July 17, 2003
FSM 311 DO/TS
Contributed by Our Worldwide Family.
Compiled by Family Care, 5/97.
Copyright © 1997 by The Family
From Philip and Hannah, India:
1. Popcorn Praise Prayer or Froggie Praise Prayer: All the children crouch down on the floor and spontaneously jump up and praise the Lord for different things. It's fun and active and the children want to go on and on.
2. Memory/Review Praises: Quote verses or Grandpa Quotes about praise.
3. Word Time Praise: Read the Praise sections from:
* Rhyme Book (pgs. 82, 90, 148, 150, 158, 205, 208, 261, 275, 281, 346, 401).
* Good Thots ("Communion With God: Praise and Thankfulness", pgs. 580-601. See also the index on pg. 25).
* Daily Might #2 (pgs. 52, 96, 233, 335).
* Daily Might #3 (pgs. 46, 130).
* Food for Fighters (IMM Pub #5, pgs. 1, 11, 34 and 39).
From Martin and Hope, India Area:
4. I Spy: Each one takes a turn to say "I spy something that begins with ... (the sound of the first letter)" and when one of the children guesses it, everyone praises the Lord for that particular thing. Then the next person takes a turn, and so on.
From Stephen Kind, Italy:
5. Alphabet Soup Praise: Praise the Lord using the letters of the alphabet. You can either just say one thing for each letter, or a number of things. A variation of this could also be to use the school time alphabet flash cards: hold them up to the children, and then they can say things starting with that letter.
From Maria Birdie, Russia:
6. Who Says? (variation of "Simon Says"): The teacher gives instructions, such as, "Jesus Says, 'Shout Hallelujah and touch your toes,'" "Mama Maria says, 'Praise the Lord for His Word while you jump up and down,'" or "Grandpa says, 'Thank the Lord for our wonderful Family while giving your neighbor a hug,'" etc. As in the game "Simon Says," if the teacher does not say the name of someone (such as, Jesus, Mama, Grandpa, etc.) before giving the next instruction, then whoever follows the instruction is out.
From Abi, Poland:
7. Jumping Praise Time: Everybody praises the Lord as they jump up and down with their arms lifted up to Jesus. (Use a song on tape, like "The Magic Sponge"!)
From David, Sara, Tamara and Sara, Slovakia:
8. Magic Carpet Ride: Everyone sits together on the floor, or a bed, couch, etc. Then we take off on the "magic carpet ride" (or "magic bed ride," or whatever) to Heaven! One person describes the take off, getting closer to the Heavenly gates, saying "Hi" to Grandpa, etc. Then we all go to the Heavenly Throne room and give Jesus a kiss. Everyone in turn then tells Jesus what they are most thankful for that day. Then we say "goodbye" to Grandpa and ride back home.
From Sara P., Training Center Thailand:
9. Body Parts Praise: Praise the Lord for different parts of your body, and the functions that they perform. For example: "Thank You, Jesus, so much for our ears that we can hear with, and that they also help to give us our balance. We can hear our mommies and daddies telling us they love us, and we can hear Your Word." Then you can sing "Thank You for my eyes," or watch it on Kiddie Viddie and sing along!
10. All Through the House: Praise the Lord in different parts of the house. This can actually give the children more ideas of things to praise the Lord for, as they'll see them right in front of them, like things that the Lord has supplied for the Home to use, or things that are really useful, etc.
11. Around the World: Thank the Lord for the Family in different parts of the world and what they are doing for the Lord there. You may have to explain to the children a little bit about what the Family is doing in Bosnia, the States, Russia, etc. Then all praise the Lord together for what the Family is doing worldwide.
From Chris, Charity and Becky, Australia:
12. Sing Along: Play some of the verse songs from the "Songs of Life" collection, singing and dancing along to them! (Especially useful if you don't have musicians in the Home!) Or, sing along with Grandpa as he sings songs of praise on the "Songs of Heaven" videos!
