John 15:11-12, Mark 12:30-31

Photo by: Carolina Farion

Kids Activity Sheets

Toddler to Junior Primary School

Coloring Pages
Sermons4Kids: A Heart Full of Love Coloring Page
Sermons4Kids: Love One Another Coloring Page
MSSS Crafts: Laced Bookmarks

Middle Primary School Children

Coloring Pages
Calvary Kids Pages: L is for Love

Mazes
Calvary Kids Pages: Heart Maze

Word Search
Sermons4Kids.com: A Heart Full of Joy Word Search
Sermons4Kids: Love One Another Word Search

Word Scramble
Sermons4Kids.com: Love Each Other Word Jumble

Decoder Puzzle
Sermons4Kids: This is My Command Decoder Puzzle

Upper Primary School Children

Coloring Pages
Calvary Kids Pages: L is for Love

Mazes
Calvary Kids Pages: Heart Maze

Word Search
Sermons4Kids.com: A Heart Full of Joy Word Search

Word Scramble
Sermons4Kids.com: Love Each Other Word Jumble
DLTK: Love Anagram

Decoder Puzzle
Sermons4Kids.com: A Heart Full of Joy Decoder Puzzle
Sermons4Kids: This is My Command Decoder Puzzle

Crossword Puzzle
Sermons4Kids: A Heart Full of Joy Crossword Puzzle
Sermons4Kids: Love One Another Crossword Puzzle

Kids Talks, Sunday Schools and Clubs

Childrens Talks and Interactive Group Activities
Sermons4Kids: A Heart Full of Joy Interactive Group Activities
Sermons4Kids: As I Have Love You Sermon
Sermons4Kids: As I Have Loved You Interactive Group Activities
Kyria: “Who’s On First?” Kids Address
DLTK: Heart Crafts
Loyola Press: True Love Activity

Photo by: Ambrozjo

Have been trying to find a behaviour chart that works for our family for some time now.  Have recently found some charts that work great in our house.  They are available at www.stickersandcharts.com.

I have provided some step-by-step instructions on how we use the behavior charts in our home:

• Decide on and print the behaviour chart. I ask the children to choose and print their favourite from www.stickersandcharts.com.
• Write their name and what behaviour you are focusing on.  I write “For Excellent Behaviour” and target specific behaviours as part of this.
• Stamp the chart at 10 and 20 (optional).
• Attach them to the door or another easy to access place.
• Place an envelope at the top of the door with small stickers in it.
  This last step means that you, your partner and babysitters will always be able to find a sticker.

What works may be different for your family – don’t be afraid to try out different charts and ideas.  There are plenty of other behaviour charts available to you on the Internet:

Free Printable Behavior Charts.com
This site offers a massive collection of Behavior Chart and ideas on how to target specific behaviors.  They also provide templates for ‘Behavior Bucks’, Reward Coupons’ and other great ideas for home and the classroom.

Empowering Parents
Free customizable behaviour charts are available. Note that you will need to subscriber to their free weekly newsletter.  Their newsletter provides quality information.

DLTK-Kids.com
An Ocean and Outer Space Themed template focusing on chores and/or potty training.

Feel free to share below more free templates you have stumbled upon.

My husband in particular loves anything to do with astronomy.  My children are also extremely interested in this topic.  There are some awesome space themed websites and activities on the web – following are some links I have found to Online Games:

KidsAstronomy.com: Online astronomy puzzles and games
Learding Games for Kids: Online Space Games 
Learn 4 Good: Space Escape (Online Game)
Kaboose: Online Space Games
National Geographic Kids: Space Janitor (Online Game)
Science Kids: Space for Kids

Click through to the following links to find more online and printable activities your children and/or students might enjoy:

Space Themed Kids Activities: Toddler to Junior Primary

Space Themed Kids Activities: Middle Primary

Space Themed Kid Activities: Senior Primary

Photo by: Fred Fokkelman

In Australia there are many observatories and planetariums to visit.  For our family it has always been a very enjoyable activity to visit a planetarium or observatory.  Find out more about Australia Astronomy via the following lists:

Australian Astronomy
A list of Public Observatories in Australia.

Designated Optical Observatories
An impressive list of observatories in New South Wales!

If you are in another country then you might like to perform a Google search and see what you can find in your local area.

Photo by: Jo Amelia Finlay

One of our children decided this morning they would create some hats…

First he made a clown type hat.  He pulled the paper into a cone shape, sticky taped and then decorated the hat.  He then asked me how to make a sailor hat.  I found simple instructions on DLTK Kids which I thought I might share with you:

Newspaper Sailors Hat Instructions

You can find additional hat ideas at DLTK Kids by visiting their Paper Crafts Index page.

