Play! Listen! Talk!

At our church, we’ve got kids coming for Sunday School early, late and right on time! At your church, you probably know the ones who are always early, late and right on time, too! Every week it’s seems as though some mom or dad has a story to tell about losing their keys, losing their kids’ shoes, or most often, losing track of time! (It happens to teachers, too!)

Are you one of the ones who arrive early, late or right on time? What’s happening in your classroom when kids are arriving? If I’m not early, I feel as if I’m late and one step behind all morning long! There’s nothing worse than being so distracted when kids come that I can’t welcome them—early, late or right on time!

One of the things I love about the Play to Learn activities in my curriculum is that there’s always something that an early-arriving kid can help me do—and I plan ahead for the ones I know will always be early. And since our play activities last for a half hour or so, a child who arrives after the “official” start time still has time to play—and learn! (And if you are in a church where all the kids come at once, having a choice of several fun activities helps kids quickly find a place to fit in.)

This week I read a story in the book of Matthew--a story Jesus told about a master who paid all his workers the same, whether they had started work early or late in the day. God is like that master; He loves us generously if we’ve been following Him for a short while or a long while. I think it’s pretty cool that I get to show this same generous love to kids no matter if they are early, late or right on time! And it’s certainly easier for me to do this if I’m ready for them no matter when they come.