Play! Listen! Talk!

I have to admit I’m not a fan of Precious Moments figurines. But today in Sunday School was a Precious Moment I’ll never forget. By now if the kids in your class are like the ones in mine, they have heard several retellings of the Christmas story, they’ve sung in Christmas programs, made Christmas ornaments, wrapped presents, and even opened a few early Christmas presents. So today I wondered if they would be interested in the final part of the Christmas story.

To begin with, we tossed pennies and beanbags onto big stars (like the star God put in the sky) drawn on butcher paper, and created craft-foam trains that reminded us that God is with us wherever we go. The conversation was great as teachers and kids told about times we were glad God was with us.

But the Precious Moment came as part of the Bible story. My co-teacher used the Nature activity in the curriculum and made little gift bags tied with gold ribbon for each child. They were just simple fabric squares filled with cotton balls she had scented with either perfume or spices. At first when she handed them out, the kids had great fun smelling them, trading them and squishing them. Then we got to the part of the story when it was time for the wise men to present their gifts to Jesus. We led the kids around the room and over to a nativity scene. Quietly—even reverently—each child knelt down, bowing low to the ground, and placed their “gift” near baby Jesus in the nativity scene. Right then, a Precious Moment took place.

My prayer for these wonderful preschoolers is that this simple reenactment of giving to Jesus becomes a reality in their lives as they grow and discover what it means to give their love to Jesus in everyday life. Merry Christmas!

Have you ever had something turn out completely different than what you expected? (A recipe? A trip to meet relatives you had never met before?) Sometimes the unexpected results are so much BETTER than you could ever have hoped for (that happened to me with the wonderful relatives we met for the first time). Sometimes the results are not so good (I’m hoping that’s NOT happening with the Santa Lucia buns rising in the kitchen right now.)

Today our Sunday School class turned out differently than I expected. I prepared lots of intriguing sensory items to help our preschoolers make a Bible story book. There was sandpaper for the manger, soft fabric for cloth to wrap baby Jesus in, craft sticks for the stable and, of course, cotton balls for sheep. (Really, do you think the inventors of cotton balls had any idea of how many sheep would be made in Sunday School from these little wispy puffs?) With all these delightful things to touch and feel, I assumed our conversation would be focused on the Bible story.

Unexpectedly, however, we ended up talking about a pirate ship toy that needed to stay in the cubbie like grandma had told her grandson, toys that could not be made into guns (not even bubble-gum guns as one little girl tried to do) and what to do when a young boy’s enthusiasm for gathering the bags with nativity scene figures in them meant that several other children didn’t get any at all.

But despite everything that was said and done, I figured it was OK. It was OK to have the story of Jesus’ arrival on earth mixed up with real life situations. That’s kind of how it is today. In the middle of all the unexpected events we face, Jesus is present in our lives. And His presence comes with the guarantee that our lives will turn out so much better than we expected.

Was today the first day of telling the Christmas story in your Sunday School class? That’s what we did! And I have to admit that as I prepared the fun Christmas tree and music shaker activities and practiced the puppet script, I didn’t really think about the story we would be telling. After all, I’ve told this familiar story before!

But my co-teacher had a different perspective when she arrived. “I just keep thinking what an honor it is to be able to tell this story about the birth of Jesus,” she said. That statement stopped me in my tracks! Yes, I’ve heard this story, I’ve read this story, I've told this story, I’ve even sung this story many times, but I've never stopped to consider what an honor it is to be sharing this story—the greatest story ever told!

As Sunday School teachers, we aren’t making big announcements to the important leaders of the world, or preaching to great crowds of people. But we are walking in the footsteps of prophets and believers! They foretold and then told this good news for hundreds of years—and now it’s our turn. What a privilege we have! As I go through the holiday season and all the things that I do to celebrate Jesus’ birth, I’m going to keep this perspective close to my heart. I’m humbled and honored to be telling about the coming of Jesus.

Yesterday as I made my usual Saturday trip to church to set up my classroom, I was less than enthusiastic. I’d put it off for much of the day feeling like I had too many errands, too many chores, and too many dishes left to put away until the next holiday meal! Whatever the reason, I was wishing I could just stay at home.

But as I was outlining a hopscotch pattern on the floor in preparation for a fun game, I heard a knock on the door which I had left open. Then I heard a young mom with two preschoolers in tow call out, “Can we please come in and use your bathroom? We’re kind of in a hurry!”

Having been in the same desperate situation to find a bathroom—ANY bathroom—when my own kids were little, I welcomed her in and showed her the bathroom. Afterwards, we had a chance to talk for a few minutes while her children explored our Sunday School classroom. She has never been to our church, doesn’t know anyone who goes to our church—but stopped in the parking lot when she saw the doors open. I invited her and the kids to come for a visit. I don’t know if they ever will, but I’m praying that she will remember the open door and decide to step through it. I wondered about the timing that led me to church at just the moment when she drove through the parking lot. I wondered what God had in mind for her. And after she left, I set about getting ready for Sunday with a renewed sense of purpose. Opening doors to children and their parents is what it’s all about.

What are your hopes and dreams for your Sunday School class?

When most of us were recruited as preschool teachers, we probably thought the job mainly consisted of keeping little ones from hurting themselves (or each other!), providing snacks, singing songs and telling Bible stories. And it’s true that all those things are part of playing, listening and talking with young children.

