I loved doing another giveaway for KidMin Nation’s second book Irresistible: How to Engage Kids and Point Them to Jesus. To be entered to win, KidMin leaders from across the globe had to answer one question:
What is one of your favorite object lessons for children’s ministry?
One of my favorite chapters from the book was all about object lessons, so it was the perfect question. And man was I blown away by the creativity and passion for helping kids connect biblical truths to every-day things. I plan on using some of these ideas in the future, and I hope they spark some creativity for you too!
“My favorite object lesson is on salvation. You write on a dry erase board with a Sharpie marker. You can write specific sins or just the word “Sin”. Talk to the kids about how we can’t get rid of our sins by ourselves, and sometimes our sin feels like we’re stuck with it forever (permanent). Then take a red dry erase marker and trace over the Sharpie marks. Once this happens, the Sharpie marks disappear. We need the blood of Jesus to cover our sins and make our hearts clean, just like the dry erase board. This is mt favorite because kids connect well to it. They understand how permanent a Sharpie marker is, and feel the weight of how hard it is to get rid of the marks. It’s super cool to amaze them with the red dry erase marker, but more than that, to tell them that whatever sins they commit, Jesus’ blood is powerful enough to cover and cleanse!” – Anna from NC
“My favorite object lesson is the one that illustrates sin and the cleansing power of Jesus using glass jars filled with water, iodine, and bleach. Every time I have done this, there is an audible “wow” as kids and adults are amazed when our sin is washed away!” – Kevin from IN
“My favorite lesson took place a few years ago, our youth had a pancake breakfast before church. After breakfast, I took a half-eaten plate into the service with me. At the time the pastor would sit with me during the children’s sermon. I asked him if he was hungry and offered him this plate of leftovers. Of course h,e turned his nose up, and so did the kids. We talked about why we don’t typically offer half-eaten plates of leftovers. I pulled it all together with talking about loving God with all of our heart, soul, and mind, and that God doesn’t want our leftovers.” – Kim
“One of my favorites is a play-doh lesson. We discuss how once we have Jesus he is always with us – through it all, good and bad. Jesus is represented with one color of play-doh and we are represented with another. After sharing the gospel and how to accept Christ, we mix the two colors. Never to be separated again.” – Jae from FL
“One of my recent favorites was when we were talking about God parting the red sea. We had a bucket of water and asked the kids to come up and see if they could make a dry path like God did. One or two kids would try it, then several, then they wanted me to help. Obviously, it never worked but it was fun to see them try different options. We were then able to talk about how we can’t do it because it’s impossible, but God can do things that seem impossible to us. “Christi
“My favorite object lesson is folding a piece of paper and tearing it down the middle to form a perfect cross. Then with the pieces that are left, the word “LIFE” can be spelled. It is a great lesson to show how Jesus died for us on the cross to give us life.” – Virginia
“My favorite is anything that makes a mess or explodes.” – Tami from ID
“My favorite object lesson I’ve done so far is a series on the fruit of the Spirit with preschoolers. Joy was great, showing kids that we can still be sad but have the Joy of the Lord in our hearts and the funniest was self-control when I brought out a huge box of candy that they had to resist!” – Amanda
“My favorite object lesson was on temptation. I placed a plate of cookies in the classroom and kids thought it was for them. I ignored them as kids began to help themselves and eat them. Then I did a lesson on temptation. Kids got real quiet as they began to put 2 and 2 together. We talked about the temptation of Adam and Eve, the shame, and sometimes you get into trouble as a result of your actions. In this case, I let them know I brought more cookies, so not to worry. They were forgiven, as Christ forgives us for our sins. We get the kids engaged in talking about their temptations. Also, they all remember the lesson and ask permission and not assume they can just take. I thought it was a great way to teach. It got their full attention.” – Terry from CA
“I heard a story today about how our children’s minister used a french fry in a one on one talk with one of our kids we took to camp. He challenged them to take the fry out of his grasp and no matter how hard the child tried they couldn’t. He used that simple moment to highlight the fact that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God. That once we accept Christ into our hearts, then He is there. Nothing we do, say, or think can take His love away. So simple and yet so powerful.” – Sarah from KY
“My favorite has been how God protects us— so the object lesson is you take a gallon size ziploc bag, full of water, hold it over someone’s head and take really sharp sharpened pencils and stick them straight through the bag to the other side. Leave the pencils in there. It doesn’t leak- unless you pull the pencils out.” – Jessica
“Making oobleck. If you go at it fast and hit it, it is hard. If you go slow, you can penetrate the mixture. If you are trying to share Jesus, you don’t want to tell people they are wrong and be harsh telling them they need Jesus. You won’t be able to get through to them. Instead present the gospel with truth and love. You will have a better chance of teaching them!” – Stephanie from TX
