Scripture Snowball Fight Game

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This is a fun winter game to help kids memorize scripture! Use it in your ministry setting, or share it as an idea for your families to play at home![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download a printable version here! " align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F12%2FDKM-Freebie-scripture-snowball-fight-game.pdf|target:_blank"][vc_column_text] Supplies: white paper writing utensil music (optional) How to Play: After picking your verse to memorize, write one word from the verse on separate sheets of white paper. Then, wad the paper up to become "snowballs." When you say go, begin having a snowball fight with the paper wads (you can play music while you are doing this, too). When the music stops, everyone begins opening up the snowballs. Then kids must...

Christmas Connect 4 Printable Game

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Play this printable, Christmas version of Connect 4 to add a little fun to your Christmas celebrations! Print off and share with your families as part of a fun Christmas Eve activity to do at home, or print off several copies and use them in your ministry throughout December![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the printable game here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F10%2FDKM-Freebie-Christmas-Connect-4-Printable-Game.pdf|target:_blank"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="92634" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://deeperkidmin.com/product/christmas-countdown-chain/"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text]This printable game is one of the...

Help Families “Treasure These Things in their Hearts” this Advent Season

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This post is an excerpt from the family devotion included in the Family Advent Calendar Kit from Vanessa Myers of Family Faith Builders.  "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." Luke 2:19 When you think about Christmas, what are some things that come to mind? Your first response might be opening presents! Maybe you also said Christmas lights, candy canes, trees, ornaments, baking cookies, or traveling to visit family. How many of you said the birth of Jesus? As Christians, it's the whole reason we celebrate Christmas! We don't celebrate because we get gifts, but we celebrate because Jesus was born on this earth as a gift from God to save us from our sins so we could live forever with Him in heaven one day. As Christians, we also celebrate the season of Advent. This...

Nativity Trail Mix

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Everyone loves snacks, especially around the holidays, so why not share a special snack with your kids and families that reminds them of the nativity? This Nativity Trail Mix recipe and guide provides families with a fun, simple, and tasty way to remember the reason for the season all December long. Make it for them and send it home in goody bags at one of your Christmas events, or send home the printable with families and encourage them to make the snack at home together![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the printable version here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F10%2FDKM-Nativity-Trail-Mix-Freebie.pdf|target:_blank"][vc_column_text]Nativity Trail Mix Ingredients Pretzel Sticks Mini Marshmallows Animal Crackers Hershey Hugs &...

Keeping Christ in Christmas at Home (Without Overwhelming Families)

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I'm excited to share some thoughts from Christie Thomas, author and one of our DKM Vendors, today! Here's what she has to say about keeping Christ in Christmas at Home (without overwhelming families)... It was the same every November. The same woman in our church would strike up a conversation, which would inevitably lead to the question, “are you going to run a Christmas pageant this year?” I love a great Christmas pageant and was involved in many large-scale pageants and musicals as a child, but it never felt like the right fit for this church. The desire for a pageant seemed to come from a feeling of nostalgia, which, to me, isn’t a good enough reason to burn myself and our families out at Christmas. (Psst - check out a few reasons you should - and shouldn't - host a Christmas pageant here.) I...

Happy Birthday Jesus Banner Printable

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Share this colorable printable with the families in your ministry to help them decorate for a special birthday party for Jesus this Christmas! Or use the banner in your ministry setting for a special Christmas event/service or a regular Sunday morning. Just print, color, cut, and string up![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Happy Birthday Jesus Banner Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F10%2FDKM-Happy-Birthday-Jesus-Banner-Freebie.pdf|target:_blank"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="89383" img_size="full" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://deeperkidmin.com/product/birthday-party-for-jesus/"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text]And if you really want to take your...

