When you have a range of ages in a children’s group, it’s great to provide a range of activities that are more open-ended that children can choose from.  This means that children are more likely to find something they can get on and do independently and to their own level!  Here is a session we used this month with a group of children ranging in age from 2-12.

First we organised a hunt for coloured paper squares which we had hidden around the room.  Children worked in small teams to find specific colours.

Next, we told the parable of the pearl. I used my Godly play set, but a version from a children’s Bible or a video of the story would work just as well.

Children could then choose from a range of related activities that helped them to explore the story themes of ‘treasure’, searching for something precious and what the kingdom of God would be like…

• Making pearl ‘treasure’ biscuits. Click here for the link to show you how.

• Drawing a picture of the story
• Using play dough to make a scene from the story or to make a ‘treasure’

• Using a range of collage materials to make ‘treasure’

• searching in moon sand for ‘treasure’ (glittery foam shapes, buttons, pom poms)

As the children created, we used the time to talk to them about heaven, treasure, what it must be like to give up everything for something incredibly precious and what they would have done if they had been in the story. We had some fascinating conversations!