Categories: Blog

Books to Stock in your Church Nursery or Preschool

Reading books to babies, toddlers, and preschoolers helps them build language, learn about the world around them, and develop listening skills. Even reading to babies is important to help them begin developing the tone and rhythm of language. So as you're snuggling with babies and playing with preschoolers, here are some books I recommend for your church nursery or preschool classes. Are there any you recognize? Are there any you'd add to these lists? Nursery Books: Good News! God Made Me! by Glennys Nellist (this is one of my toddler's favorites!) Thank You, God from A to Z by Pamela Kennedy Baby's Hug-a-Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones First 100 Words by Roger Priddy Psalms of Praise: A Movement Primer by Danielle Hitchen and Jessica Blanchard All Day Long, God Loves Me by Mikal Keefer First I Say a Prayer by Crystal Bowman...
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Father’s Day Tie Goody Bags Craft

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Kids can make these cute bags in class and fill them with snacks to share or activities to do with their dads or father figures for Father's Day! (And find more Father's Day resources here!)[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the instructions here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F06%2FFathers-Day-Tie-Goody-Bags-Freebie.pdf|target:_blank"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="59115" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://deeperkidmin.com/product/fathers-day-holiday-history-series/"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text]This craft is one of the activities in the Father's Day Holiday History lesson, The full lesson teaches kids about the history of...
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Filed Under Blog, Free Weekly Downloads

Sizzling Summer Resources for Your KidMin

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Things are heating up as summer rolls around, but that doesn't mean the spiritual life of your kids has to cool down! While summertime often means even more sporadic church attendance as families enjoy trips, vacations, and downtime, the summer can be an opportunity for spiritual growth for the kids and families you lead. Let us help you and your families dive into God's Word this summer with some of these sizzling summer resources![/vc_column_text][vc_toggle title="New for 2021" custom_font_container="tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%233ac1e1" custom_use_theme_fonts="yes" use_custom_heading="true"] Summer Social Media Challenges - We know that summer (and especially summer in a worldwide pandemic!) can be a tough time to try to connect with families, so this resource includes eight simple and fun ideas you...
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Filed Under Blog, For Parents, Leadership

Hope in the Darkness Gospel Illusion Object Lesson

We're preparing for our VBS next week, and we're adapting one of the awesome tricks in Dynamic Dan's video Burning with God's Word to help teach kids about how Jesus gives us hope when life gets difficult! Here's how it works: Supplies:  Butcher paper on a canvas/board Thermochromic color-changing pigment Mod Podge Paintbrush Black Sharpie/something that writes in black permanent ink Water Blowtorch or hairdryer (something that gives off heat) Small bowl Prep: Use the black sharpie/permanent ink to write the word "HOPE" on the butcher paper. In the bowl, combine some of the thermochromic pigment with a mixture of water and Mod Podge. You may want to experiment with the water/mod podge ratio, but a good starting place is 50/50. Instructions: Pull out the butcher paper on the canvas/board so that everyone...
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Faith Spark App – Digital Discipleship Platform for KidMin

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]After digging into digital discipleship in children's ministry this April, I heard about a new app called Faith Spark and had to share! (Note: I have not paid to endorse Faith Spark, and I won't earn anything if you choose to check it out. It's just a really cool resource that I wanted to make sure you knew about!) Faith Spark is a discipleship platform and follow-up app that connects kids to their faith community. It was originally designed for camps to use to follow up with kids after leaving camp, but after spending some time on the app myself, (you can request your own free trial here), I can see so many great ways to use this app in your children's ministry! Small group (and large group) communications - The chat feature allows you to connect with kids and talk with them throughout the week. You can...
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Filed Under Blog, For Parents

Trinity Printable for Kids

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]With Pentecost Sunday coming this weekend, you may be thinking of ways to teach kids about the Holy Spirit. The Trinity can be a difficult subject to teach kids, but it's an important theological foundation for the Christian faith. Use this free download to help teach kids about the Trinity![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Trinity Printable for Kids Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F05%2FDKM-Trinity-Printable-for-Kids.pdf|target:_blank"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="53990" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://deeperkidmin.com/product/the-trinity-preschool-pack/"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text]Want even more printables...
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Teaching Kids About Pentecost