6 Benefits of Gratitude

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Happy November! This month is all about turkeys, family, and one of my favorite postures to teach kids: gratitude. There are countless verses in the Bible that help us express our gratitude to God, and when we can help kids develop an attitude of gratitude, we set them up for lifelong habits of success in a variety of ways. Here are 6 benefits of gratitude to consider as we head into a month-long focus on thankfulness: Emotional Health: Gratitude makes us more confident, leads to higher self-esteem, and can even improve decision-making. Mental Health: Thankfulness increases mental strength and resilience. It can even help reduce anxiety, a key benefit in a culture where kids and teens are more anxious than ever before. Physical Health: Even though gratitude is an attitude, it can affect our...

Prayer Pumpkin Activity for Families

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Share this simple but intentional pumpkin craft with your families this fall to encourage them to pray together and consider different kinds of prayer. Using easy-to-find supplies, families will write prayer requests on orange slips of paper and turn those prayers into a pumpkin to display in their home throughout the fall season![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Prayer Pumpkin Activity Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F08%2FDKM-Prayer-Pumpkin-Freebie.pdf|target:_blank"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="39441" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://deeperkidmin.com/product/treat-street-to-go/"][/vc_column][vc_column...

5 Essentials for Kids with Special Needs in Your Ministry

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Does your ministry have kids with special needs? Even if you think the answer is "no," the answer is probably "yes" to some degree. When I say "special needs," leaders often think of the more prominent diagnoses, like autism or physical disabilities. But special needs ministry can also be relevant for kids with ADHD, dyslexia, and speech-language disorders, which can often be more difficult to identify because they're sometimes not as obvious. Special needs ministry is an area of ministry I do not have much experience or knowledge with, so this week, we're bringing in an expert to share their knowledge and ideas with you. Meet Laura Deeken, the creator behind The Adapted Word and printable resources for special needs ministry. Laura is a speech-language pathologist with 28 years of experience, and she has...

Back-to-School Worry Wall Prayer Activity

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Kids have so many worries when it comes to going back to school! Their minds are often filled with anxiety about what is to come in the year ahead. Share this Worry Wall prayer activity with kids (send it home or complete it together at church) to help them recognize their worries and bring them to God.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Worry Wall Prayer Activity Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F07%2FDKM-B2S-Worry-Wall-Prayer-Activity-Freebie.pdf|target:_blank"][vc_column_text]This activity is part of the Back-to-School Faith Time Capsule family resource, a family faith kit that will help kids create a time capsule for the new school year that is related to their faith in God. Check out the Back-to-School Faith Time Capsule as well as other...

Share This With Your Families: Kids Bible Experience

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We all know this generation of digital natives requires a unique approach to ministry, and this is especially true for our preteens! I'm always on the lookout for new resources to share with families, and this might be one of my new favorites! You may already know about the Bible App for Kids, but YouVersion in partnership with OneHope has now created the Kids Bible Experience as the next step for preteens once they've outgrown the kid version. Designed for 7-11-year-olds, the Kids Bible Experience is the next level of scripture engagement for kids and preteens. It features new videos, questions, and scripture verses every day to help preteens cultivate daily habits of engaging with God's Word. In the experience, preteens will find… Fun, fresh perspectives - They’ll hear relevant insights from a...

Faith-Based Apps for Kids & Families

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]It's summertime, which means screen time at home has probably risen over the last couple of weeks as parents are trying to find ways to keep their kids busy. Help your families make screen time, God time with this awesome list of faith-based apps for kids! Download the ready-to-print PDF version, or edit the list using our customizable Canva template.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_btn title="Download the PDF version here (ready to share with families)!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F06%2FDKM-Faith-Based-Apps.pdf|target:_blank"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_btn title="Download the Customizable Canva Template Here" align="center"...

