By Kevin Hull
01/16/2007 02:01p [Reply]

The purpose of this discussion is to provide a means by which we as parents can share with each other some things that have worked for us in teaching our kids God's Word.

By Kevin Hull
01/16/2007 02:46p [Reply]

Here are some ideas that have worked well for me:

1.  In the fall I was raking leaves with my 4 yr. old son.  When we had a good size pile together, we reenacted the story of God parting the Red Sea.  We pretended that the pile of leaves was the Red Sea.  When Moses stretched out his staff, I parted the leaves in half.  Then the Israelites walked through.  When the Egyptians walked through, the waves of leaves came crashing over them.  We took turns being the Egyptians.  My son had a lot of fun, and we were remembering and celebrating what God had done.  When there is enough, I am going to try it with snow.

2.  At Christmas time 2 years ago I bought my son a nativity set made by Playmobile.  The set is made up of toys, so it is something that he can touch and move and experience.  (It also helps to keep him out of our breakable one.)  This year from time to time I would hide the baby Jesus with Mary and Joseph.  Then I would turn off most of the lights in the house.  Next I would give my son one or two of the wise men.  Then I explained how the wise men were searching for Jesus and how they had to follow a star to find him.  At this point I would shine a flashlight on the ceiling. I would then move the beam slowly across the ceiling from room to room until it stopped over the place where the baby Jesus was hidden.  My son with the wise men would follow the light on the ceiling until it stopped and then search for the baby Jesus underneath.  My son would always ask me to do it again.

3.  This one I started when my son was two.  I would tell him the story of Jonah and at the same time have him experience some of the motions.  When Jonah boarded the ship, I put him on the coach.  When the storm came and the boat went up and down, I would lift him and down and tilt him back and forth.  When Jonah was thrown overboard, I picked up off the couch and gently tossed him onto a pile of pillows.  When Jonah was spit out of the fish onto dry land, I picked him up and gently tossed him onto another pile of pillows.  Now he knows the story very well.  When I tell it now, I pretend to forget parts or tell it wrong and he corrects me.

I am always looking for new ideas.  Please share anything that has worked for you.  Scripture directs us to teach our children about God continually (Deut. 11:19).