Many churches take the stand that toddlers are too young for Sunday school and belong in the nursery, and while there are two theories on the subject, many parents appreciate the nursery, and are contented with this arrangement. Others, however, strongly recommend including toddlers in the Sunday school program, taking into consideration their attention span and ability to understand. The key question in making this decision is: "Does a toddler enjoy a bed-time story?" If the answer is yes, a Sunday school program that includes toddlers should definitely be considered.
One of the things that keep children happy in a nursery is the toys, especially toys that they don't have at home. These can keep a nursery child happy and contented until their parents come to collect them, but it is possible, to give them all these fascinating toys and a Sunday school lesson, too? The secret is to plot the time carefully and divide it into sections that include the following: story time, talk about the story time, activities, prayer time and playtime.
\"Snacks For Kids\"
Out of the hour, thirty minutes should be allotted to play time, and thirty minutes to other activities. But varying opinions exist over whether playtime should open Sunday school or close it, or if story time should be first or last.
The advantages of opening with story time is that the children are fresh, alert and ready to listen. The disadvantages are that children wander in late and don't know what is happening, and the other children have to wait until the late-comers have been caught up. All of that does not make for a successful start.
Putting playtime first and story time second has just as many disadvantages. If a toddler is engrossed in playing with a toy and is pulled away to listen to a story, it can be so frustrating for a child so young that temper tantrums arise as well as tears. Negative feelings about the encounter is not going to make a child love to come.
The ideal solution is one that would keep the toddler's mind occupied until the teacher is sure that all of the children have arrived and start the story. Some sort of gimmick to keep their attention for that first ten or fifteen minutes is the ideal solution, and different Sunday school teachers have come up with gimmicks that work Sunday after Sunday.
"My solution never fails," one teacher said, "even though the children have seen it a hundred times. It's an elephant the size of a pea with a seat on its back that pulls out. Inside are one hundred ivory colored miniature elephants that are paper thin and the size of a pin head. Once I pour them onto the table, the toddlers take turns picking them up and tucking them back inside the elephant. I've never had a single child try to put one in his mouth! The only problem is if a child sneezes. Then elephants fly everywhere and we have to get down on our hands and knees to search for them."
Other teachers have similar gimmicks to do with fitting smaller things into bigger things (a favorite toddler pastime), like filling Tupperware containers with blocks-the orange in one, the blue in another, and red in another. She dumps them all out in one pile and has the group sort and refill the different sized boxes. One teacher makes bible snacks for kids to keep the little ones engaged and learning. One teacher had a fist puppet who converses with the children, and has problems that are human but somehow endearing, like a passion for chocolate.
One teacher said, "My puppet is a lamb whom we call Lamb Chops", and what makes it so easy is that toddlers love repetition. As soon as he pulls out a candy bar, they start screaming about cavities. But Lamb Chops has a tooth brush and the children applaud when they see it. (Lamb Chops has a piece of velcro attached to one hand and another on the handle of the tooth brush so he can puck it up and pretend to brush.) That fifteen minute period, waiting for late-comers is over before we know it."
The success of story time, which is basically the purpose of Sunday school for toddlers, will depend the way the story is told, and most teachers depend on professionals who know and understand the capabilities of toddlers. The internet is full of Bible stories addressed to every audience, and the careful selection of one for toddlers is essential.
While many churches operate and offer a nursery for toddlers, others prefer to include them in the Sunday school program. In making this decision it is important to remember: If a toddler enjoys a bed-time story, that child can love a Bible story.
Sunday School Activities for Toddlers
Mary-Kate Warner is the publisher of Christianity Cove, the web's #1 resource for Bible games crafts, lesson plans, and ideas for teachers.