Crafts – Page 4

Christmas, Crafts, Encouragement, Teacher Appreciation

November 4, 2016

Volunteer Appreciation Ideas for Christmas

The smell of cinnamon and cedar is in the air. Christmas music is playing. You’re probably even decorating your Christmas tree when you get home from work tonight, right?

Wait … what? It’s only the beginning of November? Well, lucky for you, the Lifeway Kids team is always thinking ahead. This year, we wanted to give you a good start on the CHRISTmas season and go ahead and help you out with some Christmas appreciation ideas for your volunteers!

Bright Spot in Ministry

Supplies Needed:

Candles with lids (I bought mine at Dollar General for $3.50 each)
Labels
Ribbon if desired

Directions:

Print labels and cut them out. Attach them to the lids of the candles that you have purchased. If you purchased ribbon, you might want to tie some ribbon around the candles for a more festive look.

Socks and Stockings

Supplies Needed:

Christmas Socks (I bought mine at Dollar General for $1.00 per pair)

Labels
Tape
Directions:

Print labels and cut them out. Attach labels to the tag on the socks or you might choose to place them in a gift bag and make them more festive!

Ornament

Supplies Needed:

Ornaments (I purchased mine at Dollar General for $1.00 each)
Labels
Glue

Directions:

Print labels and cut them out. Attach labels to the back of the ornament. Write a special note and be sure to date it! If you purchased an ornament that isn’t round, attach the label to the string of the ornament. Always be sure to sign and date the ornament so that the volunteer will be reminded of your appreciation for him or her every year when decorating.

Poinsettia

Supplies Needed:

Poinsettias (Purchase the day after Thanksgiving at a home improvement store for $.99 each)
Labels
Ribbon

Directions:

Every year, home improvement stores run “Black Friday” specials on poinsettias for only 99 cents each! Go to your local retailer and pick up some of these beautiful flowers. Attach a label using a ribbon.

As always, it’s not important to spend lots of money on the gifts. Your volunteers don’t need you to break the budget trying to buy them a gift. They do, however, love to know that you appreciate them!

Jeff Land is Publishing Team Leader for Bible Studies For Life: Kids. He holds a BSW from Mississippi College and a MACE from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Jeff has served as children’s pastor and currently teaches second graders each week at his church. Jeff, his wife Abbey, and their four sons live in Coopertown, TN.

Crafts, Encouragement, Encouraging, Kids Ministry, Uncategorized

April 8, 2016

Spring Teacher Appreciation

By Jeff Land

There’s never really a bad time to show your volunteers that you appreciate them. With all of the new life that comes around during the Spring season, it just seems like a perfect time to tell your volunteers what they mean to you! Here are a few ideas.

UR ReMARKable

Supplies:

Multicolored dry-erase markers
Colored sheets of felt
Glue gun
Mason jar (optional)
Labels

Directions:

Cut a 12-inch long strip of felt about ¾-inch wide. It doesn’t matter if it is perfectly straight. (In fact, it’s better if it isn’t!)
Roll the felt into the shape of a flower, gluing it into place along the way.
Glue the flower head to the bottom of the marker.
Place several flowers in a mason jar and give a bouquet of markers. The felt acts as an eraser, so this makes a great gift for volunteers to use in their Bible study rooms!

JELLY – Jesus really loves you!

Supplies:

Jelly beans
Cellophane bags (ziplock bags work, as well!)
Stapler
Labels

Directions:

Fill bags with jelly beans.
Fold top of bag over to seal.
Attach a label with a stapler. Write a short note on each label and tell each volunteer something you love about her.

“GRAPE”ful

Supplies:

Grape flavored Ice Cubes gum
Cellophane bags
Ribbon
Labels

Directions:

Place 5-10 pieces of gum in each cellophane bag. I found bags of 100 pieces at Wal-Mart in the candy section.
Tie bags with ribbon.
Write a note to each volunteer telling him why you are “grape”ful for him on individual labels. Attach labels to the ribbon with a stapler or by punching a hole through the ribbon.

Jeff Land serves as the Publishing Team Leader for Bible Studies for Life: Kids. Jeff holds degrees from Mississippi College and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Jeff has served as a Children’s Minister and teaches kids weekly in his church.

