Summer Opportunities For Your Sunday School’s Children’s Department

Summer is an excellent time to have special programs and activities for the Sunday school. Children and youth especially love special activities that will help them enjoy summer and Sunday school.

Following are some ideas for various departments of the Sunday school. These are but a mere sample of ideas to motivate your own creative thinking. With the proper perspective on summer Sunday school, it is not difficult to come up with any number of innovative programs.

PRESCHOOLERS

Little ones love the great outdoors. Summer is a perfect time to plan some picnics for your little ones, but it is also the time to plan to go outside during class time on sunny Sunday mornings. Children can relate to creation as they enjoy the green grass and beautiful flowers that may abound on your church lawn. If you do not have a lawn surrounding your church, perhaps just going out to sit on the church steps and enjoy the sunshine as you teach them the lesson will be a welcome break. You can then return to their classroom for other activities. Don’t worry if you have smaller classes over the summer months. It is an excellent time for relationship building with those who come. Your lesson plans can be more relaxed and informal without sacrificing the presentation of the truth of the lesson. Summer is ideal for teaching the little ones the wonders of the world that God has given us. You can plant flowers and vegetables in window boxes and study the marvels of nature as you explore God’s love and care for all his creation. Bring as much of the outdoors into your classroom as possible by way of flowers, shells, sand and even insects or caged birds or animals.

PRIMARY DEPARTMENT

Sunday school is just as important in the life of your Primary student in July as in the month of December. Although family vacations and weekend camping trips may cause their attendance to be somewhat spotty during the summer months, it is very important for you to maintain a vital Sunday school program for young children. If an adequate teaching staff seems impossible, you may need to combine two or more classes. However, you must make the children feel comfortable in their new situation and be sure that lessons will hold the interest of, and be applicable for, each of the children in the class. A study of the miracles of Jesus is an excellent study for the summer months. As often as possible, the class should be held outdoors, since Jesus most often ministered on the hillsides or along the shores of Palestine. Role-playing or drama is an excellent aid to learning at this level. Encourage the children to actively participate in the lessons. Occasional outings for the children, such as a Saturday picnic or a trip to the zoo, will help to build relationships and improve the closeness of the group that comes together only during the summer.

JUNIOR DEPARTMENT

Juniors love to be helpful to others and the summer is a wonderful time to capitalize on that characteristic. Plan projects for your juniors that will benefit others and bring satisfaction to all who participate. Juniors can help with landscaping projects around the church. They can make handcraft items to deliver to a rest home or a nearby hospital to cheer someone who may be shut-in during the lovely summer weather. Or, they can offer their services to those who may need help with yard work or house cleaning during the summer months. When children are free from the routine of school they are much more readily available for this kind of service to others. Find a course of study for your Juniors that will emphasize the importance of serving the Lord through very practical avenues of ministry. Then allow them to experience the joy of putting the principles that they learn into action.

(This article appeared in the "Summer, 1991" issue of "The Herald.")