But it’s good to be reminded that our vision for Sunday School is more than just getting through the curriculum lesson plan. If you are like me, you want to feel that you are making a significant difference in the lives of young children. We’re all busy (and this time of year, busier than ever!). So as busy people, when we choose to spend time in ministry to children, we want to know that our time is well spent.

How does ministry happen? It happens when kids are eager to act out a Bible story. I know that the combination of words and actions is a great way to make a Bible story stick. It happens when two girls both try to sit on the same chair at the same time, and we have to stop and talk about what to do so we can follow today’s Bible verse: “Love your neighbor.” It happens when a child whispers, “Teacher, you pray for me” because he is just learning how to talk to God himself. Ministry happens when you least expect it.

I want to be a teacher with a vision for ministry—not only for myself as the teacher, but also for each child. Will you join me in seeing the most active, the most difficult or the most withdrawn child, not as a problem to be overcome, but as a person to be loved into God’s family?

What makes you laugh? A good joke? A funny story?

Today was made for laughing—at least in our Sunday School class! It started during the Bible story when we imitated Abraham and Sarah’s laughter as they heard God’s surprising promise of a son. There wasn’t a child who didn’t want to give a hearty laugh. The giggles and smiles continued during the puppet script when Skitter set us all to laughing, too! And then during our Talk to Learn game, kids were laughing, even when nothing funny happened. They laughed just for fun! (Don’t you wish you were a kid again?)

Have you noticed that a child’s laughter is irrepressible? Who can resist joining in? Not me! And really, what a great way to celebrate and remember the evidence of God’s promise-keeping. He did what seemed impossible when He sent baby Isaac to be born. What a wonderful way to anticipate and be ready to celebrate when God’s promises come true in our own lives! What promise will He keep in your life today? You can laugh for the sheer joy of it!

Do you find yourself choosing the same sort of activities each week in Sunday School? I do. So today I pushed myself outside my comfort zone to try one of the game activities. It’s not that I don’t think kids like games, or that I don’t like games myself. But in our class, there are some younger kids who really function best when they are on their own, rather than participating in group activities. So I usually choose blocks or art.

But today, I decided to give something new a try. Right at the end of our Play to Learn time, I said, “Finish up what you are working on, because we are going to play a game—kind of like Musical Chairs.” Immediately, kids cleaned up and quickly helped me gather chairs (enough for everyone so no one would get out) and we began our game. What fun! The youngest kids followed right along with the older ones. And it was a perfect opportunity to talk about the Bible verse “Do to others as you would have them do to you,” because for each round there was always at least one child who couldn’t find an empty chair. The rest pointed and called out, full of concern that each child find a chair to sit on. We ended up walking, marching, swinging arms, walking backwards, singing—each round was an adventure! (Even better, it was wonderful for getting wiggles out before our quieter Listen to Learn time!)

For each of us the comfort zone is different. What’s your comfort zone? And how might you be able to step outside of it so that the kids in your class can grow and learn in new ways?

The attention of every child who came into our classroom today was drawn to the fun nature play activity. After all, what preschooler wouldn’t want to create a desert scene with such touchable items as oddly-shaped twigs, interesting leaves, soft sand and rough burlap? We had lots of fun playing and talking about the way in which Abraham obeyed God as he traveled to a new home. In some classes there are kids (and teachers!) who don’t want to get their fingers sticky with glue. But not these kids!

I’ve noticed that every class of kids seems to have their own favorite activities. This year, for example, we’ve noticed that rarely do the kids want to play with the dishes in our little kitchen corner. By contrast, each week last year we had pretend cooks and chefs and moms and dads galore—all enjoying the play with toy dishes and food. It’s one reason I’m so glad for the variety of play activities from which to choose in our curriculum. My co-teacher and I can easily find attention-getting activities that work for each group of kids.

There’s something else I’ve noticed about getting kids’ attention, however. When a teacher is enjoying the play right there at the table or on the floor, even a not-so-favorite activity draws a child’s interest. With the busy lives that even preschoolers and their families lead, an adult’s focused attention is so valuable to a young child.

Your attention—whether it’s keeping track of the favorite activities of the kids in your class, or whether it’s taking the time to play, listen and talk with each individual child—your attention will get your kids’ attention!

Got change taking place in your life? I certainly do! So the words of preparation in my teacher’s guide seemed to have been written just for me: “What changes are you facing in your own life? How can you respond to these changes with thankfulness and joyful worship?” These were two questions in the Teacher Challenge for last Sunday’s lesson. Noah’s life was the example of someone who responded to change by being faithful to God’s call and by thanking God for His love and protection.

Those two questions stuck with me before and after Sunday because I’m the first to admit that I don’t always respond positively to change in my life. Recognizing that change is taking place most often produces worry about future uncertainties. But in the middle of those feelings, the words in the Teacher Challenge gave me hope: “Change is one way God gently reminds us that He is the One we must depend on—because He does not change.” I can live with that! It’s impossible to know the results that changes will bring, but I can know for certain that God will be with me.

As I play, listen and talk with kids, their parents and my co-teachers, and in the middle of all the blocks, games, puppets and more, the promise of God’s presence is what I want to be ready to share with them.

What I learned today: Don’t give in to the temptation to skip over the teacher preparation. Even when you've had a busy week. Even when your To Do List is very long. Ask God to speak to you, so that you are better prepared to speak to others.

