children's ministry magazine back issue archives
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Age-Level Insights: 6 to 9
Wild & Wacky Totally True Bible Stories Series
Bestselling author Frank Peretti’s unique humor and storytelling skills bring Bible accounts to life for kids—all while teaching kids the importance of characteristics such as faith, courage, obedience, and helpfulness. Each illustrated book retells three Bible stories and comes with stories and music recorded on a CD. $8.99 each, Tommy Nelson, 800-933-9673; www.tommynelson.com
A Raging Storm
We did a lesson on Luke 8:22-25 about when Jesus calms the storm. To give the kids a sense of the urgency of the moment, I arranged chairs in a boat shape and had half the kids sit inside the boat. The other half stayed outside the boat, armed with lots of inflated blue balloons that represented water.
On “go,” the kids on the outside swamped the boat with blue balloons, while the kids inside the boat had to bail the balloons out of the boat as fast as they could. I had one adult use a spray bottle full of water to spray the kids during the activity. After three minutes, all the kids traded places.
This game was a huge hit with the kids, and it helped them understand how frightening and hectic that moment in the disciples’ lives must’ve been.
Kathy Nesler
Eagan, Minnesota
Look at Your Hands
Theme: Good vs. Evil
Scripture: Psalm 90:17
Use this activity to help children understand the wonder in their hands.
Ask kids to open their hands and take a good look at them.
Ask, “Are your fingers all the same length? Why or why not? Do you see how your thumb sticks out by itself? Use your fingers to pick up something. Notice how your thumb helps you hold onto things. Now bend your fingers toward the palm of your hand. Are your fingers still different lengths? Explain.”
Say, “We are beautifully and wonderfully made. God made us so we can do many good things with our hands, but we also can do terrible things with our hands.”
Form groups of four. Have each group make a list of good and bad things kids can do with their hands. Good examples might include worshiping, sign language, handshakes, high-fives, working, waving, or helping. Bad examples could include hurting, destroying, stealing, killing, or refusing to help others. Appoint a spokesperson for each group. While the spokesperson talks about the good and bad examples, have his or her group demonstrate the good and bad hand motions.
Read aloud Psalm 90:17. Ask, “When we allow God to use our hands, how are we helping bring God’s love to others? Tell something good you’ve done with your hands. What other good things can you do this week?”
End the session with children shaking hands or giving each other high-fives.
Ada Brownell
Springfield, Missouri
Developing Responsible Behavior
How often have you sat back in bewilderment and asked, “What can I possibly say to that child that’ll help him develop a sense of responsibility?” The truth is, adults can adjust their language to maximize responsible behavior in children. Use the following language cues to engage kids in self-reflection that’ll lead to more responsible behaviors.
• “It’s almost time to go home. Please check yourself and make sure you’re ready to leave.” The cue “please check yourself” requires kids to evaluate their immediate situation. It communicates that you believe they’re capable and responsible.
• “I see several books on the floor.” The cue “I see” describes what you notice, and it requires kids to evaluate the situation and make a decision about what to do. The fewer direct commands you make, the less chance you have that kids will be defiant. By using “I see,” you’re also communicating that kids are capable of assessing a situation and responding appropriately.
• “Next time, please wait in line with the other children instead of running ahead of the group.” While the cue “next time” may not offer immediate results, it replaces a negative statement such as “don’t” with a positive alternative. This cue helps kids create a mental model of expected behavior for the future.
• Another cue that encourages children to practice making good decisions is “You decide.” When appropriate, encourage kids to make their own decisions. This helps children develop confidence in their ability to make decisions and encourages them to make appropriate decisions.
• Asking a child, “How did you do?” is a good way to follow up “you decide.” When you remind kids to consider whether they made appropriate decisions, you’re encouraging them to develop responsibility.
