Kids Ministry Idea: Use EXTRA LARGE Props
Teaching a lesson in Indoor Sunday School with EXTRA LARGE props. Brooklyn, NY. Circa 2016.
Use EXTRA LARGE props. Make cardboard your new best friend! I’ll be honest, to this day, no matter where in the world I am, if I see an empty large cardboard box outside somewhere I instinctively want to tuck it under my arm and bring it home with me. I don’t do that, just so we’re clear, but I want to because for years finding super large pieces of cardboard translated into having super large props and decorations for Sunday School.
When you’re working with kids you want to make your teaching as big and as visual as possible. One incredibly inexpensive and practical way to do that is to use large pieces of throw-away cardboard.
3 SUPER SUGGESTIONS:
Think: How can I make this MORE visual? I always ask myself that question and try my best to expand my imagination and creativity just a little bit. Say the lesson you’re preparing calls for a small, simple object like a Rubik’s Cube. Sure, you can use the actual Rubik’s Cube but you don’t have to stop there. Try asking yourself: How can I make this MORE visual? [In enters my cardboard suggestion.] Why not grab a large cardboard box and design it to look like a giant Rubik’s Cube? The goal is to make your teaching as visual as possible so the kids can see it better, engage with the idea you’re teaching even more, and also just enjoy the over-sizedness of it all.
Bigger is always better. If there is ever a doubt in your mind, a wee thought that creeps in and makes you wonder, “Is this, in fact, too big?” the immediate answer should always be: NO! No, it is not too big because bigger is always better. This goes for Slurpees, for scary rollercoasters, for Monster Truck derbys and for Kids Ministry props and decorations.
Don’t be afraid to dumpster-dive! Alright, I wouldn’t actually advise you to climb inside of a garbage dumpster, but looking around a large cardboard recycling bin isn’t a bad idea. Places like Costco, Walmart, Best Buy (think large flatscreen TV boxes) are all great places to find big boxes. There’s a good chance that you don’t even have to dumpster dive if you just tell the folks in there what you’re doing and if they’d mind setting some aside for you or letting you come in to collect them when it’s convenient for them.
BONUS STUFF:
Depending on the kind of space that’s available to you, it’s amazing if you can make yourself a proper props room. The one we had for Indoor Sunday School was a props and costumes storage room with lots of shelves and big plastic containers filled with items we could re-use and repurpose. Plus there was a place to store up un-used cardboard and a creative workstation where we could paint and get messy making all of the EXTRA LARGE props.
