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If you aren't familiar with worship bags, different churches use them in different ways. Mainly, they are used in churches where the young children stay in the same worship service as the parents. I'm a proponent of this :) The bags are a great supplement to the sermon. It is amazing to me how children can be engrossed in one activity (like coloring, doing a word search, etc) and still hear the sermon. In fact, I think it helps them concentrate even more! Just like adults, some kids listen better when they are fidgeting or using their hands (have you seen adults sewing in church? I have! Same concept :) Anyway, I also used them in our "prayground" which is a comfortable, quiet place where the kids can sit and read/color or do what's in the worship bag during the sermon. I'm sure other churches have found other uses for them though...please share if you have! I've also heard these referred to as "busy bags", but I ask that you call them something else :) "Busy bags" makes it sound like all you're doing is trying to keep them busy while they are in worship, when, in fact, you are providing supplemental material to help them learn and participate more in the service!
Just one other thing - do me a favor - as a parent of a child with a severe allergy, a child with multiple intolerances and the Aunt of a special needs child who is on a strict diet...please refrain from putting candy/snacks in your bag. If a child can't make it an hour without a snack, let the parents take care of it. This will help all the other parents whose children can't have the snacks from having to restrict their children while others are enjoying the food. Having to take food away from a child when others are eating it is NOT fun. Thanks!
Worship Bag Ideas!
2. A popular one many people mentioned is pipe cleaners/chenille stems! Neat idea...and now they make animal striped, bumpy, glitter...you name it! Endless possibilities :) (these are from Michael's)
3. Kleenex...cause, ya know, kids are snotty 😉
4. Scratch shapes - Oriental Trading has many different types - crosses, butterflies, hearts, animals, etc. Just know that on some surfaces, some of these are loud (the Easter tomb especially is very loud and messy).
5. Lacing cards - homemade or bought
from Oriental Trading...
or make your own!
or make your own!
7. Bookmarks if you have hymns or Bible verses the kids can mark.
8. Fidget sticks! This is one I'm definitely going to get! Wonderful idea - and not just for the worship bags - but for Sunday school! I've had a number of ADD/ADHD and autistic children and these are wonderful for them...youth and adults as well!! I bite my nails, and something like this would've been (and is!) great for me!
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| These are called "bendeez" and you can actually go to another website (this link takes you to amazon) and get them customized. But, you have to buy over 100 and it costs over $300. cool, but pricey. Fidgets have become more and more popular over the years, so now amazon has a ton of different ones - and I was told the Dollar Store also has some! 9. Along the same lines as the fidgets, buy some ribbon wands! These are an AWESOME way for your littles that can't read to participate in songs/hymns. They LOVE them. I also found that they are fantastic for your active children as well as ADD and autistic kids. I also had a workshop leader tell me that they use them for their adult special needs ministry. You can buy them in bulk on amazon (40 for $16) but they all have this little bell attached which annoyed me lol. So, I ripped them off ;)  |
10. Popsicle stick puzzles. You can make your own - any theme you want!
Faces...
Objects...
or your own!
Faces...
Objects...
or your own!
11. Page that says "my artistic offering to God" for the kids to put in the offering plate.
12. Take pictures of symbols around the room (cross, baptismal font, pulpit, instruments, any symbols in the room, etc), then print them out and put them in page covers to make an I Spy book! Great and creative idea! Add to that a description of each item and it's also educational 😉
13. Magnetic prayers or Bible verses - $1 tree cookie sheets and laminate words with magnetic tape on the back!
14. Small etch a sketch
15. Small dry erase board (or white paper in a page protector) and a dry erase marker.
16. Worship bulletin you could make or print from sermons4kids.com. I've also created a few things that I've used during the sermon (over 20 printables) - and you can find the bundle in my teacherspayteachers or Etsy store. This is a fun activity where the kids have to listen to the sermon and color in something (like a sheep) every time they hear a specific word :)
My kids (and middle schoolers!) love those! I've also made some fun ABC religious wordsearches for older elementary.
17. Lego Bible story tin and DICE GAMES. This is too cute :) I'm thinking little tins for Jesus and Zacchaeus, Moses in the basket or the burning bush, Adam and Eve, Jesus calms the storm, so many possibilities! For DICE GAMES, you provide one die (if you need a quiet place for them to roll it, put it in a tiny Tupperware container from dollar tree and line the sides - except the bottom - with felt so it's quiet...hot glue the top). Here are 5 dice games you can buy to use - or make your own!
18. Magnetic Bible story books:
19. flannel board pieces:
20. Wikki Stix:
21. Lastly, oriental trading has great Bible story sticker scenes that are pretty cheap!
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| This is Easter, but they also have Noah's Ark, Joseph, Moses, Last Supper, Christmas, and more! Just search "religious sticker scenes". |
22. Almost forgot this one! Someone else put little puzzles in our bags. I didn't think they'd be worth anything or that the kids would like them...but they're one of their favorite things! They are mini-puzzles and come in a little box. I thought they were bought from Dollar Tree or Oriental trading but I can't find them! They are all religious - would love to know if anyone finds them! They'd be best kept in a ziploc baggie.
23. Another thing I forgot that someone reminded me of - special holiday items. Valentine's at Valentine's Day, Nativity ornament at Christmas, Thanksgiving craft at Thanksgiving, etc. Best time to get this stuff...after the holiday!! :)
24. Someone just shared another idea and I love it so I have to pass it on :) One educator says she makes a Bible Bingo for her readers. Each square contains a word they should hear in the sermon - love, joy, faith, maybe the book of the bible of the Scripture you're reading, etc. They can see how many they hear! What an awesome idea! I made some here if you want to see them :)
23. Another thing I forgot that someone reminded me of - special holiday items. Valentine's at Valentine's Day, Nativity ornament at Christmas, Thanksgiving craft at Thanksgiving, etc. Best time to get this stuff...after the holiday!! :)
24. Someone just shared another idea and I love it so I have to pass it on :) One educator says she makes a Bible Bingo for her readers. Each square contains a word they should hear in the sermon - love, joy, faith, maybe the book of the bible of the Scripture you're reading, etc. They can see how many they hear! What an awesome idea! I made some here if you want to see them :)
25. Another suggestion from facebook! It's a wonderful idea and if you have a sewing or quilting ministry this would be a fantastic way to include them :) It's a marble maze and the kids push the marble through the maze from start to finish (or finish to start) - and it makes no noise! ;) lol
26. These new soft (quiet) fine motor blocks/manipulatives are also very popular! Lots of different kinds are available and some even include instructions to build a certain animal/thing.
27. Brain teasers and mind games are also popular with older elementary kids.
If you have something that works well in your worship bag let me know and we'll add it to the list!!
Did you know that I have religious escape rooms for sale?? Yes! Check them out at my blogpost :)
Have fun worshiping :)
CHECK OUT OTHER BLOGPOSTS:
50 fun religious games to play with kids and youth
VBS Ideas and supplies
Fun icebreaker games to play with your kids/youth
And a compilation of all my children's ministry blogposts!
CHECK OUT OTHER BLOGPOSTS:
50 fun religious games to play with kids and youth
VBS Ideas and supplies
Fun icebreaker games to play with your kids/youth
And a compilation of all my children's ministry blogposts!
