All the Colors of the Rainbow
12 Weeks of Fun and COLORFUL activities!
Make this summer the greatest...and most COLORFUL summer ever!
​Pizza, Paint, and Praise Event!
Grab some "new" pizza boxes to create easels, paint brushes, paint, a roll of painters tape, a few paper plates, and some great worship music, and you're all set for a Paint and Praise night! Let the children's imaginations run wild or give them a theme for their painting.
Toss in some pizza and you're ready for a Pizza, Paint, and Praise night! Super easy and creative evening!
Tips:
Skittles are always a great hit to add a little colorful yumminess.
Joseph and His Coat of Many Colors is the perfect devotion/lesson for the evening.
A hair/blow dryer works great for drying the paint.
To create the easel, simply fold the pizza box lid in half and hot glue the flap down to the inside bottom of the box.
For more information and photos of the Paint and Praise night, click HERE.
Bring a "Colorful" Twin Friend Night
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Encourage your children to “Bring a FRIEND.”
Not just a friend...a TWIN friend...dresses in the same COLORFUL attire!
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Bring your best friend, cousin, sibling, or parent, and dress alike. Be creative...wear the same clothes, fix your hair the same way, wear the same funny socks...hats...glasses...etc. The key is COLORFUL!
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Make colorful friendship bracelets, friendship journals (supply a composition notebook and lots of colorful scrapbook paper), autograph books (composition notebooks cut in half (requires a table saw or a chop saw) with lots of colorful scrapbook paper. (Have the children write in each other's autograph book), or any other COLORFUL "friendship" activity!
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Note: A friendship bracelet can be made by simply braiding several pieces of colorful embroidery thread/floss together and tying around the wrist.
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Lay out 3 lengths of thread, tie the ends into a knot, and have the first friend hold the end while the second friend braids the bracelet. The second friend who is braiding is actually making the bracelet for the first friend who is holding the end. Then, they will switch places.
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Tips:
1. If a child does not bring a friend, place them on a team with two others...even if they are not dressed the same. The key is COLORFUL and FRIENDSHIP! Perhaps they will make a new friend!
2. Have a tote full with colorful items...scarves, hats, easy-to-slip-on colorful jackets, boas, large glasses, etc. Allow any child who does not come dressed colorfully to dress from the tote.
3. Use the items in the tote to take silly pics! Take pics of each couple. Allow ANYONE to pull from the tote to dress and pose for fun pics! The kids LOVE dressing and posing!
An extra BONUS tip: If you don't have a tote for each holiday, make one! You can get some AWESOME clearance props after each holiday. Make a tote and store it for the following year. Some props can be used for more than one holiday. Stacking the totes takes very little space, and the kids absolutely love it! A great way to use up time at the end of the lesson or when the big church is running late!
4. Are you on a budget or want to save money? Make your need known! Ask the church for embroidery thread/floss. I am sure some ladies have LOTS of thread needing a new home.
5. Teachers...Don't forget to participate as well!
6. A good lesson/devotion would be Ruth and Naomi or David and Jonathan...what great friends they were!
PRIZES:
​Prizes Ideas
· The Most Colorful Twins — “Twin” Arches (McDonald’s) $5 Gift Certificates
· The Most “Look Alike” Friends—”Twin” Arches (McDonald’s) $5 Gift Certificates
· All children who bring a friend (plus their guest) receives a “Twin”kies
· Everyone attending— “Twin” pop popsicles and a piece of "Double Bubble” gum
Note: If you have to add a child on a team, include them in contest and award them a prize as well. Purchasing an extra $5 gift certificate or two would be wise! You can always use them as future rewards/awards.
For more information and photos of the "Bring a Twin Friend" night, click HERE.
Tie-Dyed T-Shirts
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Tie-Dyed T-Shirts are an excellent way to add a little COLOR into your summer!
Supplies: Minimum
T-Shirts (One per child) If you on a budget, ask each child to bring an
old white t-shirt from home)
Rubberbands
Rit Clothes Dye - If teaching the lesson below, you only need purple dye.
(If you offer more colors, you will need extra dye colors.)
5-Gallon Bucket(s)
5-Gallon Bucket Stir Stick(s)
Add any other fun supplies you want to incorporate
Tips:
5-gallon buckets are perfect for the dye! Mix the dye in advance and toss the shirts into the bucket when ready. Allow the shirts to sit in the dye as long as possible.
5-gallon bucket stir sticks are perfect for stirring the shirts around and keeping them dunked under the water
Place a plastic drop cloth under the dye buckets to catch drips.
