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SSTN # 43 - May 12, 2005


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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:


-->  The Good Shepherd - A NO COST  VBS Series

1) Rotation Scope & Sequence
2) Two Year Old Sent Out
3) Quiz ideas
4) Luau VBS?
5) Quizzes

--> Super Heroes ... a two semester series!

6) Summer Day Camp
7) Day Camp
8) Summer Day Camp
9) String Art...Previous newsletter?
10) Wild Wednesdays?
11) Rocks...treasure stones
12) Stone ideas
13) Rock Theme
14) Armor Of God
15) Day Camp


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The Good Shepherd VBS Series

A five day, NO COST, VBS - Bible Club program. Each day is fun-packed with
Bible truths about Jesus, The Good Shepherd. The hands-on lesson series includes,
crafts, games, Scripture memorization techniques for Psalm 23 and
song-time suggestions. There is also a "Psalm 23 Keepsake Wall Hanging"
pattern that can be purchased to accompany this series or be used as a
stand alone project. You will find the pattern listed in the "Easy Make &
Take Download" section at:

http://www.christiancrafters.com/curriculum.html 
(you may need to copy and paste the link to your browser)


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1) Rotation Scope & Sequence

Pastor Andy, the way our church decided upon our scope and sequence was to
sit down as an education committee and decide which Bible stories in the
Old and New Testament we felt were most important for our children to
learn. We have a 6 year rotation and to through about 6 or 7 workshops
each Sunday school year. We always learn Old Testament lessons in the
fall, one Advent lesson, then after the New Year, New Testament lessons
and always include an Easter workshop each year. We make sure each Old
Testament and New Testament lesson is repeated once in the 6 year period
so each student studies it once for 6 weeks. We always do a Christmas and
Easter workshop each year. Hope this helps. Jeannine     



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2) Two Year Old Sent Out

> "they do not allow crying in the nursery."

Joni,
Your post stunned me. 
Who can make a rule like this?  It sounds like someone higher up (a pastor
maybe?)needs to be informed of this "policy."  I have yet to experience a
nursery where children did not cry (and I've been in some excellent
ones).  There is obviously some other issue here.  If possible, you might
consult parents of the other children in the nursery.  Although you are
busy teaching Sunday school, perhaps some of the other parents would be
willing to sit in the nursery and help (observing while they
are helping).  Are your nursery workers paid or volunteer?  If they are
paid, perhaps it is time for your church to think about a change in
staff.  If they are volunteer, I think some training might be in order.

Some advice for your nursery:
Our church actually provides Sunday school for 2 years and up, so perhaps
even having ome simple activities for the children in the nursery
(coloring sheets, simple gluing crafts, etc.) would help.  How many
children are typically in your church nursery?
For toddlers and up, you really need one adult for every 5.  For infants,
1 for every  or 3.  When children are upset and crying, the most effective
tool I've found is rayer.  One of my favorite pastimes (which is not a
part of my official duties) is o go in the nursery and put the babies to
sleep.  When a child just can't (or won't)settle down, I rock them and
hold them, and focus on relaxing my own body while praying for God to
comfort and relax the child and bless them throughout their life.  This
helps the child relax and every time they fall asleep.  I'm known as the
"magic touch" round here, but really it's God who's the magic touch!

As I said earlier, I don't think your grandchild is the problem, but I
thought these ideas might help someone else too. 
In Christ,
Brenda Harter
Director of Children's Ministry, FUMC, Manhattan, KS


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3) Quiz ideas

I use lots of games as review.  Dare Chair is one of my 6th graders'
favorite.  Here is how it works:
Supplies:    questions/answers; cd player & good upbeat music.
Arrange chairs in a circle - like playing musical chairs.
Label x number of chairs (depending on the number of children in your
class 2 and up, not all chairs) as dare chairs .
How to play:
When music starts, children go round the circle.
Music stops, everyone sits in a chair.
Children in the dare chairs are the ones asked the review question.
If they don't know the answer, they can ask for help from the rest of the
class.
Continue asking questions until  all dare chair occupants have had a
question turn.
Start music and continue game.  
Caution:  many children will race for the dare chair.  Easy way to control
is one turn in the dare chair per child until all have had a turn, then it
is time for seconds.  If someone has had a turn, lands in the dare chair,
ask him/her to trade places with someone whom has not had a dare chair
turn.