Where does God live? Does He live at church? Today I heard the story of a group of preschoolers who went for a walk with their teacher. As they passed the front door to the church, the teacher said, “This is the door to God’s House.” One little girl in the group was quick to ask, “Is God at home, or is He at work?”

I’m not sure what the teacher said to answer the little girl’s question, but I do know that with preschoolers, it’s always a good idea to think about how words and ideas we understand as adults can be misunderstood by little children who think literally.

And then there are all the other comments that found their way into our class today:
“Let’s find out who is the oldest in our class today!” spoken by the boy who is the oldest, and proud of it!
“I lost three teeth this week!”
“I had pizza for breakfast because today is opposite day: dinner for breakfast and breakfast for lunch!”

So many children, all talking about so many different things and each needing to be valued and cared for. It fit with our Bible verse “Whatever you do, do your work for the Lord” (see Colossians 3:23). After today’s class, here’s my paraphrase, written especially for teachers of preschoolers: “Whatever you talk about, as you show your love for each child, you show your love for the Lord.”

A few weeks ago, when I arrived for Sunday School, I heard a loud “thump” against the window of my classroom. As the thumps continued, I was puzzled. What was that sound? Soon I realized that a small bird had flown into the classroom and was now desperately trying to escape by repeatedly flying into the window. That morning the job of “bird catcher” was a surprising part of my job as a teacher!

Every week there’s a variety of jobs that go along with being a teacher, but what’s your favorite part? The big hug you get as children arrive in the morning? The smiles on parents’ faces when they come to see and hear what their children have discovered about God? The joy in a child’s face as he creates zebra stripes on paper, or loads as many animals as possible up the cardboard ramp and into a big block Noah’s ark?

How fun to get to play, listen and talk with kids about God! When you are tempted to think of your job as just a craft leader, or just a play supervisor—or even a bird catcher—remember that God takes all of your efforts—even on the Sundays when things don’t go as planned—and uses them to reach out to the children He loves!

Today I had the bright idea of bringing in a play workbench with toy wrenches, hammers, nails, pliers, a level and more! I envisioned how much fun the kids would have as they pretended to build and be carpenters. Perfect for this first lesson about Noah and his family building the big boat!

So with high hopes, I set out the workbench as one of the Play to Learn activities in the room. And, just as expected, every single child that came in wanted to play with the fun building toys. Can you imagine what happened to my bright idea, however? Soon there were tussles over who was going to get to use the hammer, and quarrels about the cool drill and tug-of-wars with the interesting-looking pliers and wrenches. To top it all off, the workbench had buttons to push that made all the sounds of the tools (including a commercial message that said “Welcome to Home Depot!).

My bright idea didn't turn out the way I thought it would. And the conversation about Noah that I had intended to have didn’t take place. That was the bad news. The good news, however, is that the Bible verse for today “God made us to do good” (see Ephesians 2:10) was a perfect fit for my bright-idea activity. There were plenty of opportunities (“teachable moments,” I call them) to talk about good things to do when we’re playing with friends!

Today I planted seeds. Today I talked to preschoolers about God sending Jesus to be the Savior of the world. Today there were some really BIG thoughts in our Bible story about Adam and Eve.

Big Thought #1: The snake or serpent was really Satan. Satan is God’s enemy. (Thanks to Star Wars, however, I know at least the boys all understood the word “enemy.”)

Big Thought #2: Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s rule. Disobeying God is called “sin.” (Before the story, playing with cars and trucks and building stop-and-go signs helped us get started thinking about rules to obey.)

Big Thought #3: Adam and Eve had to leave the beautiful garden because they disobeyed God’s rule. But God didn’t stop loving them. He cared for them and promised to send Someone one day who would take the punishment for all our sin. (I saw serious faces when I told about Adam and Eve having to leave the garden. But then the words of God's love made a deep impression.)

As I prepared for this lesson, I’ve been praying that I would know how to share such big thoughts with my class of preschoolers. I was tempted to skip over some of these concepts. But then I remembered that my job is to plant the seeds. It’s God’s job to water them and help them grow. Got any seeds to plant in your class?

Who’s talking the most in your class? You? The kids? The parents? I heard it said once that in a class setting the person doing the most talking is the one who is learning the most!

After today’s class, I’m actually kind of glad about that, because we were ALL talking! Kids were talking to each other and to their teachers. Parents and teachers were talking at the door at the beginning and end of class. Even Skitter the squirrel puppet was talking! We were talking about all the amazing things God put in His creation. I had an excuse to bring lots of fun stuffed animals for kids to see and touch, and every animal I showed seemed to prompt a story from an eager-to-talk preschooler!

What was really cool was that the kids weren’t just eager to talk to each other. They were eager to talk to God, too! Today our Bible verse was “Pray always and be thankful” (see Colossians 4:2). After we said the verse together and even learned it in sign language, we did just what the verse said to do: We prayed and thanked God for the world He made and for making us! So, my advice is to keep on talking! Talk to your kids and their parents, and make many opportunities for them to talk to you. Most of all—keep talking to God about the needs and lives of of the children whose faith you have the privilege to nurture.

What are the kids in your class fascinated with? Today we had a visiting boy who only wanted to draw garbage cans! So we set aside the fish mural we had planned to make and got out paper and crayons and he drew brown, green and then blue garbage cans! I had a hard time thinking of how to connect garbage cans with the wonderful world God made! Garbage is the opposite of God’s magnificent creation!

