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Tips for Younger Children

Winter 2025-26 Tips

Interacting with leaders. If there are new leaders from quarter to quarter, expect that it will take some time for younger children to trust and relate to a new leader. Some children gravitate toward adults and interact easily, while others will feel tentative, shy, or even afraid of an adult they have not met before. Respect children’s pace for getting acquainted. This might mean sitting near the child but not interacting verbally at first. This allows the child to become comfortable with your presence before being asked to have a conversation.

Limiting options. Because it is still early in the year, it is important to limit the number of materials and activity options that are available for young children. When too many things are out, they can become overwhelmed and just move quickly from thing to thing without being able to focus. Having one bin of toys related to the Bible story is better than having four bins of unrelated items. Children are likely to want to see what is in every single bin, which is distracting and unnecessary. Having a backup plan is good but bring it out only if the first activity is not working rather than having two things out initially.

Sharing. Because of their developmental level, many children will work next to other children rather than with other children. This is not a flaw, rather it is a mark of their age. It is helpful to have enough materials so that all children can have something to work with rather than having to wait a long time or share lots of materials. If you specifically want to practice sharing, then you would reduce the number of materials so that they can practice giving and receiving. Otherwise, it can just be a source of frustration if they have to wait and wait for a turn. The goal is for each person to be actively involved as much as possible. Having adequate materials will help make this a reality.

Repetition. Younger children thrive with predictable routines, and they enjoy repetition. Singing the same songs several times in a session can help them learn the words and tune. Beginning the session with the same chant or play option can help them know what to expect. While you might feel bored with the repetition, it can bring a feeling of safety and peace for children!

Wondering questions. If children are shy or have a limited vocabulary, it can be intimidating to be asked a lot of questions. Instead of asking a question that requires a verbal response, invite younger children to point to their favorite person in the story picture, or identify where they would like to be in the story picture. This allows them to engage with the story while not feeling pressured or embarrassed about talking.

Responsive Play (Create). Some children do not like to get messy. The idea of holding onto a sponge and dipping it into paint may not be appealing. Offer paintbrushes as an alternative. Painting on the dark paper with a white or gold paint can be a fun and meaningful experience, even if the final artwork does not look like a moon and stars.

Re-play. Rather than using paper figures, set out plastic or wooden figures for younger children to use. Sit with children and tell the story in a simplified way: The angel said, “Mary, you will have a baby!” Mary went to see Elizabeth. Elizabeth also was going to have a baby. Praise God!

Backup plan. Sometimes things do not go as planned! The children might be feeling frustrated or out of sorts. They may not be getting along well with one another. Have a calming activity like play dough that you can pull out on a moment’s notice. Give children 5–10 minutes to play with the dough. Have conversation about the Bible story as they play. Or you can set up a book corner with pillows and a cozy blanket so children can settle down for a few minutes. Then transition back to some of your original plans. Even if you are not following the curriculum plan, you can still build relationships and encourage their spiritual growth through informal conversation!

Bless. It’s common to run out of time at the end of the session. Responsive Play activities may go longer than expected, or you are in the middle of cleaning up or helping solve a problem between children. Even if you can’t have an official gathering time, do your best to have a brief moment with each child. This can be as simple as getting down to the child’s eye level and saying, “_______, I’m glad you were here today. You are special to me and to God.”

Large group activities. For some younger children, this may be their first introduction to a group learning environment. Expect that their attention span will be short. It’s quite common for children to just get up and walk away when they are no longer interested in the group activities! Be patient as children learn the routines. Keeping large group time brief and active will help children remain focused. Repeating greetings, songs, and questions from week to week can also help children begin to anticipate what the expectations are.

Re-play. Rather than trying to organize a structured retelling that requires cooperative play and verbal communication, set out several sturdy nativity sets for children to use in re-playing the Bible story independently. Set a timer so everyone gets a turn.

Media connections. Be selective when choosing media options for younger children. Consult with parents before showing videos, as they may not want their children having screen time. Creating a comfortable book corner with a variety of books, pillows, and blankets is a great option for younger children. It may be best to use board books if children are using the book corner independently.

Bible story. Another way to tell the story is to use figures from a nativity set, moving the magi figures to represent their long journey to see Jesus. If you want children to be involved, give each one a paper star to hold overhead for the first portion of the story.