Christmas, Crafts, Fun, Kids Ministry, Preschool, Resources

December 4, 2015

Friday Freebie: New Christmas Coloring Pages

By Cristy Whitlock

Can you believe we’re only three weeks away from Christmas? Time flies in the holiday season. Today we’d like to equip you with free coloring pages to be used for early arriver activities, kidmin Christmas parties, take-home activities for your little ones, and just plain fun. Here are coloring pages from Bible Studies For Life, The Gospel Project, and Explore the Bible depicting the true reason for the season. Click on the images to begin your download.

Click here to download a coloring page from Explore the Bible.

Click here to download a coloring page from The Gospel Project.

Click here to download coloring pages from Bible Studies For Life.

Crafts, Fun, Kids Ministry, Resources, Small Groups

October 26, 2015

Quick and Easy Coloring Books

By Jeff Land

I was recently looking through the coloring pages for Fall 2015 and thinking that I wished we had time in our Sunday School class to use them. We have a class full of 2nd Graders each week and we are generally too busy for coloring pages. Then it hit me—I could make them coloring books!

Each quarter we get our Kids Activity Pages and we pretty much just throw away the cover page. I realized that would be a great cover page for a coloring book. Then I printed off all of the coloring pages for the quarter and neatly stacked the activity page cover on top. I stapled in three places along the left border and BAM! Instant coloring book!

I liked my coloring book so much that I had to color one of the pages. Coloring books are really popular right now. Even adults have their own coloring books. I’ve even heard of coloring clubs! If you don’t use the coloring pages that come with your curriculum in your class, consider creating coloring books for your kids. These would be great for activity books during “big church”, or for families to work on together at home and have conversations about the Bible story!

So, go ahead, make a coloring book and enjoy some time coloring!

Jeff Land loves life! That’s pretty great, because his job here at Lifeway is the Team Leader for Bible Studies for Life: Kids. Jeff loves his life which is so blessed by his amazing wife, Abbey, and their four sons, Reed, Nash, Will, and Tuck. A natural encourager and fun-lover, look for Jeff’s posts about teacher appreciation and game ideas. When not serving at work, Jeff serves 2nd graders at his church, First Baptist Church, Joelton, TN.

Crafts, Encouraging, Fun, Kids Ministry, Training

August 7, 2015

Fall Appreciation: Thanks for “TEA”ching!

By Jeff Land

It’s that time of year when all the stores are offering great sales on school supplies. We’ve had a great summer, but I am really glad that it is time to get back to routine. Kids will start getting back to their regular bedtimes and families will be finished traveling. This marks an increase in church attendance and also a great time for you to tell teachers that you really care about them. Here are a couple of ideas for a new church year appreciation gift:

Water’d We Do Without You?

Print one label for each leader.
Buy one bottle of water per leader.
Use clear tape.

Trim all of the printed labels. Remove the original labels from each water bottle. Wrap the trimmed labels around each bottle and secure with clear tape. Personally, I prefer a cold bottle of water to room temperature, so I put mine in the fridge overnight (but don’t let them get too cold because they will sweat through the paper if you do!).

Thanks for TEAching!

Print one label for each leader.
Buy one bottle of tea per leader (I used Snapple.).
Use clear tape.

Trim all of the printed labels. Remove the original labels from each tea bottle. Wrap the trimmed labels around each bottle and secure with clear tape.

Crafts, Fun, Preschool, Preschoolers, Small Groups, Sunday School

May 18, 2015

Preschool Bible Learning Activity: Painting with Toes

By Jerry Vogel

Here’s another activity to use with your preschoolers!

Supplies needed:

Brown tempera paint, water, shallow pan or cookie sheet in which to place paint, markers, paper towels, wet wipes, paper, plastic cloth

Procedures:

Emphasize the Bible focus during this activity: Joshua obeyed God and led the people across the Jordan River (Joshua 3:1-4:17.)
Ask your preschoolers who has walked barefoot in or near water. Comment that the water stopped flowing in this story and the people crossed the river bed. Say that the river bed may have been muddy. State that preschoolers will paint their toes.
Allow a few children at a time to do this activity. Instruct children to remove their shoes and socks and place them in a designated area.
Explain that the preschoolers will dip their toes in the paint and then paint pictures with their toes. Add that the kids can use markers to draw other shapes, designs and letters on their picture. Remind boys and girls to stay on the plastic cloth. You may also need to help them with balance.
Comment that Joshua did what God told him to do — take the people across the river. Help children clean their feet with wet wipes and put socks and shoes back on.

