Hi Tasbeha Members!
Our church is trying to find something to do during the Nady for the children (most of them are very young, Kindergarten to grade 2-3) that would be fun and new. These kids havent been around long but they're already bored of the usual nady, where they get to play a few games, hear a story of a saint etc....
The only thing we could come up with is to dress up as different "super-heros" in the bible and tell them about what "we" did.
Anybody have any creative ideas? Keep in mind these guys have the attention span of a few minutes!
Thank-you
Love in Christ!
Comments
Bread and salt for dinner. No breakfast, no lunch, and don't even think about snacking.
ReturnOrthodoxy
http://www.copticservant.com/Course/Curriculum.htm
GBU
All jokes aside. That is what I did.
Those are the exercises my priest gave me, even at the age of eight years old.
He also played ping pong with us and ate dry cold pizza with us.
I know I can weave palms better than anyone. I carried bricks on my back and filled dumpsters.
It is because all of this that I love my God, my Saint Mark, and my priest.
You will be surprised what children are capable of doing. Do not underestimate them nor think that they are incapable of understanding.
RO,
All jokes aside. That is what I did.
Those are the exercises my priest gave me, even at the age of eight years old.
He also played ping pong with us and ate dry cold pizza with us.
I know I can weave palms better than anyone. I carried bricks on my back and filled dumpsters.
It is because all of this that I love my God, my Saint Mark, and my priest.
You will be surprised what children are capable of doing. Do not underestimate them nor think that they are incapable of understanding.
LOL. I was obviously joking, but I certainly do not under-estimate the ascetic capabiliteis of the kids. I think that we need to work to enhance it.
Apart from the nady, would you care to give some ideas as to how to re-ignite the ascetic flame in youth these days who are almost completely caught up in games, movies, and feel-goods?
R.O.
Sit them down, and have them take notes on theological matters, and ask them to write peer reviewed scholarly articles. Then, get them to pray all the hours of the Agpeya, and weave palm leaves. It helps if you can employ a dump-truck full of sand.
Bread and salt for dinner. No breakfast, no lunch, and don't even think about snacking.
ReturnOrthodoxy
haha love it!
but all jokes aside, love these suggestions, I think we're going to try building churches out of popsickles next week. :D
> I remember one about Jacob and Esau where it was a drawing to colour it in and using real lentils and glue to stick lentils on the drawing of the stew bowl.
> Make puppets of bible characters to tell a story. To make their bodies, all you need is firm cardboard rolled up as a cone. Stick the head on the pointy end and insert your hand through the round hollow end.
You can make two holes on the sides to fit your fingers through (as the puppet's hands).
> print out a landscape picture (preferably a clip art version to appeal to children) to fit an A4 size paper of a background suitable to the bible story you want to use. E.g. a desert place with a path and sand dunes, rocks for the story of the good Samaritan.
Holding the picture in the landsacpe position, fold it across in half (like a book).
(Fold on the left, open edges on the right)
Then use scissors to make in incision perpendicular to the fold you made, half the way down the photo. (from left to right). Do not cut in half completely (just cut until you almost reach the edges of the paper .
Unfold the picture, you now have an incision which looks like a path across the picture.
print out images of people, animals, whatever characters relevant to your story on paper with lots of empty space under each image. Cut out the images, leaving a long vertical rectangle at the bottom of each image.
Insert the rectangle into the incision on the background picture, use it to move the character along from the back. (make sure rectangle is longer than the background picture so that it is visible to the child at the bottom of the picture so they can move it along.
For young children, have everything cut out and ready for them to use. You may want to print out images which can be coloured in, so that they have more tasks to do.
For older children, you may want to demonstrate and let them cut out the images themselves.
> Depending on your budget, you can buy a big box of beads with bands etc etc (for 3+ years old only) and let them make necklaces and bracelets.
You can also use multicoloured bracelet strings. Look up 100s of ways to braid and knot these strings, demonstrate to the kids and then let them create their own designs. Remember that it is not a production line so no need to criticize any design flaws :) e.g. http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-4-Strand-Braided-Bracelet
Remember when buying materials that kids like bright vibrant colours.
http://www.coloring.ws/esther.htm
http://www.chabad.org/kids/article_cdo/aid/256696/jewish/Queen-Esther.htm#comments
(i'm sure you can find better resources, this is just an example)
A clip art image of Esther in a dress. Using colours and glitter to decorate her dress after telling the story.
> Same can be done with the story of Joseph and his multicoloured shirt.
> For Jonah: use blue paper or colour some paper blue. Cut out many strips in the shape of waves.
On another piece of paper, make incisions on either sides of the paper (not too close to the edges) to fit the 'waves' through them. insert the waves and pull them through. Pull the waves to get a 'sea effect'.
Cut out an image of a whale with an open mouth with an extra rectangle at the bottom. Insert rectangle through all the wave strips of paper and move along to simulate swimming whale.
Cut out an image of Jonah kneeling to pray with a rectangle at the bottom (smaller scale to fit inside mouth of whale).
If really keen, also cut out an image of a ship (bigger scale than Jonah, but smaller than whale)
It is amazing how much these activities can activate the memory and engage kids so that they will remember the story lesson you teach!
Hope these instructions were understandable. Message me if unclear :)
RO,
All jokes aside. That is what I did.
Those are the exercises my priest gave me, even at the age of eight years old.
He also played ping pong with us and ate dry cold pizza with us.
I know I can weave palms better than anyone. I carried bricks on my back and filled dumpsters.
It is because all of this that I love my God, my Saint Mark, and my priest.
You will be surprised what children are capable of doing. Do not underestimate them nor think that they are incapable of understanding.
Please don't get mad for what I'm about to say. Watch that pride of yours