From Mari (14), Australia:
13. Pray, Pray, Praise (variation of "Duck, Duck, Goose"): The players sit in a circle on the floor, and the "It" walks around the outside of the circle, touching each head and saying "pray." But, when "It" says "praise" instead, that player and the "It" race around the circle twice, and if the other player fails to tag the "It" before they reach the empty spot in the circle, then he becomes "It." The original "It" (who sat down in the other player's spot) gets to praise the Lord for something before the game goes on. If the other player does manage to tag the "It" first, then he sits back down and praises the Lord for something, and then the "It" takes another turn.
14. Musical Chairs: Using one chair less than the number of players, place the chairs around the room, as far apart as possible. One person is chosen to be "It." Everyone else goes to their chairs. "It" thanks the Lord for something and as soon as he finishes everyone gets up and tries to find a chair to sit on other than the one they were just sitting on. The person who is left out is "It" and the game starts over again.
From Comfy, Canada:
15. Praise Pictures: Pick out of a hat photos or pictures which have been cut from a magazine, coloring book, or drawn by hand, and thank the Lord for the items or scenes depicted in them.
From the OCs, South Africa:
16. Closet Praise Time: Go into the closet and praise the Lord.
17. Call Unto Him: Pretend to phone Jesus with a toy phone and tell Him all the things you're thankful for.
18. Joyful Noise: Sing some action songs, and use "noisy" toys and rattles to "make a joyful noise unto the Lord!"
19. Musical Praise: Use musical instruments to sing praises to the Lord, such as, shakers, guitars, tambourines, etc. Make sure that all the children have something and can join in with the music. The preschoolers especially like this one!
20. Taped Stories: Record a drama tape of thankfulness or praise stories ahead of time. For example, "Ol' Hallelujah," "Dime From the Sky," "Fanny Crosby." We even recorded praise verses and quotes, then listened to them at praise time.
21. Turns by Team: Kids divide up into teams to lead praise sessions for different days of the week and times of the day. (They know in advance when their turn will be to lead the praise, and can prepare in advance.)
From Abe, Libby and Tabitha, Czech:
22. Phonic Cards: Hold up phonic blend cards and let the children praise the Lord for words containing that phonic blend.
From Martin and Hope, India Area:
23. Treasure Hunt: Prepare pieces of paper with short praises or things to praise the Lord for written on them. Then, hide them around the room, house, or garden. As the children find them, they read the praise or praise the Lord for whatever is written on the paper they find.
From Stephen B., India Area:
24. Outdoor Praises: Go outside to thank the Lord for His creation. For example, thank the Lord for each type of tree or flower that grows in the yard. Close your eyes and thank the Lord for each sound you hear, like the cat meowing, or the provisioning truck pulling in, or the lunch cook preparing a meal. This has helped us appreciate the little things we sometimes take for granted.
From Kristia, Thailand:
25. Praise Tag (variation of "Tag"): When the "It" catches someone, it's the "caught" person's turn to praise the Lord, and then become the new "It."
From Matt, Rose Smile, Mary Wholeheart and Sam W., USA:
26. Praise Relays: Kids line up and run one at a time with a ball to a certain place and thank the Lord for something, then run back and pass the ball to the next child, who does the same thing. You could also have all the children line up in front of a goal, then take turns thanking the Lord for something before kicking the ball into the goal.
From Steven, David, Tirzah and Joy, USA:
27. Get-Out Praise Time: Stand in a circle and toss a ball. Whoever receives the ball, praises and then passes it on to someone else who does the same!
From Bart, Mercy and James, Venezuela:
28. Telescope Time: Use either a toy camera or make a simple "telescope" from a paper towel cardboard tube. The children then take turns using the telescope to look for things to thank the Lord for: trees, birds, the house, the car, etc. Our youngest were thrilled, and had lots of fun praising the Lord this way!
