Check out some more ideas for family time on my pinterest board:
https://www.pinterest.com/pastortiff/family-time/
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Starting a better FAMILY TIME: Creation
Maybe you're like me and you want to make your personal Bible time go from something you feel like you should do to something you can...
Sunday, March 20, 2016
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
We enjoyed learning about the story of the shepherd who looks after the sheep and cares so much for all of them. And even when he lost one sheep, he went looking for it high and low and threw a party when he found it.
Here's how we made this story come to life for us this week:
Day 1: Reading the story for the first time
I used 3 cotton balls to play the role of our lost sheep :) We talked about what they sound like and feel like and then we hid one to play a hide and seek game! And then afterward, like each night, we hold hands and pray a VERY simple prayer such as "God, thank you for finding the sheep."
Coloring is a favorite thing in our house... we do a lot of it! So we colored a picture of a sheep after we read the story.
Day 4: Sheep hiding behind the bushes
We used one of the sheep from the previous night and I cut out 3 bushes that were bigger than the sheep. She would close her eyes (which was precious) while we put the sheep behind one of the bushes and she had to try to find out where it was hiding.
Another idea would be throwing a party at the end of the week :)
So that's what we did this week! Very easy, quick and simple prep and the kids can't wait for family time every night! We know they won't remember all the activities we did but they will remember us making the time to love God together every day and how much fun it was.
If you look back to our weeks of Adam and Eve and Jonah, we made them all out of pre-made cut outs and she uses them to play with in her play house and when I ask her who they are, she can tell me!
Soap box: I'm a children's pastor and know how important it is for these young minds to be shaped well and that children's ministry (specifically the nursery) is not babysitting.. it's a foundation. Worship, prayer, relationships and learning through play ---like our family time--- makes a difference. If you are looking for a church or are plugged in, be sure that your kids--no matter the age--are in a quality ministry. Off soap box. :)
Here's how we made this story come to life for us this week:
Day 1: Reading the story for the first time
I used 3 cotton balls to play the role of our lost sheep :) We talked about what they sound like and feel like and then we hid one to play a hide and seek game! And then afterward, like each night, we hold hands and pray a VERY simple prayer such as "God, thank you for finding the sheep."
Day 2: The Lost Sheep
I found a picture some sheep and printed a few off and played hide and seek again. Can you find the 3 sheep? :)
Day 3: ColoringColoring is a favorite thing in our house... we do a lot of it! So we colored a picture of a sheep after we read the story.
Day 4: Sheep hiding behind the bushes
We used one of the sheep from the previous night and I cut out 3 bushes that were bigger than the sheep. She would close her eyes (which was precious) while we put the sheep behind one of the bushes and she had to try to find out where it was hiding.
Day 5: We played the hide the sheep behind the bush again because she liked that :)
Day 6: Time to turn off the lights!
We hid the cotton ball sheep around the room and she had to find them with the flashlight!
Day 7: Sheep handprint
We ended our week of the Lost Sheep by tracing her hand print on black paper and cutting it out. The thumb is meant to be the head and the fingers the legs. Then we glued cotton balls on the sheep!
Another idea would be throwing a party at the end of the week :)
So that's what we did this week! Very easy, quick and simple prep and the kids can't wait for family time every night! We know they won't remember all the activities we did but they will remember us making the time to love God together every day and how much fun it was.
If you look back to our weeks of Adam and Eve and Jonah, we made them all out of pre-made cut outs and she uses them to play with in her play house and when I ask her who they are, she can tell me!
Soap box: I'm a children's pastor and know how important it is for these young minds to be shaped well and that children's ministry (specifically the nursery) is not babysitting.. it's a foundation. Worship, prayer, relationships and learning through play ---like our family time--- makes a difference. If you are looking for a church or are plugged in, be sure that your kids--no matter the age--are in a quality ministry. Off soap box. :)
Monday, March 14, 2016
Daniel in the Lions Den
Day 1: Daniel prayed
For this day, we talked about who Daniel is and how he prayed. We practiced praying like him and then colored a picture. Simple and easy!
Day 2: The Lions Den
We grabbed some lego blocks and built the lions "home" and just happened to have a Melissa and Doug puzzle that has a lion piece.
Day 3: Daniel in the Lions Den
Literally-- Daniel in the Lions Den. LOL!!!!
Day 4: Lion Puppet
For this one, I cut up some orange and yellow construction paper and we glued them on the lions face part of the brown paper bag and practiced making the lion say ROAR!
Day 5: Lion Mask
This was a particularly rough day---everyone was just grumpy and to not contribute to that grumpiness of having to take away a glue stick, I completely made this one ahead of time and then we just put it up to our faces and had fun being the lion.
All I did was cut up the strips of construction paper and glue them around a paper plate that had the center cut out and then made 2 ears out of brown paper and glued those on.
Days 6 and 7: Being praying Daniel in the Lions Den
This one was a big hit so we did it 2 days in a row. We layed out a blanket (but could easily be made from a baby gate or play pen) and took turns being a lion using our face mask and the other would be a praying Daniel.
