What I Do

To keep a mobile record of our Children's Church, I will be posting lessons and other kid-activities throughout the year. Some people think running a successful Kids Program is easy (usually those who have never taken part in one), other think it's extremely difficult (those who scoot along the outskirts of the program) and some people have never even thought about it. I love it (and wish I could make it a full-time job!) because a lot of preparation leaves for little problems! 

I also try to plan out my lessons at least 6 months (to a year) at a time to ensure all of Jesus' teachings are being taught, not just the "easy" stories. When I plan, I create a spreadsheet of all of the dates, lessons, and location of the story in the Bible for quick reference. It's also important to decide how you're going to choose lessons. A few years ago I ran across Calvary Curriculum (which has since been tremendously updated with activities and coloring pages) that had a list of New Testament Bible lessons. I didn't use the activities, but I use the list pretty much every year to make sure I'm not leaving out any bit of Jesus' message. I generally spend a year on New Testament, then 3-6 months on Old Testament stories. 

Here is a snapshot of my lesson book cover in 2008:

I have a supply closet at church with lots of crafty things to make teaching my little ones a bit less stressful. I also have a great church family that offers a nice budget for purchasing things my kiddos need for hands-on-learning. Most of my supplies come from orientaltrading.com and are inexpensive. Other things I pick up at Walmart, A.C. Moore's, or from around the house. 

When creating a supply closet, it's essential to become an organized hoarder. Keep all donations, label things clearly, and remember what you have so you won't have to buy it again. Like I said before, planning is key.