Childrens Sunday School Lesson: Using music to praise God. DIY Harp.

Praising God,
With singing and with music.

Music is such a fun concept and past time for children; and, such an important part of praising God. We all have our favorite songs, teaching children to desire the right kind of music and using it to praise and glorify God can be allot of fun.

Psalm 92:1-5 kjv

92 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High:

² To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,
³ Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound.
⁴ For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
⁵ O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.

Before starting a good conversation point (as I always like to prompt conversation with the kids in the beginning of class to give them a chance to talk before being quiet and a way to find fun in what we will be learning) is their favorite songs, instruments. Now, keep in mind that they might need coaxing and try to remind them of songs common in your church that they may know/like/sing.

Points to go over with children:

1-Music is good, something to be proud of and something to be used to glorify God. 
         -Singing in church, playing an instrument are wonderful ways to praise God. He wants us to praise Him with music!
2-Singing/Playing in church does not have to be perfect.
        -Something so hard for us to teach children is to not be afraid to get up on stage and sing or play an instrument, it's hard because often we are nervous or scared to do just that. Tell the kids that, that nerves bother adults too and that nerves are okay, not something to be ashamed of. Also, make sure they know that if they get up there to sing Jesus loves me and forget half the words that the EFFORT is what is important and what God asks us for. He never asks us to be perfect, He simply asks us to SERVE with a willing heart.
3-Everyone has different talents.
         -If a child doesn't seem to have a certain talent make sure they know that is okay and not something to be ashamed of. Each person, each child has a talent that they can explore and use to praise and glorify God.

CRAFT TIME:
Lets make a harp, one of the instruments mentioned in the scripture, a fun play "pretend" to remind the children of the lesson to use music and instrument to praise and give thanks to God.
  
What you need:
Card board (cake boards sold at walmart or craft store in cake section work great)
Large rubberbands (5 per harp)
Wooden dowel cut to about 5 inches
Hot glue gun

Cut board to shape of a harp, as seen in the photos (Not the best cut of card board but it works). After cutting the hole in the center place the wooden dowel at the top with hot glue gun (this serves to balance the rubber bands).  Pull rubber bands to fit around it and spread them out evenly. Let the kids strum and play pretend music. Using a sharpie write the Scripture on it as a reminder.

 

 

Mercy & Truth Sunday School Lesson *Proverbs 3:3-4*

Having the little 4-6 year old class is such fun, such a blessing. This is the latest lesson we did, I am still a few behind on sharing but I wanted to go ahead and share this one.

PROVERBS 3:3-4

"Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man."

Mercy: compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.

Truth: the quality or state of being true.

When I did this lesson it was fun talking to the kids about what they view as the truth and what mercy is. Above, I show you the definitions of the words that are good to talk to the kids about. With my age group I like to use stories to incorporate something to their understanding, like telling the truth for example; Ask them if they have ever lied to mommy or daddy, talk to them about maybe an instance of breaking something and then saying they didn't or so on, then explain the correlation/opposites of truth compared to lies, untruth. 

Mercy is harder to bring to their level, but is very important as it is something that we are instructed to live by, with. Talk to them about how they sometimes have to choice to get revenge or be mean to someone because they were mean to them, and how they can and should choose the opposite, kindness, forgiveness. God's mercy for us is by far unexplainable and unimagineable, it is AMAZING, for us as humans it is much harder to have such mercy. 

CRAFT TIME:

The scripture talks about mercy and truth and that you are to "...bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart..." So, I thought it would be fun to make a necklace, simple and fun! 

What you need:

Card stock paper in any color (we used brown) 

Hole punch

Scissors

Markers

Yarn

Cut out a heart for each necklace (write on this or have the child if they are able "Mercy and Truth" and the scripture) and cut out 2 rectangles or ovals, something to tie to either side of the heart. Punch holes in each side of heart and on each side of the heart. Cut 2 small lengths of yarn to tie between heart and rectangle on each side and then one long length of yarn to tie the length that will make the necklace. Let them color or decorate rectangles and heart if they want. DONE!

Enjoy!

 

DIY Sea shell picture frame *craft*

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Well, we had a great family vacation to the beach recently and had plans to make a memoir craft for the grandparents/aunt & uncle but we were a but delayed. Finally, we were able to get this done and the kids had a blast. If you are looking for something fairly cheap and easy to do with sea shells you find on fun beach trips with the kids, this is it.

