Teachers need to plan beginning and ending activities for Sunday School
classes in a Christian Preschool or Children's Ministry. A few children may arrive about fifteen minutes before class is scheduled
to begin. Some students may be as much as fifteen minutes late. Some parents pick their children up
early, some pick them up late. As a result, you may have time at the beginning
and ending of class to fill with activities
that will challenge the children and still allow you the freedom to greet or
say good-bye to the children and visit with their parents.
You might consider the following Strategy
when planning the beginning and ending of your class.
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You need to be free to greet each child so plan activities
which require minimal supervision. |
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Use this time to get to know each child. |
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Set up several stations with different activities.
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Don't expect a child that arrives fifteen minutes early
to be content with one activity until the last child arrives. |
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Recruit another adult or high school student to visit
with the children at the stations. |
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Set up a snack area for elementary school students. |
| One co-teacher can greet or say good-bye to the children
while the other teacher continues to work with the children in the room. |
You can set up the following Beginning Stations
at the beginning of class.
Preschool Activities.
Preschool and Children's Ministry
Activities.
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Art: draw or color a picture
that reinforces the story.
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Use blank paper and let the
children make their own creations. |
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Use hand held chalk boards or dry
erase boards. |
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Use Coloring
Pages. |
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Use markers, crayons, glitter
crayons, water colors, colored pencils, milky pens, etc. Change
each week for interest. |
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| Use a matching game. |
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Reading Corner: Books, blanket
on the floor, pillows. |
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Rubber stamps and ink pads. |
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Story mural on wall: draw
pictures that reinforce the story.
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Tape butcher paper on wall. |
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Children use markers, colors,
magazine pictures, stickers, etc. to create a picture that tells a
story. |
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Musical Instruments:
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Make your own drums, tamborines,
bells, etc. |
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Use children's musical instruments
that your church may have. |
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Games: checkers, mancala and
other board games played during biblical times. |
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Brain teasers: Let the children
complete a Word Search, Word Scramble, Coded
Message, or Match the Facts. |
You can use the following Ending Stations
at the end of class.
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Set up the same stations you had in the beginning. |
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If you have a co-teacher who can say good-bye to each child
as the parent arrives, you might try one of the following:
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Bingo Game. |
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Name That Animal. |
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What's Missing:
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Place a number of objects on a tray. For
example, a comb, spoon, whistle, etc. The number of objects
will depend on the age of the children. |
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The children view the tray. |
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Cover the tray with a towel. Take away the
towel and one object hidden under the towel. |
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The children guess what is missing. |
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