{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The KidsMinistry.Blog Podcast","title":"Harnessing Holiday Chaos to Teach Kids Theology","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":366,"description":"Tried boring holiday lessons for years. Kids zoned out during Christmas story. Fell asleep during Easter message.Started adding games. Everything changed.Teams race carry ornament on spoon across room. Drop it start over.Plastic ornaments obviously. Learned that hard way when kid dropped glass one. Shattered everywhere. Parents not thrilled.Now use cheap plastic from dollar store. Kids still excited. Nobody bleeding.Teams yelling at each other. Ornaments rolling everywhere. Chaos. Also kids engaged having fun.Takes maybe ten minutes. Gets energy out. Then can actually sit for story.Hide plastic eggs with Bible verses inside. Kids find eggs look up verses. First team find all verses and read them wins.Sounds educational. Mostly just kids running around looking for eggs.But they do have look up verses. Accidentally learning where books Bible are while thinking just hunting eggs.Had kid couldn't find Philippians. Another kid helped him. Found it together. Teamwork plus Bible skills. I'll take it.Only problem they want hunt eggs every single week after. Sorry kids. Easter's once year.Write Christmas carol titles on cards. Kids act out. Team guesses.\"Silent Night\" kid just stands there quiet. Team yelling guesses. Finally someone gets it.\"Jingle Bells\" kid jumping around shaking imaginary bells. Easy one.Works better than thought. Kids know more carols than expected. Also hilarious watching them act songs out.Had kid try act out \"Little Drummer Boy.\" Just banged on table two minutes. Team never guessed. He so frustrated.Musical chairs. When music stops and kid sits they say something thankful for before safe.Started simple. \"I'm thankful for my mom.\" \"I'm thankful for video games.\"By round five getting creative. \"I'm thankful for oxygen.\" \"I'm thankful my brother didn't punch me this week.\"Whatever. They're thinking about gratitude. That was point.Kid who lost early said thankful for chairs because at least got sit while others still playing. Not wrong.Hide paper...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/xu8CrUD0jOYW3q-sNtnfx2IPiu3EBLp3zZLXQnYwa-8/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS80M2I1/Y2MzODE4MmIwYmRi/NTNkZmEyZmFiYTQ4/M2JjYi5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}