For over 10 years, I have helped or been the leader over Children's Church at my church. Over a period of time, we have had to move our classes from one place to another. We have used the rooms of a Sunday School class, the GA's class, the Youth class, a Senior Adult Sunday School class and most recently the fellowship hall. Since we were always going wherever we could for however long we could, we never had our "stuff" in one place. I couldn't do anything on the walls because the other classes had their stuff on the walls. Well, I realized in VBS that we have a big empty room no one uses anymore. So I went to the preacher and we now have our very own Children's Church room! We are so excited. I went over to check it out and clean it up one day this past week. I'm fixing it up in stages. This is the before picture of Phase I.
I scrubbed and wiped and dusted. I cleaned out old craft bins and file cabinets and bookshelves. After a couple hours work, I got it organized as best I could that day. I did one end for the classroom and one end for the craft area. They are going to hang my chalkboard higher and put my bulletin board up on the wall. I need to get some new curtains for the windows. And we need to bring 10 more chairs in, which our youth pastor was going to have the youth do on Wednesday night. Still need to decorate the walls, but we are on a start.
With the paneled walls and the assorted mix matched seats, I want to incorporate some bright colors. I also want things on the wall that they can learn from. One of the favorite songs we sing sometimes is one that our preacher's daughter taught them and we can't ever remember the order of the Fruits of the Spirit when we sing it. So I was looking for ideas as a wall hanging and found this.
But I wanted something to take up more space, so I had the idea for pinwheels in bright colored scrapbook patterns and in the middle put a starburst of circle with one of the fruits of the spirit then hang all nine of them on a wall. Here's a bland example of what I am talking about, except instead of a number in the center, I will put a fruit of the spirit word. I'm going to Hobby Lobby today to look at scrapbook paper.
Another thing I saw on Pinterest that I want to put on the wall is our rules. They all know we have certain rules but it doesn't hurt to remind them what they are since sometimes they forget. So I really, really fell in love with this.
I have recent'y become obsessed with dotted scrapbook paper so I am keeping with the theme above. I stopped by our Scrapbook Super Store 1/2 off store yesterday and not only found the paper I wanted, but the little people to put on the signs. I got all this for $2.75.
They also had their 8 1/2 x 11 paper on sale. It was 25 sheets for .99 cents. But the way they do their 1/2 off is they ring everything up and take 50% off. So you actually get 25 sheets for .50 cents. I picked out some assorted even though I don't know what I am going to do with it, but it will come in handy for crafts. I plan to stop back in there today and get another 25 because they had holiday theme and I didn't think to get any for Christmas crafts.
I plan on doing several wall hanging on poster board or the thicker foam board. I like this one, but the color needs to pop a little more.
This is a cute idea to hang jute in one area and hang some photos of the kids. We have between 15 - 25 every Sunday with it mostly being over 20. So this would be fun for the kids. But since we are ever changing and I don't want anyone to feel left out, I think we will trace and cutout hand prints out of card stock. That way any visitors or new attendees can draw one on their first day and we can hang them on there as well.
We have learned to pray as part of our bible studies. We did an entire series on The Lord's Prayer. But instead of just a standard or random prayer, I want to put this prayer pail in our room. We can pull out a stick each week and focus on praying for that one person, whether it be someone in the church or our parents, or our military. There are many, many prayers we can put on the sticks.
In September our current study ends. We have been focusing on the stories in the Old Testament and learning the history of everything that went on. Starting October 1st for our new year, we are going to focus on All About Jesus. I found an amazing study that ties in the Old Testament to Jesus. So I plan incorporating a lot of versus and a lot of the things Jesus does for us into my wall hangings as well. I love this one and it would be super simple to do.
One thing we also will be focusing on is the importance of the Golden Rule. So I want to use this board and let them pick a card out of an envelope and it will have something they can do that week to show kindness. I will make them simple, like holding the door open for someone, helping Mom clean off the table without being asked, carry in groceries for Mom, things like that.
Our class loves Smarties so I thought I would do a bowl for Smarties and give them a bible verse each week and if they can memorize it, they get a pack of Smarties.
On any month that has five Sundays in it, we have some activity time. Our class room is in our old church building (we call it the educational building) and it is just us and a pre-K class that goes there for Children's Church. But we are the only ones in our hallway. I like the idea of this hopscotch to roll out but not sure how we would work it because too much hopping would tear paper. Maybe a long solid runner that I could paint some words on like each square could have some of John 3:16 on it and we could all repeat it as they jumped on each section. Still thinking this one through.
I did find where someone used carpet squares for hopscotch but not sure how long it would take to wear paint off.
Then it hit me, interlocking foam mats! I could write on them with Sharpie and if it started wearing off, just rewrite it. Yes, I think I will order some of those.
Sorry for such a long post, but I guess you can tell I am really excited about our changes in Children's Church.