Soon, however, the fascination with garbage cans turned to fascination with the "Cleanup Party" song—which is our favorite way this year to put away toys. I’m not sure how long this fascination will last, but I’m hoping it lasts a long time!

Best of all was the kids’ fascination with the Bible story. There’s nothing better than seeing kids respond with interest and curiosity to the stories from God’s Book. Often, but especially today when we had several first-time visitors, we say the words “The stories in this book are true! The words in this book are God’s messages to us. I love hearing the stories from the Bible, and I hope you do, too!”

I'll happily draw garbage cans or whatever it takes, if the relationship that is built leads a child to hear God's Word!

What do preschoolers, paint and puppets have in common? They are all elements of a fun first day of Sunday School! One by one, preschoolers came to the door on their first day of Sunday School, peeked in and then found a place with a play activity. Do you have kids in your class who are reluctant to leave mom or dad? I’m always amazed at the way simple play materials like toy dishes and toy animals can quickly engage a child who had just been clinging to his or her parent.

Watching the kids play, I thought of people who might be a little anxious about their ability to teach kids, or who aren’t sure what to do because they’ve never taught kids before. If you are wondering if Sunday School teaching is for you, here’s the question to answer: Do you like to play and talk? If you do, then you have all the requirements needed to be a Sunday School teacher. You don’t have to be able to memorize a story to tell, or sing a song in tune, or quote a Bible passage. Here’s how it worked for us: Today while we were building with colorful blocks, we listed things God made of the same colors as the blocks. As we played with the toy dishes, we talked about things God made to grow so we can have food to eat. (We were even brave enough to use nature items as paintbrushes!)

So get ready to play, listen and talk with kids and you can have a fun first day of Sunday School, too! (And it doesn't hurt to have Daffodil the Duck Puppet or Buddy the Dog Puppet on hand to help you make friends!)

“I’m not finished yet!” I thought today as I talked to Jacob, a 5-year-old boy who had been in my class this past year. I had suddenly realized that he would be moving on to the first grade class. And I almost panicked as I thought, “But I haven’t finished telling you God’s Big Story yet! There’s so much more for you to discover about your place in the Story!” I wished Jacob could stay in my class another year!

Looking back on the year he’s been in my class, I knew there had been missed opportunities when the number of kids was so large I was focused on crowd control, or I forgot the question or comment I should have made at just the right time to connect his play to the lesson’s Bible truth, or the block activity didn’t work the way I envisioned it. But now, ready or not, he’s moving on! I’m passing the baton to his next teachers. Now it’s their turn to share with Jacob the discovery of who God is and His Big Story.

It’s amazing to think back on the teachers who shared that same discovery with me as I grew to know God. And it’s even more amazing to think of the teachers who all over the world are getting ready to share God’s Big Story with a new class of kids this fall. Aren’t you glad you’re a part of such an inspiring Story?

Anticipating the first day of Sunday School in just two short weeks, I took a look at the list of kids who will be in my class! This class of preschoolers includes

• one boy who barely talks and when he does he’s so quiet you can’t understand him,
• another boy who clings to mom every week, even after attending for over a year,
• a girl who can read and write,
• a boy who has never been in a class separate from his sister, and
• several bundles of energy!

After reading over the list of names, I wondered, "How am I going to meet the needs and establish the sense of security that each child needs—and at the same time, tell a Bible story, memorize a puppet script, and prepare for our fun not-to-be-missed Play to Learn activities?" Whew!

Here's my conclusion: It’s time to start praying! I’m praying for one child each day between now and our first day of teaching. It’s time to depend on God to prepare me and the kids (and their parents!). I’m praying that each child on the list (and more!) will be ready to come, and that parents will make the commitment to bring their kids regularly. Who’s going to be in your class? What are you praying for?

“I didn’t get a turn!” Kenna told me today. Have you ever heard those words in your class? These words are often heard in my preschool class. Whether it’s getting to tell the name of someone God loves, being the leader in the game or playing a favorite rhythm instrument, getting a turn is a big concern to preschoolers.

Sometimes I find myself passing over this concern with a quick response, “Don’t worry. You’ll get a turn.” But I’m thinking that I need to take the time to give a genuine response with eye contact and a smile. Why? Because I want the kids in my class to know that I truly care about what they care about. After all, they’re learning about Jesus’ love from me! And Jesus’ love is patient and kind and persevering. (Check out 1 Corinthians 13!)

So when we are playing, listening and talking, I’m going to do my best to make sure everyone gets a turn—and even more, that everyone knows that their concerns (big and little) are important to me.

We did all the right things today, we said all the right words, we enjoyed all the right activities, but I still left my class wondering, “Will it stick?” Will the words we said about reading, hearing-- and especially obeying--God’s Word stick with the kids?

As a Sunday School teacher I can build the foundation as we play, listen and talk about the Bible. Pouring water over a Lego house perched on a rock helped Jakob experience Jesus’ parable of the wise man who listens and obeys Jesus’ words. Playing a Bible verse relay game was a fun way for Brinley to “hide God’s Word in her heart.” And recognizing out loud Bailey’s unselfish actions in sharing a favorite rhythm instrument was a meaningful way of seeing God’s Word in action.

