Creative Teaching Ideas, Parents Ministry

Famous Biblical Mothers

May 7, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

Activity
Make a list of famous mothers from the Bible. Eve, Naomi, Hannah, Elizabeth, Mary, Rebecca, Sarah and many others come to mind. You can tell each of the Biblical stories and then discuss how our own mothers are in many ways like the Biblical mothers.

Game Idea
Place the name of a Biblical mother on the back of each person. Each person must identify the Biblical mother placed on his/her back by asking others yes/no questions. Some of these mothers may be too difficult for some youth.

Game Idea
See how many of the Biblical mothers kids can correctly identify from the descriptions. Make it a competition between two teams.

BIBLICAL MOTHERS
Naomi
She was the Mother-in-law of Ruth. Ruth accompanied Naomi to her homeland saying ‘Where you go, I will go, where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.’ She guided her daughter in law into a marriage with Boaz.

Hannah
She was the wife of Elkanah. She was childless for many years, but after much prayer, became mother to Samuel the prophet. She dedicated him to the Lord and brought him a linen ephod every year. After Samuel, she became mother to three more sons and two daughters. 1 Samuel 1; 2:1, 21

Elizabeth
She was the Mother of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for the Lord. She was Mary’s cousin and a godly woman who in her old age, God allowed her to give birth.

Sarah
She is the wife of Abraham and gave birth to Isaac when she was over 100 years old. Isaac was the father of Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Mary
She is the Mother of Jesus and it often remembered for her answer faith when she asnwered the
angel Gabriel. ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.’ (Luke 1:38)

Bathsheba
She was the mother of Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived. She is mentioned in Jesus’ family tree – Matthew 1:6 -‘whose mother had been Uriah’s wife.’

Eve
She is known as the “Mother of mankind” because she was the very first mother.

Rebekah
She ensured that the more righteous son, Jacob, receive the patriarchal blessing from his father, as the Lord intended (Genesis 27).

Abijah
Her son Hezekiah was a king who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 29:1, 26:5 , 2 Kings 18:2

Jochebed
When the Pharoah an gave order to kill all the baby boys of the Hebrews, she hid Moses for three months. “By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict” (Hebrews 11:23). (See also Exodus 1-2)

Rachel
She was the mother of Joseph who had a coat of many colors.

Azubah
She was the wife of King Asa and was the mother and godly influence of Jehosaphat. It is said that “he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” 1 Kings 22:42, 2 Chronicles 20:31

Jedidah
She was the mother of Josiah who succeeded his father as king when he was only eight years old. He reigned for almost 31 years. Josiah’s father was a wicked king but Josiah was godly, again attesting to the influence of a godly mother. 2Kings 22:1,2

Use these example of Biblical Mothers for Mother’s Day or at another opportunity to recognize mothers.

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Icebreakers

Guess the Mother? or Child?

May 6, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

Preparation
In a grid, write down a statement about each mother in each square. The number of squares should be less than or equal to the number of mothers participating in the game.

For example, you could write: “Mother was Born in a country other than Singapore.”, “Has a pet”, “mother likes chocolate”, “has a dog”, “Mother doesn’t like durian”, etc.

Activity
Mothers and children or youth go about the room and try to find a mother who meets the characteristics and have them sign inside the square. A person may only sign one square on the sheet. The first person to get all squares filled with signatures is awarded.

Variation
If you do a parent/child event this could have statements about children/youth as well as statements about mothers. For an added variation, give the children/youth and the mothers separate sheets. The mothers will have characteristics of children/youth whereas the sheet give to the children/youth will have characteristics of mothers. Children will need to get the signatures of mothers and the mothers will need to get the signatures of the children/youth.

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Game Ideas

Mother Child Trivia

May 6, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

Activity
Invite mothers to the Sunday School classroom. Temporarily separate the mothers and the children or youth. The teacher asks some planned questions to the group of mothers and each mother is expected to try and guess the answer her child/teen will give to each question. Answers are written on a large peice of cardboard or a piece of paper that can later be held high for everyone to see.

