These are some ideas I’ve accumulated in notebooks over the years. I’ve jotted down possible lessons and activities as they’ve popped into my head. Some of them I’ve brought into fruition and some I’m still waiting to find the time to complete. I’m sharing them with all of you to spark your imaginations or to ask you to share with the rest of us how you’ve done these in your own parishes and homes.
- Orthodoxy Fair: Each church school class is assigned a topic and each student completes a project relating to the theme. The projects are then displayed in the church hall on a planned Sunday for the entire community to view the children’s projects. (On a similar level to a school science fair)
- ABC’s of Orthodoxy: Create a book, flashcards, blocks, posters, etc using each letter of the alphabet and something or someone in Orthodoxy starting with that letter. A great lesson or series of lessons for children under 6 years old.
- Traveling Backpacks: A simple backpack or bag containing an Orthodox children’s book, instructions to parents, and a notebook for the parents and children to share their experience reading the book together. The books would be age appropriate for the grade level. Teachers would send home one or more backpacks each week with one or more children in their class. The bags would be rotated through the entire class. Parents are encouraged to read the book to their children or listen to their children read it to them and then return the bag the following Sunday.
- Flash Cards: Pictures of objects or people found in an Orthodox church
- Bulletin Boards: Create learning bulletin boards for each classroom or in the hallway of the church school area. One bulletin board idea is posting pictures of children visiting an Orthodox church while they were on vacation. Encourage families to take a picture of their kids in front of the church they are visiting and then post it on the bulletin board when they get back. This may be a year long bulletin board or you could have it up during the summer months when there’s more traveling. Provide push pins and paper for the kids or parents to label the name of the church and it’s location to place next to the photo.
- Create Class Books: Have the teachers guide the students in making an Orthodox themed class book using construction paper or any other type of materials. It can be as rustic or elaborate as the teacher chooses to make it.
- Audio CD Lessons: Send home an audio CD containing lessons, songs, etc for parents to play in the car during the week with their kids. You could have it for specific lessons for a class or for a project for the entire church school. (i.e. If you have a Christmas program and want the children to practice songs for the program) This could be a weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly project. It’s a way to incorporate the parents in the lesson and bridge the parish and home.
- Cloth Quilted Books: Orthodox themed books for little hands to quietly flip through during church services.
- Pen Pals: Pen Pals with another church school class or with other Orthodox kids in another state.
- Traveling Father Ted: Similar to Flat Stanley – traveling cut out of Fr. Ted to various parishes or homes. Kids can take a picture of themselves with Fr. Ted and write in a notebook about the adventures they had with Fr. Ted before he’s sent off on his next adventure.
- Parish or Church School Photo Album: A photo album of all the community feast day activities – i.e. Blessing of the Waters, retreats, Holy Week, Pascha, Vacation Church School, Church School, play and programs, etc. Put it together through someone like Shutterfly or Snapfish and then offer it for purchase to the entire community or as a yearbook for the church school kids.
- Church School or Community Garden: The garden would be a tool to teach our children to be stewards of God’s earth. The garden’s harvest can be used to supplement fellowship hour on Sunday, parish lunches, or to give to shut-ins or poor in your own community.