1-gallon zip-lock baggies work great as well.
Write the child's name on the baggie, place the shirt inside the bag, add 2 cups of dye, zip closed, and then double bag. Allow the children to turn their bags over and over, ensuring that the shirts are well dyed.
When finished, dump the dye out, rinse the shirt, have the children remove the rubber bands, and place the shirt back into the bag to be sent home. This method would work best for outdoors. If creating indoors, spread out a large plastic drop cloth and have the children sit on the plastic drop cloth.
Plastic gloves are a big YES for anyone working with the dye.
Attaching washing instructions to the baggie is a MUST!
Snow cones are always a great hit to add a little colorful yumminess.
Lydia, the seller of purple, is the perfect devotion/lesson for the evening.
For more information and photos of the Tie Dyed T-Shirt Night, click HERE.
Paint Wars
Paint Wars is always a HUGE hit!
This is a great "Kickoff" or "Ending" event for your summer of Color!
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"Paint Wars," "Rainbow Fight Night," "John Deere Green Paint Wars", "All the Colors of the Rainbow Night"...whatever you call it, this event is fun, fun, fun!
Over the years, I have used this event as the "kick off" for ALL our summer activities. It has had many names (to match our theme), but it has ALWAYS been one of our kids' favorites!
If you aren't able to do messy, don't worry...there are a lot more "COLORFUL" ideas coming soon!
Three different choices for hosting a Paint/Kool-Aid Wars!
Paint Wars with Water Shooters
Basics Supplies:
1 - $1.00 paint shooter per child
5-Gallon Buckets (1 per color...and you can use as many or as few colors as you choose)
Stir Stick - 5-gallon paint sticks work great, but if a long handled spoon or a stick is all you have, they works just as well!
Goggles or safety glasses (Dollar Tree has safety glasses for $1.25 per pair) or ask each child to bring their own.
Paint - Tempera Paint - A great way to use up all those partial bottles in your supply closet. 1. It does wash off. 2. It does NOT stain the grass. 3. It may stain clothing, so inform your moms to send their kids in old clothing that MAY get stained. 4. You will mix the paint with water. The more paint you use, the more colorful the water.
You may choose to host a Kool-Aid wars instead. Add 2-3 Packages of Kool-Aid (no sugar) per 5-gallon bucket. It smells sooooo good! You would use the water shooters for this activity as well.
You may also choose to do the paint wars using small paintbrushes and cups of paint. The children will dip their small paintbrush (1") into their cup of paint and flick their wrist to splatter the other children. (Note: One of my rules is that they cannot pour the paint onto someone...they must slick it at them. If they follow the rules, they get refills...if not, they don't.)
You can also choose to do all 3 events in one evening. Using the Kool-Aid last will help clean the paint from your shooters even more. Hint: I always have buckets of warm, soapy water available at the end of the event. I ask the children to fill and shoot their shooters 3-4 times to clean out the paint. This eliminates the need for you to clean all the shooters yourself.
Tips:
1. Some children like to wear shower caps. You can purchase these at any hair/beauty supply store.
2. Have a water hose available and readily accessible. Allow the children to "hose off" about 5 minutes before the event is over.
3. Ask each child to bring an old towel or make an announcement that you need old towels for your summer events. Your members will have plenty! Tip: It is a good idea to keep a large tote filled with old towels. These will come in handy for many activities throughout the year.
4. I use 5-gallon buckets to store my shooter. Just stand them up in the buckets and you're done! Easy-peasy way to store and no dripping on the carpets/floors when you store them. It's a good idea to leave your buckets in a sunny place for 24-48 hours to allow the shooters to dry before storing.
The walls of Jericho would be a great lesson/devotion for the evening.
Ice cold COLORFUL Kool-Aid would be the perfect treat.
For more information and photos of the Paint Wars Night, click HERE.
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Chalk that Colorful Walk!
Grab your COLORFUL chalk and head out to the parking lot! Give the children a theme or let their imaginations run wild! The KEY word is make it COLORFUL!!
Provide plenty of chalk...the pavement LOVES to eat your chalk!
The Writing on the Wall in Daniel 5:1-31 is a great lesson/devotion for the evening!
For more information and photo's of the Chalk the Walk event click HERE
On the Beach - COLORFUL Sand Bottles Day/Week 6
Note: It is best to do this event outdoors...or place plastic tarps under the sand area. You will thank me later!
Basis Needs:
2-3 folding tables with COLORFUL table cloths
Sand - Several different containers filled with brightly colored sand. If you are on a budget, 2-3 colors will work as the children can alternate color layers.