Art projects. It is common for younger children to work on an art project or booklet page for a very brief time and then say, “All done.” Have another activity ready such as play dough or books that children can do if they finish early. But invite the children to come back to the original project periodically. If they see other children participating in the project, they may decide they want to return to it. The important thing is to affirm whatever level of participation they give in the moment, recognizing that their attention span may be very short!

Responsive Play (Explore). This “treasure hunt” is likely to be very popular with younger children. If using birdseed, provide adequate supervision. Children may not be familiar with birdseed, so they are likely to be curious and may take a bite! Be sure to let children know it isn’t something to eat.

Re-play. Rather than having a “play” where children work collaboratively to act out the story, give each child some paper or toy fish, a boat, and people figures to explore the story independently. This will keep everyone engaged and focused.

Responsive Play (Create). Yarn wrapping might be too tricky for some younger children. Instead, sketch the template shapes on large paper and have children decorate the shapes by gluing small squares of paper onto them, adding stickers, or making marks with bingo markers.

Responsive Play (Discover). If you are concerned about spills from a water center, do a dry version. Place cardboard fish in a masking tape circle “pond” or a hula hoop. Children can pick them up and put them in small buckets, then toss them back into the “pond.”

Pray. Interactive sensory activities are often great for younger children. At the same time, when they are done in a larger group setting, they can become a source of conflict or confusion. Children may struggle to wait for a turn or may want to drop lots of stones in the water. If it becomes clear that the props are not contributing to the prayer, set them aside and say a short prayer for everyone who feels sad. The most important thing is prayer, not stones!

Responsive Play (Explore). Play dough is a very popular activity with many younger children. It can be soothing and help children focus. Do not be concerned about children making a particular item. Just use the time to connect with the children and learn more about them. Include the wondering questions from the Bible story as it seems fitting. Highlight examples of children being kind, gentle, peaceful, and loving as they play.

Responsive Play (Make Peace). Play quiet music as you model rocking a baby or stuffed animal. If children do not want to rock or lose interest, allow them to choose a different activity to do quietly.

Early Arrivals. For some young children, it is helpful to have simple materials to touch and work with when they arrive. This play-based experience helps to reduce the stress of separation from parents. Repeating this simple block building activity during Re-play or Responsive Play is an opportunity to connect the play even more closely to the story they just heard.

Replay. Using sand may not be practical in your space, even with a waterproof mat to help contain the mess. You may choose to omit the watering can portion of the activity, or to do a less messy version by building with a variety of materials on a sand-colored cloth and a stone-colored cloth.

Responsive Play (Explore). Younger children are unlikely to be able to copy the Block patterns from Additional resources. Allow children to build however they’d like and test the strength of their buildings. Younger children also love to knock down block towers. Expect this and incorporate it into your conversation about the Bible story. Be sure that children only knock down their own tower rather than a tower that someone else built.

Bible story. Choose either the seed or the yeast story to focus on for younger children. After telling that story one time, tell it again with movement. Have the children crouch down, then kneel, and then stand as the tree grows and shelters the birds. Or use these actions to represent the yeast gradually making the batch of bread dough rise.

Responsive Play (Move). Remembering actions of the story and knowing how to act them out will be too challenging for most younger children. As an alternative, show a balloon that has not been inflated. Talk about how it is small now but could get bigger. Ask children what you could do to make it bigger. Blow it up and tap it around. Blow up more balloons so each child can have one.

Responsive Play (Make Peace). Younger children are easily distracted and may not hold onto the sheet long enough to raise and lower it or even more in a circle. Lay the sheet on the floor. Play the music as children move around the outside of the sheet. Periodically stop the music and the children can all move inside the heart shape. Talk about ways to make sure everyone is welcome and safe in the heart.

Choose one parable. If your group is mostly younger children, choose one parable to focus on for the entire session. This will allow for the necessary repetition for children to understand and remember the parts of the parable.

“Parables Path” Game. Simplify the game by choosing a starting square and an ending square. Do not put any items on the game board, just have children roll and move their game pieces. Look at the picture they landed on. Was it connected to today’s parables? How?

Safety. There are several activities that involve small items like beads, plastic gems, and so on. It’s important to monitor younger children when they are using these items, since some children still put things in their mouth. Be clear that the items must stay in the child’s hand and not in the mouth!

Responsive Play (Make Peace). Some younger children can play board games, but many will find it frustrating or won’t have the attention span to complete the game. If you have two adults in the room, one adult could work with one or two younger children to play the game on booklet page 11B. As you come to a picture, ask if the people are sharing. Children can just say yes/no or nod their head to indicate a response.

