![]() Always say yes when they ask if you want to watch. Ooh and aah when “Jesus” multiplies the cheese and crackers. Cheer on your cotton ball-bearded Moses and blue sash-draped Mary. Encourage the kids to act out their morning Bible stories, write screenplays, get into character, and become someone new on stage. Do your kids enjoy imitating or quoting their favorite characters and scenes? Clean out your closets and offer your rejects or old favorites to a costume bin. ![]() Once they start reading, many children begin dramatizing the stories they love. Maybe have them draw a picture depicting something from the story that day. Let them participate and help you as they are able. Don’t make it complicated-even opening your physical Bible and then retelling the story in your own words teaches your children the value of hearing from God every day. A short time reading God’s Word will start every day with pure goodness. Or jazz up your routine with a weekly trip to the library where they can discover new stories and foster a lifelong habit of reading.īegin with the best book in the world, the Bible. Older kids can settle down during the heat of the day with a reading hour. While babies are napping, toddlers can enjoy “rest time” with books until they doze off. The power of reading inspired Dolly Parton, for instance, to create her Imagination Library, which sends a book per month to children from birth to five years old. Stories help them understand the world and imagine a new world in which they can play a part. ![]() They came home with glittery hair, colorful smudges, and shining eyes as they showed me their newest handmade treasures.īooks are the doorway to the future, exercising children’s imaginations, thinking, comprehension skills, and creativity. When my kids were between five and twelve years old, I always loved taking them to my friend Susie, who, as an actual artist, was happy for them to join her kids in making a huge mess on her kitchen table. And if you just can’t handle glitter, paint, or modeling clay, find a friend who can and trade playdates with them. Name a particular hour of your day as “art class” and explore a passion or talent your child may possess. Set up a dedicated spot in your home-a table, nook, or entire room if you have it-for artistic endeavors stocked with a supply of paper, pencils, paint, and other creative tools. Adapt the following ideas to the ages and abilities of your children. Let’s occupy their busy minds by filling their busy hands with opportunities to create. Remember playdough, finger paint, and crayons? Toddler days were messy! But while the medium may (or may not) change, our kids’ creativity doesn’t. How do we keep our kids busy without over-scheduling them? How do we manage our own responsibilities while also ensuring our children’s minds don’t wither away from hours of screen time? Can anything keep kids interested, occupied, productive, and even learning during summer vacation?Įxciting things happen when we encourage our kids to create. Summertime can feel like an obstacle to overcome for parents of school-aged kids.
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