Questions can cover any amount of review you choose and questions can be
varying levels of difficulty.  This works for books of the Bible review,
lesson review, etc.
Even the sr high kids and adults that work in my class enjoy this game.

Have fun
Anigrani  :o)

Ann Bouwense



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4) VBS Luau?

We are a small church. We can hardly get 4 adults to help
out with 35 children so we only do a one day/ all day VBS on Saturday. We
have an anual theme, "Saturday Summer Splash" with as many water games as
possable. This we have chosen Hawian Luau. Now the delima. How do you
bring Christ and salvation into that mix. I can come up with a craft or
game for any lesson. Can you give me a lesson. K-6th grade will be one
group and Infants and toddlers are the other.     Thank you & God's
blessings to you,  Anita

--from SSTN: I would begin by planning what I wanted the children to learn
on that one day.  I would also research (google) authentic Luaus, Hawaiian
crafts and games. Are there common elements to bring out? If so capitalize
on them. Other than that, use Hawaiian accessories to decorate.
ysic,
Sarah Keith <><


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5) Quizzes

That age just loves Bible Drills.
Nancy in SC


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--> Super Heroes ... a two semester series!

"Super Heroes of the Bible" is a two-semester series
which seeks to develop FAITH, COURAGE, and OBEDIENCE
in the lives of children and to change our world for Jesus Christ.

To learn more, go to this page:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/curriculum.html 
(you may need to copy and paste this address to your browser)


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6) Summer daycamp

You can have a building contest by making blocks of newspaper.


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7) DayCamp

Hi,
I was just responding to the daycamp idea.  We have done daycamps for our
younger Kindergarten through 2nd grades.  We really enjoyed and the kids
did too.  I think it's a great idea and would do it again if I had some
more help.  Someday it will happen. I would start with an opening time
with everybody together.  I would divide the kids into 4 different color
groups and then have 4 different rotations in the morning. Here's an
example schedule I would use....(vary it how it works for you)
9:00-9:30    Check in (get name tags, put stuff away)
9:30-10:00    Opening session with a video of songs (ex. donut man video)
have the kids help you do the motions to the songs.  Then talk about the
topic and the schedule.
10:00-12:00    half hour rotations:
1.Craft (a craft that matches your lesson)
2. Game (active game)
3.Memory Verse (an activity to learn the memory verse)
4. Story time (have someone tell the story to them.
12:00-1:00     Lunch
1:00-3:00        half hour roations
1. Some water activity(running through a sprinkler, water balloons)
2. Cooking (Make a snack they can eat)
3. Game - An active game that matches your theme
4. Song - Learn a song that relates to your theme that they can learn
motions to and show their parents when they pick them up.
3:00-3:30   Group closing time
Sing songs and ask review questions to seewhat they learned.
3:30-4:00  Have a video until their parents pick them up.
 
I would use my 10-13 year olds to be the leaders of the rotations so that
they would really get to be a part and help out with it.  They might get
more out of the event. 
 
My email is ericaj@spokanechristiancenter.org email if you have any more
thoughts or need more ideas.  I love to do this kind of thing.
erica
Erica Johnson
Children's Pastor
Spokane Christian Center



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8) Summer Day Camp

Play games. The Chalk-It-Up book is a great resource.
You can find it in the ChristianCrafters.com site on the Curriculum page.


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9) String Art...Previous newsletter?

Dear Sarah,
On the web site that I signed up from, there was an inquiry regarding
christian string art projects.  Could I have the answers to that question
please.  We would like to do something like this for our VBS.
Thank you,
Karen Wiedebush
Mansfield, SD

--from SSTN: hi Karen: I'm not sure if this one was ever answered.
Hopefully someone will respond with the answer. Your question brings up an
important point when searching the archives. If you find a posting of
interest and you want to see if it's been answered, search the newsletters
that follow the one you were reading. For example: If you find something
of interest in newsletter #32-Apr05, read through the following
newsletters. Hopefully you will find your answer. The best way to locate
specific information is to use the search tool on the main archives page:
http://christiancrafters.com/archives.html 

Your webservant,
Sarah Keith <><
 

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10) Wild Wednesdays?
 
