Kid Music Live Blog

We might not all be able to sing, but I know very few people who don’t like to sing. Even if you are a shower or car diva, singing lifts the spirits. It makes us happy. Here are suggestions for fun and educational Christian musical activities.

Liturgical dancing has taken on a new place in the worship service in churches. Dancers are choosing contemporary Christian music to demonstrate their love for God. The music speaks to them and they identify with it. In this way, they can make the musical expression their own.

The dance troupe in my church includes both kids and adults. The practices can be grueling at times, but it is all for worship and fun. The final performances are moving for us as well as the audience, making it more than worth all the hard work.

Dancing is one musical activity that all kids can get into. One person who is good at dancing can help to choreograph a dance for the kids to learn. This dance can be performed in church, Sunday school, other churches, or a youth center. Music has long been a way to reach out to others and have fun at the same time.
Let’s go back to singing for a bit. I know you don’t want to sing, but consider that it is the feeling and the meaning behind the song that counts. Since you’re still not totally convinced, let the children do the singing in public.

Karaoke is a great way to spend an evening with family. Each person gets a turn to sing their favorite song and be silly. Instead of mainstream music, choose your favorite Christian artist to emulate. You can even dress the part if it makes you feel more comfortable. Even without the fancy dress, kids will jump at the chance to hear their parents sing.

This is a fun activity for family reunions, sleepovers, birthday parties, or anytime you feel like having a good time.  Everyone gets to participate and it is for fun not competition. However, you can also choose to do a competition such as a “Christian American Idol.” Make sure you have only draft friendly judges. Leave Simon on the original “American Idol.”

How do you set your feelings to music? There are many ways that kids can do this including dancing and singing. Try some of the ideas above and come up with some of your own with your kids today.

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Having preschoolers and toddlers in the house can lead to having one big mess.  They tend to just drag out toys and scatter them everywhere rather than really playing with any of them.  Then you have a room full of toys scattered about and you wonder, “Will this ever be clean?”  If you leave it up to the child the answer would be “no”.  So you as a parent must take action, but how do you get them to clean it up.

One solution that works well and you may even found being used in schools is the clean up song.  Basically, you choose a song that is upbeat and fun that you can label for your child, the “clean up song“.  Whenever they hear the song being played it will be their cue to begin cleaning up their toys.  Also, the fun upbeat tune can be fun to dance around too and ultimately get the job of cleaning up their toys accomplished faster.

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When I was a kid, the best part was playing. It could be indoors with my sisters or outdoors with my friends. No matter where it was, I loved to play. All kids need have the opportunity to play.

I loved to play games. Before the computer and video games became big business, everyone played fun games like Musical Chairs or Red Rover.  Games are fun to play with your family as a whole.  Thinking up new games can be fun too.  Why not have a dance off, put some music on and jam to the beat. 

Then there are board games too.  Good ole classics like Monopoly and Life or even card games like Old Maid and Go Fish.  Why not establish a family game night for your family and let everyone enjoy it together.  It is not only fun, but can be educational for your children too.  Just think of the things they can learn from numbers, to letters, from counting to the art of being a good sport when you don’t win.

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“My God is so big, so strong and so mighty there’s nothing my God cannot do, for you.

My God is so big, so strong and so mighty there’s nothing my God cannot do.”

These are the lyrics of a fun kid’s song that I have sung many times at Vacation Bible School’s and backyard Bible clubs.

How many kids are out there who have never heard about this big God so many of us serve.  It’s really sad to think about it but there are actually many, many kids who do not know our big God personally.

So if you know someone who doesn’t know about this big God or you just want to share how big God is with someone you know why not share this video with them.  Here’s more about the video:

This video presentation shows just how big God really is! This is a fascinating video for both believers and non-believers as it takes a look at the universe from a scientific point of view. The video is also a great way for children to experience how big God is!

