share an even more active game for playtime. You will need two tubs, baskets, boxes... some sort of container. One should be much larger than the other. You will also need some toys and stuffed animals, or pictures printed onto cardstock. Young children are pretty concrete thinkers, so if you are using printed pictures, try to print them so that naturally large items print larger on the page than naturally small items.

Ask your kiddo to sort the large items into the large tub, and the small items into the small tub. It might be easier to hold up the two items you are comparing at the same time. For example, hold up a large firetruck and a small car while asking which one is a giant like Goliath, and which toy is small like David. 
As your little one cleans up, remind him/ her that even though David was little, he knew God would help him defeat the giant Goliath.

a Prayer Walk

So yesterday was Columbus Day, which for my darlings meant a day off from school. I brought them with me to work for about as long as two active boys can entertain themselves "quietly." Then we enjoyed a late lunch with family. After that I really needed to go grocery shopping, but walking to the park for an impromptu playtime was much more appealing. (Hmmmm... dragging them through the store while they ask for everything... OR... trying to touch the clouds with our toes by swinging as high as we can... tough decision!) 
For our walk home, we tried a Prayer Walk, and it was a wonderful experience! In addition to the bug-studying, stick-finding, and flower-picking, we stopped on the sidewalk in front of each house we passed on our street, held hands, and said a short prayer for each neighbor. We started with "repeat-after-me," and then after 2 or 3 houses, they were able to say the prayer along with me. 

Now, I didn't have any milk, so we couldn't have cereal this morning... and while I'd decided to serve toast instead, we didn't have any bread either. So... toaster pastries for breakfast, a sandwich on a burger bun for lunch... it's all ok. This ended up being a great way to add more prayer time as a family, and an excellent way for active children to pray. I encourage you to give it a try with your little ones!

Listen, Listen

If you thought after reading the title of this post that I was going to give you some insightful advice about getting your children to listen to you more... ummmm, sorry???  That's still a... "work in progress" in our house. I will gladly listen to any suggestions you have!   :} 
Because our Bible verse for September is about listening, I thought it would be nice to incorporate a listening game your little ones can play with you at home. 

brother Noah

Now that it's getting cooler outside (it was pretty chilly at the bus stop this morning!), I see that the park near my house is pretty empty in the morning, with the pre-school crowd showing up on sunny afternoons. So I thought I'd share a song / activity that would be fun for morning playtime inside. 

First, find some animals - you will need two of each. Animals that make noises are easier to use for this activity. You can use stuffed animals, little plastic toy animals, and images cut from magazines and coloring books. Then, find a container or tub to use as an "ark."

Before you are ready to sing and play, hide one of each animal in your play area. As you sing each verse, hold up an animal. Challenge your pre-schooler to find the matching animal before you finish the verse. After the pair of animals has been found, place them into the "ark" together. 

If you would like to extend this activity to a real-life experience, visit the zoo one afternoon, and photograph each animal you see. If there's a male and female in the enclosure, photograph them separately. When you get home, print the pics of the animals. Print two copies of the animals that were bachelor(ette)s or find another image, from a magazine or online, so that you have two images of each animal. Then play the game the next day - E I E I O! 

a prayer for Labor Day

Over the years, I haven't met too many kids who don't like playing "dress up." Both of my boys still like to play it now and then... today they put on their old Halloween costumes and kept the house safe from scurvy pirates and knight-eating dragons. 
To help little bitties understand more about Labor Day (or just for fun on any day!), why not play "dress up" with make-shift costumes and pretend to be a mail carrier, firefighter, nurse, dentist, pastry chef, minister, teacher, waitress, soldier, bus driver........  
Some jobs -- especially the ones you don't have a costume for  ;)  -- would be fun to act out in a game of Charades. Make your actions easy enough for your child to guess what your job is. For example, use some play money from a board game and pretend to be a bank teller - don't forget the sucker! When your child has the hang of it, let him/ her choose a job to act out. Have fun guessing! 
Here's a short prayer to wrap up your play-time: 

A friend loves at all times

Our Sunday School lessons for the month of August have been focused on friendship. What a great topic to continue discussing at home!
With older children we might discuss standing up for our friends, not gossiping, the issue of bullying, etc. But these concepts are difficult for younger children to understand. 
While we often remind our "littles" to share with their friends, we can do more to help them understand this amazing gift of friendship God gave us.
For example, when a friend is coming over for a play-date, you can pray with your little one that God will help all of you show friendship. Then help your child set out toys that are conducive for sharing. Be sure to offer positive praise when you catch your little one being a great friend! Before bedtime, pray together again, thanking God for gift of friends. 
For a rainy day activity, help your child create a hand-made card and mail it to a friend - just because.   :}  
Encourage your child to invite a friend to Sunday School! Friends share God's love with each other. 
Teach your little one from an early age to speak words of encouragement to their friends. Some of my proudest "Mommy Moments" have been catching my sons telling a friend "good job" or "way to go" or "you can do it!" while they were bowling, playing at the park, etc. 
I'm sure you can think of tons of other ideas and activities for little ones to show love to their friends... feel free to share your ideas in the Comment Section! 
Have a wonderful day, friends  :}

Love thy neighbor...