Priceless Assets
Support—whether from the family or from the community—plays a large role in healthy child development. For elementary-age children, the top five support assets a child needs are:
1. Family support
2. Positive family communication
3. Other adult relationships
4. Caring neighborhood
5. Caring environment outside the home
Source: Search Institute
Grow Up
Teaching elementary children responsibility can sometimes seem like an impossible task, but growing in responsibility is a critical part of maturity. Thankfully, the early-elementary years are the prime developmental time for kids to practice responsibility. And with summer vacation right around the corner, there’s no better time to start working with kids to help them become more responsible. You can help kids choose to practice responsible, positive behaviors based on God’s teachings in your classroom, at home, and in their lives.
There are scores of events in the Bible that can help kids evaluate their actions and how those actions affect others. Here are several you can use to get kids thinking: Genesis 4:2-12 (Cain and Abel); Judges 16:4-22 (Samson and Delilah); 1 Samuel 30:11-26 (David shares the plunder); Matthew 13:1-23 (the parable of the sower); Matthew 20:1-16 (the workers in the vineyard); Matthew 26:47-56 (Jesus is arrested); and John 6:1-15 (boy shares his lunch).
As you read these events to kids, encourage them to discuss different people’s behavior and the consequences of their behavior. Ask kids questions such as, “If you had done what name did, how would you feel? Can you remember a time you felt like that? What do you think should’ve happened to name? Do you think what name did was right or wrong? How do you think God felt about name’s choices?”
Kids this age can understand others’ viewpoints, analyze rules of behavior, recognize and evaluate others’ intentions, accurately judge right and wrong, listen to their own conscience, and insist on fairness—especially from adults. So present several hypothetical situations kids might find themselves in over the summer—such as a disagreement with a friend or having to do chores they don’t want to do—and have kids role-play positive, responsible resolutions.
To reinforce responsible behaviors at home, have kids choose one of the stories you’ve talked about that they can each relate to. Have kids illustrate the story they chose, and then take their illustrations home to discuss with their families. Include the above discussion questions. Ask kids to “interview” their family members using the questions and the Bible event they’ve illustrated to help cement the concept of responsible behavior.
Sandra Rodriguez is the assistant chair of the Education Department at the College of Santa Fe in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Bestselling author Frank Peretti’s unique humor and storytelling skills bring Bible accounts to life for kids—all while teaching kids the importance of characteristics such as faith, courage, obedience, and helpfulness. Each illustrated book retells three Bible stories and comes with stories and music recorded on a CD. $8.99 each, Tommy Nelson, 800-933-9673; www.tommynelson.com
A Raging Storm
We did a lesson on Luke 8:22-25 about when Jesus calms the storm. To give the kids a sense of the urgency of the moment, I arranged chairs in a boat shape and had half the kids sit inside the boat. The other half stayed outside the boat, armed with lots of inflated blue balloons that represented water.
On “go,” the kids on the outside swamped the boat with blue balloons, while the kids inside the boat had to bail the balloons out of the boat as fast as they could. I had one adult use a spray bottle full of water to spray the kids during the activity. After three minutes, all the kids traded places.
This game was a huge hit with the kids, and it helped them understand how frightening and hectic that moment in the disciples’ lives must’ve been.
Kathy Nesler
Eagan, Minnesota
Look at Your Hands
Theme: Good vs. Evil
Scripture: Psalm 90:17
Use this activity to help children understand the wonder in their hands.
Ask kids to open their hands and take a good look at them.
Ask, “Are your fingers all the same length? Why or why not? Do you see how your thumb sticks out by itself? Use your fingers to pick up something. Notice how your thumb helps you hold onto things. Now bend your fingers toward the palm of your hand. Are your fingers still different lengths? Explain.”
Say, “We are beautifully and wonderfully made. God made us so we can do many good things with our hands, but we also can do terrible things with our hands.”
Form groups of four. Have each group make a list of good and bad things kids can do with their hands. Good examples might include worshiping, sign language, handshakes, high-fives, working, waving, or helping. Bad examples could include hurting, destroying, stealing, killing, or refusing to help others. Appoint a spokesperson for each group. While the spokesperson talks about the good and bad examples, have his or her group demonstrate the good and bad hand motions.
