Sabbath-suitable activities

[Ploutos]

I am endeavoring to find ways to encourage our young children toward Sabbath-keeping, and one thing that I endeavor to do is to guide us toward spiritually-themed activities to drive home that it is the Lord's day, while also keeping it from being onerous for our children. So I will listen to music if it's religious music; I'll watch VeggieTales or Davey & Goliath with the girls, or I'll read from a Bible atlas. Our oldest is now a fairly proficient reader and so we'll do Bible word searches and other similar puzzles, or play a Bible trivia game.

But, our bank of "fun" Sabbath-suitable activities is a bit slim. Does anyone have suggestions for additional Sabbath activities suitable for young children? Our oldest patterns after some of my eccentricities, and so word puzzles and board games are already fun for her. They may be less so for our other children as they come into this age. Toys, age-suitable puzzles of the Roman Empire or of ancient Israelite shepherds, Bible or church history skits that we can easily learn and act out, etc... I'm open to suggestions!

 

[Andres]

How old are your children?

 

[Ploutos]

Almost six ranging down to a newborn.

 

[mpinckard]

Following with great interest, as the father of 3--two rambunctious boys aged 4 and 2, and a 4-month-old daughter.

 

[Pomopu]

When I was a kid we'd go for walks Sunday afternoon walks in the nearby dunes of western michigan. There is no more spiritually edifying exercise, besides the fundamentals, then being in nature with God. God demands we set apart the day for him, and we need not do so in the confines of our living residence. All of creation (Psalm 19) redounds to his glory. I'm not a father yet, but when I am, the staple of our Sabbath will be walking as a family outside. How to teach a child God's grandness, bigness, omnipresence? Bring him to the edge of a great lake, then point to the big blue sky, and there is the starting point. Sermon in the morning, sermon in the evening, the sermon of nature in the afternoon? Perfection.

 

[erickinho1bra]

If you have Sunday school, worship service, lunch, and then evening service, there isn't a whole lot of time for other things is what we find in our family (granted, we just have two 2-year-old twins and they need an afternoon nap). Does your church have three different events on Sundays you can attend as a family?

 

[Carrots]

If you have Sunday school, worship service, lunch, and then evening service, there isn't a whole lot of time for other things is what we find in our family (granted, we just have two 2-year-old twins and they need an afternoon nap). Does your church have three different events on Sundays you can attend as a family?

This is good advice. Empty time is like an empty desk drawer: it fills up fast with stuff you probably don't want. The best way I've found to hold myself and my family to keeping the Sabbath is to fill the time with church and rest rather than just leaving it unallocated.

With a pair of two-year-olds in your home, I reckon you probably need an afternoon nap as often as you can get one, too

EDIT: my apologies, Ploutos, I didn't mean to sound dismissive. There's definitely a place for engaging Sabbath activities with kids.

I'm open to suggestions!

Having family hymn singing time together at home (especially if your kids get to pick out hymns they like!) is something my family has enjoyed.

 

[Parakaleo]

Look up the Christian biography lectures from Robert McCurley on SermonAudio. Fascinating listening for young ones on drives on the Lord's day.

 

[Ploutos]

Look up the Christian biography lectures from Robert McCurley on SermonAudio. Fascinating listening for young ones on drives on the Lord's day.

Thank you! I'll check this out shortly.