Moms, dads, and other adults who are raising kids are touched by simple expressions of their kids’ love for them. As a club leader, you can help your club members learn about showing love. Here are some ideas.
I Love You a Bunch. Help kids fold a sheet of cardstock into a greeting card for Mom or Dad. Provide green or purple ink pads or markers. Let kids color their index fingers and make fingerprints on the front of the card to resemble of bunch of grapes. Have them use markers to add stems, leaves, and the sentiment “I love you a bunch!” Inside, let them write a couple of things they love about their mom or dad.
I’m Bananas Over You. Provide each child with a banana for Mom or Dad. On a piece of paper, have kids draw a picture or write a note about a reason they are grateful for their parent. Then they fold the paper, wrap it around the banana, and tie it on with ribbon.
Bible Exploration. Look through your leader plan book for a unit on families, and then choose a Bible Exploration on showing love or honoring parents/adults. Is there an art project or gift you could have kids make to honor their adults?
Talks That Teach. Use the “Picture” talk from the Pioneer Clubs book Talks That Teach (Item #2725) at a Valentine party or a regular club meeting. It will help kids think of ways to appreciate family members in this Valentine month.
Game. Toss a ball around the circle. Each catcher names a way to show love to Mom or Dad or other caretaker. See how many ideas the kids can come up with before they get stumped.
Parent Visit. Ask a parent to bring in something their child made for him or her. Have the parent tell what the item meant to him or her and why. Ask club members what they could make for their parents to give them the same kind of joy.
Prayer Time. Explain that many moms and dads spend lots of time praying for their kids. Encourage kids to return the favor. Brainstorm some things parents might need prayer for. Then let volunteers take turns praying.
Skit. Have one volunteer be the mom or dad and two volunteers be the kids. Have the kids act out having an argument that the parent tries to stop. Have the kids not pay attention to the parent or continue to pester each other behind the parent’s back after stopping. (Stop before the parent gets too frustrated.) Ask club members how they think a real parent’s job could be hard. Brainstorm ways that kids can make parents’ jobs easier. Ask how this shows love.
You’re a big influence on your club members. Choose one or two ways to help them learn to show their parents love this month.
