February
February is a great time to focus what is the breadth and length and height and depth of God's love.
Fun Food
Hearts Everywhere!
- Use large heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut sandwiches, pancakes, and cookies into hearts.
- Use small heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut slides of fruit, lasagna noodles, Jello, or other snacks into small hearts.
- Make heart-shaped popsicles with heart-shaped ice cube trays.
- Use heart-shaped silicone muffin cups to make heart muffins or heart Rice Krispies treats. They can also be used as little snack bowls.
- Use large heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut sandwiches, pancakes, and cookies into hearts.
- Use small heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut slides of fruit, lasagna noodles, Jello, or other snacks into small hearts.
- Make heart-shaped popsicles with heart-shaped ice cube trays.
- Use heart-shaped silicone muffin cups to make heart muffins or heart Rice Krispies treats. They can also be used as little snack bowls.
Incentive Chart
Use this incentive chart to track progress towards a goal. You can use it for anything you like.
1. Decide on a goal. What do you want your child to work on? Reading books? Sharing with others? Potty training? Memorizing Scriptures? Pick one specific thing you want to see improved.
2. Decide how you want to fill in the squares on the chart. You can laminate the chart or put it in a protective sleeve if you want to be able to wipe it off and use it again. You can use stamps, stickers, check marks, or any other "marker" you want to use.
3. Determine a reward. What motivates your child? Candy? Time on an electronic device? Time for crafts? Whatever your child loves to do the most will be a great incentive. Pick a reward that is affordable and won't be unhealthy (like a couple candies instead of a whole pack).
4. Determine how frequently the reward will be given. Is the reward given when one row is finished? Or when the whole page is complete? Print out the chart. Use brightly colored paper if desired.
5. Explain the new plan to your child. For example, "Mark, look at this fun page. You know I have been talking with you about reading more books. This month, whenever you read a new book by yourself, you can put a sticker in the square. When each row is full, we can go to the library and get new books. When the entire page is full, we can go to Half Price Books (discount book store) and pick out a new book for your personal library." This is just an example and would only be motivating to a child who likes to read but isn't really into it during the summer, or some similar situation.
6. Let your child color and decorate the incentive chart.
7. Post it in a convenient location with the markers/stickers/stamps nearby.
8. Be consistent and have fun!
1. Decide on a goal. What do you want your child to work on? Reading books? Sharing with others? Potty training? Memorizing Scriptures? Pick one specific thing you want to see improved.
2. Decide how you want to fill in the squares on the chart. You can laminate the chart or put it in a protective sleeve if you want to be able to wipe it off and use it again. You can use stamps, stickers, check marks, or any other "marker" you want to use.
3. Determine a reward. What motivates your child? Candy? Time on an electronic device? Time for crafts? Whatever your child loves to do the most will be a great incentive. Pick a reward that is affordable and won't be unhealthy (like a couple candies instead of a whole pack).
4. Determine how frequently the reward will be given. Is the reward given when one row is finished? Or when the whole page is complete? Print out the chart. Use brightly colored paper if desired.
5. Explain the new plan to your child. For example, "Mark, look at this fun page. You know I have been talking with you about reading more books. This month, whenever you read a new book by yourself, you can put a sticker in the square. When each row is full, we can go to the library and get new books. When the entire page is full, we can go to Half Price Books (discount book store) and pick out a new book for your personal library." This is just an example and would only be motivating to a child who likes to read but isn't really into it during the summer, or some similar situation.
6. Let your child color and decorate the incentive chart.
7. Post it in a convenient location with the markers/stickers/stamps nearby.
8. Be consistent and have fun!
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Sharing God's Love
February is a great time to share God's love with others in a tangible way. Many classrooms and social groups exchange valentines. People in close relationships often exchange cards and/or gifts. Your family can participate, too, by making notes or treats for others. You can include a note about God's love.
- Make cards. Gather some art supplies (paper, heart stickers, heart stamps, markers, crayons) and just make your own cards. Include "God loves you!" Or "God loves you and so do I" or similar phrases in the cards.
- Make treats. This is a great time to work together in the kitchen to make cookies or chocolates for a neighbor or elderly person you often see at church. It is simple to make chocolates. Simply get a plastic or silicone mold. (One sheet with many hearts on it is great.) Buy some melting chocolate. Take a few squares of chocolate and melt it slowly in the microwave on low heat. Stir it every 15-30 seconds until it is smooth. Poor the chocolate into the molds and freeze them for a few minutes. Turn it over on top of some wax paper and pop the chocolates out. If you want to be fancy you can melt some white chocolate and drizzle it with a spoon over the hearts to add a design. Bag up a few with a tag that says "God loves you!" and pass them out to friends. the mail man, the trash collector, or anyone else.
- Make your own valentines. Here is a pattern for a tic-tac-toe game. Print them out. Cut them on the gray lines across the middles. Sign "from ____" on the back of them. Put them in a baggie with 2 colors of valentine M&Ms (pink and white or red and white, etc.). There is already a verse on the cards to share the truth that we can only love others because of God's love for us.
- Make cards. Gather some art supplies (paper, heart stickers, heart stamps, markers, crayons) and just make your own cards. Include "God loves you!" Or "God loves you and so do I" or similar phrases in the cards.
- Make treats. This is a great time to work together in the kitchen to make cookies or chocolates for a neighbor or elderly person you often see at church. It is simple to make chocolates. Simply get a plastic or silicone mold. (One sheet with many hearts on it is great.) Buy some melting chocolate. Take a few squares of chocolate and melt it slowly in the microwave on low heat. Stir it every 15-30 seconds until it is smooth. Poor the chocolate into the molds and freeze them for a few minutes. Turn it over on top of some wax paper and pop the chocolates out. If you want to be fancy you can melt some white chocolate and drizzle it with a spoon over the hearts to add a design. Bag up a few with a tag that says "God loves you!" and pass them out to friends. the mail man, the trash collector, or anyone else.
- Make your own valentines. Here is a pattern for a tic-tac-toe game. Print them out. Cut them on the gray lines across the middles. Sign "from ____" on the back of them. Put them in a baggie with 2 colors of valentine M&Ms (pink and white or red and white, etc.). There is already a verse on the cards to share the truth that we can only love others because of God's love for us.
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When You Walk By The Way...
Deuteronomy 6 tells us teach our children to fear the Lord, to keep His commands, and to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind. Every day we should look for opportunities to point our children to God. This month can be a great time to focus on God's love.
Talk with your children about God's love. Talk about what real love is and how it is demonstrated. How did/does God show His love to us? What did it cost Him to demonstrate His love? Chat about how God loves us so much we have lots of love to share with others. How can we share God's love with others? Some ideas are above, but we can also do little things for others. Some ideas are letting others go first, sharing what we have with others, holding doors open for others, and other acts of service. Encourage each person to make an effort to share God's love with someone at least once each day. Then, each day, talk about how that was done and discuss how God feels when we share His love with others. Here are some verses about God's love that are great to memorize or think about during February.
Talk with your children about God's love. Talk about what real love is and how it is demonstrated. How did/does God show His love to us? What did it cost Him to demonstrate His love? Chat about how God loves us so much we have lots of love to share with others. How can we share God's love with others? Some ideas are above, but we can also do little things for others. Some ideas are letting others go first, sharing what we have with others, holding doors open for others, and other acts of service. Encourage each person to make an effort to share God's love with someone at least once each day. Then, each day, talk about how that was done and discuss how God feels when we share His love with others. Here are some verses about God's love that are great to memorize or think about during February.
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