What are some things you do to help maintain
reverence during Sacrament meeting with your kids? We like to keep the
toys and snacks away until after the Sacrament. If someone is fussing and
loud, we take them out to sit on our lap in the foyer-- not play and run around
and have fun. But I need some ideas of quiet activities to provide.
Coloring books are getting old, and some of the small toys I bring are
not really "Sunday-ish."
First of all, I just want to say this has gotten SO MUCH EASIER as my kids have gotten older. Andrew was a holy terror for several years during Sacrament Meeting but now he is a gem most weeks. His favorite thing to play with is a Boogie Board because he loves to draw. He is asked to put it away during the Sacrament. Emma also plays with that a bit, but also loves for us to read to her so we bring the Friend and a few small kids' books.
ReplyDeleteWhen they were younger and needed more to be entertained, we tried to keep special toys in the church bag that were off-limits the rest of the week. That made them more exciting so they'd play with them for a little longer. They really liked some "felt people" I made (like paper dolls but out of felt so they stick together and stick to the fabric benches; see here), file folder games, small whiteboard with whiteboard crayons, Wikki Stix, pipe cleaners.
With Andrew we had to stop bringing toys that make noise (not the toys themselves, but the things they represent) because Andrew made so many loud sound effects (dinosaurs roaring, cars revving, etc.).
I also agree that if a child has to be taken out, they should stay in one place and not get to play with anything so they foyer/hall become less desirable than the chapel. We sometimes try to remember a water bottle so the kids don't use the "I need a drink" excuse to leave, either.
We have a special Sunday bag that has things that they only play with on Sun during sacrament. One thing that Jared has really liked is a puzzel I made out of the big fat craft sticks (like Popsicle sticks) and a picture. You just glue the picture onto the sticks and cut it up and then modge podge over it. I used a picture of when Brandon and I got married, and then a picture of the nativity. Jared loves to line them up. We also have an ABC church book that I made in Relief Society once. And also just a little scrapbook of pictures of aunts and uncles and grandmas and grandpas that they can look though.
ReplyDeleteWe also don't let them get anything out until after the sacrament is over. And ditto with not letting them run around in the foyer, even when they are young. They will quickly learn that it is better to be quiet and stay in the meeting with their stuff then to sit out in the foyer.
We also have a drawer of Sunday special toys. We've done the popsicle stick puzzle as well but it doesn't occupy Zeke very long. He does like puzzles, I've found some at the dollar store that are Bible stories. As I'm a Sunbeam teacher right now I end up making a lot of file folder games for lessons and these are fun for Zeke during Sacrament as well. If you go to: http://www.sugardoodle.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=813&Itemid=200017
ReplyDeleteThere is pretty much a file folder game for every lesson.
Also felt is fantastic. We've made different felt squares, felt scenes (a house with trees and clouds, a face with different features) and Zeke loves to create with them.
Then we have various coloring tools: crayons and paper, whiteboard w dry erase crayons, aquadoodle pad that uses a little water pen. I'll rotate these which makes coloring a little more interesting. I've also used the dry erase crayon on coloring pages from The Friend that I've laminated. I've heard putting them in page protector sheets in a binder works well also.
I love these ideas everyone-- thank you! I am working on some felt stuff right now :) Bethany, that Boogie Board looks really cool. I've never seen one of those. Melissa, I like the idea of switching things up with the coloring stuff. And Michelle, I'm going to make some stick puzzles.
ReplyDelete