Valentine's Day is coming up and love and hearts are everywhere. There are hundreds of great themes to do with kids that connect to scripture and God's love during this time, but this year I decided to do some activities you might not find everywhere else and use the verse "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Plus it's fun because we can play with treasure!)
These activities are by no means exclusive to Valentine's Day and can easily be used at any time of the year as well!
My kids love playing with and hiding our play treasures and these simple play activities can lead into great discussion about the things that we treasure here on earth and the things that God treasures - and what is most important.
Here's some activities that we have been doing that I put together for other families to enjoy as well in this free download!
Memorize Matthew 6:21! Say it when you wake up, when you eat and before you go to sleep. Memorizing God’s word is a treasure you can store up in your heart!
This free download includes:
Coloring Pages to color and trace
This second coloring page with the verse separated into 5 sections includes visuals that you can use to help memorize. You can also cut into the sections and put it back in order
Printable Memory Verse Heart Banner
Print on cardstock and have kids color and cut out the hearts. Or like I did you can print two copies on different colors and make a banner alternating colors. Then I put the other hearts in a sensory bin for kids to search for and put them in order.
Other fun treasure activities to do while you talk about this verse include:
Sensory bin: Hide coins, jewels and hearts in a sensory bin (use a filler such as rice, beans, or sand) or throughout a room in your house. Have kids hunt for them and put in a treasure box. Count, sort, etc!
Art: Paint a wooden treasure box. Use jewels to create patterns and/or have fun decorating.
Storing Up Heavenly Treasures Discussion for Kids
What are some treasures on this earth? (some answers may be things like toys, money, prizes, vacations, etc.) These things are fine and good! I really like a lot of these things as well but we can’t take them with us to heaven. They should not be the most important things in our lives.
What are some treasures we can start storing up in heaven now?
-love for Jesus (worship, prayer)
-love for people (sharing, being kind, helping others in need)
-love for God’s word (reading and memorizing scripture)
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21 NIV
Parable of the Lost Coin for Kids
Luke 15:8-10 ICB 8 “Suppose a woman has ten silver coins, but she loses one of them. She will light a lamp and clean the house. She will look carefully for the coin until she finds it. 9 And when she finds it, she will call her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Be happy with me because I have found the coin that I lost!’ 10 In the same way, there is joy before the angels of God when 1 sinner changes his heart.”
To Do: Hide 10 coins and send your kids to find them. They can count as they go by placing the coins on the 10 frame in the printable. Talk about how the last one always seems to be the hardest to find. Now rejoice when you find it!! In the same way, God rejoices when people give their heart to him.
Part 2: Brave and Beautiful Queen Esther!
I love these books from Faith that Sticks and Esther being a queen plays into all of the fun jewels and treasures of the lesson above. Here's how you can introduce this story to your kids:
Esther was given all the jewels and beautiful things when she was chosen to be queen. But she decided to risk all of her earthly treasures for much more important and valuable heavenly one.
God had a plan for Esther and she trusted in Him, even when it was hard and scary. Because Esther allowed God to work through her, the Jews, God’s chosen people, were saved!
God can work through you too! Be brave like Esther. Pray for God to give you the strength you need to do what is right and he will help you do it.
Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Do: Place the stickers in the book and complete the activities in the book. Pray that God gives you the strength to be brave for Him!
Memorize Joshua 1:9 - kids can use the symbols to help remember each line.
If you'd like to purchase a premade kit, they are $15 limited quantities are available and include:
- Wooden heart treasure box
- 12 jewels
- 12 coins with bible verses on them
- 50 jewel stickers
- Mini wooden hearts
- Laminated Matthew 6:21 verse card
-Heavenly treasure devotional and discussion page
- Lost Coin Parable discussion activity page with 10 frame
- Coloring Pages Matthew 6:21
- 2 copies of the heart banner pages printed on cardstock
- Esther Faith that Sticks book
- 2 paper crowns
- Joshua 1:9 printable
To order, message Brie or fill out the form here!
Or grab what you need from Amazon and download the free printables!
(treasure box from Amazon is similar as ones in the premade kits but not the same)
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