As many of you know by now, I love all kinds of props.  Costumes are especially wonderful and hats are the topper.  This idea is an ongoing activity that you may want to use in your home or classroom.

You will need some kind of hat rack and a variety of hats.  Thrift stores are a great place to find both - cowboy hats, top hats, clown hats, crowns, etc.  Now attach a Scripture to each hat that you want your children to eventually learn.  Work on each of the verses one at a time. When the child can successfully say the verse, they get to wear the hat for the day or during class.

Make a big deal of their success by taking their picture and emailing it to Grandma or displaying it on a bulletin board.  And remember, “The good man is covered with blessings from HEAD to foot…”  Proverbs 10:6 (TLB)

If you liked this Sunday School idea, then sign up to receive Scripture Lady’s Free Email Newsletter packed full with creative ideas to get the kids you minister to excited about the Bible!
Just look to the right of this page for the subscription box, fill in the info and you’re good to go!

I don’t know what kind of weather you are experiencing right now, but did you know that you can take your preschooler “fishing” anytime of the year?  They’ll especially love hooking the “big one” in your Sunday school or living room!  True, no water or worms are involved, but a great sense of imagination and a kiddy pool are.

For this activity, go purchase an inexpensive kiddy pool and then fill it with different colors of construction paper “fish”.  If you have a class of 6, maybe fill the pool with 12 to 18 fish.  Next, either make a fishing pole out of a dowel rod with a string attached or consider buying one at a toy store.  Place paper clips on your fish and a magnet on the end of your string on the pole.  Now, somewhere off to the side, place fishing bowls or plastic buckets that denote the color of fish that is to be place in each one.  For example, if you have 3 different colors of fish, you will have 3 different colors of buckets or bowls.

Now it’s time to go fishin’.  Let each child have a turn at “catching” a fish.  Tell him/her to place the fish in the correct colored bowl and as he/she does this, have them say this little memory verse:  “I will make you fishers of men.” (Mat. 4:19)

Magnetism, color sorting, the Word of God and a pool in the middle of their room - what more could a preschooler want?

If you liked this Sunday School idea, then sign up to receive Scripture Lady’s Free Email Newsletter packed full with creative ideas to get the kids you minister to excited about the Bible!
Just look to the right of this page for the subscription box, fill in the info and you’re good to go!

By Kathy Vincent

“This is the day the Lord has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it!”

Do any of you remember that song?  It was one of the first worship choruses I learned back when I was 13.  I used to sing it all the time.  Every day IS special when we realize the miracle of life God gives us.  His Word is special too.  So, why not put a Scripture verse together with today’s date and see what special encouragement you can receive from the Lord.

For example, my birthday is May 20th or 5-20 or 5:20.  Hmmm…5:20 reminds me of James 5:20 which says, “Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”  But then again 8:7 is my husband’s and my anniversary which reminds me of John 8:7 - “If anyone of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Get the point?  Make each day extra special by having your children find a verse that matches the date of the day.  Can anyone come up with a good one for today?  I’d love to hear your ideas.

May the Word of God be praised EVERY DAY!

If you liked this Sunday School idea, then sign up to receive Scripture Lady’s Free Email Newsletter packed full with creative ideas to get the kids you minister to excited about the Bible!
Just look to the right of this page for the subscription box, fill in the info and you’re good to go!

By Kathy Vincent

Does God like music?  You Betcha!  Here are some verses to prove it: 1 Chronicles 15:16, 2 Chronicles 5:13, 2 Chronicles 7:6 (David actually made the instruments in this  verse), and Psalm 150:4 – just to name a few.

Why not have your kids read and memorize a couple of these along with having them make some of their own instruments?  For example, a plastic cereal bowl can become a terrific tambourine.  Choose a plastic bowl that you could easily poke holes around its edge with an awl or ice pick.  (Make sure an adult does this part ahead of time.)  Now let the children tie on jingle bells through the holes with colorful yarn or ribbon.  Finish their creations off by allowing them to either “Puffy” paint the bottom of the bowl or decorate it with stickers.  Your kids are now ready to make a joyful noise to the Lord.

