Easy Scarf Service Project and Devotional For Kids

Scarf Service Project and Devotional for Kids - Parenting Like HannahHot weather seems to make us long for the cooler weather that will come in a few months. If you and your kids are in the house trying to stay cool, there is a fun, easy project you can do that will help keep others warm this winter.

Go to your local fabric or craft store and find some fleece fabric. You will want enough that you can cut five or six foot lengths that are six to eight inches wide. In theory, a couple of yards should be plenty. When you get home, you will probably want to be the one to cut the fabric into strips that are six to eight inches wide (if you get really lucky, the fabric store might help!).

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Fun Way To Teach Kids About Developing and Using Their Gifts From God

Fun Way to Teach Kids About Developing and Using Their Gifts From God - Parenting Like HannahDid you know a few strips of scrap leather and some ping pong balls can teach your kids a lot about identifying, developing and using their gifts from God? That’s right. You see the story of David and Goliath has a lot more to teach us than we generally realize, because we don’t understand a lot about shepherding and warfare in ancient Israel.

David was the youngest of a lot of boys. They were old enough to join the army fighting the Philistines. He was left at home to care for the family flocks. Your kids will be interested to learn the family wealth at the time was generally in their herds. Entrusting David to care for the flocks would be like you withdrawing all of your cash from the bank and giving it to your child to keep safe from being lost, stolen or eaten. (Okay, no one would probably eat your cash, but you see the point!)

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Fun Way to Connect Kids to God’s Creation and Scripture

Fun Ways to Connect Kids to Nature and Scripture - Parenting Like HannahOne of the ways to get kids interested in reading the Bible is to show them all of the connections to the things they are interested in and love. Have children who love nature and/or science? Take them to a dollar or craft store and find a journal, preferably one meant for drawing pictures with unlined pages. Have each child pack a sack with their journal, some drawing and coloring pencils, some paper towels and make sure to bring a camera along, too.

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Summer Reading for Christian Kids and Teens

Summer Reading for Christian Kids and Teens - Parenting Like HannahSummer often brings reading lists for kids and teens. Sometimes, they are given specific books to read, but often there is a lot of freedom. Wouldn’t it be great if some of that extra reading time could be spent reading books that will encourage your children to live godly lives? There are actually quite a few good Christian/positive secular books for kids and teens on the market.

I have had several people ask me for suggestions, particularly of good non-fiction books. The list below is not complete and not all are technically “Christian” books. They are all, however, books that will get your children thinking. Take advantage of the summer slow times and ask them to share with you some of the things from these books they particularly liked and others with which they are not sure they agree.

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Adding Meaning to the Cross for Kids (At Home)

Adding Meaning to the Cross For Kids (At Home) - Parenting Like HannahHave you ever really thought about how children are taught about the death of Jesus? When they are young, the story is sanitized quite a bit. Even if the beatings and other horrific aspects are mentioned, they are told in story form. A child who has never been exposed to the things in the story will have little understanding of what really happened.

Teens may get exposure to one of the more realistic movies that act out the details very graphically. The problem is when older children reach the age of accountability (which differs from child to child), they are often too young to see these “R” rated movies and only have the sanitized version of the cross in their minds.

Part of becoming a Christian for many is understanding the depth of the sacrifice Jesus made so we can have forgiveness of our sins and eternal life. If the sacrifice Jesus made was no big deal, they may feel perhaps faith isn’t really that important. Think about it. God could have chosen a much less horrible way for Jesus to take our place and yet He didn’t. There is something in the details of what happened that is important to our faith.

So how can you help older children and young teens understand the details of the cross and the sacrifice Jesus made a little better? A few affordable visual aids and some basic facts can help them begin to understand the enormity of what happened to Jesus. We did this in a Bible class of 5th and 6th graders recently, but they are things you can easily do at home:

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