A (completely dry) water bottle with lid (one per child)
A few plastic funnels
A few scoops, plastic spoons, or anything to dip the sand with.
On a budget? Here's how to make your own colored sand (start working on this project several days or weeks before you need it. You may want to solicit the kids' help with the squish, squish, squishing at the end of class! Have your sifted sand ready and in bags before adding the paint and handing them to the children to squish.
How to make your own colored sand!
Purchase a bag of play sand (Lowe's, Home Depot, etc. It is only a few dollars for a big bag.) Sand is rather heavy, so you may want to take someone with you or ask someone to load and unload it.
Using a fine sifter, sift the sand to remove any large chunks, sticks, etc. (This is quick and easy)
Fill a 1-gallon-sized ziplock bag 1/2 to 2/3 full...leaving room for squishing.
Add a couple of squirts of poster paint and a tsp or two of water.
Squish, squish, squish...adding more poster paint and a few drops of water until you get the desired color.
Pour the colored sand onto a paper plate, bowl, etc, and allow to dry.
Put the dried sand through the sifter once again, removing any clumps.
Event:
Pour the sand into "easy-to-dip-from" bowls or containers. Use one bowl per sand color.
Place one scoop or spoon inside each bowl.
Children will set their bottle on the table, place a small funnel on top, hold the bottle securely (don't shake it), and layer the sand into their bottle until they are completely full. Place the cap onto the bottle and tighten.
Extra Fun Ideas:
Limbo
A kiddie pool with sand, sand castles, shovels, and little trinkets, the children can dig for when they have finished their bottle.
Paul's Shipwreck is a great lesson/devotion.
Fruity drinks with little umbrellas, watermelon, or fruits are perfect beach treats!
Don't forget those silly pics! Even if you don't share them on social media, the kids LOVE seeing themselves on the screen on Sunday morning!
For more information and photo's of "On the Beach - Colorful Sand Bottles" Click HERE
Paint Slip and Slide
Get ready for one of the "Coolest" nights ever!
Create a huge "Slip and Slide" mat using a roll of visqueen, some duct tape, and a few tent stakes, and you are ready to go!
To add color, simply take a few bottles of washable paint...approximately half-full. Fill the bottles with water, and shake, shake, shake. This is a good way to use up old paint...or to get every last drop of paint from the bottle. You can also mix shades to create your own colors. Note: The brighter the paint, the more colorful your slip and slide will be.
If the bottle has a squirt lid, you are set to go. If not, pour the paint into an empty dishwashing soap bottle so that it is easy to squirt. (Ask your members to bring in empty dishwashing liquid bottles. The bottles do not need to be washed because you will use dishwashing liquid on your slide as well.)
Run a water hose or two to the slide. Assigning the task of keeping the slide wet (at all times) to one or two volunteers.
You will operate the slide as any other slip and slide, except for adding the paint and some dish soap as needed. Assigning a couple more volunteers to this task is very helpful. Add a big squirt of color onto your slide at the beginning, and then simply squirt a little more color as needed.
I always asked my children to wear an old white t-shirt, and we had a competition at the end of the evening to see whose shirt was the most colorful! This is optional, and the shirts can have a design on the front if desired.
Tips:
Moses parting the Red Sea would be a great lesson/devotion for the evening.
White T-Shirt (optional)
Fun Pops (Frozen Ice Pops) would be a great summer treat! The package is full of different colors to match any paint colors used during your event.
A round floating tube would be great for those children who do not like to slide on their stomachs.
If you have a child that does not want to participate, assign they the hose, soap, or paint jobs (adding the soap or paint only when instructed.)
Ask each child to bring an old towel.
Stop adding paint 5 minutes before the event ends. Allow the children to continue sliding in clear water and soap. This will ensure that the children are clean before the parents arrive.
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For more information and photo's of "Paint Slip and Slide" Click HERE
Bring in the Clowns
Have your children dress in bright clothing, mismatched shoes, bright socks, scarves, hats, dyed (spray can) hair, etc.
During the event, offer face painting, balloon animals (or helium balloons), and 2-3 carnival-type games.
Hints:
There are a LOT of videos on YouTube that teach how to make basic balloon animals. It's really not that hard!
Collaborate with your student director. Line up a few students to do the face painting and balloon animals for you.
Learn how to make ONE basic balloon animal and teach the children how to make their own.
If you're planning to make balloon animals at the event, twist a few beforehand and bring in a trash bag. You can twist a few at the event and pass out the rest. This will eliminate the stress of creating one for each anxious child.