Does your church recognize and celebrate Pentecost Sunday? It's a church holiday that I didn't even learn about until I was an adult, but recognizing Pentecost offers great value to kids in teaching them about the early church and the Holy Spirit. Use this resource and the ideas below to help your kids and families learn about and celebrate this special day in the Church! What is Pentecost? Pentecost is a Christian day that commemorates the descending of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the church, also known as the birthday of the church. You can read about Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. Christians celebrate this day on the 50th day after Easter. And - because God's timing is so cool and He intentionally orchestrates events - Pentecost is actually a Jewish holiday, also called Shavuot, that happened 50 days after...
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Filed Under Blog, For Parents, Leadership

Baby Dedication Gifts From Your Ministry

I'd bet there were a lot of baby dedications this past weekend for Mother's Day. What a perfect day to honor new babies and welcome them into your church family! But did you feel fully equipped to teach the parents what a baby dedication is all about? Because - plot twist - a baby dedication is not about the baby. It's about the parents and their commitment to raise their child in the church. It's about the church's commitment to partner with parents in the discipleship of their child. (Psst - If you want a full resource to help you communicate the significance of a child dedication, check out our baby dedication guide here.) Many leaders and churches also give a special gift to the family for a baby dedication to help them commemorate the day and start them off on their discipleship journey as a family. Here are some of the most popular...
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Types of Learners Digital Volunteer Training Freebie

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Earlier this week, we talked about connecting digitally with your volunteers, so now we're sharing a free resource to help you do just that! Use this free download to share information about different types of learners with your volunteers via social media. This free download includes 2 social media graphics for 5 different types of learners + a set of captions to use with them! These can be shared in your private teacher/volunteer Facebook group, on your website, as part of a digital training, and more! Please note: Because this freebie is a zipped folder with multiple files, it cannot be downloaded or viewed on a mobile device.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Digital Volunteer Training Freebie here!"...
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Connecting Digitally With Your Volunteers

We can't talk about ministry - even digital ministry - without talking about volunteers! Whether you use texts, emails, vlogs, blog posts, or social media, take advantage of our digital world to connect with your volunteers, especially in this season of COVID-19. One of the ways I connected digitally with my volunteers (especially since we were a mobile church and had no permanent space) was through a Volunteer Facebook Group. The Volunteer Facebook Group was a secret group, meaning volunteers could request permission to join, but only I (the Children’s Ministry Director) could approve their request. All posts in this group were private and only seen by members of the group. Volunteers could request to join the Facebook Group after training. We used this secret group to ask for subs/switching weeks of service, share news or funny stories...
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Filed Under Blog, Leadership, Volunteers

5 Social Media Tips for Your KidMin

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Mark 16:15 says, “He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” With over 3.6 billion users worldwide, social media allows us to “go into all the world” in powerful and far-reaching ways. Churches and ministries that use social media well can create new and effective avenues for discipleship and sharing the gospel. But how do we do that? Be safe - We do our best to keep kids and volunteers safe when they walk through our doors, and we have to work to keep them safe online too. Consider creating a social media policy for your children's ministry that addresses how staff and volunteers should interact with and through social media, and do your best to maintain safety and integrity when posting online.  Be where your people are - I have some good news for...
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Double Feature Freebie: Emoji Prayer Activity + God’s Promises Cards

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Confession: I couldn't decide between 2 awesome freebies this week, so we're giving away BOTH![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_custom_heading text="Emoji Prayer Activity" font_container="tag:h2|text_align:center" use_theme_fonts="yes" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F04%2FDKM-Emoji-Prayer-Activity-All-the-Feels.pdf"][vc_column_text]Invite kids to pray about their feelings using this Emoji Prayer Activity. Kids choose an emoji that describes their feelings, then color it in and write a prayer to God about their feeling(s) on the back of the paper. (This version is based off the original Back To School Emoji Prayer Activity). This activity comes from our 6-week zoom-based preteen study, All the Feels, that invites preteens to explore...
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Filed Under Blog, Free Weekly Downloads, Leadership