He made one for himself and one for his teddy (of course).

The picture to the right of the oranges was not my creation.  It was Jo Amelia Finley’s (posted on Flickr).  Another great idea!

Following are some additional ideas:

Origami Fun!
You will find three different, fantastic looking origami hats

Family Crafts (About.com)
A database of creative hat patterns.

Kaboose
Some great hats to make and wear.

Danielle’s Place
Hat crafts and learning activities for kids.

Oh Happy Day
Beautiful DIY Party Hat template and instructions.

Have also found some fantastic videos:

There are plenty more videos available on eHow, so stop in and have a look.

John 15:1-11

Photo by: Konrad Dudek

Please visit Christian Kids Activity Sheets: The Vine and the Branches to find activity sheets relating  to John 15:1-11. Following are some additional art and craft links:

Danielle’s Place
Themed Bible Crafts and Activities for Sunday School.

Vine and Branch Crafts for Kids (eHow)
I found these craft ideas really interesting.  Natalie Lyda has suggested to use natural materials in these craft activities.  What a great idea!

The Vine & Branches Craft (eHow)
Some more craft ideas relating to The Vine & Branches story.

olly bennett

You may like to do a craft with your children, students or playgroup to celebrate St Patrick’s Day this week.  Had a nosy around the web and ideas are plentiful:

St. Patrick’s Day (Kaboose)
Visit the Kaboose St Patrick’s Day 2012 webpage to find craft ideas, activities, recipes, quizzes, coloring pages and much much more.

St. Patrick’s Day Crafts and Activities (Enchanted Learning)
Make rainbow streamers, a kissable Blarney stone, a sill potato face, a Leprechaun hat and more for St Patrick’s Day.

Saint Patrick’s Day Activities (DLTK)
Coloring pages, crafts, games, poems, songs, recipes and worksheets to help celebrate St Patrick’s Day.

Saint Patrick’s Day Preschool Craft (Family Crafts at About.com)
Instructions on how to make a treasure stone, cereal rainbow craft, decorated shamrocks, leprechaun footprints and much, much more.

Kids St. Patrick’s Day Crafts (All Kids Network)
Great St Patrick’s Day Crafts and activities including a glitter pot of gold, paper plate leprechaun craft, leprechaun hat and much more!

St Patrick’s Day Crafts
Visit the St Patrick’s Day Crafts webpage and scroll down to find a plenty of St Patrick’s Day Craft activity links.

Happy St Patrick’s Day for Saturday everyone!

Photo by: Petria Follett

Please find following a link to a couple of posts that I prepared for Mother’s Day last year.  You will find links to some good Crafts, Colouring Pages and Activities to prepare for and celebrate this special day:

http://www.littletaka.com/2010/05/01/mothers-day-kids-crafts-and-activities/

To all Mum’s both in Australia and across the world – Happy Mother’s Day for Sunday!!

Thanks Doug Wolter for sharing these great videos of the Easter Story via Life Together:

1. Jesus on the Cross (Mark 15:22-32)
2. The Death of Jesus (Mark 15:33-39)
3. Jesus is Alive (Mark 16:1-7)

Photo by: Christa Richert

Hopefully you already found the posts I prepared and published last year leading up to Easter, i.e. Lent, Palm Sunday and Easter Bonnet Ideas.  Remember to come back during the various seasons and use our Category Links to the right to find what you are looking for.

Following are some links to help you find Crafts and Activities for this week and weekend:

Easter Kids Craft Ideas
Easter Eggs, Easter Egg Baskets, Easter Cards, Easter Bunnys, Chick Themed Crafts, Easter Wreath, Easter Gift Boxes and more.

Christian Kids Craft Activities
A database of Christian craft ideas including Easter Tomb, Butterfly Craft and more.

If you are an Australian or New Zealander you might also be interested in these Anzac Day Info, Crafts & Activities archives!

Have a great Easter weekend – and hopefully you find some time to enjoy some Easter Craft and/or Activities with your children.

Parents, teachers and children might like to check out the Weather Wiz Kids website run by meteorologist Crystal Wicker.

Weather Wiz Kids is designed to teach our kids about the weather, how it happens and why – and offers an array of activity sheets, games and experiments.

Encouraging our children to learn more about the weather is particularly relevant to us at the moment.  We are in Queensland.  We are safe and well, but have seen the devastation caused by the extensive flooding in Queensland Australia.

It’s not all about extreme weather though!  It is important for our children to learn about the rain, the wind, the clouds, thunder and lightening – Weather Wiz Kids helps with this.

Thanks to Crystal Wicker for offering an invaluable resource for our children, parents and teachers!