Often, we are consumed by the busyness of day-to-day living and we forget to look for opportunities to teach our children God-honouring character traits. These ideas require very little preparation, making it easy for you to share some simple but memorable lessons with your child. Read over the suggestions at the beginning of your week and choose one or two that will fit your schedule.
Little House on the Prairie fashion [drama / role play]
Have your children select two outfits to wear and two toys to play with for the duration of a week. Try to focus on being thankful for those items. Supplement this learning by reading a children's version of this famous book series such as A Little House Christmas.
Take time to act out some of the stories and “play” Little House on the Prairie as a family. This could even include eating very simple meals. The questions for discussion will help your children further consider how much they have to be thankful for. Use this activity in conjunction with “Closet Clean-up,” also listed in this section.
questions for discussion
- Would you have liked to live in the days of Little House on the Prairie?
- What was the hardest part of having only two outfits to wear?
- What did you like about it?
- Do you think that you would be satisfied with owing less clothing? Less toys?
- Which toys and clothes would you like to give away?
contentedness challenge [drive time / any time]
Play this game while you are driving or standing in a line up. Ask each other, “Can you be content without ________?” The person can respond honestly but has to conclude their answer by saying, “If I have food and clothing, I can be content with that.” (1 Timothy 6:8) or “God is my Master” (Matthew 6:24) or “I choose to be godly and content with what I have.” (1 Timothy 6:6) Take turns asking the question and answering. You may be surprised that it is harder for parents to answer honestly than it is for their children.
relevant Scripture
1 Timothy 6:6-8 “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot love both God and money.”
rich man - poor man [drama / role play]
Ideally, parents should read the book of Ecclesiastes to get a sense of the purpose of this exercise. While you read Ecclesiastes, substitute the word insignificant for meaningless. The message of Ecclesiastes and this exercise is the same: In comparison, everything outside of our relationship with God is insignificant.
Pick an hour or predetermined length of time that you will play this game. Have your children choose what they would like to be for the day: a rich man or a poor man.
If they choose to be a rich man, allow them to have anything they want (within reason) for the predetermined period of time. Their riches may include playing with all the toys they want, watching all the videos they want (with pre-screened content), and eating anything they want.
If they choose to be a poor man, they only get the basics, which are food and clothing. The poor man, although he/she doesn't have any toys to play with and eats only at meal times, he/she gets to hang out with Mom or Dad. The parents are basically playing the part of God, so the child is “blessed” because he/she gets to spend time with Mom or Dad.
The point of this exercise is to illustrate that just because you have everything doesn't mean you feel satisfied. Make sure that if you do this with siblings, they have the opportunity to play both the rich man and the poor man so they can feel what it is like to be on “both sides of the fence.”
After, summarize the lesson by reading Ecclesiastes 2:24-26. Explain how we can easily be fooled into thinking our needs are satisfied by the things of this world, including pleasure, entertainment, luxurious food and activities. However, outside of being in relationship with God, our innermost needs and desires will never be met.
Though the “rich” man thought he/she was getting a good deal, all of the luxuries of this world become empty and meaningless if they are enjoyed outside of knowing God. The “poor” man, although he didn„t have any luxuries, enjoyed companionship, which is ultimately more valuable than possessions, especially when it is a relationship with God. After the game is done, review the questions for discussion with your children.
questions for discussion
- Which did you prefer – to be the rich man or the poor man?
- Why did you enjoy being the rich man?
- Why didn't you like being the rich man?
- Why did you like being the poor man?
- Why didn't you like being the poor man?
- In this world, who is the rich man and who is the poor man?
relevant Scripture
Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 “A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see is from the hand of God, for without Him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the man who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness, but to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”
closet clean-up [serving others]
Go through a cupboard, closet or toy box and take out the unnecessary articles you have and give them to someone else who may need them. Be sure to include your children in this process of weeding out of unneeded items, packing the boxes and delivering them to the appropriate places. Inner-city ministries are often looking for care boxes that include a home starter kit (contains kitchenware, bedding, toiletries, etc.), winter kits (contains winter wear such as socks, gloves, toques, bus tickets, first aid supplies, etc.) or toy donations.
Look in the Yellow Pages® under “charitable organizations” to find potential recipients. You can also pray and ask God to help you find someone who is in need of the items you have to give away.
