Deb Vos and Todd Hair
Got time on your hands and a
room full of kids-but you've used up all your lesson? Here's your
indispensable guide for turning unexpected time into
unexpected joy.
You'v...
Ideas for families
to discover the Good News of Easter--from Palm Sunday to
Resurrection Sunday.
Palm Sunday Discovery
Easter Tree of
Promises...
Jennifer Hooks
Here's how to keep today's techno kids from
"powering down" the minute they walk into your
room...
Recently I casually observed a mixed-age ministry program in a
s...
Ali Thompson
"Once Jesus was in a certain place praying.
As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, 'Lord,
teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples' " (Luk...
Give each child an apple. Help children core the apple. Then
have them mix together peanut butter and honey.
Kids can fill their apple with the peanut butter mixture,
lea...
Jody Capehart
HOW CHILDREN SOLVE PROBLEMS
Children at this age are losing their ability to be
multisensory. Somewhere between ages 6 and 8, kids begin to learn
in specific ways. And th...
1. A Bird's Eye View-(Supplies: paper and
markers.) Send children to tables with paper and markers.
Say: Pretend that you were a bird at Jesus' birth. Draw
what you w...
Theme: Celebrating Jesus' birth
Verses to Devour: Matthew 2:10-11
Supplies: five gingersnap cookies, a resealable
plastic sandwich bag, a teaspoon, corn syrup, creamy p...
Snack: You'll need: Plain sugar cookies cut in a
variety of Christmas shapes, ready-to-spread icing, decorator
sprinkles, and blunt knives.
Directions: Let children fros...
Idea:You need an 8oz. clear plastic cup,1 quart of
vanilla ice cream and 1 quart of strawberry ice cream and
peppermint extract.
Mix the extract in the vanilla ice cream....
Here''s an easy way to prevent spills while children enjoy
painting.
You'll need one baby food jar for each color, one inexpensive
water color brush for each jar, a thin...
Bob Singleton
We were in the studio working on our new album when my music
assistant and I began to rehearse the kids chorus. It's my favorite
time in the studio, working with a group of ...
Every ministry has them --
quirky corners, pesky problems, and messy mishaps. Here are simple
solutions you can use to make sense of common
conundrums.
WHAT A SIGHT
...
Peter Christian Olsen
What kids really know--and think--about the
Bible
"The first book of the Bible is called guinessis. God created
the world. When he got tired, he took the Sabbath day ...
Steven James
The Bible is the greatest love story ever written and the most
thrilling adventure ever told. Yet all too often in children's
ministry, when it's time for retelling events f...
Jennifer Hooks
Transforming your Sunday school classroom into an
exciting learning environment for kids can be tough on a budget.
Here are 19 ideas that'll cost you next to nothing...
U...
Come and see how God's people
are shining his light into the broken places of children's
lives.
"God is good."
For some children, they're not so sure that's true -- ...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Minimize negativity and create a positive atmosphere
with these tips...
A negative child often seeks love and craves attention. A
negative attitude, though, can disrupt y...
Scott Kinner
How would you feel if you broke your arm and the emergency room
doctor handed you a bottle of aspirin and said, "Take two of these
and go home and rest"? And as you pondered...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Create a tasty celebration of God's creation that will be a hit
at snack time. For this simple recipe you will need:
Stuff: Bugles corn snacks, vanilla frosting,
fruit-fl...
Help kids learn that with God we can overcome problems and fears
with the help of this Bible activity.
I Can't Jar
I have an "I can't" jar in my classroom. When kids sa...
Reader Submitted
Our Sunday school sponsors a Secret Valentine program for our
entire church each year. We ask everyone (ages 3 and over) to sign
up two weeks after Christmas. We assign each...
Reader Submitted
February means Valentine's Day -- a great time to help children
share God's love with others! Here are fun, fast, and meaningful
ways to share God's love in your classroom w...
Reader Submitted
A Valentine's Day Bible activity that
will show your children's ministry kids the depth of God's
love.
Theme: Valentine's Day
Text: 1 John 4:10-11
Preparation: Give...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Use these ideas to help kids who are struggling through
stressful times.
Kids are under a lot of stress -- at school, in extracurricular
activities, and at home. A study ...
Children's Ministry Magazine
download a PDF of this Children's Ministry Magazine Extra
here
All people learn differently -- regardless of age. Whether you
look through the lens of Gardner's Multipl...
