parent connection for elementary
Suggested book: “The 5 Love Languages of Children” by Gary Chapman
Website: http://affordable-family-fun.suite101.com/article.cfm/low_cost_and_free_valentines_day_activities
Intentional Parenting Tip: The “Love Month” a great opportunity to show your kids how much you love them. Here are 16 Affordable "Dates" for Parents and Kids
As is true with any date, the key to success is good conversation. While it's important to have fun, the main goal of a date is to bring two people closer together. So while you're out with your child, talk to them. Ask them about their lives: find out if they're worried or upset about anything, where they see themselves in 20 years, what they're looking forward to the most in their lives, what they like the most about themselves, etc… Listen to their answers, and encourage them to ask you questions about yourself. Remember, you're on a date, and the purpose of a date is to get to know one another better!
Enjoy a show – Believe it or not, there are some cheap ways to go to a movie. If it's the weekend or a snow day, try to catch a matinee which can be almost half the price of an evening show. Or, check to see to see what’s playing at the dollar theater.
Dinner – Try to take them to a nice dinner somewhere that they don't get to go to often. Keep a look out for buy-one-get-one-free coupons, or just order appetizers, or just dessert! Encourage your child to try something new and exciting.
Bowling – Check with your local bowling alley to see if they have special nights with discounted fees. Have fun teaching your kid how to bowl and showing them your own bowling skills (or lack thereof). Strikes and Spares on Grape is a great place to play.
Ice Skating - Lace up your skates and head for a nearby park (Merrifield or Howard). Be warned, you'll probably fall, but you and your child will have so much fun that you'll barely feel the pain.
Share their hobby – Find out what it is they love to do, and do it with them! Cook up something in the kitchen, use some paints and make a fun creation, scrapbook some photos together, go to Barnes and Noble or the library and spend time reading and talking about books together. Sharing in your child's favorite activity with them will show them that you care about their interests, as well as allow you to spend time with them while they're at their best. Make sure you let them know how proud you are of their talent!
Go-carting –This can get expensive if you do more than one ride, but if you just get a two-seater car and let your kid drive, you can keep the cost at a minimum. Just sit back and relax and enjoy the ride, no matter how scary it is! There is an indoor go-cart at Strikes and Spares on
Picnic – Yes you can have a picnic in the winter!! Let your child help you pack a meal of their own choosing, and then put a blanket by the TV and watch home videos while you enjoy a picnic meal together.
Roller skating – If you have your own roller skates, or not, you can visit a local roller skating rink. USA Skating Rink is located on
Take them to the mall and let them pick out anything they want under $10 – or take them to the Dollar Store and give them a couple of bucks - They'll learn to prioritize their wants and spend money wisely, as well as have something special to remember their night with you by! Make a night of it – don't let them buy the first thing they want, suggest going to other stores first and then coming back for that item if they don't find anything they like more. While you're there, take a break in the food court for a pretzel or ice cream cone.
Visit a museum or historic site in your area – Health Works is a great place to visit as it teaches kids to have healthy lifestyles. This is a great educational as well as bonding opportunity! Health Works is located on
Play putt-putt – You'll be surprised how much fun miniature golf can still be, even after all these years! Remember not to nit pick your child's golfing skills while you play; just relax and enjoy yourself and don't worry about keeping score. There is an indoor putt-putt course at Strikes and Spares located on
Sporting Event – ND Hockey, ND basketball, or
College Football Hall of Fame – (
-Kati Raymer
Activities to do with your child:
Valentines Day Activities:
●Have a Valentine’s Day Family Dinner – get out the tablecloth, china, and candles. Everyone can dress up. Have a nice dinner together as a family. Maybe even a little fondue for dessert could be fun. Use fresh fruits (strawberries, bananas, apples and grapes), sponge cake, pretzels, marshmallows and cheese. For dinner conversation you can tell each other what you love most about them. The kids can make coupons for chores for each member of the family. Top the night off with a stroll down memory lane. Tell your kids how you and your spouse met and show your wedding video.
●Scripture Valentines Activity
Have a scavenger hunt – use the scriptures below, type them up, and glue them to a cut out heart then hide them all over the house. You might even put a Hershey kiss by each heart for a little added fun. There are plenty more love verses, but this will get you started:
Prov. 17:17 – “a friend loves at all times…”
Matthew 22:37 - “love the Lord your God with all your heart…”
Matthew 5:8 - “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.”
Matthew 12:34 – “…for out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.”
Matthew 6:21 - “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Luke 2:51 – “…but His mother treasured all things in her heart”
Luke 6:45 – “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart…”
Luke 16:15 – “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your heart.”
