Trust Activities - Building Character in your Children

10 Activities about TRUST:

1. TRUST AND OBEY- Teach your children the chorus to this hymn. When they are troubled or anxious you can hum it to them as a reminder of who they can trust.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other wayTo be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2. MY SHEPHERD – Memorize the 23rd Psalm with your children. 1) Have them draw a picture for each phrase and hang them on the wall in order. They can use the pictures to remember and recite the psalm. 2) Cut out 12 outlines of your child’s foot. Write a phrase on each footstep and have your children memorize it “step by step”. Let them walk on them as they say them. See if they can correctly arrange them.

3. THE DECEIVER – Read and retell the story of Eve and the Serpent. How was Eve deceived? To deceive is to cause or allow someone to believe something that is untrue. Helping children grasp that deceit is the wrecking ball of trust is valuable. Build a “trust” wall of blocks then throw a ball of deceit at it. The wall has to be rebuilt, or it will never be the same.

4. ILLUSIONS – Simple magic tricks are ways to show your children that our senses can be deceived. It’s important to be clear that there is no mysticism or “magic power” or wizardry (see Deuteronomy 18:9-11). Teaching them a few simple tricks (after you amaze them) will show them that they can’t always trust their senses! There are DVD’s at the library that will teach your children some tricks.

5. TRUST FALL – Have your children stand with their back to you, their arms crossed over their chest and their eyes closed. Then tell them to fall back. Please be sure and catch them quickly. If they put their foot back, have them try again. Have them describe how it felt to trust you to catch them. Would they trust their friends to catch them? Why or why not? Explain that God is worthy of our trust, always.

6. FLOATING – Next time your kids are swimming, take some time to show them how to float. Floating is easier when you relax and trust the water to hold you up. How is that similar to our feeling when we trust God?

7. LITTLE JOE – “The Ballad of Little Joe” is a veggie tale show about the life of Joseph (the DVD is available at the library). It clearly shows Joseph trusting God, even in the hard times.

8. “THE VERY WORRIED SPARROW” by Meryl Doney. Read this fun book with your children and discuss how we can trust God to provide for all our needs.

9. I CAN TRUST…. Help your children create a list of the people and things they can trust. My kids came up with things I never thought of, like the sun, time and water.

10. TRUST WALK – Blindfold your kids and lead them through a long walk inside and out (try to confuse their sense of direction). Have them guess where they are at the end before you take off the blindfold. How did it feel being led by someone they trust? We can have that same confidence as God leads us.