Note: This activity could be used with any Bible story about “walking” and using “feet.” If you would be interested in more activities like this, check out Bible Studies For Life: Kids.

Jerry Vogel serves as a Childhood Ministry Specialist in Lifeway Church Resources. He is married to Janie and has four children and thirteen grand kids. Jerry is a member of Brentwood Baptist Church and teaches preschoolers there. He is committed to enriching the lives of those who teach kids as well as making eternal investments in the lives of children.

Crafts, Easter, Fun, Kids Ministry, Parenting, Preschool, Resources, Small Groups

March 25, 2015

Easter Themed Coloring Pages

By Jeff Land

It’s funny, the title of this blog might actually bring to mind images of bunnies, chicks, and beautifully decorated eggs. For you, maybe you think of chocolates, baskets, and lots of candy. I hope, however, that we are never too far from the truth of why we celebrate Easter – the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

This Easter, be sure that you are impressing upon your kids ministry leaders to keep Easter about Easter. Help them do this by printing this selection of Easter themed coloring pages. If your church is like most, you will have a huge surge in attendance on Easter Sunday. It’s possible that many of the kids attending will have never heard the true Easter story. By showing and using these coloring pages, leader can walk kids through the true reason for why Christians celebrate Easter.

Here are seven coloring pages to choose from:

Jesus’ Crucifixion and Resurrection

Jesus’ Last Days

Jesus’ Last Days 2

The Triumphal Entry

The Triumphal Entry 2

Jesus Appeared to the Disciples

Jesus is Alive!

Jeff Land loves Life! That’s pretty great, because his job here at Lifeway is the Team Leader for Bible Studies for Life: Kids. Jeff loves his life which is so blessed by his amazing wife, Abbey, and their four sons, Reed, Nash, Will, and Tuck. A natural encourager and fun-lover, look for Jeff’s posts about teacher appreciation and game ideas. When not serving at work, Jeff serves 2nd graders at his church, First Baptist Church, Joelton, TN.

Crafts, Fun, Kids Ministry, Parenting, Small Groups, Sunday School

February 26, 2015

Science and the Bible: Lava Lamps and Moses

By Jeff Land

I love object lessons for teaching kids. Here is a science experiment for making a homemade lava lamp to help you in teaching the story of Moses and the burning bush. Also provided is a teaching picture and Bible story summary available to download here.

Before the Activity:

o What are some things that are very hot?

o What reminds you of fire?

o Today we are going to learn a story about how God spoke to Moses through a bush that was on fire but not burning up.

Items needed:

o Water

o Clear plastic bottle

o Vegetable oil

o Food color

o Alka Seltzer®

o Plastic funnel

Instructions:

o Fill the plastic bottle ¼ full with water using the plastic funnel.

o Fill the bottle almost to the top with oil.

o Allow the oil and water to separate.

o Add quite a bit of food color (use orange or red).

o Break the Alka Seltzer tablets into smaller pieces. Drop one or two into the water and watch the results. When the bubbling stops, you can add more tablets.

What happened:

o Oil and water don’t mix very well. The food color dropped to the bottom of the water, and the Alka Seltzer created carbon dioxide bubbles. Each of the bubbles carried some of the colored water, with them up on their trip. When the bubbles popped, the water dropped back through the oil.

Bible Story Connection:

o God Spoke to Moses (Exodus 3:1–4:17)

o Connection Point: This activity reminds us of a lava lamp. We know that lava is very hot, and that reminds us of fire. God spoke to Moses through a burning bush. The bush was on fire but not burning up, just like this activity looks like lava, but is not really hot. [This activity could be modified for use with other stones in the Bible that use fire.]

After the Story/Activity:

o Is the “lava” in the lamp really hot? Why?

o Was the burning bush really on fire? Why or why not?

o In life, sometimes things can look real even if they aren’t, like this lava. In the Bible, though, we know that it is all real. The Bible tells that the bush was on fire, but it wasn’t burning up. The bush was really on fire.

o Is this bottle hot? Do you think the burning bush was hot?