What you need:

Bare wood frames 

Craft paint of choice (we used brown)

Foam brush

Hot glue gun

Glue sticks

Picture prints for frame when finished

Shells (rinsed and dried) :)

Brush paint onto frame and let it dry and then select shells (this was the kids favorite part, I had to write on the back of frames with a marker whose was whose because my daughter had specific shells for specific people's frames) arrange on the frame how you want them and then glue around edges of the shells and put in place. So easy, so fun, so cute!

Learning & Teaching Colors. Toddler style!

Hi everyone, it's that time with my little girl. Time to introduce the actual learning stage, you know the lets sit and have "school time" stage. Toddlers have short attention spans, so, this list is a great hands-on list of activities to introduce colors. For the first 2 years you can show and explain and teach allot of things to toddlers, and even some "school time" type of activities but once they get a little older you can drive it in a little more. You can actually get them to keep attention on something for an amount of time, you can bring out the real fun! Learning colors is something easily made fun, and over the last couple weeks we have been doing allot of activities to show our little Annabelle colors and what an exciting couple weeks it has been! Remember to keep inserting the color names and explaining things to them. These are fun activities for parent and child, you can have fun watching them learn, and it's fine if the match up wrong colors every now and then too, you just work with them and show them differences and so on. Here is a list of some things that we used, keeping in mind that all activities listed require supervision, yes some less than others but these are meant to be things you do with them anyhow!

C-O-L-O-R-S!

12 GREAT Color learning/teaching activities for toddler: To teach and to simply introduce the colors to the little ones!

1: Baking, baking is ALWAYS a hit with toddlers. 

------Bake some simple sugar cookies from a mix or from a recipe and using some sprinkles (I used wilton crystal sprinkles). Do different color sprinkles on different cookies and talk about and introduce which colors are which. Also, when eating, they can pick out and tell you which color cookie they want to eat. 

Another great idea would be using a little food coloring to mix into the cookie dough to make colored cookie would be fun!

  

  

2: Colors by fruit

-----Using either colored cups or what I did is used colored tape on clear plastic cups seperate the fruit into matching cups. Just cut up the fruit and leave them with it! Helping them sort and get it right! Ideas...Grapes, Blueberries, Strawberries, oranges, banana, lime, lemon, clementine. Annabelle LOVES fruit so this is an awesome thing for her, and when it's done it makes an awesome and healthy snack time!

3: Colored rice
-----Color rice using a little vinegar and food coloring. About 1tbsp vinegar to each cup of rice. Mix the vinegar and food coloring keeping in mind that it will be a lighter than what the liquid is in the bowl or bag you mix it in. Once you mix the color and vinegar and then add in rice and coat well, lay out on foil lined baking sheet and let air dry. Time to dry varies by how wet it was and how thin you spread it on the sheet.  The rice can be used for pouring, playing in or making like a sand art project in bottles. This is a great addition to any hands on activity your little toddler likes to learn from.

 

4: Crayola color bath tablets!

 

 5: Sorting Blocks/balls
-----The kiddos love to play outside so we used chalk to draw big circles in different colors and brought out the baskets of the blocks and balls and let her go at it. Of course there is coaching going on but this is something you can let them do and they can learn from trial and error and you work with them. She had a blast with this and brother thought he was helping too.
 

 

6: Basic Crayons

-----Crayons are fun, the kids feel in control, creative and proud to create their own artwork. You can also use this to help with shapes, draw some shapes and color an edge on it and let them match the color crayons with the color and fill it in. 

 

7: Markers

 

 8: Felt color matching
-----At walmart or any craft store you can buy a little jewelry findings storage box that you can use, and it also serves as a storage container for the felt pieces when you are thru. Alright this is simple, you need some felt in different colors, scissors, the box, glue gun! Cut a small piece of felt for the bottom of each little square and glue to the bottom. Using the rest of the felt cut out small shapes, triangle, square, rectangle etc. Lay out all shapes and let them match the colored shapes to each square. Also, I threw some little colored pompoms in the mix too. Another favorite for my Annabelle.



9: Fruit Loops and baking cups for sorting! AND of course, snacking!

 10: Color wheel and clothes pins matching game
-----What you need: Craft paint (8-9 colors), clothes pins (3 for each of the colors), large cardboard circle cut out (I just used an old diaper box we had I think). Using a marker or something to keep straight lines create the sections for each color and then paint each section with different color. Paint 3 clothes pins to each color. This is a great matching game, you can add in rewards or what we did, just did it for fun, getting it right and the excitement was reward enough for her. This is her absolute favorite color game and it doesn't take up too much space to store or take somewhere with you, would be fun for a car ride too!
 