Imagination and discovery-these are elements of learning that
are hard to tap in elementary-age children when they're sitting
behind a desk. Play is an essential learning to...
Reader Submitted
To help children understand the meaning of Christ's empty tomb,
make this fun and tasty treat.
Supplies:
1 can refrigerated breadstick dough
Large marshmallows
Spray ma...
Tracy Nerem
Palm Branch Cookies
Your kids will enjoy making and eating these cookies. To make
the dough, you'll need 1/3 cup shortening, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 egg, 3
cups sifted flour, 1/...
Sue Geiman
"Feelings" are more than an old song; they're the key to amazing
learning in your classroom!
I sit on the bench under the trees, smiling as I see little
hand- and footpri...
Children's Ministry Magazine
If you feel like you're constantly repeating directions or
shouting to get kids' attention, try unspoken cues to help kids
focus and gently remind them to pay attention.
...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Instead of a card, I mail out these unique birthday wishes to my
kids on their special day -- along with a refreshing, sweet treat.
I purchase Kool-Aid drink packets and att...
Christine Yount Jones
Your kids can grasp a lot more than you
think
When 4-year-old Craig thought about Jesus "coming into his
heart"--a common metaphor for salvation-he had a vision...
Mary Ellen Drushal
Children usually learn to read by
recognizing combinations of letters. Learning to teach is similar.
Qualities and skills combine to make the teaching process
understan...
Danielle Bell
3 tools to gauge kids score spiritually
Growing up as an avid soccer player, I was blessed with a high
school coach who poured countless hours of drills and skills int...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Summertime means vacations, relaxation, special activities, and
company -- it also means kids miss church more than usual. Use
these ideas to keep in touch with your kids ov...
Dale Hudson
Feedback from parents is vital
to your ministry's growth, health, and longevity. Here's the
ultimate guide on how to ask for it.
Parents are our greatest allies in ch...
Carol Younger
Storytelling tips for the novice and the
expert.
It can happen in almost any class. Kids are engaged in learning
through hands-on experiences, and then it hits. The class...
Nurturing conversations with God
and children at every stage.
Prayer is as simple as a conversation with a best friend and as
powerful as asking a king for help. How can...
Larry Shallenberger
How to make it the book for
kids!
Poll a thousand Sunday school teachers and you'll find a thousand
teachers who want to pass on their love of the Bible to children.
Ea...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Understand how kids of all ages make friends and how you
can nurture friendships
Ages 2 to 4
Sharing
Young children depend on others to
help them develop positive s...
Rick Chromey
The great Bible teachers leave a mark.
They masterfully carve God into our lives. They reveal an
inconceivable forgiveness. They expose divine opportunities. They
detail ...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Fall is a good time to give Bibles to the children in your
program. Many churches make this an annual event and give Bibles to
a certain age group each year during a special...
Lisa Wheeler
I failed him. His drawing made it clear.
I'd asked the kids to draw pictures of their favorite Bible
stories. Alex drew an open Bible, and inside he wrote, "Be nice. Be
g...
Children's Ministry Magazine
First of all, I help each first-grade girl fill out a
get-to-know-you sheet with questions about her address, phone,
family, interests, and more. I put all these forms in a ...
Jennifer Hooks
Time is money." We've all heard that. But time is a lot
more than just money -- it's the most precious, non-recyclable
commodity we have.
For some teachers, time is somet...
Children's Ministry Magazine
With "Vote for Me" signs and posters beginning to pop up
everywhere we look, it's no doubt kids know that election season is
right around the corner (November 4 this year). ...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Out With the Old
Use this station to give thanks for the blessings of 2008. Provide
parchment-style paper for families to write down things they've
been thankful for over t...
Susan Shadid
Have you ever been in a classroom where you can see or hear
another group of kids interacting and having fun -- and you're not?
The other teacher and group are lively, but y...
Nancy Sutton
The class ends, and you plop into a chair to quietly ponder the
morning.
I started class with prayer. The kids recited the Bible verse.
They even knew all the answers to ...
Steve Merritt
Once on a trip, when our car unexpectedly stopped moving
forward, a cranky tow truck driver showed up looking like a grizzly
bear rudely awakened from his winter hibernation...
Kristi Rector
Uh, oh! Those words, spoken by a child, can send a chill of
dread down the spine of every teacher -- what catastrophe awaits?