We are breaking from our midweek study for 9 weeks this summer.  We will
be having Wild Wednesdays instead.  I would like each week to have a
"wild" theme.  One week will be our Safari VBS.  I was thinking of things
like "wild waters" -- an evening of water games, etc.  Does anyone have
any creative suggestions?  It would be for all kids age K-6th grade. 
Thanks!
Angie in CA

--from SSTN: "Wild, Wild West", use the "WILD" acronym --
Willing, Inviting, Loving Disciples and more ideas like these in the
archives. Search  WILD  at:
http://christiancrafters.com/archives.html 


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11) Rocks...treasure stones

For Linda:
 
Consider making Treasure Stones.  You can look up the recipe on the
internet easily - it's everywhere!  The recipe uses used coffee grounds
and flour to make a dough.  You can shape the dough into small stones and
poke a hole in them and put a small item inside (toy, etc.).  When the
dough dries, it can be cracked open to reveal the present inside.  You
could even use the stones and fill them with rolled up slips of paper that
have memory verses (or pieces of the verse) and have the kids put the
verse together.
 
Good luck!

--from SSTN: see #13, below.


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12) Stone ideas

Craft ideas: How about making garden stepping stones? Just do a web search
and you will find many websites with directions, etc.to make these quite
inexpensively. And of course there are some cute ideas just painting
stones to replicate animals and other creation ideas.  One game thought:
Play frozen tag only refer to those tagged and left standing as rocks,
stones, you get the idea. By the way - great theme!   In His Love, Beth


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13) Rock Theme

This is for Linda looking for ideas to go along with a "Rock Theme":

Digging for Treasure:
sandbox, rocks, gold spray paint,  OPTION: Scripture verse on strips of
paper, glue

Use your sandbox to dig for Treasure!! Ahead of time - have an adult spray
several rocks with gold spray paint - let dry. If the rocks are big
enough, add the cut out verse of Scripture - glue both under paper and on
top to seal it down .Then bury then in the sandbox. Let each child take a
turn to find the buried treasure!

Treasure Stone
Ingredients:
·1 cup flour
·1 cup used coffee grinds
·1/2 cup salt
·1/4 cup sand
·3/4 cup water

Procedure:
a. Mix all dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Slowly add water and
knead until the mixture is the consistency of bread dough.
b.Break off a piece of dough and roll it into the size of a baseball.
c.Make a hole in the centre of the ball big enough to hide treasures in.
d.Fill the hole with treasures and seal with some extra dough.
e.Let your treasure stone air dry for 2-3 days or until hard or bake in
the oven on a cookie sheet at 150 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Tips:
Add 1 Tbs. of powder tempera paint to tint your Treasure Stones different
colours. Use Treasure Stones for party favours or scavenger hunts at your
next party.

Our oldest campers made these at last year’s VBS and hid a small plastic
animal in each one to go along with the theme of creation. Then all the
campers got to find a stone outside and take it home and find the surprise
inside.

SAND CASTLE CLAY
Ingredients:
·1 cup sand
·1/2 cup cornstarch
·3/4 cup liquid starch (Sta-Flo brand at Walmart in laundry aisle)

Procedure:
a.Combine sand and cornstarch in an old pot.
b.Add liquid starch and mix
c.Cook the mixture over medium heat while constantly stirring. Eventually,
the mixture will thicken and turn into dough.
d.Remove pot from the stove and let Sand Castle Clay cool.
e.Remove clay from the pot and knead it 20 - 30 seconds before using.
f. Let Sand Castle Clay sculptures dry until hard.

Tips:
Color Sand Castle Clay by adding 1 Tbs. of powdered tempera paint to the
mixture before cooking. Use candy molds and cookie cutters to shape Sand
Castle Clay.