5 Tips for Engaging Kids Through Video

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As you're returning to in-person services, you may consider continuing your virtual lessons as part of your digital discipleship strategy.  Use the tips below to make it the best possible experience for your kids and families (and you)! Make a plan. Just like you wouldn't walk into a regular Sunday morning without a plan for the day, don't try to do that with a video either! Make sure you and your team know the order and flow of the video, and be sure to set any props off-screen but within reach. You may also want to have links ready to share, like links to a folder on Google Drive of activity worksheets that go with the lesson, links to worship videos, links to a video lesson, and more! (Just make sure your curriculum & worship songs allow sharing the resources in this way). Spend the time prepping for...
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Sample Social Media Policy for KidMin

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We can all recognize that the world of technology keeps changing and the digital age is here to stay. Therefore, we should be committed to ensuring that we embrace modern methods of communication and sharing the gospel. But we also understand that some digital methods of communication require regulation so that they can be more effective and so we can ensure the safety and integrity of our teams and our families. This free social media policy template provides guidelines for church staff, volunteers, and leaders when using social media tools on behalf of or in the role of your children's ministry. These policies are set in place to protect the children, families, volunteers, and leaders of your ministry when engaging in digital discipleship.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Social Media Policy...
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Safety & Integrity in Digital Discipleship

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Safety and integrity are vital parts of a healthy children's ministry, and that applies to our digital ministry strategy too. So how can we keep our kids, families, and volunteers safe while engaging in digital discipleship?  Update your policies and procedures. We have policies for keeping our kids, volunteers, and staff safe in other areas of ministry, and our online presence shouldn’t be any different. This Friday, we'll share a free children's ministry social media sample policy template you can use to help you get started plus a few examples from other churches. When thinking about writing your digital/social media policies, think about identifying: What is allowed to be shared? (pictures, topics, names, etc.)? Who is allowed to share it? (Can volunteers post pictures from...
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3 Reasons Why Children’s Ministry Leaders Must Embrace Digital Discipleship

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Discipleship in the broader sense is the process of guiding someone into a deeper, more vibrant relationship with Jesus through teaching, encouragement, and personal connection. In her book From Social Media to Social Ministry, Nona Jones emphasizes the importance of relationships in the discipleship process as she defines discipleship as “the product of dialogue about how to apply [Biblical] content to people’s lives in a way that leads to continual transformation.” Discipleship in children’s ministry means partnering with parents in that continual process of growing kids deeper in their relationship with Jesus. We may have more hand motions in our worship songs and there may be glitter in our supply closets, but the goal of discipleship remains the same. 2 Peter 3:18 says, “Grow in the...
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Top 10 Screen-Based Games for Kids

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Playing games is a key element of children's ministry, but social-distancing can make that difficult sometimes. On Friday, we'll share a free list of social-distanced games for kids, but until then, here are our top 10 on-screen games for kids that leaders like YOU have downloaded over the past year! You can play these games in person or online.[/vc_column_text][products columns="2" orderby="date" order="DESC" ids="31124, 29065, 54017, 54295, 39256, 44703, 32186, 38648, 51502, 40224"][vc_custom_heading text="Find even more screen-based games here!" font_container="tag:h1|text_align:center" use_theme_fonts="yes" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fproduct-category%2Fgames%2Fppt-games%2F|target:_blank"][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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Simple but Meaningful Holy Week Activities for Families

The families you serve probably know all about the excitement of Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, but do they know what happens in between? How can you help them remember and honor the full story of Jesus' last days on earth? Here are some simple and meaningful Holy Week activities to share with your families or add to your Holy Week events! Palm Sunday - Make a Palm Sunday craft (like this free one) with your kids at church. Or share the printables (and other fun ones like these) with your families to do at home. Encourage families to use their Palm branches to host a parade around their house or down their street, waving their palm branches and shouting "Hosanna!" (P.S. It wouldn't be too late to give families an Eggs of Easter Resurrection Eggs Kit either - they can double up on the days!) Holy Monday - Holy Monday is the day that Jesus...
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Filed Under Blog, For Parents, Leadership

