Play! Listen! Talk!

It’s true confession time; I didn’t prepare for Sunday School during the week. In fact, it was Saturday when I finally got around to planning the activities. And, I’m embarrassed to say, I didn’t prepare to tell the Bible story until about 6:30 Sunday morning! But, thankfully, as I prepared and prayed I learned once again that God is faithful—even when I haven’t held up my part of the deal.

I didn’t have the materials suggested for the Dramatic Play activity, but I realized I did have the ingredients needed for play-dough birthday cakes, complete with sparkly candles so we could talk about how God is with us as we grow and that He is always helping us learn new things. (“Even you?” one little girl asked as we made miniature birthday cakes. “Even me,” I replied. “God is teaching me new things, too.”)

And since I love helping kids experience the Bible story action, as I was preparing early Sunday morning, an idea for storytelling popped into my head. When I got to church, I quickly lettered three signs: “Egypt,” “Nazareth” and “Jerusalem.” I put up the first two signs in an adjacent empty room, and attached “Jerusalem” to the wall where our story time takes place. As we talked about Mary, Joseph and Jesus returning safely to Nazareth, and then journeying to Jerusalem when Jesus was 12, we walked from place to place and imagined what the trip had been like. Kindergartners and three-year-olds alike kept focused on the story while their bodies were busy, too.

By the end of the session, we were all thankful for God’s care as Jesus grew, and for His care for us as we are growing, too. I was especially thankful for the gifts of new ideas for teaching kids as we start this new year. I wonder what new ideas for teaching God will be giving you?