What are we gonna do this summer?
It’s the struggle every family faces after the kids come home from the final day of school. When the trips to visit family are checked off and you’ve had more afternoons on the beach than you can count, what else is there to do? Fortunately there are lots of things to do that not only fill time away from a screen this summer, but also help build your child’s faith and understanding of God’s Word. Together, we’ll look at some summer activity ideas that will share God’s love and focus your kids on the Bible. Plus a great free activity resource from Focus on the Family.
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:22
After a particularly challenging school year, your kids are likely thrilled to have a break from learning reading, writing and arithmetic. However, their downtime can be used to educate them in ways to behave as God’s people by performing acts of kindness. You’ve probably heard of popular actions like paying for someone else’s meal in the drive-through line. But you can brainstorm with your child about easy and inexpensive acts of kindness they can do for family, friends, and neighbors. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Color a picture for an elderly neighbor
- Send a card in the mail to a relative
- Do a sibling’s chore for them
- Serve as a family at a local charity for a day
Parents, For more ideas, check out the One Year Daily Acts of Kindness Devotional from Tyndale.
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SPEND SUMMER MEMORIZING SCRIPTURE
“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11
Another life-changing thing you can do with your kids this summer is commit some Scripture to memory. Young children have an amazing ability to memorize passages. And with a little creativity, you can make it fun, engaging, and something to celebrate.
Have you ever noticed that your child can learn a song from Vacation Bible School in a matter of days, including all the hand motions? Those hand motions are quite helpful in getting your little students to retain information, which makes it a great tool for memorizing Scripture too. Pick a verse for your child to memorize, then work together to create hand motions for specific words or phrases. You’ll be shocked how quickly they’ll learn it!
Memorizing a verse can also give you and your child a goal each week. Start on Monday with picking the verse and creating the motions. Then each day, practice it together for a few minutes. If your child can recite it by Friday on their own, then you’ve got a reason to celebrate! Take them out for ice cream, give them a special movie night, or whatever will show them how proud you are that they are hiding God’s word in their little hearts!
Not sure where to start with verses to memorize? Check out this resource from David C Cook with 66 short verses, one from each book of the Bible. Plus, you’ll find some interesting bits of Bible trivia that both you and your kids will enjoy!
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY SUMMER ADVENTURE KITS
All over the internet, you’ll find no shortage of printable activities for your kids. But with our friends at Focus on the Family, your kids will have fun activities that also build their faith. Check out the Summer Adventure Kits that you can download for free:
- Agents of Truth – Apologetics and defending the faith
- Bible Detectives – Investigate mysteries surrounding Bible characters
- World Explorers – Learn about different countries and the people in them
- Summerific Faith Adventures – Simple activities and teachable moments
RELATED: Three Reasons Why Apologetics Is Important For Believers
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
What do you (or have you) done in the summertime to keep your kids’ eyes on Jesus? Tell us in the comments!