Bring the mothers and children/youth back together. Assign point values for each question in which the parent successfully guessed the child’s answer. You can also reverse roles for the next set of questions and have the kids try to predict their mother’s answer. The mother-child with the most points wins a prize.

Some sample questions
“Most common thing you fight over?”
“You are most alike in what characteristic?”
“What is your favorite activity together?”
“What is the funniest thing that happened when you were together?” “What is one music group you could listen to and both enjoy?”
“What is a television show you watch together?”

The parent and child answer the questions on an index card, without talking to each other or having any type of collaboration at all on answers.

Makes a great activity to encourage mother-child communication, especially among teens.

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Children's Sermon

Mother Says

May 6, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

Activity
You can play this game like “simon says.” but simply replace the name “Simon” with “Mother.”

“Mother Says” has a very simple rule. If a child is given a command and the teacher does not preface it with “Mother Says”, children must ignore it. If they mistakenly follow it they are eliminated from the game. Continue until only one child remains.

Variation
Instead of playing “Simon says”, play a game of “Mother May I?”
One person (it could be Mom) stands facing away from a line of kids. She then chooses a child (at random, or in order), and announces a direction. These follow a pattern, such as, “Brian, you may take (NUMBER) “giant steps” forward/backward.” The child responds with “Mother may I?” Mom then states “Yes” or “No”, depending on her whim, and the child complies.

If the child forgets to ask “Mother may I?” he/she goes back to the starting line. First one to touch Mother wins.

Other possibilities are
“regular steps”
“baby steps”
“ballet steps”
“Scissors steps”- jump while crossing your feet, then jump while uncrossing them
“Banana steps”-laying down with feet at current spot, marking where the top of your head was, and getting up there for new spot, and
“Bunny steps” – a hop

Application
Obeying our Mother’s is one way of showing them we love them.

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Creative Teaching Ideas

Mother of Who?

May 6, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

Activity
Have youth make a list of famous mothers. Award the team or individual youth with the most.

Activity 2
Using the lists, play a game of charades. Add bonus points for naming the children of each listed mother.

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Game Ideas

Are You My Mother?

May 5, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

Play this like “doggie doggie where’s your bone!” Except you choose one child to be the baby bird in the middle and the child with the hidden block or toy is the mommy. The Bird points to a child and asks “Are you my Mother?” the child answers “Yes” if they have the block or “No I am a ___” and fills in the ___ with cat, dog, boat.. etc On the third guess if the child guesses incorrectly the child should respond “I am a Stork” and everyone can point to the “Mother” for them. Of course the stork brings new babies so someone else become the baby bird and the game continues.

This game can be a fun filled activity for Mother’s Day. For a nice bridge into mother’s day… say it is not really storks that bring babies, but God. And God puts them into the loving care of mothers.

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Game Ideas, Parents Ministry

Baby Animals

May 4, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

Introduction
As we celebrate mother’s day we are reminded that God created us through mothers and that mothers are all around us in creation.

Every mother knows her baby—but do you? Take the quiz!

A mother horse gallops with her ______________.
The mother cow gives milk for her _______________.
A baby tiger hunts food for her _________.
The mother hen looks for worms for her _____________.
The mother dog plays with her ______________.
The mother duck swims with her ______________.
The mother cat catches a mouse for her ______________.
The mother goat nibbles grass with her __________.
The mother pig is busy caring for her ____________.
The mother sheep calls her ______________.
The mother fox hunts for her _______________.
The mother kangaroo keeps her ____________ in her pouch.
The mother deer lies with her _______.
A mother frog takes swims with her _________.
The mother bear takes care of her ________.
The mother donkey runs with its _________.
A mother eagle brings back a worm for it ________.
A mother Ferret takes care of it’s _______.
A mother goose swims with its _______.

Answers
pony, calf, cub, chick, puppy, duckling, kitten, kid, piglet, lamb, pup, joey, fawn, tadpole, cub, colt, eaglet, kit, gosling

Variation
Write the names of the animals and baby animals on cards and place them on the backs of the children. Then they must ask “yes” or “no” questions and try to find the baby that matches with the mother.