Read aloud Psalm 90:17. Ask, “When we allow God to use our hands, how are we helping bring God’s love to others? Tell something good you’ve done with your hands. What other good things can you do this week?”
End the session with children shaking hands or giving each other high-fives.
Ada Brownell
Springfield, Missouri
Developing Responsible Behavior
How often have you sat back in bewilderment and asked, “What can I possibly say to that child that’ll help him develop a sense of responsibility?” The truth is, adults can adjust their language to maximize responsible behavior in children. Use the following language cues to engage kids in self-reflection that’ll lead to more responsible behaviors.
• “It’s almost time to go home. Please check yourself and make sure you’re ready to leave.” The cue “please check yourself” requires kids to evaluate their immediate situation. It communicates that you believe they’re capable and responsible.
• “I see several books on the floor.” The cue “I see” describes what you notice, and it requires kids to evaluate the situation and make a decision about what to do. The fewer direct commands you make, the less chance you have that kids will be defiant. By using “I see,” you’re also communicating that kids are capable of assessing a situation and responding appropriately.
• “Next time, please wait in line with the other children instead of running ahead of the group.” While the cue “next time” may not offer immediate results, it replaces a negative statement such as “don’t” with a positive alternative. This cue helps kids create a mental model of expected behavior for the future.
• Another cue that encourages children to practice making good decisions is “You decide.” When appropriate, encourage kids to make their own decisions. This helps children develop confidence in their ability to make decisions and encourages them to make appropriate decisions.
• Asking a child, “How did you do?” is a good way to follow up “you decide.” When you remind kids to consider whether they made appropriate decisions, you’re encouraging them to develop responsibility.
Priceless Assets
Support—whether from the family or from the community—plays a large role in healthy child development. For elementary-age children, the top five support assets a child needs are:
1. Family support
2. Positive family communication
3. Other adult relationships
4. Caring neighborhood
5. Caring environment outside the home
Source: Search Institute
Grow Up
Teaching elementary children responsibility can sometimes seem like an impossible task, but growing in responsibility is a critical part of maturity. Thankfully, the early-elementary years are the prime developmental time for kids to practice responsibility. And with summer vacation right around the corner, there’s no better time to start working with kids to help them become more responsible. You can help kids choose to practice responsible, positive behaviors based on God’s teachings in your classroom, at home, and in their lives.
There are scores of events in the Bible that can help kids evaluate their actions and how those actions affect others. Here are several you can use to get kids thinking: Genesis 4:2-12 (Cain and Abel); Judges 16:4-22 (Samson and Delilah); 1 Samuel 30:11-26 (David shares the plunder); Matthew 13:1-23 (the parable of the sower); Matthew 20:1-16 (the workers in the vineyard); Matthew 26:47-56 (Jesus is arrested); and John 6:1-15 (boy shares his lunch).
As you read these events to kids, encourage them to discuss different people’s behavior and the consequences of their behavior. Ask kids questions such as, “If you had done what name did, how would you feel? Can you remember a time you felt like that? What do you think should’ve happened to name? Do you think what name did was right or wrong? How do you think God felt about name’s choices?”
Kids this age can understand others’ viewpoints, analyze rules of behavior, recognize and evaluate others’ intentions, accurately judge right and wrong, listen to their own conscience, and insist on fairness—especially from adults. So present several hypothetical situations kids might find themselves in over the summer—such as a disagreement with a friend or having to do chores they don’t want to do—and have kids role-play positive, responsible resolutions.
To reinforce responsible behaviors at home, have kids choose one of the stories you’ve talked about that they can each relate to. Have kids illustrate the story they chose, and then take their illustrations home to discuss with their families. Include the above discussion questions. Ask kids to “interview” their family members using the questions and the Bible event they’ve illustrated to help cement the concept of responsible behavior.
Sandra Rodriguez is the assistant chair of the Education Department at the College of Santa Fe in Santa Fe, New Mexico.