Kids seem to naturally attract small disast...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Several years ago, we asked over 900 kids to tell us what they
liked best about Sunday school. One of their top answers was
snacks.
So, if you really want to capture kids...
Just for Today
I've been the Christian preschool director for years, and I
remember how hard we worked to make learning unforgettable for that
first class of preschoolers...
Research shows that laughter plays an important role in both
physical and mental health. Laughter releases endorphins, chemicals
in your body that produce an overall feel-go...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Decorate a bucket and lid, and each week send it home with a
different child to fill with treats to share the next week. On the
lid, secure information including number of k...
Jennifer Root Wilger
HOW CHILDREN ARE
MOTIVATED
Children at this age are motivated by approval. They're making
exciting advances in their physical abilities, and they look to
adults to affir...
Terry Vermillion
In this corner, weighing 165 pounds: Brad Fife, Sunday school
teacher extraordinaire.
In that corner, weighing .10 pounds: the champion, fuddy-duddy
Sunday school curric...
Children's Ministry Magazine
The questions kids ask about God-and how to
respond.
"God can change himself into a baby," 4-year-old Nicholas mused.
To many children, God is a magical being that ma...
Lori Haynes Niles
No two snowflakes are alike. These amazingly complex
demonstrations of God's handiwork are absolutely unique, shaped by
a complex interchange between temperature, moisture c...
Awesome new ways to use the "same old" recyclables
There's no doubt about it -- children's ministers are a
resourceful bunch. We're always collecting -- paper to...
Jennifer Hooks
Each new Sunday school year means new faces, new personalities,
and new opportunities to create a classroom environment that keeps
kids coming back. Great activities, re...
Mary J. Davis
Bring on the white stuff with an avalanche of 20
free children's ministry activities and ideas for kids, families,
and teachers...
Whether kids live in the north, south,
...
Scott Kinner
When your lesson is broken...how to fix it every
time.
Here's a simple question: Looking back at your last lesson, what
did your kids learn? Don't answer that too quickly...
Greg Baird
Resolve to do these five things, and you'll open the
door to better children's ministry.
Resolutions. We've all made them at some point or another. Most
likely, though...
Susan Sorenson
10 creative ways to encourage kids in your class to
pray even more.
Prayer is an incredible privilege because it's communication with
the living God! Yet we often strugg...
Look what happened when we recruited a creative mom
to make over a room for the third-graders at this
church!
When Children's Ministry Magazine asked Kami Gilmour, a
mo...
Lisa Wheeler
I failed him. His drawing made it clear.
I'd asked the kids to draw pictures of their favorite Bible
stories. Alex drew an open Bible, and inside he wrote, "Be nice. Be
g...
Say: We're going on a silent prayer walk. We
won't talk to each other or to anyone we meet. I'll give hand
signals to tell you when to go, stop, or turn. As we walk, we'll
...
Using music to help manage your children's ministry
classroom
1. If children are extremely excited or
unmanageable, play music with a slow tempo. It will help quell
thei...
Clowns make children laugh. Smile. Snicker. Clowns can captivate
a child without saying a word. And a clown can teach a lesson a
child will never forget.
Clowning involve...
Christine Yount
We just moved into a new house. And for three weeks we were
without any television hookup. Then my husband and a friend climbed
up into the attic and put in a new antenna. T...
Understanding the Importance of Memorial
Day
Don't let Memorial Day pass by without helping your kids
understand the importance of honoring others. Great ways to observe
...
Pat Verbal
Have each child send a National Day of Prayer care package
filled with goodies to a family in the armed forces. Have children
list the things they're praying for them, such ...
Promote the National Day of Prayer with this
idea.
Last year we held a National Day of Prayer Poster Contest at the
beginning of April. We had great participation.
We ...
Each year at Easter we're swept away by the almost
incomprehensible idea of what God's love has done for us through
the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This Bible lesson w...
Lisa Newman
Since it first hit the airwaves in 1969, Sesame Street has
successfully wooed preschoolers with its mix of puppets, humor, and
simplicity. In fact, many parents and Sunday s...
Jennifer Hooks
Say goodbye to a blah classroom with
these 19 quick and cheap makeover ideas.
Ugh. The bleak walls. The boring layout. The
stale carpet. The blank bulletin boards. You ha...