Now it’s Mom and Dad’s turn to add some building blocks to the foundation. As each child left today we gave a bookmark and let child and parent know these would be good markers to use in their Bible storybooks at home. Will it stick? I’m praying that tonight at least one parent takes the time to read and talk about a Bible story at home.

For most of the kids in my class, I’m probably not going to know five or ten years from now if God’s Word is sticking with them. But for today it’s enough to know God’s promise in Isaiah 55 that His Word will not return empty—it will accomplish His purpose. And I know God’s plans are bigger and grander than anything I can ever think of!

“I don’t want to do anything,” the 5-year-old boy said. His mom was ready to drop him off in our class, but no matter how she tried to encourage him to stay, he kept shaking his head no. “You’ll get to have a good snack.” “I don’t want to eat anything.” “You’ll get to make something fun.” “I don’t want to make anything.” “You’ll get to play with toys.” “I don’t want to play with toys.”

A five-year-old who didn’t want to play with toys? I think it was at that point that mom decided her words were not going to change her son’s mind. “Then you can sit here and not do anything.” And she was off to church.

For the first few minutes Matthew did just sit and not do anything. My attempts to talk with him were met with “No, I don’t want to do anything.” Gradually, however, his God-given desire for action won him over. Soon he was eating the snack, then listening to and talking about the Bible story, then making star rubbings and then playing. All the while hearing words about the good things God wants us to do.

On any given Sunday, for whatever reason, there are kids in our classes who “don’t want to do anything.” It took me a while, but I’ve finally learned that it’s OK. “It’s OK if you want to sit and watch. You can join us when you’re ready.” Giving each child time and space to participate in his or her own way is one of the good things God wants teachers to do.

What’s something important you’ve lost recently? How did you feel when you realized it was missing? Were you frustrated because it was something you lose all the time (like me—I can NEVER find my keys), or were you panicked because losing it was an emergency? When we asked kids yesterday what things their parents have lost, we heard all kinds of answers: keys, cell phones, important papers, jewelry, money, sunglasses—even the car! (I’ve done that, too—parked the car and completely forgot where it was!)

But talking about lost items was easy compared to talking about “lost” people. Even though all our preschoolers have probably been lost from their parents at one time or another, we wanted to help them understand what it meant to be “lost” from God. So as we told about the woman in Luke 15 who celebrated when she found her lost coin, we talked about how God is glad and celebrates when we become part of His family. I don’t know how much these little ones got it, but my prayer is that the message of God’s love for them and His excitement when they are “found” will be remembered and built on Sunday after Sunday. And just to emphasize the message today, as kids left we gave each one a chocolate coin: “Here’s a reminder of today’s Bible story. You are more valuable to God than any coin. He wants you to be part of His family!”

Have you noticed that with preschoolers the best lesson plans and preparation can suddenly take a turn—into real life?

In our classroom that happened when a spider was discovered in the bathroom! The kids were delighted, but you can imagine the scene as every child in the room crowded into the bathroom to see the spider, and then shrieked in pleasure or fear! And later, as part of an activity where kids were supposed to be drawing themselves to show that God loved them, two little boys turned the activity into drawing monsters instead.

What’s a teacher to do? How do you connect spiders and monsters to following Jesus? Actually, real-life experiences are one of the reasons I enjoy teaching preschoolers so much. Their honest responses give me a perfect opportunity to talk about the things that matter to them. “Look at this cool spider God made!” “God loves you and He made you able to do so many things—you can draw cool monsters!” So I’m glad when real-life experiences take place in my classroom—although I’m hoping there won’t be too many more spiders!

I don’t know about your church, but the preschool classroom where I teach has wonderful, brightly colored, ergonomically correct chairs—for preschoolers! Not so much for adults! We teachers sit in the same little chairs, so getting on the kids’ eye level can be a stretch. (Or maybe it's just getting up from the little chairs that's a stretch!)

But in order to really play, listen and talk with kids, I’ve got to be at their level. So that means not standing up while kids are sitting down; no hovering around the back of them while they’re seated at the table and not talking to my co-teacher while kids are playing on the floor. (Even though I love my co-teacher and really enjoy talking with her—we share our lives before or after class.)

I’ve figured out the extra effort to get down to the kids’ level is worth it because my goal every Sunday is to have close-up eye contact with every child. I’m thinking there are already enough places where kids are overlooked and passed by because they are part of the crowd. At church, every kid deserves focused attention.

What I learned today: Dress comfortably!

What did you see at church today?

Today I saw two little four-year-old girls walk hand in hand into Sunday School. They were skipping, bouncing up and down, talking, smiling, laughing—all from the enjoyment of being friends together at church.

I also saw a first-grade girl, obviously wishing to be somewhere else, but walking hand in hand with her dad into her class.

And then after church I saw four teens from the church being baptized at a local beach. Their belief in Jesus has been built as their teachers have walked hand in hand with them through their growth as Christians.

Each child needs people to walk hand in hand with them—friends, parents, teachers. It’s an awesome responsibility—and some days I wonder if I’m keeping up with that responsibility! It's too easy to want to see instant results. But as a teacher of preschoolers, I have to keep reminding myself that I'm in it for the long haul. I want to walk hand in hand with the little ones in my care to help them take their beginning steps toward walking hand in hand with Jesus. Who are you walking hand in hand with?

