BREAK THE MOLD!

I often say there are Sundays that you just need to “break the mold,” and make the experience completely different for the kids. As soon as your lesson format is predictable, it is time to do something different! I often use 5th Sundays to do this, or when there is a holiday that doesn’t fit nicely with the curriculum schedule. This year is a perfect example! Easter is the 2nd Sunday of April, meaning that a 4 week Easter series needs to be started on the 2nd Sunday of March in order to end on the first week of April. This year, I’ve got two FUN “Mold Breaking” Sundays planned for the kids. For the first Sunday of January, before we kick off Secrets of the Ancient Scrolls, we are doing BIBLE-O-RAMA! Every year I tweak and improve them, and I love when users of it Bible Curriculum make their own additions! This year, Pastor Doug Olson added a really cool new feature designed to keep kids moving and encourage them to visit every station. It’s a Bible-O-Rama Passport! The kids get a sticker as they visit each station and a special prize if they complete each activity. If you…

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Hidden Messages

  I just created a FUN on screen word puzzle to get kids talking about biblical phrases. Put the phrases on screen and see if the kids can figure them out. You can download high resolution 16:9 images or a PDF version to print. An answer key is also provided. Here are a few SAMPLES: See them all and download at: Kidology.org/hiddenmessages

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WISE KIDS SEEK HIM Christmas Series!

THIS CHRISTMAS, HELP YOUR KIDS WISE UP AS THEY LEARN ABOUT THE WISEMEN IN THE CHRISTMAS STORY! Wise Kids Seek Him is a 4-WEEK SERIES FOR ELEMENTARY CHILDREN’S CHURCH from Pastor Karl Bastian, founder of Kidology.org. You are going to love it! Kids will learn that: Wise Kids Seek Truth Wise Kids Find Jesus Wise Kids Are Generous Wise Kids Worship Jesus WISE KIDS SEEK HIM INCLUDES: Easy Prep Lesson Teachers AND Kids will love! Theming ideas for the series Fun intro skit for puppet or leader A funny video intro (see sample below) Games that enhance the lesson! Creative Bible story teaching ideas Object lessons and activity options Kids need their Bible to look up verses Theme verse for the month Paper and/or digital take home tool Helpful presentation images Bonus files, downloads, and ideas Editable presentation graphics Featuring MOE CAMEL whose great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandpappy was along for the Wisemen’s epic journey! Sample Video from Lesson Two: Every unit from it Bible Curriculum includes a complete biblically solid, fun, creative lesson your kids will love! Launch it, Play it, Watch it, Tell it, Teach it, Show it, Find it, Hide it, Live it, and Take it. LEARN MORE AT Kidology.org/wisekids

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My Plans vs God’s Plans

A super cool Magic Trick / Object Lesson that illustrates why sometimes God says no to our plans. He has a bigger plan! THE EFFECT: You show a piece of paper that says MY PLAN on it and describe how sometimes you go to God with YOUR PLAN and God rejects it! You then RIP UP THE PAPER in front of the kids. But as you talk about how sometimes God rejects our plan because He has a bigger better plan, you slowly unfold the ripped up paper to reveal a completely restored LARGER paper with no tears any more that says GOD’S PLAN! It is the classic Torn and Restored Paper illusion with a new application! PRESENTATION VIDEO: Watch the explanation video and download templates to do the illusion at: Kidology.org/myplangodsplan

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FLIP IT to Gratitude

Introducing The Complaining Game! How do we help kids focus on the positive? This is what I did one Sunday. I put 10 common complaints of kids onto slips of paper and then put them on the top of 10 buckets. Kids then go 3 Popsicle sticks to use to vote. They put a Popsicle stick in the top three buckets they complain about the most. Then, we totaled them to discover the top complaints. Here was our results: BUT, then I flipped the papers over to reveal the postive aspect of that complaint. Don’t like to clean your room? Be thankful you have a room, and a house! Hate eating veggies? Be thankful you have food to eat! Internet too slow? Be thankful you have Internet! Download all the complaints and “flipped” gratitude statements here. Find out what your kids top complaints are, then help them “flip it” to see why they should be thankful instead. Included is a full size version of this graphic I sent to parents to help them see what their kids were complaining about.

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