Kids' Activities on Thessalonians

The New Testament of the Bible is jam-packed with relevant information that you can use to teach your youngsters important concepts about Christian living. Use Paul's letters to the Thessalonians as inspiration to create intriguing activities for kids. A little paint and a little glue will turn Bible time into entertaining hands-on lessons that grab your child's attention and curiosity.

Help your youngster set her sights on God. In 1 Thessalonians 2:4, the Bible instructs not to try to please men but to work to please God. Tell your child, "It's not always possible to please others -- sometimes people aren't going to be friendly or kind no matter what you do. But, even when this happens, you know that God is pleased with you if you're trying your best to love Him and love others." Help your child make a pin to remind her that God is always with her. Use nontoxic paint to paint a spring clothespin any color your child likes. After the paint dries, glue sequins, foam pieces or flat jewels all over the clothespin to make it beautiful. After the glue dries, clip the clothespin on your child's clothes, shirt, belt loop or even a backpack. Whenever your child sees the pin, she can remember that God is with her and that she can please Him when she loves Him and others.

Share with your child that there really isn't ever a minute of the day or night when she can't go to God in prayer to talk about a problem or share a triumph. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, scripture says to "pray continually" -- meaning that anything and everything is fit to discuss with God. Help your little one make a personal prayer notebook she can use to keep track of prayers. Buy an inexpensive doodle pad and help her write her name and then glue foam shapes and cutouts onto the front of the pad. Inside the pad, on each page, encourage her to keep track of the prayers she prays each day by drawing pictures on each page. One page might be a picture of Grandma and Grandpa, the next page might be a picture of an uncle deployed overseas and another page might be a picture of her preschool teacher.

Christians have a directive in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 to encourage each other and to look for ways to build each other up. This scripture can be particularly relevant for youngsters as they deal with peers who might not always be kind and loving. Brainstorm an activity in encouragement with your child. Ask your little one to think of a child she knows who might need some special kindness -- perhaps a new child at preschool or a child that has a negative situation going on in the family. Once she chooses a child, help your little one make a card for this friend with a hand-drawn picture. Ask your child to dictate a heartfelt message and write it in the card. After finishing the card, mail it or hand-deliver it to the other youngster.

In 2 Thessalonians 3:13, Paul instructs Christians to never tire of doing good or doing the right thing. It can be tiring to always try your best in everything you do, but this attitude pleases God. What's more, it's important to be on the lookout for opportunities to help others and jump in wherever needed. Help your child develop this mindset by creating a family challenge to help someone at least once a day. The helping gesture doesn't need to be monumental to count, either. It could be something as simple as holding a door open for someone or pulling out a chair. At dinner each night, have each family member share the good deed accomplished for that day. Give lots of positive praise and feedback every day as your little one learns that she's not too little to help others.