Fear was a big topic of conversation with the preschoolers today as they heard about the story of Paul’s dramatic escape from Damascus. It didn’t take long before one little girl admitted she was afraid of monsters hiding under her bed. Then some of the kids said they went to their mom’s bed when they’re afraid at night—except one brave one who announced proudly, “I stay in my own bed.”

In talking with kids about their fears, I’m always trying to find the right balance between helping kids learn how to handle their fears, and emphasizing fear so much that fear is created where none existed! That’s why I loved the Bible verse for today: “In God I trust; I will not be afraid” (Psalm 56:4). Kids—and grownups—are afraid sometimes, whether or not the fears are real or imaginary. I love that the Bible recognizes our fears, but then helps us turn to God for courage. I love that as we play, listen and talk with kids we can reassure them and ourselves that God knows and understands when we’re afraid.

What I learned today: How important it is to provide opportunities for kids to talk about real life so they know that God is a part of the things that matter to them.

We talk a lot about how children are unique, made in God’s image in their own special way. And, to be honest, usually those words just pass right by me. But today in our class, who would have thought making a Bible-times scroll would reveal so much uniqueness!

In the scroll activity, kids were crumpling up paper bags to give them an old-time look before gluing a message of Jesus’ love on the bag and rolling it up to make the scroll. (The story was Philip explaining God’s Word to the Ethiopian traveler.) It was quickly apparent that kids LOVE crumpling up things and each one had a unique approach—some used just one hand, some used both hands, some used their whole arms, and even dainty Kenna stomped with her foot! Fortunately, the message of Jesus’ love endured despite all the crumpling.

It’s what I love about teaching about Jesus through play. Each child gets to participate in a way that fits him or her. And those personalized play experiences are the open door that allow me to enter with words about Jesus.

Have you ever been totally prepared for Sunday School and instead of the usual numbers you were expecting, only one child showed up? What did you do? Teach your class anyway? Was it worth it?

Well, that was my experience today! My husband and I had a story about Jesus ready to tell, a game to play (tossing beanbags onto paper-plate faces), play dough objects to make and lots of pretend kitchen toys. We were all set to play, listen and talk about being thankful for the good things God gives us—just like the one man who came back to thank Jesus after being healed of leprosy. But it was one of those Sundays when many families were gone on our annual church retreat, so we had one preschooler—Zoey—who came to class. Zoey’s mom offered to keep her in church, but Zoey chose to come play with us. And so we started in: Sunday School for One!

We told the Bible story, we tossed beanbags, we “cooked” and served chicken and hot chocolate in our pretend kitchen, and we talked about thanking Jesus. Tonight as I asked myself, “Was it worth it?” I realized that every week Sunday School is about the one child. Even when the room is full, it’s about each individual child. So I hope Zoey enjoyed Sunday School for One today (I know I did!), and I hope that in the middle of lots of kids and lots of activity, I remember to look for ways to connect with each one.

Do you ever wake up on Sunday morning and think how good it would feel to just stay in bed? Or how relaxing it would be to leisurely enjoy that second cup of coffee? Believe it or not, even after teaching Sunday School for many years, I’m often reluctant to get up and get going to church. You’d think I’d have learned by now!

Here’s what I’m (still!) learning: my supply of energy gets filled up by teaching kids at church! It starts when I see my co-teachers faithfully arriving—keeping their commitment just like me. It builds when I see the look of anxiety on a preschooler’s face change into a big smile when she sees that her teacher is ready to welcome her. It gets stronger when I hear about an active boy who got the message of Barnabas (also known in today’s story as Mr. Helper!). By the end of the morning, I’m so thankful for the opportunity I’ve had to hang out with my church family and to play, listen and talk with kids about Jesus.

Vacations are great, and time off is great, too! But really, nothing’s greater than getting to be part of a team of people who give and receive energy every Sunday morning! I’ll try to do a better job of remembering the words of Isaiah 40:31: “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.”

Have you ever come home from church and asked your child “What did you learn today in Sunday School?” We did that when our oldest son was four years old. We figured that on Easter Sunday it should be pretty obvious to everyone what was learned that day. Well, much to our surprise, our son answered “Jesus was in prison.” What??? We couldn’t believe our ears! Jesus in prison? On Easter?

Suddenly, though, we realized that all morning Andrew had been hearing the words “Jesus is risen!” Preschoolers don’t say the word “risen” or even hear the word used in everyday conversation, so Andrew automatically thought of a word he had heard of: “prison.” He knew there were Bible stories about people who had been put in prison. Once we figured out the problem, we knew what to explain. “The word ‘risen’ means to be alive again. On Easter, God made Jesus alive.”

This story is one I like to remember because it encourages me to watch the words I say—in the middle of playing, listening and talking, I need to use words that kids understand. Because I don’t want them to miss out on the good things to know about Jesus! (And I'm glad my curriculum gives me the words kids understand best!)

Check out my Wordle! It came from Wordle.net, a website that creates cool "word clouds" from the text in your blog. I simply entered my blog address and it created my Wordle for me. The largest words are the ones I use most often. Here's what mine looks like right now. It's just what I'd want it to look like: talking about following Jesus in every lesson!
You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. Have some fun yourself at Wordle.net :)

I actually started this blog the day BEFORE Easter—just because I was struck by all the unknowns. Would we have enough supplies—and teachers--for the kids who came? Would we have kids who were fearful and upset at being left with unfamiliar teachers in unfamiliar classrooms? Would the worship service greeters remember to tell families where the children’s ministry programs are located? And last, but not least, in the middle of all these unknowns, would we be able to connect each child to the life-changing news of Jesus? I ended up doing a lot of praying on Saturday, thinking about Easter’s coming!