From Esther, Joan and David, Peru:
29. At a Playground: The kids line up by age and march to the ladder of the slide, singing a praise song. They then climb up the ladder still singing, and they line up at the top of the slide. As soon as the song is over, each kid goes down the slide, and thanks the Lord for something. As soon as he reaches the ground, he says "hallelujah!"
30. In a Swimming Pool: The kids stand in a circle in the shallow end of the pool and sing the song "Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah! Praise ye the Lord!" going up and down in the water.
From Chris, Charity and Becky, Australia:
31. Garden Temple Time: Go to a quiet place in the garden or park and sing songs from Praise Time Volume 1, or read Psalms or suitable excerpts from Praise Kisses together, or praise verses from "A Prayer of Praise to God" (GN 468).
Walk through the garden in groups of two or three singing soft, sweet praise songs.
From Jane, Ruth and Margie, Uruguay:
32. Pass the Picture: Pass around a picture of Jesus and tell Him loving things.
33. Love One Another: Praise Him by showing His Love to others. For example, after praising Him, give a kiss or hug to someone.
From Philip and Hannah, India:
34. Appreciation Time: Sing the food song, "Thank the Lord for the food, thank the Lord for the Family," and continue on singing, "Thank the Lord for so-and-so " You can sing the name of each member present, or the names of each person in the Home, or of loved ones, Mama Maria and Peter, etc.
From Comfy, Canada:
35. Cheering Jesus: Each take a turn to say something they're thankful for as they stack their hands on top of the others' hands until everyone has their hands in one big stack. Then we all say something like: "Thank You Jesus!" On the word "Jesus" we throw our hands up in the air. It's sort of like a cheer.
36. Adapted Prayer Ideas: Use the "Prayer Ideas" (FSM 250) and adapt them for praise time. (For example, numbers 54, 56, 57, 76, 81, 82, 89, 104, etc.)
From Becky (15), India Area:
37. Memory Game: The first person starts by saying one thing they're thankful for, the second person repeats what the first one said and adds one of their own. The third one then repeats what the first two said and adds one. This can go on and on until someone forgets the order.
From Stephen Kind, Italy:
38. Thank You for this MO Letter: Everyone claps their hands in unison, once together and once on their knees, while they say in unison, "Thank You for this MO Letter ... Diamonds of Dust." Then each one has to say a new MO Letter title in turn, not skipping a beat. If the same title is repeated, you are out. Each round also can go a little faster. This is lots of fun!
From Abi, Poland:
39. Psalms Praise: Three people praise the Lord for something and then everybody sings,
"I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever,
I will sing, yes I will sing
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever,
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord!"
Then three more people praise the Lord for something else and then everybody sings:
"With my mouth will I make known
Thy faithfulness, Thy faithfulness,
With my mouth will I make known
Thy faithfulness to all generations."
40. Draw Me a Praise: Everyone gets a piece of paper and a pencil and, in the space of four minutes draws some of the things he is thankful for. Then each person holds up their drawing for all to see and everyone praises the Lord for His goodness.
From Sara P. (20), Thailand:
41. Hot Potato: All sit in a circle and pass an object around, playing some praiseful music. When the music stops, whoever has the "potato" says something they're thankful for.
42. Play Catch: Sitting in a circle, have some sort of soft toy, or a pillow that you throw to the person of your choice. Whoever catches it says something that they are thankful for and throws it on to another person.
43. Praise By Color: For example, someone chooses "red," and everyone spontaneously thanks the Lord for things that are red: apples, tomatoes, the new red car, etc. When you finish with one color, you can go on to another one!
44. Praise By Subject: Choose a subject and praise Him for all the things you can think of that have to do with that subject. Some examples are:
* Mama and Peter
*All the new pubs the Lord is pouring out
* Home members and ministries
* Outside friends and contacts
* Modern inventions that are useful to us
* Creation
* Different types of fruit or foods
* Equipment or toys
* Schooling
* Things that the Lord has supplied through provisioning
* Excursions you've gone on
* Animals
45. A Minute-Full of Praise: Time how many things you can say you are thankful for in 1 minute, and then try to beat your record.