Larry Crane
The Apostle Paul helped lay the foundations of the Christian
church. His missionary zeal and commitment to God's truths are a
shining example for all Christians. To help you...
God is great, God is good. And we thank him for our food.
Amen."
Great lives of faith have taken root in simple encounters with
God such as this. These initial concrete e...
Cindy Kenney
Theme ideas to turn up the heat when your ministry
cools off...
It's that time of the year. The skies are gray, the air is cold,
and kids would rather be home sleepin...
Amy Nappa
Practical approaches to help kids dig deeper into
God's Word.
You burrow through the Bible, searching for choice gems of truth.
When you discover them, you feel such a g...
Amy Beth Larson
"I work with these children because I believe that
the impossible not only can happen, I believe that it
will."
Tony's words broke into mine, "It doesn't work. I pray al...
Lisa Cowman
Use this list of 19 time-fillers to make that extra
class time positive learning time.
AGES 2 AND 3
-Ring Around the Rosie-Play the usual way but sing, "With
kindness,...
TREAT BAGS
Help kids serve others. Send home letters to parents requesting a
donation of a Halloween treat, such as individually wrapped
lollipops, chewing gum, or cand...
Dick Gruber
I just received a card from the parents of a boy in my church.
The boy's name is Lance.
Two and a half years ago when I met Lance, he was the ring leader
in a plot to ru...
Give your kids a positive shot in the arm with these
ideas.
If there's one thing kids need today, it's an immunity to low
self-esteem. Many children are so infected by p...
Are you looking for ways to save money? Who isn't in these
economic times?
We asked readers to send in their homemade concoctions to share
with you penny pinchers. You c...
Carol Younger
It can happen in almost any class. Kids are engaged in learning
through hands-on experiences, and then it hits. The class forms a
circle for story time and the mood sours. A...
Vince Isner
A friend was telling the story of Jesus walking on the water as
a children's sermon. "As I explained to them how Peter got out of
the boat and walked toward Jesus," he said,...
Ellen Javernick
Just as Lucy screams "dog germs" when licked by Snoopy, third-
and fourth-grade boys scream "girl germs" when they have to hold
hands with girls. And girls scream "boy germs...
Sheila Halasz
How to Keep Your Subs From Sinking: Create a survival kit to
help substitute teacher succeed.
My phone rang early Sunday morning. I dreaded answering it. I
knew who was c...
Joyce Platek
Want to know how to conquer kids' learning obstacles? If after
every lesson your kids can say, "We came, we saw, we heard, we
touched," they'll also be able to say, "We conq...
Brent Van Elswyk
How children learn Bible stories--and ways to teach them.
AGE
2 to 5 years
HOW CHILDREN LEARN
Young children like to be read to with age-appropriate books. They
like ...
Julie Shaffer and Heather Ward
Here are 4 ways to help explain how God wants us to make
wise choices for ourselves.
1. FOLLOW ME
When children arrive, lead them in a game of Follow the Leader.
T...
Paul White, Ph.D.
From: September/October 1992 Children's Ministry Magazine
Keywords: News Insights
AGE
2 to 4 years
HOW CHILDREN REACT TO THE NEWS
When preschoolers overhear stor...
Chuck Bakinderchuck
Kids love to laugh. They need to laugh. In fact, I would go so
far as to say that without humor, children never really live.
God has given people the capacity to laugh. T...
Kids will enjoy cooking up this fun Bible cake--and they'll
learn how to find different books in the Bible more effectively
while they're at it.
Photocopy this recipe, ga...
Objective: Kids will learn that God protects
them.
Stuff you'll need: Dinner-roll dough, Hershey's
Kisses, cinnamon-sugar mixture in a bowl, melted margarine in a
bowl, ...
A fun Valentine's Day snack that kids will love to
make!
Make soft pretzels and have kids shape them into hearts. Prepare
the dough ahead of time and let the dough rise be...
Encourage your church to give the children in your ministry a
Prayer Valentine. Around the first of February, write each child's
name and age on a red cut-out heart. On the ...
Help kids understand that God wants us to hold Jesus in our
hearts with these easy-to-make Valentine's Day cupcakes.
You'll need: A prepared cake mix and
strawberry prese...
In each issue of Children's Ministry Magazine we offer
exclusive extra content, ideas, and downloadables found only at
childrensministry.com as a benefit to our readers. Use...
