All Change...everyday

You will notice that this blog has become inactive in the last few years... that was not on purpose but life kind of got a little hectic when I became a Mum (and now every day is like there is a rainbow in it)

Life is wonderful but all very different to three years ago, when Children's Ministry was my biggest role in life. Becoming a Mummy has been the most wonderful adventure, and quite a perspective shift from being immersed in nurturing the children of the church to nurturing one little life and from serving to being served (and that I found, and still do a very strange shift).  I have yet to venture back into Children's work/ ministry, but maybe one day (although this morning and possibly the trigger in writing this post whilst holding a parachute and my little one watching someone else leading inside I felt a longing to do this again), but for now I am honoured to be nurturing and looking after this one little precious gift from God.

I will share my insights for now from the perspective of Mummy (but right now I need to go and cuddle a small person who has woken up)

Creation Idea Cards

I made these AGES ago, for toddlers room at church but they were created from activities I did with group for children with Special Needs. You don't need to use all ideas just a few may be all that's needed. I can't find the water and land ones, sorry.

Good Samaritan - Play

Haven't posted for a while, so am going to "try" to, Im still doing stuff just forgetting camera all the time (sorry for quality of pictures)

Story scene for Good samaritan (people, sand, tree, rock, and inn) alongside books left open at Good Samaritan story.

Playmobil play ground, car and ambulance. So children could act out helping situations and make relevant to own lives.

Doctor/ first aid activities with loads of bandages and slings (very popular and I looked like I'd had a major injury by end of session)

Drawing and making - children were given option of making helping hands pictures, cards for someone or bandaging a card person. One child did the bandaging another wrote about family the others kept playing.

There were blocks left out next to the story scene to embellish the Inn or make a town this was the Inn by the end of session, and we got duplo out to make the town.

Moses in the Bullrushes (Exodus 2)

Large play scene for Moses in Bullrushes. 

(This term for the younger groups, under 7's I'm attempting to use both large dolls for the stories which is something I made for Holiday Club and worked very well, as well as using Godly Play (People of God) and small scale wooden models in sand). For this session all play resources were available at all times alongside craft materials.

The story was told first (this is not always the format of a session it depends upon the dynamics of the grouping) After the story, and a short time of wondering (which actually occurred naturally during the story as well) and then a snack (of jelly babies on biscuits and milk bottles)

After the story play options were pointed out and what craft materials were available and a few ideas about what they may make without direction e.g. "what do you think you could make?" 

 A basket for baby Moses (the first one created with much concentration - pipe cleaners were requested in addition to what was available)

Another basket for baby Moses

 A basket with Moses inside

A different take on Moses transport a boat instead of a basket (again much concentration)

The children agreed that more clay was defiantly needed.

Sock babies, really enthusiastically received by the girls. Was rather prescriptive craft and needed support but prompted lots of play afterwards. The older group 7+ got very creative with their sock Moses!

Not from this session but a previous Moses session - Milk bottle tops with Moses drawn on and floating - the children enjoyed playing with this.

Ideas Sheet for Exodus 2

Paul Shipwrecked

This week following on from a mini series of sessions for the relating to the life of Paul starting a month ago at the last Children's Church. I don't believe I have posted that session due to camera issues.

Play

 The pallet boat/ shipwreck formed the main focus of the room, and later allowed us to tell the story through drama including the children. During the play session, the children decorated the wood pallet with pens and played with the scene. The main writing on the pallet read "The good ship sinker and peace maker"

Shipwrecked Scene using the wonderful tuff stop/ builders tray containing sand, blue fabric and playmobil shipwreck (added wooden people also)

Play with wooden harbour set that I have used for many water story and is great for linking bible stories to modern situations/ experiences.

Sensory

Water and boats (small people were added)

 Alongside the boats blueish jelly with snakes and sea creatures in it. (Snakes relating to the snake that bit Paul on the island of Malta)

Craft:

 Tights???? 

For more snakes of course

 Playdough to make snakes (and whatever else but once one person starts the others follow) And I do believe we had some rather beautiful snakes this week.

 The play dough invitations to play are always so very popular that I am trying to put a play dough activity every session.

 Wooden boats, although these were not fully able to be undertaken by the children they were popular and children enjoyed decorating them. Because they were able to float they provided great opportunity to follow up story at home. (I will see if I can find some pictures of completed boats)

Food: (always a food activity- always popular)

Biscuits, with icing with brown sugar for sand, flapjack ship, cocktail stick with tape for sail and of course a jelly baby for Paul

We did not have a game this session, we were going to have snakes and ladders but unfortunately were unable to find one :(

Paul Heals... craft

We looked at the healings of Paul, as a craft response for the 6-11 year olds we made pipe cleaner dolls that moved to remind us that the people in the story were able to move/ jump for joy.

Guidelines for making: http://alljoinin.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/making-dolls-aka-bible-dolls.html

CD Fish

I just found these and thought actually of all "perscriptive" crafts (which are not my preference to  do with children but some certainly love them so I do) CD fish are one of my favourite! And there are a log fish stories in the Bible!