The Kidologist’s Camp Closet (and CONTEST!)
I am back at Camp Timber-lee! I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve been here since 1998, since I’ve only missed a few years but spoke multiple times other years – it’s like a home away from home for me. And while it was once the camp for the kids at my church, it’s now a camp in Wisconsin I fly back to speak at from Colorado – so I guess they like me! I feel like family here, even though I only get to be a small part of the massive operation here for only one week of the year, but I count it an honor and a privilege every time!
This year the theme is TRANSFORMED and what a great opportunity to challenge kids to allow God to transform them or some area of their life.
I just got all unpacked and moved in after a long day of travel, so I thought – just for fun – I’d post a picture of my closet in my cabin for you to get a glimpse into my style of teaching.
Here it is:
I’m posting this for a few reasons.
First of all – It just looks like fun and I’m excited about the week ahead! Secondly, I can’t believe I fit all this in my luggage! (Though I shipped the robot puppet ahead and bought the hula hoops and super soaker at Wal-Mart after I got here!)
Thirdly, because I want to encourage those of you who teach kids to go the extra mile to engage kids when you teach!
Yes. It is a lot of extra work and takes extra effort to include props and fun games and include interactive elements in your lessons – but the results are always better and higher because the kids are engaged, listening, and you earn the right to be heard. This is explained in greater detail relationally in the Kidology Handbook, and from a teaching perspective in the The Kids Church Cookbook.
Now, don’t get me wrong, it isn’t just about being fun! It is fun with a purpose! Every game is an object lesson and every illusion illustrates a lesson point, and that takes time and prayer and planning. It’s rarely in the curriculum, at least not to the standard I demand, and rarely with much scriptural basis. I had to collect Transformer toys for a year and spend a lot of time working props to fit my lessons.
But in the end – I’ll have lessons that are highly interactive and engaging without using any media. (My personal belief is I use NO media at camp – kids get enough of that at school and church throughout the year, I want everything at camp to be REAL and not ‘on screen’ – only worship words are on screen, something I have no control over.)
Fourthly – I wanted to have some fun with you. Take a close look at the picture. And in comments, how many of the items in my closet can you name? I’m not going to approve any comments until the contest is over! Whoever guesses the most correctly, will win a cool (and valuable) prize when I get home! (If any comments do go live, it may be they are per-approved for being previous commenters – no fair using their comments for hints!?) I put them all live and announce the winner at the end of the week!
I’m curious how many of my teaching props some of you kidmins out there may recognize. If you have questions about my props shown, ask in a separate comment, so I can approve and then answer!
Have fun!
(Click the pic to see it bigger!)