Building relationships. Even though you are a good way through the year at this point, it is common for children to still feel hesitant about interacting with you or other leaders in the group. Children often do not attend every week, so they have had a relatively small amount of time with you. For the hesitant or shy child, it’s important not to come on too strong! Sit near the child or play together without necessarily starting a conversation. Proximity and shared experiences help to build trust. Say the child’s name whenever speaking to them to convey that you know and care for the child. These things may seem insignificant but can build a bridge.

Simplicity. It cannot be overstated that younger children need a simple session and routines. Connect could be simplified every week so that you say the same welcome chant, sing a song from Everybody Sing, say a short prayer, and read the Bible memory verse once from the Teaching Poster. This will move you to the Bible story quickly, and will keep the large group time short, allowing for more interactive experiences during Responsive Play.

Follow children’s lead. You come into the session with a particular plan. Hold that plan loosely. Pay attention to the interests of the children and follow them. If children are in the mood to sing, include an extra song. If they need more movement, do an active game earlier than planned. You certainly cannot meet all of the needs of every child all the time, and there may be conflicting needs in the moment. But do your best to notice and respond by spending more time with things that the group shows a particular interest in.   

Conversations. Expect that conversations will wander around! You may not immediately see a connection between what you said or asked and what the child says in response. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a connection! And even if there isn’t one, it’s still important for the child to feel welcome and respected whenever they share something. It is no small thing to offer a comment or response in a group setting. Encouraging all contributions will help children continue to offer their ideas.

“Parables Path” Teaching Poster. Since this is the last week to use the game, use is as an opportunity to review stories from earlier sessions. Have the Story Pictures nearby for easy reference. Invite them to share the things they remember.

Responsive Play (Move). Large group games that involve some amount of waiting can be difficult for younger children. Change the game so that the leader is just naming a movement and saying, “Friends, friends, hop to me.” Then everyone can cross the play space. Talk about ways to welcome friends while playing games.

Responsive Play (Discover). Younger children typically love water play, so this is a great option to offer. Expect that most children won’t be able to count out a particular number of cups in relation to the size of the family. That’s okay. Emphasize the idea of giving and sharing rather than counting. If you want to introduce counting, set one toy animal or person next to each cup. As the child pours water into the cup say, “Here is water for the dinosaur. Here is water for the sheep.” That conveys the idea of giving a portion of water to each animal or person.

End of the quarter. Consider sending home one or more of the Story Pictures with each child. This is a great way to connect to families and give them a beautiful piece of artwork along with a story to remember this quarter.

Teacher transition. Particularly if you have been teaching for a full quarter, it can be difficult for children to make the transition if there is going to be a new leader for spring. Let children know if there will be a new leader and ideally introduce the group to the leader. Communicate any routines and important information to the new leader to make a more seamless transition.

Spring 2026 Tips

Re-play: If your children need more structure to this activity, sing an action rhyme to the tune of “London Bridge.”

Jesus turned the water to wine (hold a small empty cup in each hand),
water to wine (pretend to pour from one to the other),
water to wine. 
Jesus turned the water to wine, 
and showed God’s greatness. (Lift cups high, then set them down.)
See God’s wonders all around (shade eyes and look from left to right),
all around (reach up),
all around. (Bend low.)
See God’s wonders all around. (Twirl around.)
Give God glory. (Wave arms.)

Responsive Play (Move and Explore). Young children love water play and being outside. If the weather is nice and you have a safe space for the children to play, move the water activities outside. Have extra volunteers to help with these activities. They will enjoy these experiences but need constant supervision and guidance to use water appropriately and safely.

 Responsive Play (Explore).  Younger children often play alongside others instead of playing cooperatively with others. Instead of using one large tub, use dishpans so that each child has their own. Place a bath towel under each dishpan to catch any spills.

Supporting children in a large-group setting. For younger children that struggle to remain seated during the Bible story, consider making a supply of “fidget toys.” Put several beads on a key ring and fasten the ring. Keep these with your story materials to give to children as necessary. They can touch the beads or slide them around the ring while listening to the story. Allowing this small movement can reduce children’s desire to walk around the room.

Responsive Play (Move): If you don’t have space in your classroom for children to safely run in, slow the game down by having the children return by hopping or walking like an animal.