Face Painting
You can never fail with a traditional face painting however, an alternative to this is
"Face Painting With A Twist.".
For more information on this activity, click HERE
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Teachers, remember to dress up as well.
Add a couple of games, such as bean bag toss or a ring toss.
You can add any of the activities you would normally add to a Fall Festival. Keep in mind, 2-3 games are sufficient.
Remember, summer is the time for easy, quick, fun, and COLORFUL activities. Don't wear yourself out. Many of the things children will remember are the smaller, less stressful activities.
Give the children time to enjoy each activity, and give yourself permission to breathe and enjoy your time together.
Just because you planned a certain number of activities doesn't mean you have to do ALL of the activities. Observe your children...are they having fun? Then let the activity run! When you see them getting bored, switch it up!
It is always best to plan extra activities, knowing you may not do everything. Any leftover activities can always be used for a future event.
The perfect snack for the evening is cotton candy and/or popcorn. You can make your own cotton candy or purchase tubs at Dollar General. Each tub will make several small baggies of cotton candy to pass out. You can also pop fresh popcorn or pop ahead of time and place it into individual-sized baggies to pass out.
A great lesson/devotion would be:
"Samuel Anoints a King" - God does not look at the outward appearances; He looks at the heart!
1 Samuel - But the Lord told Samuel, “Don’t look at his appearance or how tall he is, because I have rejected him. God does not see as humans see. Humans look at outward appearances, but the Lord looks into the heart.”
For more information and photo's of "Bring in the Clowns" Click HERE
String Art
Let's make some COOL, COLORFUL string art! Note: You can make this a two-week/two-day event if you choose!
Get the men in your church involved in your children's ministry! Believe me, they ALWAYS enjoy building projects!
Speak with your men's group about your project...they may handle all the prep work for you.
If not, visit Lowe's, Home Depot, or any other building supply company in your area. They normally have scrap lumber and will often cut it to size if you explain what you are doing.
Prepwork:
For this event, you will need a 1" X 10" (approximately) piece of thick (1") scrap lumber per child, plus approximately 12 nails.
Cut the boards to size, allow the children to paint their boards, dry, trace out a cross in the center and hammer in one nail at each point.
Provide colorful string...crochet thread is the best option, but any string (even yarn) will work. Again, ask your church family for any rolls of crochet thread or yarn that need a new home!
Tie one end of the thread to any nail and let the children create their string art however they choose. Children may choose to wrap their string around the edges of the cross or crisscross their string from side to side. Allow them to create their own design. No right or wrong! Simply wrap the string around a nail and proceed to another nail. When they finish their design, tie off the end by wrapping it around a nail and tying a knot.
To make this a two-day/two-week project, allow the children paint their boards on day/week one. On day two, they will trace their cross, pound in their nails (one at each point), and make their string art on day/week two.
Have extra painted boards available on week two for those who were not present on week one. You may want to ask a few children to paint these for you on day one.
Note:
You can use any design you choose; it does not have to be a cross.
Random nails tacked around the board make for an interesting piece as we.. No rhyme or reason!
If you are working with younger children, you may want to start the nails for them and then allow them to hit them a time or two with the hammer.
Harbor Freight carries "tack" hammers, which are short and more suitable for children.
A good lesson for the evening might be Rahab and the Spies...The Scarlet Cord.
Colorful "Air heads" would make a great treat!
For more information and photo's of "String Art" Click HERE
It's Slime Night!
Make it by the cup, make it by the bag, make it by the bucket! No matter how you make it, it is FUN, FUN, FUN!
I always make a huge bucket of slime to kick off the night! I allow the children to held add the ingredients and stir, stir, stir. It doesn't really take that much stirring but I allow each child to stir so that they are involved!
For more information, recipe and photo's of "Slime Night" Click HERE
Big, Beautiful, Colorful, Messy, Balloon Night!
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Water Balloon Fight - Colorful Balloons Filled With Water!
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Balloon Stomp
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Balloon Squash
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Bubble Wrap Stomp
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For more information, recipe and photo's of "Balloon" Click HERE
I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream
There's never just one way to enjoy ice cream!
Weather it's a 20' ice cream sundae, an individual ice cream sundae, a family ice cream day, ice creamin a bag or even an ice cream bar or snow cone!
Whatever you choose, ice cream is a COOL, REFRESHING and DELICIOUS TREAT!
Want to hear the scoop on each of these delicious treats? Click the link below!
For more information, recipe and photo's of "Ice Cream Night" Click HERE