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14) Armor Of God

For Amanda doing the Armour Of God.

One of my personal favourites! If your budget permits, try to get a
'dress-up' costume set from a Christian supplier. The kids love dressing
up.
I also cut Bristol board into pieces and on each piece I wrote one of the
names of the items of armour or what it represented. After we had the
reading and a bit of discussion, I handed out the words and they had to
find the person with the piece that 'matched' theirs. This only works well
if you have 12 children (or a few more). I then turned all the pieces over
on the table and they had to flip them over and find the 'matches'. (Like
the games Concentration or Memory). We made swords out of cardboard and
covered them with aluminum foil and wrote scripture on them with pen (have
to be careful not to tear the foil), and if you get pop or juice on
cardborad trays, they are a wonderful size to make a big shield - poke
some holes in the middle and thread string through so that it will slide
over the child's arm. (Do 2 sets of 2 holes for more stability).

Trudy
Burlington, Ontario, Canada


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15)  Day Camp

Hullo Linda

I am sure you will get a lot of help from others re the ROCKS  !  so I
write with Bible Game ideas based on the Scriptures you are using.     I
suppose they can come under the heading of Crafters because players make
up the games using cereal card, or other grocery packet cardboard, then
play the games, and all use direct Scripture verses, so not only are
players learning what God is saying but also Bible Memorization is
happening at the same time.

I can give you game ideas based on Isaiah 28 : 16 (which is coupled with
Psalm 118 : 22, 23) also Psalm 18 : 1, 2 if you wish to contact me on
heather.mackie@paradise.net.nz
for fuller game instructions than I give below, and illustrations too if
you wish. My homepage is  http://www.homepages.paradise.net.nz/heatherm
where you can see the kind of Bible Game ideas I have available.    There
is no charge and the games can be made for nothing using card and
materials found in the home.

For Isaiah 28 : 16, I suggest a game idea type of method where you cut
enough cards for each player the size of one word, and write out the verse
and its reference on these, one word to each card, making a set for every
player.     Put each set in a separate paper bag and write the
verse/reference on the outside.     At   GO  !  players tip out the cards
and, referring to the verse on the paper bag, attempt to be the first to
assemble the verse.     Have a small prize ready ! and remember that older
children will easily beat the younger ones, so have different age
groupings to do this perhaps.     Read out the verse from the paper bags
all together before the game starts and after it has finished.    The
children can take the game home to keep and play with family members.

For Psalm 18 : 1 - 2, I suggest the game method used for Memorizing Psalm
23 which I have suggested on an earlier newsletter, as this psalm divides
easily into eight sentences.

The Bible material that you intend to use shows very good key words that
can be teamed with words having the opposite meaning, for teaching
purposes.    A good Memory game type of idea could be put together using a
List of Opposites - strong/weak, Jesus/Satan, faith/unbelief, good/bad,
salvation/ condemnation, rock/sand, found/lost, give/take, same/different,
first/last, bless/curse, wise/foolish, life/death, yes/no, agree/disagree,
old/new,temporary/permanent, wisdom/folly, thick/thin, old/young,
Heaven/hell, light/dark, safety/danger, etc etc.    Write out the List of
Opposites on card for players to refer to during play.     Cut enough
cards the size of one word and write
the words on these, one word to each card.     Form into a Pack and secure
using rubber bands until playing time.     Spread the cards, word-side
down on playing area, and mix them up.    Players have turns to lift two
cards at a time and see if they are opposites, referring to the List of
Opposites, keeping them if they "match" and having one more turn, but replacing them word-side
down if they do not match.    When all the cards are used up, players count
their pairs and the player with the most wins.

If you give children material to take home, or can send by e-mail
follow-up material, the game ideas can be transmitted in this way into the family
home for everyone to work on and play - and very likely improve on, as
they like !

Please contact me if I can help you further.     I can send you the game
ideas written out more fully as a document which will appear on an e-mail
to make things as easy as possible.

For anyone interested, I can send as a document Bible Game Ideas based on
verses from DANIEL as well as MIRACLES IN MARK.    Make and play.

Blessings
Heather


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