Back To School Sizzle!
Posted on July 5th, 2010.Keep kids coming back with these hot-and-happening ideas!
School’s back in session! And that means the pressure is on to grab kids’ attention—and keep it—for your ministry. Whether you’re planning an all-out fall kick-off party or you’re simply looking for meaningful ways to connect your kids for the coming year, we’ve got you covered. Summer is all about the sizzle—hot weather, sunny skies, and fun. Don’t let all that excitement fizzle when kids return to school and your ministry. Bring all the delicious warmth of summer right back into your ministry this fall with warm friendships, sunny smiles, and fun that revolves around faith!
SIZZLIN’ HOT CRAFTS
HANDS TO WORK
To start off the new school year with a bang, consider letting kids make their mark on your ministry environment.
Get This: You need a wall kids can paint (cinderblock classroom walls work great), or if you don’t have an available wall, use a large piece of fabric you can hang up for the entire year. You’ll also need paint appropriate for the surface you choose that washes off kids (try Handy Art Washable Paint from dickblick.com) and paper plates.
Talk About: Form pairs or trios, and then read aloud Psalm 19:1-3. Ask kids to discuss these questions in their groups:
Why do you think God went to the trouble of creating us and our world?
What’s one way you could use your hands to honor God this week?
Do This: Let groups share their answers. Then have kids make a handprint by dipping their palm in a paper plate of paint and pressing it on the wall or fabric. Near the handprints, have kids write their first name, age, and a prayer about one way they want to put their hands to work for God or in your ministry this year. Pray together, thanking God for the kids in your ministry and asking his blessings on all the prayers represented.
Check in periodically throughout the year to see what God has done. As God answers their prayers, let kids put a paint thumbprint next to their handprint.
Cindy Willits Hawley, Minnesota
LIVING STONES
Your older elementary and preteen kids will get a thrill out of expressing themselves in stone…
and your ministry gets a super cool “living” stone to remind kids that they’re a work of God.
Get This: You’ll need quick-set cement, a 5-gallon bucket, water, a measuring cup, wooden paint stirrers, an 11X17 gift box, sticks, and a variety of decorations such as rhinestones, trinkets, plastic crosses, small toys, and more. (You can invite kids to bring something to put in the stone, too.) You’ll also need an outdoor, grassy area that can get messy, smocks for kids to wear, hand soap, and access to water.
Talk About: Form pairs and read aloud 1 Peter 2:4-5. Ask:
• What does it mean to be “built into a spiritual house”?
• How does coming to church help build you up?
• What ways can you help build up a friend this week?
Do This: Then help kids create a living stone to place in a garden or walkway at your church.
Read the cement package instructions. Mix the cement and enough water to the consistency of oatmeal in the 5-gallon bucket. Use the paint stirrer to mix the cement and water. Set the gift boxes on the ground and then pour the mixture into the box. Use a paint stirrer to smooth the surface. After about five minutes, have kids press their hands into the cement to make handprints. (If you have more than six kids, have them write their name and a saying in the cement instead.) Kids can decorate their stone by pressing the decorations into the cement next to their handprints or words.
Have kids wash their hands with soap and water as soon as they’re done. Let the cement dry for 48 hours before tearing off the gift box cardboard. The following week, have a small stone-setting ceremony as you place the stone on your church grounds.
SIZZLIN’ HOT GAME
SHEET ART
This fun and crazy game will produce lots of laughs—and totally unique artwork to spruce up your ministry!
Get This: An old white sheet, tennis balls, plenty of washable paint, and old t-shirts.
Do This: Ask kids to wear something they can get messy in or provide old T-shirts for them to wear over their clothes. Have kids surround the perimeter of the sheet and grab an edge. Soak three to five tennis balls in different colors of paint and, on the count of three, drop the balls in the center of the sheet. The kids’ goal is to maneuver their edge of the sheet to roll the balls toward someone else. They don’t want the balls to fall off or touch them. After two minutes, have kids place the sheet on the ground. Compare who has the most paint marks on their hands and clothes.