Bless: The end of the session can be chaotic as you help children prepare to leave. For simplicity and brevity, you may just want to kneel near each child and simply say, “_________, you are special to God. You are special to me. God bless you.”  

Early Arrivals (Play). Skip having children draw a family picture on the booklet page, especially if you have a large group. Younger children will likely need one-on-one help to complete the drawing, so this is something a child and family member can do at home together.  

I Wonder. As you engage in the time of wondering each week, allow ample time for younger children to respond. It may feel uncomfortable to have a pause of silence, or to see that children are moving around restlessly. Silence is not always a negative thing, and wiggling does not mean that children aren’t thinking! Children may need a moment to let the words soak in before they can verbally express their response. They may answer in a way that opens new insights to the story for you. It may be best to ask only one or two questions right after the story; save the rest for Explore time.   

Responsive Play (Create). Younger children may make marks on their card, as opposed to drawing specific pictures. Encourage them to draw freely, without asking them to draw a person or object. Talk about the words happy and sad as children paint, or play music that evokes happy or sad feelings.

Early Arrivals (Play). Demonstrate how to roll the play dough into “snakes,” then allow plenty of time for younger children to learn how to create the “snakes” on their own. They will gain a sense of accomplishment while also developing fine-motor skills

Responsive Play (Create). This activity could be moved outside to a cement sidewalk or pavement. Trace children’s shoe prints on the cement using sidewalk chalk and provide basins with sponges for washing the “feet.”

(Responsive Play) Move: Younger children may not be able to remember all the items needed for a place setting. Simplify this activity by having each child take one item to the table at a time—first the plate, then the cup, finally the napkin. See how many place settings your group can create.

Create a reading nook. If you have room, create a place where children can go for some quiet time. Set out some comfortable pillows, a blanket, and books to read. Here are some recommendations for books that are appropriated for younger children about the arrest, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The Peace Table: A Storybook Bible by Chrissie Muecke, Jasmin Pittman Morrell, and Teresa Kim Pecinovsky, Tomie dePaola’s Book of Bible Stories, The Easter Story Brian Wildsmith, The Easter Story by Patricia A. Pingry, and Easter by Gail Gibbons. Most of these books should be available in your public library.

Responsive Play (Explore and Make Peace). Very young children have a limited ability to articulate their feelings. When they see people crying, young children may assume that those crying are afraid, since that is a common thing that makes children cry. Give examples of things you know that contribute to sad feelings. If you have very young children in your group, look at one or more books about feelings together. Look for ideas in Media connections and on the Shine: Living in God’s Light Pinterest page.

Responsive Play (Move). Play this game for the fun of moving and not to win or lose. If no team gets a row of 3, that’s fine. Keep playing until the children are ready to move on. Taking turns and playing together are a part of learning how to love each other.

Prepare for the unexpected today. Children easily pick up on the excitement of special days and may bring extra energy today. Encourage children to express their excitement by having scarves or streamers available, turning on music, and inviting children to move and dance.

Responsive Play (Move). Young children may not understand the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly. Show pictures of the transformation or read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. There are many good books for young children that show a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. Check out the local library.

Connect with parents and caregivers. Make it a point to greet parents or caregivers and share the PreK–Kindergarten booklet pages as the children are dismissed. Children will enjoy sharing about today’s story using the activities on pages 6C and 6D.

PreK–Kindergarten Booklet: As you use the PreK–Kindergarten page 7A with younger children, encourage them to follow the instructions but allow them to complete the page as they can. Young children are at various stages of motor development and some activities may be harder for them than others. Praise their work however they finish it. Children are encouraged to keep trying when they feel successful.

Songs. Younger children often do not join in on chants and songs. They are still enjoying and learning from these activities but are doing so through observation. If your group is mostly younger children, limit the number of songs used during a session. Sing one or two songs multiple times in the session. Use the Everybody Sing albums as soft background music during Explore. That will help children learn the words and tunes.

Bless. If time gets away from you and you don’t get a chance to gather the children for a closing blessing, make a point of saying goodbye and saying the name of each child as they leave. It is important for young children to feel known and seen.

Early Arrivals (Eat). Young children often have strong food preferences or may have food sensitivities or allergies. Have a second snack option available, such as raisins or apple slices, and give children the option of choosing one or both snacks so that everyone can eat together.