11: Colored water

-----Kids love to shake, play in and do whatever with water most times. All you need is a bottle of water, we used mini ones and either food coloring or paint (I'd suggest keeping the bottle closed and for shaking activity only if you use paint). And I realize now I didn't get a picture of these finished when we did this so sorry but you can picture, it's fun for them to see the water change when the shake the bottle.

12: Colored tape

-----Like I used in a previous activity you can use it to distinguish the clear cups to each color or you could use in place of chalk in a sorting activity like in #5. This is a universal tool to play and craft with. Also, cream masking tape is great for a substitute to what colored tape you cannot find in store, just color with a marker.

  

Hands on learning is one of the best things for kids in my opinion, it makes it fun, exciting and interesting! This was such a fun blog to write, and to look back on this fun we have been having and continue to have. Truly, I believe that colors are one of the funnest activities to do with kids. This list is my compilation of activities, there are so many fun things to do but I hope this blog brings some fun, hands on learning for your kids! ENJOY! 

Crochet hello kitty pocket book for toddler

Crochet Hello Kitty pocket book for toddler.

This is not a pattern but an idea and tutorial to how I did it.

My Annabelle loves Hello Kitty ever since her daddy bought her a pillow for valentines day. She sees a Hello Kitty anything and gets excited.  

You will need:

Pink yarn 4ply

Black yarn 4ply 

White yarn 4ply

Sz. F crochet hook

and thing I always called a sewing needle but I know that's not right but it is a needle tip with an opening on back to loop yarn thru to help weave ends in. There is a picture of it later on. 

I will start by saying my grandmother taught me how to crochet when I was younger, I only wish I had taken more of an interest in it and pursued it the way I should have. Recently, I have taken back up with it and with the knowledge I still have from her wonderful teaching. Also, patterns are great but I tend to enjoy just trying to figure it out on my own and this is one thing that worked great.

First, I made the kitty, a white oval. Doing an oval is simple, you start with a chain, doing this and how long it needs to be depends on how big you want it. For this I did (leave a long tail) chain 5 turned and in the 2nd chain from your hook do a single crochet, continue that across, in the last chain, single crochet 3 and turn then single crochet in other side across, to the end, do 3 in end again, continue this around until you have completed enough rows to be the correct size. You can make ovals as big or little as you want but the chain in the beginning will depict how big it can get without starting to ruffle after so many rows. Once finished cut off leaving a long tail and pull thru last stitch. Then the ears, chain 5, turn and in 2nd from the hook do single crochet then in next chain, do a double crochet, then in the next chain I did what I'd like to call a triple crochet but I honestly don't know if it has a name (you yarn over twice before working into chain, then pull thru 2 at a time until all loops are gone). Make 2 of these and work into the top of the oval evenly from edges. The bow, with pink yarn chain 7, turn and in 2nd from hook single crochet across, turn & chain up 2, single crochet across again, finish off but don't tie in ends. Wrap black yarn around middle pulling it into a bow or do a short stretch of single crochet to tie it around. Work in black ends. Work pink ends into the bow while sewing into the ear on right side of the kitty. The nose/whiskers/eyes were weaved in with black yarn, No rhyme or reason just trying to evenly space and make the nose big enough. It will take some trial and error to get this how you want it probably(or maybe that was just me lol).

 

For the bag part I (leave a long tail) chained 85, turned and starting in 2nd chain from end did *single crochet in each chain across, turn (chain up 3) and do double crochet in each single crochet across*, turn (chain up 2) and do single crochet in each double crochet across. Repeat from *to* until bag reached height you prefer.Once you have reached the height you want finish off by cutting and pulling off a long tail thru the last stitch. Fold the completed work (with tails still loose) in half and using the long tails sew together the sides and bottom of bag. Weave in ends and finish off. 

 

You will notice the sides look rough, but, this will be the inside of the bag so it wont be seen.

Next, the straps, now I want to start by saying I wish I would have done these a little wider but never making a pocket book before I learned. It will work for now and if I need to I can strengthen them by working in more later. Anyhow, this is what I did, I chained 80, turned and in 3rd chain from hook double crochet in each chain across. Finish off. Make 2 of these. NOW, what I would suggest because if the one receiving this gift is anything like my Annabelle, they will want to put EVERYTHING in it, including the heaviest toy they can find. So, I suggest doing another row of double crochet and then a third row of only single crochet.

This is the needle I was referring to above.