For more fun ideas for creating your own musical instruments, check out this site:  www.nancymusic.com.

If you liked this Sunday School idea, then sign up to receive Scripture Lady’s Free Email Newsletter packed full with creative ideas to get the kids you minister to excited about the Bible!
Just look to the right of this page for the subscription box, fill in the info and you’re good to go!

I love props!  My garage is full of them!  I also love how props or simple everyday objects can jog our children’s memories of great stories or verses in the Bible.

Grab Bag is an idea that incorporates the biggest, funnest bag you can find filled with things like a perfume bottle, a set of keys, a can of tuna, fake money, a candle…oh my, the list could be endless!

Now pick a child to reach into the bag and pull out an object.  He must then say how that prop reminds him of some Bible Story or Bible Verse.   For example, the perfume bottle might remind them of the time Mary poured oil on the feet of Jesus.  Or a set of keys might remind them of when Paul and Silas were locked up in jail.  The fake money might make them think of Judas betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver and a candle might help them think of how Jesus is the light of the world.  I think you get the idea.

If you’d like, turn this activity into a competition by seeing which team can come up with the most ideas.  But whatever you do, have fun!
If you liked this Sunday School idea, then sign up to receive Scripture Lady’s Free Email Newsletter packed full with creative ideas to get the kids you minister to excited about the Bible!  Just look to the right of this page for the subscription box, fill in the info and you’re good to go!

By Kathy Vincent

One of the most frequent questions I get asked in my Preschool seminars is this, “How do I get my preschoolers to pray?” I tell them this, “Just one word at a time.” I go on to further explain that during your prayer time whether as a family or in a classroom setting, encourage your little ones to participate in prayer starting out with only one word if that’s all they feel comfortable saying.

For example, if you are giving thanks for all the good things God gives us, ask your preschooler to just say one word that describes what they are thankful for. They may say, “Grandma” or “dolly”. Whatever they say, give them praise afterwards. Once they feel comfortable with just one word, encourage them to say two and so on and so forth.

Praying at its simplest level is just talking to God. Don’t squelch their learning of this most important skill by demanding more of them than they are able to do or give. If they learn from you that talking to God is as natural as talking to anyone, they will grow leaps and bounds in the area of prayer and before you know it will be speaking sentences and paragraphs to the One who hears them all the time.

If you liked this Sunday School idea, then sign up to receive Scripture Lady’s Free Email Newsletter packed full with creative ideas to get the kids you minister to excited about the Bible! Just look to the right of this page for the subscription box, fill in the info and you’re good to go!

By Kathy Vincent

Here is an idea for your preschooler that is quite short, but very effective.  To help your little ones  begin to understand how incredibly special God’s Word, the Bible, is, why not present it each week or each day as the special gift that it truly is?  For example, find a beautiful box, maybe one you wrap in extra special paper or one that is already ornate in some way and place the Bible that your class or family uses inside.  Put the lid on the box and place a big beautiful bow on top.  Then during your devotion time or Bible time, pick a child and give them the honored privilege of getting God’s special gift down off the shelf or wherever you may keep it.  I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the pride the child will show at being chosen to perform such a great task.

Always remember, if YOU love God’s Word, your enthusiasm and honoring of God’s Word will eventually “rub off” onto your little ones.  God’s Word IS special.  So, let’s do all we can to show our preschoolers just how wonderful it really is.

If you liked this Sunday School idea, then sign up to receive Scripture Lady’s Free Email Newsletter packed full with creative ideas to get the kids you minister to excited about the Bible!
Just look to the right of this page for the subscription box, fill in the info and you’re good to go!

