Kids love secrets. There is something fun about a little mystery in life. That’s probably why detective series have been hits in children’s literature for decades. What if you could encourage your child’s prayer life by helping them make a “secret” place for their prayers?
This is a really simple craft, yet it kept a group of five to ten year olds engaged for a long period of time. You need a used mint container (preferably the metal ones) for each child. If you are doing this with a large group, we were able to find a company that sold unused tins for less than a dollar each. You will also need scrap pretty papers (scrapbooking paper, gift wrap, etc.), scraps of lace, ribbon, rick rack and/or fabric, golf pencils (if you don’t know golfers, office supply stores sell these by the gross), glue, scissors and markers.
Have the children take the scrap materials and decorate the tin. Encourage them to write prayer box somewhere on the outside of the box. On the inside, we had them place small scraps of paper and two golf pencils for writing. A couple of children even chose to decorate the inside of the tin as you can see in the photo.
We did this craft as part of a unit on the Jewish holidays and how they point to Jesus. We were studying Yom Kippur and talked about fasting and prayer and their roles in the Old Testament and New Testament. We encouraged the kids to keep this special prayer box by their bed. They can jot themselves reminders of things to pray about or write out special prayers. We also encouraged them to record God’s answers and the date. (Remember “no” and “wait” are answers, too.)
So grab some of your scrap craft supplies and a tin and help your kids create a “secret” place for their prayers. If your children prefer a notebook rather than scraps of paper, try using an old metal lunchbox or pencil box instead of a mint tin. Encourage your children to make use of their prayer box until they develop the habit of using it regularly. Prayer is our way to communicate to God and teaching our children to pray without ceasing about everything is an important faith development gift to give them.