Centers from a Magazine in a Box

If you don't have room to put a big board for centers anywhere, use a box instead.  Cover the box with contact paper.  Get your articles and games together and laminated.  Stick them in the box and you are ready to go!

Using Magazines to Make Centers

My mom and I (along with others I know) have been making centers out of magazines for years now.  I especially like to use the Discovery magazine that Apologetics Press puts out.  I would get two of each magazine - it is easier that way.  You can cut out articles for the students to read and then make games to go with them.  The magazines come with some games that you can just laminate and you are ready to go!  Have your students use a dry erase marker and you can wipe it off easily with a wet cloth, nail polish remover or alcohol.  

Kids are not getting creation in school, so they need to get it somewhere!!!

Day or Night Activity

Again, not my idea or my creation.  A lady named Mrs. Betty made this when talking with her toddlers about the first day of creation and other stories that have to do with night and day.  She used a magnetic burner cover, painted one side blue; the other, black.  Then she found pictures of things that go along with both sides, colored, laminated and place a magnet on the back of them.  Talk about which pictures go where and you have a great application for little ones!

Creation Blocks

I did not make these, but have wanted to!!! So, when I saw them made, I took a picture of them to share with you because who knows when I will have them made!  One reason I love these is because you can do so many things with them!  Save the square boxes of Kleenexes and cover them with bulletin board paper.  Find numbers and pictures of the different things made on each day (as seen in the picture).  You can place one number on each box or 6 numbers on one box (one on each face).  Possibilities are numerous now!!!  If you use one number for each box, have your students place them in the correct order and review what was made on each day.  If you use one box for all 6 days, have each student roll the box and whatever number comes up have them tell you what was made on that day!

Trash-Filled Thursdays - Paper Roll Fire

The last lesson we have about Jesus's life is him preparing breakfast by the sea for His friends. To teach this lesson, I built a campfire and we gather around the campfire to hear the lesson. Then, I let them act out the story (will blog about that later) and finish that with our own breakfast by the sea - fishsticks. The kids love this lesson and the props we use in it.

The campfire is made very simply. I found a piece of cardboard and many toilet paper and paper towel rolls. Using the bigger rolls, I built a base for the fire on the card board just by hot glueing the rolls to the cardboard. Then, using the other rolls, I just built the fire up, again using hot glue to hold it all in place. Lastly, I used red, yellow and orange paper to make the flames, glueing them into the fire as well.

We enjoy this prop and this lesson very much.

Trash-Filled Thursdays - Square Kleenex Box

A square Kleenex box was used to help with this review activity. We needed two for this one. Each is covered with bulletin board paper and, then, covered with clear contact paper. Notice we did leave the opening open so we could place items down into the box. We found pictures to represent Elijah and Elisha. We colored them, laminated them and placed them on the boxes with tape. See the previous post to see how these boxes were used in our class.

Trash-Filled Thursdays - Paper Towel Scroll

We have used this countless times in Bible class. you need two paper towel rolls and roll of white paper. We added cardboard circles to the ends of the paper towel rolls and then spray painted them black. Once it had dried, we attached the ends of the paper to the paper towel rolls (a heavy glue or tape works well). Then we rolled the paper up on the rolls to form the scroll.

The scroll is something many children have trouble with because we don't use a scroll today. However, this visual gives them an idea of what it was like and how it was used.

Jesus' Resurrection

Resurrection cookies/buns

These were a big hit with everyone when teaching the lesson on Jesus' Resurrection. Kim found this idea and made these for both of our classes during VBS. They are super neat! As you can see in the picture you take a big marshmallow and a crescent roll (not cooked) and wrap the marshmallow to show the tomb not empty. You roll it in sugar and cinnamon and bake. As it bakes the marshmallow melts and when you remove them from the oven you have an empty tomb! These were cooked ahead and brought to class but we used a non-cooked roll to show the children that the marshmallow was in the tomb! I just loved these. They taste really good too!!

Tomb

My friend Sasha and I made this tomb to use in the 2 year old class at VBS. It was not hard at all. I called our local furniture store and asked for a box. We cut the box down a little so it wouldn't take up quite so much room. Sasha made rocks from poster board. We had them laminated for durability so we could use them again in the future. The stone was made by covering a piece of the box that we cut off and stuffing a little paper into one side. We cut a hole for the entrance and that's it! The box was plenty big enough for the kids to get in and look for Jesus! It was a big hit. Boxes are great for making props and just about every store has boxes that they would love to get rid of.