So there you have it! Another week of fun, easy, simple ways to bring God into your home!!
Sunday, March 6, 2016
Jonah
The kids loved learning about Jonah this week! Our daughter is really catching on and can tell me bits and pieces about what we're doing in family time. And I love how she asks all day if it's Family Time yet and runs to it when it is time. By the way, ever since Noah, she plays in the "boat" every day but tonight, to end Jonah, we turned the kitchen table into a whale... so I'm sure we'll be playing in the whales belly for the next few weeks. HAHA!
Here's what we did this week so you can see some ways that we made the Bible come to life for us and hopefully see how fun and easy it is so you can implement it yourself.
* We got home late one evening and weren't able to do one Family Time, so we combined 2 in one night.
Day 1: Introducing Jonah
I copied Jonah as best as I could from what he looks like in the Bible onto a person cut out and introduced him to the kids. We made him "walk" the way that God asked him to go but then when we read that he got in a boat and went the other way, we put him in our boat---or baking dish. HAHA! And she had fun pushing him around.
This is just an extra picture that I wanted to share. I had shared on my face book page this question:
If your kids saw you reading your bible as much as they see you (fill in the blank), how would their perspective change? She loves it when I read and she wants to as well.
Day 2: Tossed out of the boat
I don't have a picture for this one but what we did was Jonah was in the "boat" and he got tossed out into the waves. We just flopped a blue blanket around and watched Jonah ride the waves. :)
Day 3: The "whale"
Just to keep it simple for her since she knows what a whale is, we just talked about how the whale came. I we put together this whale which I made from a small paper plate and then cut another paper plate in half and then cut out a small connector piece. I drew on a smile and we colored it, added a googly eye and bent a blue pipe cleaner to make it look like water coming from it's spout and taped it on the back.
---She loves tape so the tape became more of a distraction for us for this activity than the whale.
Day 4: Jonah gets in the whales belly!
You will need a clothespin, blue construction paper or foam, something white for the water, maybe a googly eye and a small Jonah.
This one could have been done better... I used just scotch tape to attach the whale to the clothespin and it wasn't sticking well so this craft lasted all about 10 seconds before falling apart but was cute!
I showed her the whale and then opened it up and she was so surprised to see Jonah in the belly!
Day 5 (and 6): We happened to have this shape sorter whale for the bath so we practiced putting things in the whales belly.
And then also, I found a whale matching activity and a whale template that had a cut out for lifting the flap and seeing Jonah in the belly.
Day 7: Get in my belly!
I turned kitchen table into a whale by putting a round blue table cloth over it, adding two paper plate eyes and some pipe cleaners for water spouts on the top and of course Jonah had to come along! Everyone LOVED this activity. She had to get out and in the whales belly many times :) And Henry had a great time too!
Here's what we did this week so you can see some ways that we made the Bible come to life for us and hopefully see how fun and easy it is so you can implement it yourself.
* We got home late one evening and weren't able to do one Family Time, so we combined 2 in one night.
Day 1: Introducing Jonah
I copied Jonah as best as I could from what he looks like in the Bible onto a person cut out and introduced him to the kids. We made him "walk" the way that God asked him to go but then when we read that he got in a boat and went the other way, we put him in our boat---or baking dish. HAHA! And she had fun pushing him around.
This is just an extra picture that I wanted to share. I had shared on my face book page this question:
If your kids saw you reading your bible as much as they see you (fill in the blank), how would their perspective change? She loves it when I read and she wants to as well.
Day 2: Tossed out of the boat
I don't have a picture for this one but what we did was Jonah was in the "boat" and he got tossed out into the waves. We just flopped a blue blanket around and watched Jonah ride the waves. :)
Day 3: The "whale"
Just to keep it simple for her since she knows what a whale is, we just talked about how the whale came. I we put together this whale which I made from a small paper plate and then cut another paper plate in half and then cut out a small connector piece. I drew on a smile and we colored it, added a googly eye and bent a blue pipe cleaner to make it look like water coming from it's spout and taped it on the back.
---She loves tape so the tape became more of a distraction for us for this activity than the whale.
Day 4: Jonah gets in the whales belly!
You will need a clothespin, blue construction paper or foam, something white for the water, maybe a googly eye and a small Jonah.
This one could have been done better... I used just scotch tape to attach the whale to the clothespin and it wasn't sticking well so this craft lasted all about 10 seconds before falling apart but was cute!
I showed her the whale and then opened it up and she was so surprised to see Jonah in the belly!
And then also, I found a whale matching activity and a whale template that had a cut out for lifting the flap and seeing Jonah in the belly.
Day 7: Get in my belly!
I turned kitchen table into a whale by putting a round blue table cloth over it, adding two paper plate eyes and some pipe cleaners for water spouts on the top and of course Jonah had to come along! Everyone LOVED this activity. She had to get out and in the whales belly many times :) And Henry had a great time too!
Such a fun week learning about Jonah!! There were so many fun ideas that I found on pinterest so it was hard to pick and choose which ones to do but I would love to hear about how you make Jonah happen in your family!
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