From Ivy Home OCs, Thailand:
46. Obstacle Course Praise: Set up an obstacle course and everyone takes turns going through it singing a praise song.
47. Age Praise: Everyone thanks the Lord for the same number of things as their age. For example if you are five, you thank the Lord for five things. (This game may have to just be for YAs on down!—Ha!)
48. Blessing Praise: The first person praises the Lord for a blessing the Lord has given. This person then chooses someone else to do the same and says how he should praise. (i.e. he says: "Jesus, please bless Mary as she praises in tongues!")
From Gideon, India:
49. Thanks and Praise: Have a round of thanking the Lord for all He has done for us. Then have a round of praise for what He is to us. For example, "Thank You, Jesus, for being so kind and merciful," "I praise You, dear Jesus, for being my best friend," etc.
50. Appreciation Praise: Praise Him for each other, each person mentioning another by name.
51. Scripture Praise: Paraphrase scripture promises into praises, for example "Thank You Jesus that if we ask anything according to Your will, You hear us!" etc.
From Tim, Joy, Beth and Sam, USA:
52. Spell-It: Choose a word, for example, P-R-A-I-S-E. Go around the circle with everyone in turn saying something they are thankful for. The first person starts with the letter P, then comes R, and so on.
From the OCs, South Africa:
53. Verse and Hug: All stand in a circle. Each person has a praise verse. After reading the verse, the reader gives a hug to the one who is to read next.
54. Stand Up for Jesus: With everyone sitting in a circle, one person stands up and reads a praise verse or says a prayer of thankfulness. They then reach down and pull the next person up to read his verse or pray. When all are standing and still holding hands, everyone praises the Lord together.
From Kristia, Thailand:
55. One Breath Praise: Someone starts with, "I want to thank the Lord for," then takes one big breath before running off a list of things he is thankful for.—Count how many he can fit into that one breath!
56. Praise, Praise, Praise (variation of the song "Shake, Shake, Shake"):
Sing (and act out) the following words to the tune of "Shake, Shake, Shake":
Everybody praise the Lord straight from your hearts,
We're gonna praise His blessings down!
Everybody praise the Lord straight from your hearts,
We're gonna praise His blessings down!
Chorus:
And we're gonna praise, praise, praise!
And we're gonna praise the Lord!
And we're gonna praise, praise, praise!
And we're gonna praise the Lord!
From Samuel, Heidi and Etienne, France:
For Christmas presents we got watches for some of the children, and they set their alarms, one to ring at 10:00 AM, another one at 12:00 noon and the other at 5:00 PM. Now they are all excited daily to call and remind everyone when it's "praise time!"
From Ho, Maryanne and David, India:
Early in the month the Lord convicted us about the importance of being diligent with our praise times. We found that our MC and OCs like to take turns playing the guitar using the praise time song book, and in a week or so they had learned to play the guitar and had picked up many praise songs. As we did our part making praise time an important part of the day, the Lord has raised up new inspirationalists in the Home. Thank You, Jesus!
From Zac, Jemima and Eman, Finland:
We had a one week Word study on praise and thankfulness. The children memorized verses and quotes on praise and learned different songs and poems along with it. Each child also had a praise coloring book (which we photocopied from the section on Praise from the Kidz Mop) which they colored in after they memorized their daily quote or verse. On our bulletin board we had also made a Praise Corner, which is a big basket drawn on paper that we fill in with different things (drawn on smaller pieces of paper) that the Lord has blessed us with, such as souls, circus tickets, bread, fruit, etc.
From Heidi S., Switzerland:
My three-year-old came to me one day saying that it was praise time as she had heard the bell and said immediately, "Mommy, it's time to praise the Lord," urging me to join her. She had started to eat her snack, which she really likes, and I mentioned that it's hard to praise the Lord and eat snack at the same time. She said, "Oh, yes I can!" and she praised the Lord and then took another bite, ha!
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