I taught K-2nd grade Sunday school at church last summer and we were between curriculum so I decided to finish the summer out teaching about Samuel and David.

I used this coloring book (my absolute fave!!!) for an opening activity.

I know some people don't like coloring pages and I don't always use them but these pages are so fun for the kids.  I have it as one of the activity choices when the children first arrive.  I don't make them color.  I also don't make them color with traditional colors.  If they want to give Samuel pink hair, I don't mind it at all!  We do talk about the fact that he didn't really have pink hair but we can be creative just for fun.

Another thing the coloring pages do is help us establish the story for the day.  They begin to ask questions about the page and helps me introduce the outline of the story.

I also colored a page and pinned it up on the bulletin board.  Instant review!

I always have a corner for books and then a corner for something a little more active like blocks or a game.

So there are usually 3 choices when they first come into class.

Why is it that parents are notoriously 15 minutes late to Sunday School?  So I have to wait 15 min into class to really begin the lesson. Sigh.