Now, AFTER Easter Sunday, I’ll let you be the judge of whether my prayers were answered. We had enough materials to go around and we had enough helping hands so that each child was welcome (some of our teachers called themselves the unofficial Life Saver Club). And peeking into our classrooms you could see happy babies in the nursery (despite some being left for the first time), a caring preschooler who gently applied a bandage to her friend’s blister from new Easter shoes, and two older kids who lost teeth within minutes of each other during the Bible story. In the midst of all the activity, the story of Jesus’ resurrection and His love was not only told, but demonstrated. So now, I’m praying again—this time, thanking God for His goodness which never fails.

What did the preschoolers at your church do today? I saw kids shaking rhythm instruments, clapping to music, singing in the kids' choir and especially having fun waving palm branches! (Well, actually tickling each other with palm branches!) Excitement just builds and grows this time of the year. Kids are going on vacation, camping trips, enjoying Easter Egg hunts, even visiting the Easter Bunny at the mall.

Do you worry that the message of what Jesus did at Easter gets lost in all the excitement? I do, because it seems that the words about Jesus' love, and the people praising Him aren't even heard. But in all the playing and talking (did anybody listen today????) I know that the foundation is being built, one bit of awareness at a time. And at such a joyful time of year, where else would we want to be but with God's family, in His house, celebrating His love for us!

This year at our church’s Happy Birthday, Jesus! Party, I overheard a little three-year-old boy asking his mom, “Where’s Jesus?” This little boy had come to the celebration hoping finally to see this amazing person who he’d heard about. Surely Jesus wouldn’t miss His own birthday party!

As we’re teaching stories of Jesus and as we get ready to tell the wondrous news that Jesus is alive, what can we say to help children understand? How do we explain that Jesus is with us--when we can’t see Him? I’d love to know the perfect words that would help every little child (and adult) fully comprehend the truth of Jesus’ presence. But for me, I’m thinking that some simple words start building the foundation on which a child’s faith can grow. So I’ll say:

• "Even though we can't see Him, Jesus is alive. He is with us."
• “The Bible is true. It tells us that Jesus is alive. Jesus is our Friend.”
• “Jesus helps me every day. I know that He loves me. He loves you, too.”

And I'll remember that my love and care for each child teaches more about Jesus' presence and love than my words!

Last Sunday after Sunday School, I was sitting in church and noticed that a kindergartner from my class was in the row in front of me. (At our church, kids get to stay in worship for about 15 minutes, enjoy a short kids’ talk and then enthusiastically head out for a second-hour program.) I was glad to see my little friend in church, so during the greeting time, I sat down to be at her eye level, said hello and tried to shake hands. Nothing doing! Even a high five didn’t bring anything more than a shy smile. This little girl who talks nonstop to me during Sunday School, was as bashful as could be.

As I puzzled over this reaction, it reminded me of one of my Sunday School teachers. I have no idea if I was brave enough to talk to her outside of class, but I do know that she was quick to offer a friendly smile whenever I saw her around our church—even when I wasn’t in her class anymore. And guess what? Despite having gone to Sunday School my entire life, she is the only teacher I can remember!

I’ve decided I want to be a teacher kids remember, so I’ll keep saying hello and smiling!

Do you ever find it challenging and even overwhelming at times to handle the wide variation of skills and abilities in preschoolers? I've experienced this in guiding kids to complete the TalkTime activity pages. In our class, we've got

• -one child who prints her name very neatly, right next to the child who is determined to write his name--even though no one can read it!
• -one child who loves matching activities, right next to the child who draws lines connecting every picture whether they match or not!
• -one child who patiently colors every single white space on both sides of the page, right next to the child who makes a few marks on the page and announces, "I'm done!"
• 
  

At first, I stressed out a little, trying to help every child get their pages done just right! But then, I realized, their pages ARE done just right, because every child has participated and accomplished according to their standards, not mine. So now, while I demonstrate how to do the page and offer help when needed (my help isn't always accepted!), I try to remember to focus on the "Let's Talk" questions. Because, really, I don't care so much if the pictures are matched correctly as much as I care about whether the kids get what God's Word means in everyday life.

Or maybe this blog should be titled “Helping Parents Keep Up.” Every week our kids leave Sunday School with a FamilyFun take-home paper, sometimes an art project, and always the TalkTime activity page. Parents’ hands are overloaded and I can’t help wondering what happens to all these things we send home.

Parents are different, just like their kids are. Some are happy to put the art masterpiece up on the fridge. Others are looking for a truth to teach and a prayer to say at bedtime. One parent proudly displayed her son’s TalkTime activity page on a bulletin board, only to hear from her son that she had ruined his special paper because she had stuck holes in it!

For better or worse, however, I’ve realized that most of the time parents don’t know how to make the most of what we send home—unless I tell them. So my goal every week is to say a quick sentence to encourage busy moms and dads:

• - "There’s a bedtime talk and prayer in this paper every week."
• - "Jake had a great time putting these pictures in order. Here’s the question that tells what you can ask him about."
• - "Look at the sticker Savannah is wearing. It tells what we talked about today."
• - "Joshua used so many leaves to make his picture of you! His picture reminds us to forgive the people in our families."

