Sunday School Resources

I wanted to share a quick post with the resources I tend to use when coming up with out lesson plans.

• I created a template in a word processor so I can easily add each weeks info.

•  Our take home sheet was created in Photoshop but I made a JPG version so you can edit it in your favourite word processor.  Simply "insert" the JPG in the document and change the properties of the photo so you can type behind and the text will show through.  When I am planning my lessons, I find two activities for that topic - one for the class and one to add to the take home sheet.  Then, I Google a colouring sheet and shrink it to fit the small space on the page.

 

• Kididdles has lots of "kid friendly" worship songs.  I have added it to my Pinterest board so I never loose it!
• Another great worship resource is Little Lambs Ministry. They have audio files for most of the songs.
• Danielle's Place has both free and "member's only" activities.  I find the activities and craft easy to adapt to various age groups.
• Kids Sunday School also has both free and "member's only" lessons.  I really like how the lessons are laid out - I can easily plug them into my template and we are good to go! I also like how the topics are organized - Even if the lesson isn't free, I can choose a theme (prayer, the book of Ruth, etc...) and the weekly topics are titled for me.

I hope these help your planning as much as they help me!
Jen

Easter {Sunday School Unit}

Thanks to Pinterest, I had so many Easter ideas I wanted to incorporate!  Alas, you can only cram so many projects into one Sunday morning.  I know the order of the story is a little messed up but I really wanted the Palm Sunday lesson to fall on Palm Sunday... The printable story was found at DLTK.  I will also add a link to the song Jesus Wants me for a Sunbeam, in case you don't know the tune.  As always, I am not very good at keeping track of where I have found all my resources.  All images were copied from Google searched and I created the Take Home Sheets.  There aren't a lot of printable for this unit. On another note, if you are on Pinterest, I have a board that is dedicated to Sunday School Resources.

We split the story into 3 weeks:
Week one: The last supper and washing feet
Week two: Palm Sunday
Week three: Jesus is risen

Lessons:



The last supper
Palm Sunday
Jesus is risen













Crafts, Activities and Stories:

He is risen craft
Words for He is risen craft
Palm Sunday craft
Last supper story














Take home sheets:

Last supper
Palm Sunday
He is risen













I also wanted to include a couple super cool Easter projects that I really wanted to do but didn't get a chance:

Right now, we are working through a short unit on the life of Moses.  We completed 10 weeks of the 10 commandments and the children seemed to be quite interested in Moses.  I now wish that we had planned it so we did an overview of Moses' life and then a closer look at each commandment but this way should work too.

After Moses we are jumping into a pretty huge project.  We are going to do 3 months of "Bible Legends" with trading cards and all!

Each week we will do an overview of important people throughout the Bible.  We will print out these trading cards and each child will build a little collection of Bible Legends to take home! I am actually quite stoked about this one!

The only thing I have yet to figure out is how to store all these trading cards...
We have children that come and go and children that are regular attenders.  I am thinking of creating a little box or something for each child and it could stay in the Jr. Kid's Church Room but then they may loose some of the excitement...  I also haven't figured out exactly how we will "trade" cards.  I thought a "trading party" would be in order but not sure how that will look.  Any suggestions?

No Impact Man

The nerd in me (or am I am geek? I always forget!) loves a good documentary.
I had put the movie No Impact Man on hold at the library but I just couldn't wait anymore! I am quite sure that the hold will expire before I ever get a copy.

"In November 2006, author Colin Beaven announces his No Impact Project. He vows to unsettle his complacent liberal consumerism and, along with his family, to make no environmental impact from their Manhattan home for one year. While two-year-old Isabella is content among the compost worms, mother Michelle endures withdrawal from coffee and shopping, and Colin suffers heavy criticism from friends and the media. Humorous and insightful, No Impact Man discovers the strength of a family living off the grid, and the quiet truths that reveal themselves when the lights go out."

When I first saw this movie I thought it would just be a good watch - I mean your preaching to choir here.  Just the same as Supersize Me - I already wasn't a fan of McDonald's but that movie was the starting point (so many years ago, now) of my making a real connection to what I eat and most importantly what I feed my children. 

I thought I was doing good when our recycling bins are overflowing every week but I want to take it a step further - avoid all that packaging in the first place!

As I type this, I have happy to say that we only need to put out one bin for paper and one for containers.  I buy milk that comes in glass bottles so I can return the bottles for the dairy to use again.  I was thinking about learning how to make my own yogurt, so we could avoid the plastic containers but I'm not ready for that yet. ;) On a side note, I am going to try making butter and cheese soon!  Not sure if I will have an cost savings but we will see.

I have been scouring the web trying to come up with ways to reuse those margarine and yogurt tubs but I only have so many craft supplies to store!  Do you have any ideas?

Project 365 {February Favourites}

Project 365 is going strong!  I completely forgot to post my favourite photos last month.  I missed 4 days in February but I didn't even notice until now and I am kinda bummed that I didn't take a photo on February 29th.  I guess I was too busy doing leapy (yes, that's word...) kind of things.  Annnnnd, I realized that I haven't used a real camera in a month!  As great as my camera phone is you can't print and frame those photos.  So now I have added another dimension to my project: take a photo everyday and use a real camera more often then never.

I think that is an attainable goal. ;)

If you put a wooden spoon over your pot of boiling water, it wont boil over!

Great Papa and Red

Red found a hole in the floor! I PROMISE he was not as hurt as his face would suggest! He was sticking his arm in there all morning! I barely snapped the photo before he pulled his arm out and then stuck it in again! LOL

Ginger's buildings are becoming more detailed.

Our one and only snowman of the year. It wasn't even that cold out, I put snowsuits on them because it would be wet out.

Baking "spicy cookies" (A.K.A. Ginger Snaps)

We are getting pretty good at the back wrap

Our 1st Bulldog's Hockey game, as a family.  We scored seats for $10 each!

At the Hamilton Children's Museum. We borrow a family pass, from the library, and we get in for free!

Do you use a "real" camera or your cell phone camera, more often?