Thankful Thelma

Thankful Thelma is a great way to introduce a lesson on being thankful. We used her during our lesson on the 10 lepers because our main focus was on the one who said thanks! The idea for Thankful Thelma came from IdeaShop magazine and was submitted by Emily Hurst.

My version of Thankful Thelma is a little different than Emily's (she actually used yarn for the hair, painted the face, etc...very cute) but is used the same way. Because I was running low on time I simply printed off a girl face, colored it, stuck it to an oats container, added clothes from scrap material I had in the closet, cut some arms out of poster board and poked them through the material to the inside of the container and taped them down. I filled the container with things we are thankful for: cars, food, sun, moon, cross (Jesus), pets, toys, etc! Add whatever you want. I let the kids pull out things one at a time and we talked about being thankful for that particular thing. When we finished with all of the items I went into the lesson about the 10 lepers.

The reason she is so happy is because she has SO much to be thankful for!!!

Jesus Feeds a Crowd

Here is a cute song to use with a lesson on Jesus feeding the 5000. This song was found in the book "Bible Songs and Action Rhymes" The book suggest using a lunch box when singing this song! I did use this song with my 2 year olds and even though it's a little long they liked it because of the lunchbox. It kept them interested!



(Tune: "Hush, Little Baby")

Five Little loaves and two little fish,
one small boy and a great big wish
to hear Jesus from a hillside rock.
He followed Jesus with his lunch box.

A large crowd of people came that day
to hear Jesus and learn his ways.
The crowd grew hungry and needed fed.
The only food was fish and bread.

To Jesus this boy gave his lunch.
Just a little, but soon was much.
Jesus prayed and blessed the bread;
then 5000 folks were fed.

Jesus is God's special one.
He's God's one and only Son.
He can do may wonderful things!
He's the reason that we sing!

The book suggest doing this while singing!
As you sing the first verse, place the bread (or crackers) and 2 fish (toy or paper) into the lunch box and close the lid. At the end of the second verse, open the lunch box and show fish and bread. On the third verse, act as though you're passing out the lunch to each child.

Talk with children about how we can share what we have with God and with others.

Jesus Stops a Storm

This song is sung to the tune: "All through the Night". It's a great song to sing with little kids and let them make thunder. I used aluminum pans and gave the children wooden spoons so they could make thunder at the appropriate part of the song. They stopped when we sang "Peace be Still"! You can also bring in flashlights and let some of the kids make lightening. This song came from the idea book "Bible Songs & Action Rhymes"

Kim made the song using pictures to stand for certain words! It helps the kids learn the words to the songs faster and it gives them something to look at while you sing which helps keep their attention..especially little ones like the 2,s and 3,s! Becky and I do this with lots of our songs in the kindergarten class!


Tune: All Through the Night
Jesus in the boat is sleeping.
peace, be still.
Though a storm winds starts a sweeping,peace, be still.
Thunder, lightening, waves start pounding.
Disciples cry, "Jesus we're drowning!"
Jesus wakes and calms the storm with,
"Peace, be still."

Jesus Calms the Storm

Crafts

Here are a few craft we used when teaching a lesson on "Jesus Calms the Storm" during VBS. These could be used with several other lessons like Noah, Jesus walks on Water, Paul's Shipwreck, etc!

Ocean Bags
Snack size ziplocks work great for this craft. Place a small amount of blue toothpaste in the bag, seal it, and let the child spread the toothpaste out by rubbing over the bag. You can use stickers to stick on the outside or even place something small on the inside.


Wave Streamers
Use blue and white or dark blue and light blue streamers to make this craft. Cut pieces of streamers and either tape or glue them to the end of a jumbo popsicle stick. The kids like to help make a storm by waving the streamers (waves) in the air and then stopping when you get to the part of the lesson where Jesus calms the storm.


Ocean in a Bottle
This is a fun take home idea. I made a big one with a large bottle to use during my lesson with the 2 year olds. I found small water bottles for the kids to have. For older kids you might could let them help make the oceans but for our younger kids we made them ahead of time and sent them home after the lesson so they could have their own ocean at home to review the lesson with. They are a lot of fun. It is important to make sure you glue the lid on so it WON'T come off. I used hot glue on mine.