I have to confess I don’t always meet my goal! But I figure if I don’t have a goal, I’ll never even think of what to say—much less do it. (And besides, aren’t you inspired by all those Olympic athletes and their determination? I’m determined to teach kids about Jesus!)

Today I had fun playing and singing with the two-year-olds.

I was singing, "Where is Nolan? Where is Nolan? There he is! There he is! I'm so glad you came here. I'm so glad you came here. I like you. I like you!" (Don't be shy! Try it yourself to the tune of "Where is Thumbkin?")

At first, there were shy smiles, then big smiles and then much to my surprise I heard, "Where is Sheryl? Where is Sheryl? There she is!" My little friend Olivia was playing and singing the song back to me!

Each Sunday we play to learn, but we also play to build friendships. It reminds me of the quote "First I learned to love my teacher. Then I learned to love my teacher's God!" (Thank you, Henrietta Mears!)

Sheryl asked me to write her blog this week, as she's having too much fun playing with our youngest granddaughter. Since I got to be with the Pre-K/Kindergarten group during our church's second service this morning, I thought I'd pass on my experience in repeating the same Bible story that most of the kids had heard during the first hour.
As soon as I mentioned that I was going to tell one of my favorites of all the stories that Jesus told, the same story that "Teacher Jackie" told during first, Lilly and Bailey announced enthusiastically that they knew the story. "It's about a guy who got beat up," one of them declared.
I just said, "I'm so impressed that you remember it. It's a very important story that Jesus wants us all to remember. And I launched into Jesus' parable of The Good Samaritan. As I pulled out each flannel figure and attached it to the board, Lilly or Bailey had something to say about that character. Their description of the robbers was very disapproving of such behavior. The figure of the poor victim lying on the ground elicited several comments about various injuries the kids had sustained. When I walked the first traveller across the board to where the victim was sprawled, I asked the kids if this man stopped to help. "No!" they said. "He just went on." There was one hopeful thought that perhaps this fellow would catch up to the robbers and explain to them that what they had done was not nice, there was no doubt at all that the kids had this story down.
But did that hurt their interest? Not in the least. They remained totally interested in the fate of the poor man and rejoiced when a kind traveller got off his donkey and took care of his injuries. And best of all, the children clearly understood the lesson Jesus wanted us to learn from this narrative.
And me? I was reminded again that, for young children, the stories they like the best are the ones they already know the best. Repetition adds immensely to their pleasure and understanding.

If you were to ask preschoolers their favorite thing to do, chances are the answers would include the word "play." I think that's why I'm such a fan of the time for play that we have in Sunday School.

When grownups come to church, they often put on their "church" faces and show their "church" actions--but not preschoolers! Especially when they are playing, observant teachers get to see honest, up-front words and interaction. What that means to me is that lessons about showing love, being kind, doing what's right can be taught right in the middle of what preschoolers most enjoy doing--playing.

Of course, it also means that as a teacher I get to model all these wonderful lessons at the same time!

Go ahead, ask a preschooler in your life what his or her favorite thing to do is. (Oh, and if the answer is "watch TV," get down on the floor and start playing--and teaching!)

What's easiest for you in your Sunday School class: playing, listening or talking?

Well for me, it's probably talking! As teachers, I think we're tempted to be giving directions, asking questions, talking about what's going on in the class all too often. And it's not that any of those things are bad--but for me, I need to remember to stop and listen more than I need to remember to stop and talk! Because when I listen,

• I hear what Daley has done this week at home,
• I discover what James most enjoys playing with,
• I learn what Ella's perspective on life really is

And those discoveries are the clues I need so that my words can connect what is in God's Word with the everyday lives of the kids I care about.

We didn't really have signs of spring in our class today--but we had our bright yellow Daffodil duck puppet who always brightens up our room and children's faces.

It's so amazing to me the interest that can be attracted by one friendly puppet, even when used by a teacher who isn't skilled with puppets. Today Daffodil was scared by a loud noise. Gradually throughout the class a child here and there would talk about his or her own fears--storms and big dogs were at the top of the list. We acted out (over and over) the Bible story of Jesus showing His power and love by stilling the storm and the disciples' fears. I'm praying that the message of this lesson sticks close to these children.

What I learned today: Doing anything with water or beanbags are sure-fire methods for involving children. And even when I had tired of repeating these fun play activities--the kids hadn't! As adults, we often think "once and done." But not preschoolers--repetition really is the way they learn best!

If you had been in our Sunday School class today, you would have heard the sound of many voices:

• "Teacher Sheryl, can I show you what I made?"
• "Let's go on a music parade and sing about God's great love."
• "Thank you for waiting your turn to open the flap."
• "Look at the colors on my flowers."
• "We build with blocks instead of kicking them."
• "Can you help me write my name?"
• "Teacher, you forgot about me. I've been waiting for a turn."
• "If you want to play this balloon game, catch the balloon before you tap it back to me."
• "We fold our hands and close our eyes when we pray to help us remember who we are talking to."

• "I will sing of the Lord's great love forever" (Psalm 89:1)

I hope that the echo of God's Word keeps sounding throughout all our lives this week.