Around-the-Town Easter Egg Hunt

around the town egg hunt
Kim, a kidmin leader in Virginia, recently shared about her team's idea for an around-the-town egg hunt, and I couldn't wait to learn more! Normally, Kim and her team host a big community event with over 2,000 eggs. They usually promote the event on lots of different platforms and hold the event during a community farmers market that is held across the street. That obviously wasn't an option this year as we continue through the global pandemic. Kim said... "We always target the community with our Easter egg hunt, but this year I felt like we needed to focus on our own families and gently leading them back to the building and back into Christian activities." Even as she's focusing on her church families rather than the community, Kim is finding that a lot of them are inviting their friends to the around-the-town egg hunt, so that's a huge...
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I Spy Easter Printable

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In this simple (but harder than you think) activity, kids must count and record the number of each Easter item shown on the page. It's perfect as an early-arriver activity or a take-home sheet, and since there is no reading required, all ages can play![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the I Spy Easter Activity here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F03%2FDKM-I-Spy-Easter-Printable.pdf|target:_blank"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="50874" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://deeperkidmin.com/product/resurrection-rock-roll-to-go/"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text]This activity is from our Resurrection Rock and Roll At-Home Family...
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Easter Activity Printables for Kids

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Use these 3 Easter activity printables for your Easter season lessons! They can be used as time-filler activities, early arriver activities, or as sermon notes sheets for a family worship service. Here are the activities included: The Tomb is Empty Coloring Page Gospel Storyboard Cross Color-by-Number [/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Easter Activity Printables here! " align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F02%2FDKM-Easter-Activity-Printables-for-Kids.pdf|target:_blank"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="53047" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://deeperkidmin.com/product/egg-streme-easter-4-week-easter-series/"][/vc_column][vc_column...
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5 Egg-cellent Easter Games

easter games for children's ministry
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Looking for some socially-distanced games to play for Easter this year? Here are 5 egg-cellent Easter games that are egg-stremely fun! (And find even more Easter 2021 resources here!) 1. HOT BOILED EGG Supplies: Hard-boiled egg, spoons and/or gloves, music Details: This game is just like hot potato, but with an eggy twist! Children can either sit or stand in a circle. When the music starts, the children pass the "hot boiled egg" around the circle using spoons and/or wearing gloves. When the music stops, the person left holding the egg is out. Play continues until only one person is left, and that person is the winner! 2. EGG-HEAD  Supplies: 3 Hard-boiled and 3 uncooked eggs, egg box, Dice (optional: trash bags and shower caps) Details: Invite 6 leaders to the front and give them all a number....
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Easter 2021 Resources

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Well, here we are again, friends. Almost a full year later, and the global pandemic is still going strong, limiting our Easter plans and celebrations. While I’m lamenting all that we’ve missed over the last year, I’m also grateful for the creativity God has inspired in the church! Let us help you and your families celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of our Savior, no matter what your Easter looks like. If you'd like a more visual version of this list, find that here.[/vc_column_text][vc_toggle title="New for 2021" custom_font_container="tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%233ac1e1" custom_use_theme_fonts="yes" use_custom_heading="true"]These are our BRAND NEW resources made for 2021! The Eggs of Easter - This 12-Day Family Devotion Kit leads families toward the true meaning of Easter through...
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Filed Under Blog, For Parents, Leadership

Lament Activity for Kids

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The past year has caused a lot of stress, change, and grief for kids. Use this Lament Activity for Kids to help them express their grief and trust in God through their sadness. (And see this post for a word on lamenting this Lent season.) [/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Lament Activity for Kids here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F02%2FDKM-Lament-Activity-for-Kids-Freebie-1.pdf|target:_blank"][vc_column_text]Tip: You may want to show kids an example of a lament Psalm (Psalm 13 is a good place to start) and point out how the psalmist expresses their sadness to God, then remembers God's faithfulness.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="27513" img_size="full" alignment="center"...
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L(am)ent

lent and lament
This week brings Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Lent season. I've learned (and am still learning) most of what I know about Lent as an adult. One word I've come to associate with Lent is "lament" because both Lent and lamenting bring into sharp focus the reality of suffering. And this year, lament seems to be a relevant word as we head toward the 1-year "anniversary" of the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. A full year of lockdowns and quarantines and masks and social-distancing. A full year of canceled plans, virtual church, and sickness. And now we're trying to balance lamenting the pandemic while still living through it. At least for now, the pandemic is still going strong, and we'll probably be having virtual church for Easter again. As we dive headlong into Jesus' journey of suffering to the cross through Lent, let's take time...
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