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What’s the first thing that pops into your mind when you think of church? For me, it’s all the fun I had as a child. I grew up attending church and it was anything but dull.  One way to draw kids into church is through Vacation Bible School. It is typically held for one week during the summer in most churches. Since there is no school, kids don’t have to worry about school work and can instead concentrate on learning about the Bible. The classes are divided into age groups and each lesson is divided into sections: opening, lesson, activities, and closing.
The activities that are conducted will depend on the lesson being taught and the age of the group. Younger kids might sing and make simple crafts that tie into the lesson of the night. Older kids, such as preteens would engage in more complex activities like making necklaces, shirt designs, and things like that. Teenagers might engage in more conversations, role playing, and other games that require a bit more thought. The point was that everyone learned in a different way, appropriate for their age and had a good time.
One of my favorite parts of Vacation Bible School was definitely the music. It was always so fun and upbeat and easy to learn.  It would stick in my brain for days. I can even remember some of those tunes today as an adult.  They must have really left an impression upon me.
Whoever said church had to be boring obviously didn’t get a chance to learn about God and the Bible in fun, kid-friendly ways like these. It never was boring for me and it doesn’t have to be for the kids of today either.

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You’ve heard it said, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”  Do you eat breakfast? Do you encourage your children to eat breakfast?  How do you instill in them this important meal?  If you have kids that play sports you might use this tactic.  Have you seen that famous Wheaties commercial?  “Eat your Wheaties”  Many times kids will emulate their favorite sports figures.  This commercial is an example of sports figures making a positive impact on kids by encouraging something such as eating breakfast daily, which can be great for kids.

There are many benefits to your kids eating breakfast.  Some of these benefits include:  Being able to think more clearly.  being better focused,  having better behavior, and taking in nutritious vitamins that are found in many breakfast cereals and other foods.

If you have trouble getting your child to eat breakfast why not make it a game.  Kids enjoy competition and sports so why not make breakfast a game too.  Whoever can eat all their cereal first gets to take a day off from chores, or gets 30 extra minutes of television or maybe even an extra treat in the afternoon during snack time.  Whatever it takes you want your child to have the breakfast of champions.

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It’s that time of year.  What you ask? Well football season of course.  This is the time of year my husband longs for.  As soon as the seasons (summer to fall) start to change he begins to say, “Ahhh it’s football season.” He loves it.  He played football in high school so it is something that brings back memories, but he also hopes to make new ones one day with our sons.  Then, we still go to the local high school games just for fun.

This past weekend I was at the game with my 3 little ones and my husband was working security.  So, I had the three kids by myself.  A lady looked over at me and said, “You have little children. You’re not here to watch anyone, so why are you here?”  I replied, “It’s fun and our friends are here.”  At that point they just hadn’t arrived, but they were coming.”  Sure it was crazy, but it is fun to watch sporting events.  The only thing I wished I had had was a blanket, because it sure was cold. I certainly love this time of year.

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It’s hard to believe Christmas is just around the corner.  It is definitely creeping up on us.  So, how do you share at Christmas?  Do you tend to spend a lot of money on a bunch of gifts or do you find ways to make simple yet meaningful gifts a part of your giving?

Kids love to receive gifts so I think it’s important to give and allow your children to give as well.  It helps them to learn that Christmas is more than just getting it is about giving as well.  My son is in preschool now and I plan to help him understand more about giving by allowing him to share some gifts with his friends.  These don’t have to be anything major or expensive.  A simple gift like a personalized Christmas ornament can still show him the power of giving and help him to understand the meaning of Christmas.

I know that he’ll not only learn from this experience but also love it too.

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My youngest started preschool this past year and one of the things I was faced with was parties at school. There seemed to be a new holiday creep up every week, which caused us to have to purchase items for the party and sometimes even happies or gifts.

We often purchased happies for the kids but I often wondered should I be getting omething for the teacher as well?   It would probably be nice to say, “thank you” to your child’s hard working teacher.  Think about the things she does for your child.  Wouldn’t it be nice to give back in some way, even if it’s not a special occasion.

I really liked the idea of these personalized mugs as a gift.  Most teachers enjoy a good cup of coffee so I’m sure this is a gift that they would enjoy.

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I’ve done a lot of rocking lately.  Having a new baby you spend quite a bit of time rocking, singing, burping, you know the drill.  Babies from as early as in the womb have a love of music.  They respond to music and it is good for them to listen to.

Music therefore is a perfect gift for a baby shower or to purchase for yourself and your new baby.  I don’t know about you but I want whatever is best for my little angel, and if music is a positive for his development, then I want it to be a part of his life.

That’s why I make sure he has good quality lullaby music to listen to.  Even better, like this personalized version where his name is inserted right into the songs.  The My Little Angel personalized lullaby music CD does just that.  It personalizes the songs with your little angels name right in them.

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