John 14:1 – “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”
John 15:13 – “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
John 16:22 – “Your heart shall rejoice.”
Acts 4:32 – “All the believers were one in heart and mind.”
Romans 8:27 – “And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit.”
Eph 3:17 – “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”
I Peter 1:22 – “…love one another deeply from the heart.”
I John 3:18 – “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”
Activities that go with the lesson:
Seek Glory for God
Materials you will need: pictures from google images of: record, record player 8-track cassette players, cassette tape, CD, boom box, ipod (and any other current music playing sound device)
The world often goes after objects and material things. As soon we get the latest fad, the world calls out something new that we think we have to have. For example, we use to have records and record players (show kids pictures). Then once everyone had those they moved to 8-track tapes, then cassette players and cassettes. Then we had CD and boom boxes and now you have these ipod, itouches, etc… We get something and it goes out of style or there is something better that we feel we MUST have.
The world would consider these items important to have. What are some things that you think are important to have? (let kids have time to share). These things are only temporary and will fade away. The things of God must be what we go after. It says in Matt. 6:33, “Seek first his kingdom and he righteousness, and all these things will be given to you.” We need to seek God Himself, we must seek to be in His presence, we must seek to store up treasures in heaven and eternal things. We must not seek things that are temporary. We must seek things that are eternal.
Fix your Eyes on Jesus
Focus on the Real Deal
Materials needed: box of cheap (or stale) cookies, homemade cookies
Preparation: Buy a box or bag of cheap, low-quality cookies. Bake or buy a batch of high-quality cookies. You'll use these second cookies to make a point, so make sure they're really good.
Distribute the generic cookies. Don't let kids know that you have the good stuff hidden away. Read aloud Romans 12:1-2. This passage says not to copy the behavior and customs of this world. Let's see if we can make a comparison between these cookies and the world around us. How do these cookies compare with homemade cookies fresh from the oven? (The cookies are made in a factory; they all look the same; they don't taste very good; they aren't made with good ingredients; and they're dry and crumbling, hard, finish up with the idea that they're not made with love).
These cookies are a lot like what the Bible tells us to avoid. They're fake and they don't taste good like the package says they will. The factory cranks them out as fast as possible, and the baker uses inexpensive ingredients-not the tasty ingredients you might use if you made your own cookies.
Now, I have another cookie for you to eat. Distribute the high-quality cookies and let them eat them.
How are these cookies different from the first ones? (freshness, softness, taste better, better ingredients, made at home, made with love, etc…)
The Bible tells us not to copy the world's behavior. We're like cookies. We can be wrapped in plastic and taste like cardboard, or we can live like fresh cookies made with love and overflowing with flavor. When we are focused on Jesus, we will live like He wants us to live and be an example to those around us. We need to be the “real deal” to those around us. And not fake or imitate the world and what they think is important. Focus on Jesus and you will live they way He wants you to live so you can leave a good taste in others’ lives.
Let your Light Shine
Star Gazing
Materials needed: blanket and/or sheet, salted and unsalted crackers
Spread a big blanket or sheet on the floor. Turn off the lights and shut the blinds (making it as dark as possible in the room). Lay on the sheet and pretend you are looking up at the sky. Talk about how stars shine and light up the whole sky. Explain that we want to be a light for Jesus and shine in other people’s lives.
How can we be a light in a dark world? (being nice to one another, loving one another, obeying our parents the first time, not fighting with our brothers, sisters, friends, sharing our things, going to church, praying telling others about Jesus).
After you have discussed some ways to be a light in a dark world, give each of your kids an ‘unsalted’ cracker. Have them taste it and tell you what they don’t like about it. Then pass out the salted crackers. Discuss the differences and what they enjoy more about the salted crackers.
Read Matthew 5:1-10. Talk about being the “salt of the earth” – the flavor. Referring to this verse, how can we spice up our world? (humble, comforter, meek, hunger and thirst for righteous, kind, forgiving, fill our mind with good things, peacemaker).
Think about the salted and unsalted cracker. We need to be the salted cracker to those around us. We need to add flavor to their day. We don’t want to be like the unsalted cracker and be bland and put a bad taste in their mouth.
Upcoming Events:
February Offering Project: “Share the Love” – we have set goal of $500.00 for the kids to raise funds in the month of February to help support Hafid’s schooling. Offering envelopes will be passed out Feb. 7.
March 7, 14, & 21 - Baptismal Lessons: During the Sunday School hour on these dates B.J. & Erin Craig will have lessons on salvation and baptismal. This will hopefully help answer any questions your child may have about baptism. If your child would like to participate, please call Sonya (272-2040) to reserve a spot.
March 28 – Baptismal service