Select Page

How Many Toys Do You Have?

Send your child to his or her room to count the toys and then report the number.

Ask:

Do you have enough toys? Why or why not?

How many toys do you need to be satisfied or content?

Read Philippians 4:11-12 aloud.

What does it mean to be content? (To be satisfied; to be happy with what we have; etc.)

What did Paul say that he had learned? (How to be content in any circumstance)

Paul said that he learned to be satisfied with what he had, whether it was a little or a lot. His contentment did not rest in what he had or what happened to him. He had a friendship with God, and he trusted that God would give what he needed.


What Are You Thankful For?

Give each family member a piece of paper (or construction paper), a pencil or pen, and instruct them to make a thankful list. (If your kids are too young to write, ask them to draw pictures.)

One of the best ways to be content is to be thankful. Do we have clothes and a place to sleep? Do we have food to eat? God gives us these things to enjoy, and we need to say Thank You. If we aren’t thankful and happy for what we already have, we probably won’t be thankful if we have more.

Ask each person to choose one item from his or her list and say it aloud as a prayer of thanks to God. (Thank You for my clothes. Thank You for my books.)

*Encourage them to add to their list any items they think of later.


Bubbles, Bubbles, and More Bubbles

Make bubbles and go outside to blow them. (If you add sugar, they will be a little sticky for indoors.)

Bubbles Recipe:

1 quart (4 cups) warm water

1/2 cup sugar or corn syrup

1/2 cup dishwashing liquid (Dawn is a great choice.)

Combine the sugar and warm water. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. Add the dishwashing liquid and stir again. Dip your bubble wand and blow. Some other ideas for wands include slotted spoons, funnels, Mason jar lid rings, and pipe cleaners molded into shapes.

Talk about it:

What happened when you tried to catch the bubbles? (They popped.)

Bubbles are fun, but they don’t last long. They are temporary, not permanent. Things are like bubbles. They don’t last either.

Will things make us happy? Why or why not? (Things break; They are temporary; The happiness they bring won’t last; etc.) It’s not wrong to have things, but they are not enough to bring us lasting joy.