Crafts, Encouraging

February 3, 2015

February Teacher Appreciation

By Jeff Land

I come from a very talented family of crafters and artists. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a lot of the talent, but I did get the desire to make things with my hands. We even have a secret facebook group where someone in our family challenges us to make something. This month, I took that challenge and turned it into a teacher appreciation idea for Valentines Day.

Start with a sheet of red copy paper. Trim the paper to make a square.
Fold the square in half to form a triangle. Crease well.
Fold the triangle in half again to make a smaller triangle. Crease well.
Fold the triangle in half one last time to make a smaller triangle. Crease well.
Unfold the paper to the original triangle made in step 2.
Place the triangle on a table with the longest side facing you.
Take the left corner and fold it up to the top corner. Do the same with the right corner forming a diamond shape. Tape the seams together with a small piece of clear tape.
Flip the paper over to the untaped side. Fold the top point of the diamond down a little above the two outside corners.
Flip the paper over to the taped side. Take the left point and fold down to make a small triangle point. Do the same with the right side.
Flip over. You should have a heart shaped pocket.

You can dog-ear the corners back a little to give it more of a heart shape, but I don’t think that is necessary. Also, since I’m not a purist, I used small pieces of tape to hold down any paper that wanted to flap up.

Inside you can place a giftcard and write a catchy saying on the outside.

I used a Starbucks® giftcard and a Chick-fil-a® giftcard for my samples.

Starbucks: Thanks a “latte”

Chick-fil-a: Thanks for being a part of our herd.

Burger King: Thanks for doing it God’s Way!

If budget is an issue, you can stuff the pocket with candies.

Sweetarts: You’re a sweetart!

M&Ms: Thanks for melting hearts for Jesus!

Party-favor size Play-Doh: You help mold hearts for God.

Crafts, Fun, Kids Ministry, Parenting, Resources, Small Groups, Sunday School

January 27, 2015

Science and the Bible: Make Waves with Jonah

By Jeff Land

I love the story of Jonah and the big fish. I’ve always been intrigued by what it must have been like in the belly of the fish for three days. Here’s a fun science experiment that you can use with kids while teaching the story of Jonah. Download a teaching picture and Bible story summary here.

Before the Activity:

o Where are some places that you have seen “foamy” water?

o What Bible story do you think of when I say these words: storm, sea, foam, spit, throw up, and big fish?

o Today we are going to study the story of Jonah.

Items needed:

o Plastic soda bottle (16 or 20 ounce)

o ½ cup 20-volume hydrogen peroxide (Available at beauty supply stores)

o 1 packet of dry yeast

o 3 tablespoons of warm water

o Liquid dish soap

o Food color

o Small cup

o Safety goggles

o Tray or pan

Instructions:

o Place hydrogen peroxide in the plastic bottle.

o Add food color and about a tablespoon of dish soap to the bottle and mix.

o Combine warm water and yeast and mix together for about 30 seconds.

o Pour the yeast in the bottle and step back.

What happened:

o This experiment created an exothermic reaction. This means that along with the foam there was also heat. The foam and heat were produced as oxygen bubbles were quickly created as the yeast mixed with the hydrogen and soap.

Bible Story Connection:

o The book of Jonah

o Connection Point: When water crashes around in the waves, it creates a foamy texture. We know that when Jonah was thrown off of the boat there was a great storm, so there were probably some “foamy” waters. Also, another point of connection with this activity is when the big fish spit Jonah up onto dry land. The foam shooting out of the bottle kind of reminds us of spit shooting out.

After the Story/Activity:

o What part of the story did the foam remind you of?

o What part of the story did the foam shooting out of the bottle remind you of?

o Do you think that Jonah really was in a big fish and spit up onto dry land? Why or why not?

Volunteer Appreciation Ideas for Christmas

Bright Spot in Ministry

Socks and Stockings

Ornament

Poinsettia

Spring Teacher Appreciation

Friday Freebie: New Christmas Coloring Pages

Quick and Easy Coloring Books

Fall Appreciation: Thanks for “TEA”ching!

Preschool Bible Learning Activity: Painting with Toes

Easter Themed Coloring Pages

Science and the Bible: Lava Lamps and Moses

February Teacher Appreciation

Science and the Bible: Make Waves with Jonah

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