Talk About: Ask:
• What did you do to keep the balls away from you? How well did your strategy work?
• What was easy about this game? Difficult? How is this game like or unlike your life with school starting?
Read aloud Psalm 16:5-8.
• What does this Scripture tell us about how to approach the challenges and trials we’ll face in school this year?
Ask kids to place one hand on a line in the sheet. Close in prayer, asking God to be present in kids’ lives as they intersect—just like the lines made by the balls—and remind us of the wonderful things and new friends God has placed in our lives.
Denise Germroth Phoenix, Arizona
SIZZLIN’ HOT PROJECT
BACK-TO-SCHOOL BACKPACKS
Give your kids an opportunity to serve their peers in need with this inspiring—and practical—idea.
Get This: You’ll need donated backpacks, pencils and pencil sharpeners, crayons, glue sticks, notebooks, scissors, and erasers. You’ll also need preprinted Supply Lists (download ours at childrensministry.com).
Do This: Have your kids stuff the backpacks with one of each supply and a Supply List. The list includes the following:
School Supplies
This backpack was packed just for you by the kids at (name of children’s ministry). We pray that you have a great school year and hope you’ll come visit our children’s ministry at (address).
• Pencils and pencil sharpener: Stay sharp this year through good friends and good choices.
• Erasers: Your mistakes are forgiven—and erased!—by God when you ask for his forgiveness.
• Crayons: God wants to color your life with his blessings!
• Glue Stick: Stick with hard work no matter what comes your way!
• Scissors: Cut out anything that hurts others!
• Notebook: Take note of all the good things you can be thankful for!
Pray with your kids for the backpack recipients. Then deliver the packs to shelters or other locations that assist at-risk kids in your area.
Gretta Meeker Pensacola, Florida
SIZZLIN’ HOT SNACK
FROG Festival for Preschoolers
Celebrate fall kickoff with your preschoolers with a hoppin’ happy FROG (Fully Rely On God) festival! As you play the games and eat the snacks, remind kids to fully rely on God this year!
FROG Flippers—Purchase foam visors (available at orientaltrading.com) and let kids go crazy decorating them to look like frogs. All you need is glue, large googly eyes, green pom poms, and red ribbons.
Lily Pad Cookies—Let kids decorate round or oblong cookies with green icing and gumdrop frogs.
Pond Scum Punch—This ooey gooey green punch will delight your preschoolers. All you need is two liters of ginger ale, one large container of frozen lemonade, one large can of pineapple juice, and one quart of lime sherbet. Stir everything together, and serve on ice.
FROG Rocks—Let kids go outside to gather rocks that they’ll transform into frogs. Just supply the paint, glue, googly eyes, and red yarn or ribbon for tongues.
Stick the Tongue on the Frog—This version of Pin the Tail on the Donkey is great for preschoolers. Just draw or create a paper frog to stick on the wall, then blindfold kids and let them try to place paper tongues on the frog. For even more fun, use Sticky Hands vinyl toys (available at discount stores and orientaltrading.com) for the tongues.
Flick the Frog on the Lily Pad—This hilarious game is just right for preschoolers. Fill a plastic swimming pool with water and place green foam “lily pads” on the water. (Simply cut large lily pad shapes out of 8 ½ x 11 pieces of craft foam.) The challenge is for kids to toss plastic frogs onto the lily pads. Requires adult supervision.
FROG Cake—Cap your froggy event with a frog cake. Just use regular cake mix, but bake it in a large oven-proof bowl. Once the rounded cake is cooled, decorate it with green icing. Use large marshmallows to create the eyes, green gumdrops for warts, and red licorice strips for the tongue.
Beth Stradling Armburst, Pennsylvania
Reprinted by permission, Children’s Ministry Magazine, Copyright 2010, Group Publishing Inc., Box 481, Loveland, CO 80539 www.childrensministry.com
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