Variation
You can place the cards on a table and play a concentration style card game. Kids turn over two cards. If a mother is matched with the baby animal they can go again. If not they turn the cards back over and the next child turns over two cards. The child with the most cards at the end wins. As a variation you can get photos of parents and children and paste them to cards or photocopy them on cards. Then they must also match mother and child.

Variation
“Battle” also known as “slap”– Add animal cards (see website below for more animals and babies) as well as duplicates. Shuffle and deal the cards into two equal piles. Divide the class into two teams. Each team chooses a person to turn over cards. Each team turns over a card at the same time as the other team. When the two cards go together the first person to slap the top of the discards in the center gets all those cards. If they slap the stack and the cards do not match, the other team gets all the cards. The team can shout directions for its player and help them to determine when to slap the deck. Once the deck has been slapped, the next person from each team turns over the cards. The game is over when one team obtains all the cards in this manner.

Variation
Have each child bring a stuffed animal. Put them all put in a pile. Then one by one mothers are blindfolded and they have to find their child’s stuffed animal without looking!

Variation
“Name That Animal”- This is a fun game for small children just beginning to learn their animals. Pass out animal stickers or small stuffed animals, and have the kids imitate the animal they receive. You might write the names of a baby and a mother. Then by imitating the animal they have been given they most find the mother of that animal.

More animals and their babies can be found at
http://www.EnchantedLearning.com/subjects/animals/Animalbabies.shtml
They also list the names for groups of animals such as a pride of lions.

Application
Each animal has a special name for its baby. Your mother gave each of you a special name as well. And God knows each one of you by name. Just as mother animals take care of thier babies, your mother takes care of you. Take some time to thank your mom for taking care of you.

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Creative Teaching Ideas

Walking Away

May 3, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

Materials
You’ll need a Bible, colored construction paper, white paper, scissors, markers, tape, and a picture of Jesus or a sheet of poster board. Before this activity, tape the picture of Jesus to a wall, door, or bulletin board. If you don’t have a picture of Jesus, write his name on a sheet of poster board and hang it on the wall.

Activity
Have children form pairs, and hand each pair two sheets of colored construction paper, two sheets of white paper, a marker, and scissors. Have each child help his or her partner trace and cut out a white footprint and a colored footprint. After all the footprints have been cut out, say: It’s not always easy to follow in Jesus’ footsteps. Sometimes we’re tempted to do or say the wrong things-then we’re off on the “wrong foot.”

Discussion
What are some things that keep people from following Jesus?
Have youth think of various ways people stray from Jesus; then write those ways on your colored footprints. After everyone has prepared a colored footprint, invite everyone to tape their footprints near the picture of Jesus. Position the paper footprints so they appear to be “walking” away from Christ.

Debrief
What are some of thethings that rbings us and others closer to Jesus? Some possible answers are love, honesty, forgiveness, kindness, trust, faith, and hope. Have participants write one of these words on his or her white footprint and then tape that footprint “walking” toward the picture of Jesus.

Closing
Have a time of silence during which the partcipants can think about ways they’d like to follow Jesus more closely.

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Creative Teaching Ideas

Sayings of Mothers

May 2, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

Activity
Have children / youth list things that their mothers say to them. As a fun variation, ask them to list three of the most common things said by their mothers to them on a piece of paper. Place them in a bowl and randomly distribute them. Youth must then try to guess whose mother the sayings come from.

Debrief
Discuss how these things are a mother’s way of taking care of them. See the list below for some ideas. You could also ask children / youth how many of their mothers have said things like these. What is the rationale behind these sayings? Are they all true?