Responsive Play (Create). Some children may not like the rough feel of the sandpaper texture. Consider preparing a couple of sand trays and invite children to write and draw in the sand.

Intergenerational connections. Building a network of loving adults is so important for young children. This week’s session is a great opportunity to have parents, grandparents, or other church members join your group. They can help with the Responsive Play activities, read with a child individually, share a snack, play with toys, and so on. These simple interactions will help the child feel loved and a part of the broader church community.

Early Arrivals (Play). Younger children will need adult help to trace their hand or foot on the paper and they may not be able to draw a recognizable picture of a way to show love. Rather than focusing on drawing specific actions, let children decorate their traced hand or foot as they wish. As they decorate, talk about loving actions.

Early Arrivals (Eat). Share a story about prayer and the shape of the pretzel by reading Brother Giovanni’s Little Reward by Anna Egan Smucker while the children eat their snack of pretzels.

Responsive Play. Be attuned to the learning preferences of your children as you choose Responsive Play activities. Some children are visual learners while other learn best through movement. Know that you do not have to do every activity in the session plan. Focus on the Bible story and choose a responding activity that fits your group best.  

Re-play: Young children enjoy playing using all their senses.  Add water and soap to the laundry activity. Set two tubs on a table, one with soap water and the other with rinse water. Cover the table well with plastic and have towels on hand.  Children can wash and rinse small pieces of lightweight cloth and hang them to dry. Show the children how to wring the cloth out before hanging it up.

Responsive Play (Create). Have extra tabbed robes on hand in case of tears. Young children will need extra help getting the tabs into the slits on the booklet page. Have extra hands available to help if possible. This is a great opportunity to involve church members that may have sewing experience to share with the children.

Responsive Play (Explore). Young children are eager to help others. Children can pack the food into a box to be taken to the local food bank.  If there is a food bank at your church, plan to take the children to deliver the food and visit the food bank. Seeing their work going to a real setting helps children know that their actions matter. You can also simplify this activity for younger children by just choosing one of the activities.

Counting. Young children may not know their numbers yet but will benefit by repeating the numbers as you count the objects in today’s activities. Reinforce learning by providing each child with seven objects to count along with you.

Responsive Play (Create). Some young children may not like having paint on their hands. Trace their hands instead and let them paint them with a paintbrush. This activity can also be changed into an individual activity by writing “My Helping Hands” across the top of a piece of white card stock. The children can place both hands in paint and make an imprint on the card stock. Younger children can take home their handprints if they wish. A mural can be made by taping the handprints together on the wall. Have extra help for cleaning up the table and the child for this activity.

Responsive Play (Make Peace). Younger children may not understand how to match words with breath in the breath prayer. Do not worry about the specifics. Rather, encourage children to breathe deeply and then say a short prayer. Or they could blow bubbles to get the sensation of blowing out.

Re-play: Young children may finish the activity pages quickly, wanting to only put a mark or two on page 12A and find one or two hearts on page 12B. You can keep their booklet pages out so they can revisit them later during Responsive Play time if they wish. They can also complete pages at home with a family member, which is a great way to help parents know what their child was learning.

Responsive Play (Explore). Dressing up is often a favorite activity of young children. Keep the dress-up clothes simple for this Responding activity so they can manage the clothes without a lot of additional adult help.

Responsive Play (Move). Some children are not familiar with Duck, Duck, Goose and may struggle to understand the game and play by the rules. An alternative is to sit in a circle and roll a ball back and forth from person to person as music plays. Stop the music periodically. The person with the ball can then choose a “robe” from the Bible story. Tape the robe onto the child’s shirt. Continue playing until everyone has been “clothed.”

Attention span. Younger children have a very short attention span and tend to simply get up from the large group when they are tired of sitting down! When children get restless, it is okay to move on to a new activity. Change or shift around the parts of the session as needed to suit the needs of your group. For instance, save the wondering questions to ask as part of a Responsive Play activity.

Responsive Play (Create). For younger children, make the instruments ahead of time and let the children decorate them with stickers, markers, or crayons. Once children are finished, you can have them play their instruments during the Move activity.

Responsive Play (Move). Young children need a lot of physical movement, and they are developing their gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination. If your group meets in a small space, and if there are children who are easily upset by noise and movement, you may wish to move to a larger space to avoid collisions between children and to keep the experience pleasant and positive for everyone. One variation would be to mark out places on the floor so that while the music is playing children can move about within their “zone” taped to the floor.

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