By Kathy Vincent

About half of all my performances are to preschoolers. And usually in each of my programs I have a story time. Story Time should be very special whether done with a class or just one child. I always tell my audience, that story time reminds me of bedtime because that’s when my mommy read me stories. I then proceed to put on my blue and pink striped robe and my furry green slippers. Finally, I grab my favorite dolly and of course my story book. The kids are mesmerized at my transformation.

So the next time you tell a story to your little ones, try a little transformation yourself. Thrift stores are great for robe, slipper and dolly hunting.

Happy Story Telling!

If you liked this Sunday School idea, then sign up to receive Scripture Lady’s Free Email Newsletter packed full with creative ideas to get the kids you minister to excited about the Bible!
Just look to the right of this page for the subscription box, fill in the info and you’re good to go!

By Kathy Vincent

If you’ve been a Sunday School teacher for very long, you are very aware of flannel boards and the visual fun they provide, especially for our preschoolers and kindergarteners.  I used to love when my teacher would pull out her flannel board and begin telling a story or singing a song.

But I also remember how much I wanted to put my own hands on those soft, furry pictures and see if I too, could make them magically stick on the board.  But Teacher never let us.

Why should the teacher have all the fun with the felt?  Let your kids experience the tactile sensation as well by giving them a flannel basket.

Here’s what you do:

Go to your local “dollar” store and buy up enough plastic trays or baskets with a surface area of at least 8 x 12 inches to use for your class.  (You may want each child to have their own basket, or you might want to just get 5 or 10 for your class to share.)  Pick the most colorful trays you can find.  Next, attach a piece of felt to the surface area.  I use white since most felt pictures are colorful.

During the story or song time for which you have flannel pictures, invite the children to come up and hold a basket and let them be the ones who place the picture(s) on their baskets.  They will love the opportunity to participate as well as listen and/or sing-a-long.

If you liked this Sunday School idea, then sign up to receive Scripture Lady’s Free Email Newsletter packed full with creative ideas to get the kids you minister to excited about the Bible!
Just look to the right of this page for the subscription box, fill in the info and you’re good to go!

By Kathy Vincent – The Scripture Lady

Hear (or in this case, read) this statement: If your child can use a library, he can learn to use his concordance. In my mind, it is absolutely essential to being a reader of God’s amazing Word! Yet, the concordance, for many, remains unopened and unused.

But what is a concordance? I give my kids this simple definition: The concordance is a kind of dictionary that helps us find the “address” or reference of a Scripture by looking up the most prominent or important word of a verse.

Here are 3 terrific and fun ways you can use to help teach your children how to use a concordance.

1. Give your kids the following assignment: “Find 5 verses using the word (fill in the blank).” Show them where their concordance is in their Bible and have them find the word you gave them. For example, maybe you assigned them the word “hope”. Have them look up “hope” in the concordance and show them how to quickly read the different snippets of verses there are on “hope” and have them write down 5 of the ones they like best after looking up each one in their Bible.

2. Play the “Concordance Game” – You will need at least 2 players for this game and each player must have their own concordance. One child calls out a word that will most likely be found in the Bible, such as “peace”. Say, “On your mark, get set, GO!” and the first one to find “peace” is the winner for that round. Another way to play is to give the children a Bible verse without the reference. For example, you might say, “For the joy of the Lord is our strength.” After you say, “GO!” the children must decide what word is the most important in that verse and look it up in the concordance to try and find the “address” or reference to the verse first. In this case, the word “joy” should end up leading them to Nehemiah 8:10.

3. Finally, share about your week and how you needed something like peace, trust or help with your finances. Then show your children how you went to your concordance and looked up the word that best described your need and the verses that best ministered to what you were going through. Your kids will be blessed to know that God wants to meet their needs by encouraging them through His Word.

If you liked this Sunday School idea, then sign up to receive Scripture Lady’s Free Email Newsletter packed full with creative ideas to get the kids you minister to excited about the Bible!
Just look to the right of this page for the subscription box, fill in the info and you’re good to go!

By Kathy Vincent - The Scripture Lady