When rocked (not shaken) from side to side it makes neat waves!
This "ocean in a bottle" craft was made using the following recipe...very simple! This recipe works very well!!

Fill bottle about 1/2 full of water, add blue (just a few drops) of food coloring, shake to turn water blue, fill the rest of the way with cooking oil. Seal and glue lid! You may also want to add shells, fish, glitter, etc before sealing! For a different ocean in a bottle recipe click here

Trash-filled Thursdays - Wooden Spoons

Use wooden spoons to create Bible people. These Bible people are used to teach about the 10 lepers. On one side of the spoon, a sad face was created and paint was used to give a leporous look to them. Turn the spoon around to see them cleansed after Jesus healed them and happy! You can stick these Bible people spoons in a block of styrofoam as you teach the lessons.

Bible Times House I

When teaching stories that involve houses in the Bible times, use something like this to help your children visualize what those houses look liked since they were so different from ours today. This one is a box on its side covered with bulletin board paper. This house is particularly used for the story of the paralyzed man with four friends. A hole was cut in the top and then saved to be the mat for the paralyzed man to lay on. Using shoe strings or any type of yarn, attach it to the mat and help lower the paralyzed man down to see Jesus. You can use any pictures to create the scene you want.

What Would You Do Wednesdays? Empty CD Container

I have a lot of these around the house and figured I could use them for something. Do you have any ideas? Here are some of mine:

• Spinner for a game
• Make CDs out of paper and laminate them for some kind of game - sequencing, sorting, etc.

Trash-Filled Thursdays - Crystal Light Containers and Pringles Cans

We used empty Crystal Light containers to make these quivers for arrows. Very simply, we covered the containers with black or brown paper. Then, using strips of construction paper, we made arrows to fit into the quivers. This size works well for your children and Pringles cans work well for older ones.

Trash-Filled Thursdays - Milk Carton Lids

Recycle your milk cartons and turn the lids into game pieces!! Yes, they are great game pieces. This game was made by taking a file folder. My friend found a sheet that already had flower patterns all over it, but you could also make it very easily as well. This game was a way to review the books of the Bible, specifically the New Testament. On the game board, some of the books of the Bible are listed on flowers (see picture). Some of the flowers on the game board have the names of the books of the Bible. Some are left blank. The lids of the milk cartons have the names of the books of the Bible that are left off the game board. The students will take the milk lids and place them on the right flower so the books of the Bible are in the right order.

Trash-Filled Thursdays - Old Neckties

There are a few Bible stories that require a snake of some sorts in it. This is a very easy and cool way to make the snake part of your story come alive for your students. You will need the following:

an old neck tie

google eyes

red material for a tongue

hot glue gun or tacky glue

optional materials: quilt batting or polyfil

thread

film canister with rice or dried beans in it.

Instructions: Glue the eyes and tongue at the end of the tie (as seen in the picture)

This can be the end to your snake (esp. if you are letting the children make their own snakes). However, you can add a different dimension to your snake by stuffing it with the polyfil or quilt batting. If you want to create a rattlesnake, you can add a film canister with rice or dried beans to the very end of the tie. Sew the back of the tie up so the stuffing does not fall out.

What the snake looks like if not stuffed.

This is great for so many lessons involving a snake. You can have the students act different parts of the story using this prop. What a great new dimension to classic stories!

Trash-Filled Thursdays - Toilet Paper Bible People

Use a toilet paper roll and scrap fabric to make different Bible characters for your classroom. Attach the fabric to the paper roll using hot glue or tacky glue. This is an easy project because there is no right or wrong way to do it. You can also be as easy or complex as you want to be! Have fun and let your imagination take flight!

Trash-Filled Thursdays - Fabric Board Part II

Here is another way to use the fabric board - it is very similiar to the other fabric board post, but I just thought I would show you another story you could use this idea for. This is the story of Ruth. As you can tell, I found 4 pictures to stand for Ruth, Orpah, Naomi and Boaz. I attached them to the board that is covered in contact paper this time. I added the pockets and then covered everything with clear contact paper. Using an exacto knife, I slit the pockets open so the bookmarks with the descriptions could slide into the pockets.