I would appreciate any ideas on crafts and games for our 2 year old Bible class. I will be helping with VBS this summer and need all of the ideas that I can get. The theme is David and Goliath, but ideas do not have to be reltated. Thanks in advance.
There are lots of ideas if you go to Oriental Trading.com or just type in online, easy toddler crafts-you will get tons of ideas as well. HTH
I taught the 3 year olds on the same topic last year. One of the activities they LOVED was measuring themselves compared to Goliath. I covered one of our walls with butcher paper - marked where Golitahs height was and then drew each kid's body outline and placed it on the wall. We traced the kids' body by laying them on the floor.
At our VBS some teachers used the foamy playdoh to cut out the stones. Good Luck!!! It is awesome to see the kids learn about God!
I have done crafts for VBS for the past 15 years, but mostly with school age kids. Doing crafts with 2 year olds can be somewhat more difficult. Try to keep it very simple. Being an artist, I am not real crazy about the pre-fab, Oriental Trading Company kits. Many of them are just not age appropriate for young kids and are not very creative - just put this together to look like this picture. If they are unable to do it like the picture then they are very disappointed. I would stay away from the foam glue together kits. Kits that might work better with toddlers would be the scratch off stuff, beads or stickers. With younger kids and even with the older ones, I focus on the activity more than the end product. Some activities that I have done with younger kids that work well would be play doh (you can even make edible playdoh); finger painting with shaving cream or for a fun treat, let them paint with pudding or yogurt; stringing BIG holed beads on shoe strings or stringing cheerios/fruit loops; bubble paintings - blow bubbles on to a piece of paper with dry tempera on it; make stain glass windows by giving them a piece of clear contact paper, sticky side up, have bits of colored tissue paper cut into small shapes and they stick the tissue paper down on the contact paper - finish with a second piece of contact paper to cover and add a die cut window frame; if you can, make cookies or other treats that they can help measure and mix up - even if it is just trail mix; let them decorate pre-baked cookies; marshmallows and pretzel sticks are fun to build with. These are just a few ideas off the top of my head. Mostly, if you try to do something that is too difficult for them and requires lots of adult help, it will be frustrating to them (and you). Give them something they can explore and play with. If possible, a small tub of water with cups and things to pour or this can be done with rice instead of water or in a sand box. As far as the David and Goliath theme, I don't have any good ideas for that, but there are many websites that might help. Maybe you could let them paint a rock. Hope that helps!
I like the projects from Oriental Trading. They have one for David and Goliath.
http://www.orientaltrading.com/ui/search/processRequest.d...
One game that I did in our church nursery that the kids loved was about David & Goliath. I drew a big "Goliath" and put him on the wall. You could even just have a big head without the body if you wanted. Just put it up where it seems really tall to the little ones. Then they took turns throwing duck tape (stones) wadded inside out so it would stick to the paper to see who could get closest to the center of his head.
Last year, my 2yo granddaughter's Bible class studied David and Goliath. The first Sunday, she brought home a paper cut out (sort of card stock) Goliath with a sling for her. Goliath was very simple, they cut them out just a bit taller than the children and drew very simple facial features. Her sling, a knee high hose with a ping pong ball knotted in the toe end! A year later she still tells the story and demonstrates with the cut out!
This is not a craft or game, but VegiTales "Dave and the Giant Pickle" is great!
spray a little shaving cream in a plastic plate for "finger" painting.
Here are a few bible crafts/lesson sites that I have come across on the internet before. I have used many things from the DLTK-kids website before. I teach a preschool articulation class and have come across many of these sites when I am looking for craft or lesson ideas.
I hope this helps you out! Good luck with VBS! :)
http://www.abchomepreschool.com/Bible/PreschoolBibleCraft...
I'm in the same boat. The best suggestion I've been given is Oriental Trading. They have some great ideas and the prep work is already done. Another thing I'd say is keep it simple. At this age just scribbling with a crayon is fun.
A few of the things we're going to incorporate are putting stickers on paper (I'm looking for related), coloring, playing in shaving cream (or I've heard whipped cream b/c they can put it in their mouths). My two year old loves books, so I'm finding some simple board books (we're talking about Jesus so it's probably easier than D & G, but still), you can change up "Going on a bear hunt" to fit somewhere in the story, musical freeze (they dance until music goes off and then freeze). Also singing songs like Ten in the Bed, Where is Thumbkin, The Ants go Marching, I'm a Little Teapot, Wheels on the Bus, etc. Good luck!! I can't wait to see what others suggest!
Chasing Fireflies by Marcy Lyttle
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this is a fabulous devotional book. Each chapter has a hands on activity that is fun for all ages. Try "Diary of the Two cups." All that is required are two cups, a pitcher, water and a few pinches of dirt. Teaches one cup chooses not do the right thing and the other does but Jesus saves us all if we ask him in.
Try "Little is Much" chapter. All is required is a bag of pinto beans and a pan. Teaches of Gideon - no boasting, no fear, and only those prepared to go. Why God did what he did.
You can make these as simple as possible for appropriate ages but all are fun and holds kids interest and the understanding is amazing. I did meet the author and her husband and she said studying the bible should be fun, not work or like homework but like 'Chasing Fireflies." how fun.
Good luck to you. With that age group remember to have many ideas available and move quickly through so they will not lose their already very short attention span.
PS: If you get a chance, please show this book to the children and youth pastors. Many wonderful fun exercises for all ages. I wrapped my son in toilet paper for the "Bound or Free" Chapter. he decided he did not like to be bound at all. I laughed quite a bit because he was so cute. He was five then but I was later happily surprised that he completely understood the lesson.
And the thread lesson - all is required is a spool of thread - teaches about lying and truth. Can't say enough good things about this book!
C.