Sayings of Mothers
• A little “birdy” told me!
• A little soap & water never killed anybody.
• Always wear clean underwear in case you get in an accident.
• Am I talking to a brick wall?
• Answer me when I ask you a question!
• Are you deaf or something?
• Are you going out dressed like that?
• Are you lying to me?
• Are your hands broken? Pick it up yourself! I’m not your maid!
• As long as you live under my roof, you’ll do as I say.
• Call me when you get there, just so I know you’re okay.
• Clean up after yourself!
• Close the door behind you — were you born in a barn?
• Cupcakes are NOT a breakfast food!
• Did you brush your teeth?
• Did you flush?
• Did you clean your room?
• Did you comb your hair?
• Do as I say, not as I do
• Do I look like a maid?
• Do you think I’m made of money?
• Do you think this is a hotel?
• Do you think your socks are going to pick themselves up?
• Don’t ask me WHY. The answer is NO
• Don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back
• Don’t cross your eyes or they’ll freeze that way.
• Don’t eat the seeds or you’ll have watermelons growing out your ears
• Don’t EVER let me catch you doing that again!
• Don’t go out with wet hair, you’ll catch cold.
• Don’t make me come in there!
• Don’t make me get up!
• Don’t pick it, it’ll get infected.
• Don’t put that in your mouth, you don’t know where it’s been.
• Don’t run in the house
• Don’t sit too close to the television
• Don’t talk with your mouth full!
• Don’t use that tone with me!
• Don’t walk away when I’m talking to you!
• Don’t you have anything better to do?
• Eat those carrots, they’re good for your eyes. Have you ever seen a rabbit wearing glasses?
• Eat your vegetables, they’re good for you.
• Enough is enough!
• Go ask your father
• Go to your room and wait until your daddy gets home!
• How can you have nothing to wear? your closet is FULL of clothes!
• How do you know you don’t like it if you haven’t tasted it?
• How many times do I have to tell you…don’t throw things in the house!
• I can always tell when you’re lying.
• I can’t believe you can sleep in this filth!
• I didn’t ask who put it there, I said “Pick it up!”
• I don’t care what “everyone” is doing, I care what you are doing!
• I don’t care who started it, I said stop!
• If it were a snake, it would have bitten you.
• If you’re too sick to go to school, you’re too sick to play outside.
• If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.
• If you don’t stop crying, I am going to give you something to cry about!
• I’m doing this for your own good.
• I’m not going to ask you again.
• I’m not just talking to hear myself.
• I’m going to give you until the count of three.
• I’m going to skin you alive!
• Isn’t it past your bedtime?
• I’ve had it up to here with you.
• Life isn’t fair.
• Look at me when I’m talking to you.
• Men perspire, ladies glisten.
• Money does NOT grow on trees.
• No child of MINE would do something like that.
• Over my dead body!
• Pick that up before somebody trips on it and breaks their neck!
• Say that again and I’ll wash your mouth out with soap.
• Shut the door! I’m not heating (air conditioning) the entire neighborhood!
• Sit like a lady!
• So it’s raining? You’re not sugar — you won’t melt.
• Someday your face will freeze like that!
• There’s enough dirt in those ears to grow potatoes!
• This hurts me more than it hurts you.
• What if everyone jumped off a cliff? Would you do it, too?
• What part of NO don’t you understand?
• When you have your own house then you can make the rules!
• Who died and left you boss?
• Why? Because I said so, that’s why?
• You can be anything you want to, if you just set your mind to it.
• You had better wipe that smile off your face before I do it for you.
• You must think rules are made to be broken.
• You will ALWAYS be my baby.
• You won’t be happy until you break that, will you?
• You’d forget your head if it wasn’t attached to your shoulders!
• Your father is going to hear about this when HE gets home!
• You’re going to put your eye out with that thing!
• I LOVE YOU!

Application

God gives us instructions and takes care of us, just like our mothers do. Everything he says can be trusted and is for our benefit. We should be thankful to God for mothers to take care of us. They might not always be perfect as God is, but they do love us and are a little bit of heaven on earth.

This Mother’s Day teaching activity can be a Children’s Sermon or a reminder for any day that mothers look after us just as the Heavenly Father does.

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Improving Your Teaching

Popping Points

May 2, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

Materials
A balloon (helium filled are best) for each point in your talk.

Preparation
Write your key points on small pieces of paper. Roll them up and place them in separate balloons. Inflate the balloons and tie them. Use these to illustrate your message.

Variation
You can also write key questions on uninflated balloons with a permanent marking pen and insert the answers or related scripture verses inside. When you inflate the balloon the message will appear in bold letters. Then allow participants to pop the balloon and read the answers or related scripture verse.

Makes any message a little more fun and more memorable.

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