“Even Your Underwear?!” The Importance of Letting Kids Ask Questions at Church

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]At our church, we practice full immersion baptism, so we dunk you. You go all the way in and come all the way out. We bring the children into the service for baptisms so they can see their friends and other church members get baptized.  A few years ago, we were having a baptism day, and my children's pastor asked me to hang close to one of our first-grade girls. She was a foster child with a very tough story, and she had a hard time focusing, sitting still, and engaging. She was also a runner - you know the kind - so my children's pastor asked me to sit with her during the baptisms. This was the first time she had seen a baptism, and she was very concerned about the people who were getting baptized. She had lots of questions: "Do they have to put their head underwater too?" "Yes, they will go all the...

Father’s Day Coloring Pages

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Use these punny Father's Day coloring pages to celebrate the men in your ministry on Father's Day! Some of the pages are generic for use with any father figure![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download Father's Day Coloring Pages Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F05%2FDKM-fathers-day-coloring-pages-1.pdf|target:_blank"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image="82845" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://deeperkidmin.com/?s=father%27s+day&post_type=product"][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Lord’s Prayer Poster For Kids

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Use this Lord's Prayer Poster to help teach kids about the Lord's Prayer from Matthew 6! Print it and hang it in your children's ministry space, or print a copy for each child to take home. It's also a great supplemental resource for any time you're teaching about the Lord's Prayer![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Lord's Prayer Poster Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F05%2FDKM-Lords-Prayer-Poster-Freebie.pdf|target:_blank"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="64038" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://deeperkidmin.com/product/teach-us-to-pray-a-9-week-series-on-the-lords-prayer/"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text]And if you'd...

Summer Camp Parent Info Sheet Template Freebie

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Are you headed to overnight camp this summer with the kids or preteens in your ministry (here are 5 reasons why you should be)? Use this free Camp Parent Info Sheet Template to share all of the important details parents need to know in one simple document! It includes details like the packing list, itinerary details, contact info, etc.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download this freebie here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F05%2FDKM-Camp-Parent-Info-Sheet-Freebie.docx|target:_blank"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="82482" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://deeperkidmin.com/product/so-youre-going-to-camp-bundle/"][/vc_column][vc_column...

Make a Splash with these 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. Make a splash in kids' faith this summer with these awesome resources! If you'd like a more visual version of this page, find that here.[/vc_column_text][vc_toggle title="New for 2022" custom_font_container="tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%233ac1e1" custom_use_theme_fonts="yes" use_custom_heading="true"]Summer Splash: Summer Event - Host a wet-n-wild summer event that helps your families stay cool and have fun! This event is designed as a relationship-building event, giving kids and...

Free Summer Bucket List Printable

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Give this free bucket list guide to families in your church to help them be intentional about fun this summer! [/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Summer Bucket List Printable Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F05%2FDKM-Summer-Bucket-List-Freebie.pdf|target:_blank"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="59194" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://deeperkidmin.com/product/summer-devotional-and-buckets-of-fun/"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text]For instructions to make your own summer buckets of fun, as well as more Printables, templates for sticker labels and tags for the buckets, a supply list, social media images, a...

White Carnation Mother’s Day Gift Printable

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Did you know the white carnation holds significant meaning to the Mother’s Day holiday? Use this activity and the attached printable to help kids create a simple but meaningful Mother's Day gift for the important women in their lives![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download this activity here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F04%2FWhite-Carnation-Mothers-Day-Gift-Printable.pdf|target:_blank"][vc_column_text] Supplies: white carnation for each child, printable for each child to fill out, markers, paper hole punch Say: Anna Jarvis is the woman who started Mother’s Day. Well, as a young girl growing up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Anna and her mother cared for a garden full of white carnations. These were her mother’s favorite flower. In 1907, Anna...

3 Simple But Meaningful Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Mother's Day is right around the corner, and you may be wondering what to gift the women in your ministry. Since becoming a mom myself, I've realized the gifts moms want most are 2 things: 1) simple and 2) meaningful. So here are 3 simple but meaningful Mother's Day gift ideas to celebrate all of the women in your church. White Carnations - Did you know the white carnation is the official flower of Mother's Day? Anna Jarvis, the creator of Mother's Day, used to tend a garden full of white carnations with her mother as a girl. In 1907, Anna delivered 500 white carnations to her church. She requested that each mother in the congregation get one as they arrived at church that week. Every year after that, the church upheld the tradition and continued to hand out carnations at the Mother’s Day service....