I'll bet your littles like "helping" you in the kitchen as much as mine do. While it might take three times as long to finish, it's a great family activity. Why not make the most of it, and share some love with your neighbors at the same time???
Grab your favorite cookie recipe (or favorite tube of dough!) and bake a batch or two. While you are waiting for the cookies to cool, read Mark 12:30-31 together. After you wrap them up on a plate, tie on a fancy ribbon. I made a pretty little tag for you, that you can print, cut out, and tie with your ribbon. 

When you get back from delivering the goodies, brainstorm other ways we can show Christian love to our neighbors. Have fun!

Jesus in the bathtub

Ok, so maybe the title of this post is trying to catch your attention, but Jesus is always with us, right?  ;)

As parents are well aware, the days often feel too short to fit everything in. Why not share some scripture while your little one takes a bath? The story of Jesus and the fishermen can be found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. I chose Luke 5:1-11 as it is a bit more detailed and perhaps easier for a preschooler to understand. 
Kids love activities that corespond to scripture, so grab a sheet of craft foam and a toy butterfly net. Cut fish out of the craft foam, and your child can use the net to scoop up the fish in the bathtub. How nice it is to know that Jesus wanted fishermen to be His helpers. We can learn to be Jesus' helpers, too. 
As you snuggle your little one into his/ her bed, show how we can use our hands to make a fish...

 ...as a reminder that God is always with us, and we should use our hands to help others.

Luke 10:25-37

We are learning so much this week at Vacation Bible School! One of the stories we read and discussed was about the Good Samaritan. Here are some ideas for reviewing this bible story at home...
While reading the bible together, pause to ask your child questions. Young children can sympathize with how the hurt man is feeling. Pause after reading about each character who saw the hurt man and ask, "Does Jesus want us to be like that person?" Let your child(ren) practice the positive behavior of the good Samaritan by bandaging a teddy bear or doll. Then, help your child(ren) draw pictures of ways to be a good Samaritan at home by doing kind, helpful things. 

the "family" song

Since our Toddlers & Twos who stay for Sunday School will be learning about families this month, I thought it would be nice to share an activity for some family fun at home. 
Singing is already fun for toddlers, and it gets even better when you add clapping or dancing. The next time you need a wiggle-break, try this song (sung to the tune of Skip to My Lou):

I love my Mommy,

Yes, I do!

I love my Mommy,

Yes, I do!

I love my Mommy,

Yes, I do!

Thank You, dear God, for my Mommy.

**repeat verses, substituting Daddy, Abuela, Opa, Sissy, etc.

When you're finished singing, you can snuggle together for a simple prayer:

Dear God, thank you for the wonderful, loving family you created for me. Amen.

Psalm 100:3

Toddlers and pre-schoolers have short attention spans, don't they? Just look at the trail of toys they leave in their wake every day! So how do you capture those teachable moments to teach him/ her about the Bible?
Well, I'm no "expert," but I've worked with little bitties for a long time (and well, sometimes my attention span is about as long as theirs!). I've often found that making learning fun, and including movement and/ or music is quite effective. 
Here's something to try on the next rainy day: 

Find a quiet spot and read Psalm 100:3 
"Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture."

Then, grab some chairs, couch cushions, whatever you have handy and build a "fence" in your living room. Create a gate by leaving an open space or designating one of the cushions as a gate. Everyone gets on their knees and pretends to be sheep. Repeat the scripture, and the sheep move out of the fence to graze and play. After a few minutes, the sheep should return to their fence for a rest. Then, repeat the scripture again, move out of the fenced area... You get the idea! Play for as long as it holds your child's interest.

I'd love to hear from you after you try this at home - feel free to leave a comment or catch me at church and let me know what your kiddos thought!

***And speaking of play-time, be sure you have Wednesday nights at 6pm saved for remARKable friends park play-dates! Our next play-date is July 3rd at Fletcher Park in Mt. Zion. See you there!!  :}