Try adapting an acrostic to make application to the lives of the children in your class.

This is a fun way to encourage class participation and discussion around the key words in the Scripture you are studying.

Supplies:

1. Pencil or pen
2. Paper

Instructions:

1. Read the scripture containing the lesson you have chosen and decide on the theme or thought that you would like to bring out and apply.
2. Choose a key word (or words) and write the letters of the word vertically down the left side of the paper.
3. Guide children in thinking of related words that begin with those letters.

Instructional video with examples from a number of lessons here.

Examples in the video include:

• Day 6- God Created Animals and People
• Paul’s 2nd Journey- Macedonian Vision
• Mary and Martha
• God’s Nation Divides

More teaching ideas here.

Surprises Are Fun!

You will prepare a white paper before class by drawing or writing something on it with a white crayon.  Nothing is visible to the children at first but your drawing will begin to appear when you apply paint to the white paper.

This is a simple idea for teaching or artwork and it can be adapted to any lesson or subject.

Watch the video instructions here.

Supplies you will need:

• White paper
• White crayon (or a white candle will work too).
• Paint (Water based paint.  I like using tempera paint with children because it is washable but any water-based paint like acrylic will do.)
• Paint brush or sponge to apply the paint.

Instructions:

1. Plan the picture or writing.
2. Use the white crayon or candle to draw a picture or words on the white paper.  Because this is white crayon on white paper the paper will appear to be blank.
3. Use the paint brush or sponge to apply the paint to the white paper.
4. The paint will soak into the paper but not into the parts covered in wax.  Whatever you have drawn with the white crayon will “appear” as you apply the paint.

Helpful Hints:

• You can use a black pen to do the writing or drawing first and then place the blank white paper over it and trace it.
• Prepare this in sunlight or near a lamp so the wax will reflect and you can more easily see what you have drawn.
• Apply the paint to some blank areas before you reveal the picture.  Kids love surprises so draw out the suspense a little.
• Experiment beforehand with the consistency of the paint so it won’t be too thick or too thin.

Applications:

• Use this idea to tell the Parable of the Hidden Treasure and Valuable Pearl.  Use brown paint to depict the treasure being found when the man was digging in the dirt.  On another paper draw lots of little pearls and one huge one.
• Write a memory verse or important word from a story and let the children guess what it is before you apply the paint.
• Use a black pen to draw part of a picture but leave parts blank.  The missing parts will appear as you tell the story.
• Guide the children in creating their own hidden picture.

I can still recite some memory verses I learned as a child.  I know for a fact I am remembering them from childhood because they come back to me in the King James Version even though I have not used that version for many years!

So I remember from my childhood “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” from Psalms 119:11, King James Version.

Have confidence that the verses you are helping your children memorise are hidden in their hearts.  Years from now our visual aids and bulletin boards (and even we) may be long forgotten but God’s word is still hidden in their hearts.

I’ve found a couple of easy ways to use Post-it Notes to help children learn verses.  Both ways involve the children repeating the verse a number of times while reading it.  One by one words are removed or covered up while the children continue to repeat the verse.  They must remember the missing words to say the verse.

Version 1:  Words from the verse are written on individual post-its and the post-its are removed one by one as the children begin to learn it.

Version 2: The verse is written on a piece of paper.  One by one the words are covered up with post-its as the children begin to learn it.

Click here for full instructions and a “how to” video.

All you need for this visual aid is a bible, 1 piece of paper and a pen or pencil for each child.

1. Before teaching your class you will read over the Bible story and divide it into main points.  I suggest you draw these yourself as practice so you know it will work!
2. Provide each student with a piece of paper and something to write with.
3. Tell them how many parts of the story there are going to be (your main points) and ask them to draw that many squares on the paper.
4. As you tell the story (or read it straight from the Bible) the children will fill in the squares with drawings.  Guide them in this as much as is needed.
5. Older children could read the story from the Bible themselves and draw.
6. When everyone is finished they can tell the story to the class using their own pictures.

I think you’ll like this teaching idea because it can be adapted to any story.

For full instructions, templates, examples and other ways to adapt this idea click here.

As an example I used the Bible Story: Death of Samson from Judges 16:21-31.

In this activity children determine whether a statement is true or false and then toss an object into a container to score a point.

In the example above I used two of my big white plastic bowls from the kitchen for the containers and I rolled up a pair of socks to have something soft to toss.

This is a simple idea that can be adapted to any story and age group.

I like it because it can be set up absolutely anywhere using objects that are easily available.

Click here for full instructions, adaptations of the game and printable labels.