“Monday Thursday?” Explaining Maundy Thursday to Kids

"Monday Thursday?! No, Ms. Brittany." *sigh* "It goes Monday, TUESday!" a 2nd grader in my small group corrected me. She thought I was naming the days of the week all out of order and was appalled at my lack of common sense knowledge. I promise: I do know the order of the days of the week. We were talking about Holy Week, and I referenced Maundy Thursday (which does kind of sound like "Monday Thursday" honestly). Her exasperated correction led to a short but insightful conversation for our small group about Maundy Thursday: what it means, why we celebrate it, and even why it's called "Maundy." I have to admit: I didn't know all the answers to their questions. There were times I had to say "I don't know, but I'll look it up and get back to you next week." I knew the basics but wanted to know more, so I did some research and dove headfirst...

16 Easter Books for Kids that Share the Biblical Story

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]My 2-year-old loves books, and we try to rotate books in and out of our reading lineup based on the season/time of year. Based on research and recommendations from others + my family's own personal favorites, here's a list of Easter books for kids that share the Biblical story![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="78675" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://amzn.to/3Jrv4Dz"][vc_column_text]A Very Happy Easter - 4-7 years old - We have a Christmas book from the same authors, and it is one of our all-time favorites. I love the interactions, the illustrations, and the way the story is presented. I'm excited to read this one as a family![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image...

How To Make Your Easter Eggs Glow

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]If you're hosting a Glow in the Dark Easter Egg Hunt or just want to add some fun to your egg decorating, there are a few options you can try to make your eggs glow... Plastic Eggs + Finger Lights – This is the route we use for our Glow in the Dark Egg Hunts. The finger lights last several hours, meaning you can stuff them before the event and they’ll still be glowing when it’s time to hunt/after the event. Plus, the kids loved taking them home. Just flip it on, then put one finger light into each plastic egg. Plastic Eggs + glow sticks – Though a popular and somewhat cheaper option than the finger lights, we ended up avoiding this option. The glow sticks did not fit well into the eggs, making the eggs pop open often. Also, the glow sticks didn’t glow as brightly inside the eggs, so we didn’t...

Easter Resources 2022

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of our Savior this Easter with these awesome resources!  If you'd like a more visual version of this list, find that here.[/vc_column_text][vc_toggle title="New for 2022" custom_font_container="tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%233ac1e1" custom_use_theme_fonts="yes" use_custom_heading="true"]Easter Egg-stravaganza - A gospel-centered egg hunt that can be hosted at church or home. What makes Easter Egg-stravaganza different than your typical egg hunt? While some eggs have candy or treats, some eggs have Easter story pictures from the Bible. Kids hunt for the eggs, then help you tell the Easter story by putting the pictures in order! As the eggs are recovered, the good news is discovered—Jesus is alive! Learn more here. Egg Hunt Event Guide - Is this your first...

Helping Families Navigate Conversations About the Violence in Ukraine

Last year, the Lent season began around the 1-year-anniversary of the onset of a global pandemic. This year, the Lent season begins alongside an eruption of violence and chaos in the country of Ukraine that has ripple effects worldwide. Both situations (and all of the others that have happened in between) pull us out of our normal routines and force us to look both inward and outward. Janel Cubbage, a psychotherapist and Bloomberg Fellow with Johns Hopkins, recently tweeted: Respectfully, after the last two years I think we’re beyond the “is anyone else having trouble concentrating with everything going on” phase and need to be asking why we’re upholding a culture that expects us to carry on business as usual. Lent is historically a season to focus on suffering, confession, fasting, and prayer. It's a season when we're supposed to...