“We talked about being in community with other Christians; how we need fellowship and we need each other to be accountable to. One egg left alone in a box and stepped on by a 250 lb male will get crushed (Christian trying to go it alone). A dozen eggs (those involved in the body, serving and giving etc) can withstand the pressure – a 250 lb male standing on them. The gasps and hidden eyes from kids as they watched my helper stand on a dozen eggs and not break a single one was comical but also quite effective!” – Marilyn
“I did a series on Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, and for each “a time to” we had an activity, guest speaker, or field trip that went along with that week’s theme. Ex: A Time to be born we went to our MDO nursery and played with the babies. Or A Time to Heal we made First Aid kits and learned how to call 9-1-1.” – Carie from AZ
“Last week we paced out the dimensions of Noah’s ark. We started at church sign at street and walked 510 feet, through parking lot, beyond our church building and into the long grass at edge of property. Now the kids know just how big it really was! And can visualize that all those animals could fit into 3 levels of that size!” – Kristy from NY
“We did a building Christmas LEGO series that built up to the birth of Jesus! It was awesome and the kids loved it!” – Dancy from AL
“We used a flashlight and followed the light around the room to show how the bible is a lamp unto our feet. we use playdough to make a variety of shapes related to the lesson, one year, we did the mentos in a bottle of coke explosion. Cant remember for what but I do remember the kids excitement and glee over it.” – Lorilee from Alberta, Canada
“I did an illustration just before Easter this year that it’s just stuck with me and my crew! I’d been doing a “sin series” trying to help the kids understand it better and realize their NEED for salvation. A wonderful man in our church made me a white cross. I asked the kids to tell me a sin, and when they did I allowed them to write it with a black sharpie on the cross. We talked about how sin leaves a mark/stain. How is separates us from God. MY sin held him there. We then covered those sins with Jesus’ blood (red play-doh)! What can wash away my sin…nothing but the blood of Jesus! It was one of the best lessons. They still talk about it!” – Melissa
“One of my favorites is on walking on water. After teaching on Jesus walking on water, the kids got to walk on a mixture of water and cornstarch. (Cavequest VBS lesson) The kids LOVED actually getting to do what we talked about. Of course we talked about how we needed a little help to get to walk on water and how we need help getting rid of our sin.” – Megan from TX
“My preschool kids love object lessons. To teach them about prayer we do the skittle experiment. Skittles around the edge of a white plate with GOD written in the middle with dry erase marker. Each skittle represents each child praying to God. Add water and watch all the prayer reach God. He hears everyone’s prayer even if we are all praying at the same time.” – Robin
“So many to choose from, but I’ll just say sharing the Gospel using normal everyday street signs. This way as they travel from place to place, the signs can be a constant reminder of the Gospel.” – Bill
“I like this one because it helps kids learn about forgiveness instead of holding on to anger. I have the kids go outside and stand in a circle. Take a can of coke and pass the coke around the circle. As each child gets the can, they shake it and tell one thing that makes them angry then pass it on to the next person. When everyone has had a chance, I open the can and let it explode all over the place. Then we talk about how anger that is not resolved by forgiveness builds up inside of us until we explode”. – Patricia from MN
“Are you a sponge or a tea bag? A sponge soaks up the water it is in and the water (culture) becomes part of it. The tea bag completely changes the water that it is in. The water becomes like what is your Naude the teabag.” – Abby from South Africa
“Grab a 2 liter of soda, balloon, salt. Fill the balloon with the salt then place the balloon over the opening of the soda bottle. The balloon fills with air/soda and expands according to the amount of salt you use. Have used this to talk about the Israelites and their repetitive sins against God (repeated it several times and increased the amount of salt each time), then tied it in with a Christ connection and our lives and how we continually go our way and not His way, therefore God sent His son Jesus to take our place on the cross. Kids love the anticipation of whether or not the balloon filled with soda will explode, and I may or may not have intentionally had one or two explode.” – Laura from GA
“Sin-Me/You- Jesus experiment that uses quinine water and a black light to show sin (even when we ‘look’ clean in our own eyes). Iodine and water to illustrate how sin stains us and separates us from God and bleach water to show how Jesus took our sin on the cross and washes us white as snow when like in 1 John 1:9 ‘ If we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’!” – Rene
Loved all of these creative ideas and can’t wait to try them out! A special thanks to everyone who participated in the free giveaway, and congrats to Kristy in New York for winning a free copy of the book! Order your own copy of the book here.
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