More Than Time Fillers: 3 “Overtime” Activities to Try This Christmas

With the Christmas season around the corner, you may see more families walking through your church doors. But if the pastor’s sermon goes long in “big church” and you have extra time with all those kids, what do you do? Well we’ve got you covered with three overtime activities to try in your children’s ministry.

More Than Time Fillers: 3 “Overtime” Activities to Try This Christmas

In sports, “overtime” is the extra time needed to figure out who wins the game. In children’s ministry, “overtime” is the extra time you have with kids when the sermon goes long. As in sports, overtime can be chaotic, stressful, and downright tiring.

But never fear! We have three FREE overtime activities for you to try that are perfect for the Christmas season—no supplies needed!

In an article called “Worship Wonders: Teaching Kids to Worship in Children’s Church,” Ali Thompson, the managing editor of DIG IN curriculum explains how to make “overtime” more meaningful. She writes: “[Overtime] activities are designed to run for as long as you need them to—from a couple of minutes to whenever the service finally wraps up. They can even end gradually as some kids leave and other kids wait for their parents.”

She goes on to explain, “Your time with kids is so precious and so limited. If you’ve been given extra time because of a long service, don’t waste it with time fillers! Make every second worshipful by using meaningful overtime activities that take the lesson even deeper.”

In this free download, you’ll find three simple ideas that keep kids having fun while learning about God’s love for them. These activities come from Group’s newest addition to DIG IN curriculum, DIG IN Children’s Church, releasing on March 1, 2023. In DIG IN Children’s Church, kids connect with God through engaging, worship-filled activities. Find more information on the brand-new curriculum here.

Wonder what’s the difference between Sunday school and Children’s Church? We’ll show you! Check out this article! Looking for more children’s activities? Check out these posts!