Next, using the 2 tails you should have from the end of the strap sew in to the body of the bag about an inch from the end (the bag still needs to be inside out so you aren't making any work seen on the outside of the bag). Making sure the strap is straight line up the other end about an inch from the other end of bag (same side of the bag) and use a strand of yarn about 6 inches long to sew this end of the strap in. Repeat on the other side of the bag.

Then the fun part, the KITTY! Now, depending on what is easiest for you to work you may want to turn the bag right side out for this part so you can see where it is laying on the bag easier. That is what I did, I found it easier. Using the long tails you left loose on the kitty sew in to the bag centered the best you can. When I got to the bow part I just made sure to go in to the back of the stitches to work into the bag so that the white yarn wouldn't be seen in front.

 

Now, this is my first tutorial so I could have very easily left something out. Please comment and let me know what you think or if you have any questions. This was so fun to make and even more fun to finish to see her face and excitement when she got it (she just woke up from her nap so got to love the bed hair:). She takes it everywhere now.

Grandparents gift ( Valentine's or whenever!)

So, if you saw m prior post on valentine's day you know I promised a grandparent valentine... Well, I know this isn't going to post early enough but due to my sick kiddos we were a little delayed getting things done for this year. BUT, on the plus side, this is an amazing idea for any occasion so here goes!

What you need:

Unfinished wood 8x10 (big enough for toddler hand prints and 3x5 picture)

Picture printed out on REGULAR paper, no photo paper!

Mod Podge

Craft paint for hand prints

Paint pen (or brush to write with)

Hardware for hanging on wall

FIRST: I'll give you a quick summary of how to transfer the photo onto wood in case you are doing a separate craft and just need that part; then you can continue on and the rest will answer any questions you have and explain how we did it... Cover the wood where your picture will be placed with mod podge, place the picture (printed on REGULAR paper) face down on top of the mod podge, press down evenly, let it set overnight. Using a damp cloth rub off paper and the photo will be on the wood, then moisten it with a damp rag and using your fingers gently rub off extra residue. Cover with mod podge again.

Found the idea of how to transfer pictures to wood on pinterest (love this site) but I found it on so many different places I don't have an original source to give you.  

Get your kids together and get out the paint! Oh what fun! I don't have any pictures of my kids doing this because at 1 & 2 years old they needed some help and I had too much paint to take pictures. (Next time I'll enlist my husbands help :)

Here is the wood with the hand prints on it...

   After the paint dries line up the pictures where you want them so you know it will fit how you like.  

   

Then coat the wood where the picture will be placed with mod podge, place the picture face down on the mod podge. Press it down making sure it is touching the wood good.

As you will notice I put mod podge on the backs of the pictures for some reason but there is no need to

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NOW THE HARD PART... YOU HAVE TO LET IT SET OVER NIGHT! 

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OHHH, If you are any where near as impatient as I am with stuff like this the wait drives you crazy lol! But, if you've waited over night you can now take a damp wash cloth and gently rub the paper off. Toward the edges rub out and not in so you don't catch the edge of the photo and pull up too much of the picture. 

 

 

(Side note: the damp rag will make it look like you have all the residue from the paper but give it a few minutes to air dry and you will notice white splotches again, gently wipe over it with a fresh damp rag to moisten and using your finger tips gently rub to get the remainder of the film off. This takes a little bit of trial and error of thinking you are done and having to go back and do it some more, you should be able to feel whether it is smooth or still has residue.)

 

This is where I was rubbing the remaining residue off... remember to do it gently!

 

 

At this point you could easily cover it with mod podge for the final coat and be done but we did want to do something a little more to add to the "sentiment" of the gift for the grandparents and my brother and sister in law (aunt and uncle). 

Here is our final product:

Using a paint brush since we didn't get to pick up a paint pen we added initials at the palm of each print and added the date and occasion, Valentine's 2013!

And after we added those touches we covered with mod podge and let dry.

(Oh, and the original plan was to make the hand prints form a heart shape but I quickly found out my kids aren't old enough to be that cooperative, especially when they are playing in paint. But, if your kids are older or you can get them to work with you well enough I think it would be really cute to have the heart with the palms overlapping as the bottom of the heart and the fingers forming the top.)

 

Hardware on the back... 

 

AND here are the proud artists... They woke up to see them dry and Annabelle picked it up and carried it everywhere and saying she made it. Was so happy to hand them out to people too! Oh, and excuse the Christmas pj's, it is my daughters absolute favorite pair and we haven't seen the need to put them away yet.