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If you’re like me, you probably prefer to avoid the messy things in life. But kids are different. They’re not afraid to plunge feet first into the stuff we might label as icky.
One of the things that I love most about children is their natural enthusiasm for and curiosity about the world around them. Our sons and daughters were born to enjoy experiencing the world, especially if it’s surprising, exciting, grubby, and gross.
Children are tactile. They love to touch things – even though the results of their explorations often mean big messes for Mom! They slosh through rain puddles and play in the mud, careless of the muck on their shoes! They joyfully roll through the dewy grass, not noticing the stains on their freshly laundered clothes!
Boys fall into a special class all their own. How many of you are blessed with sons who are captivated by crawly things like snakes, bugs and lizards – or creepy things like skeletons and skulls?
That’s why, when it comes to Bible reading, what sticks out in kids’ minds – what they love to explore – is often the more unusual, more sensational stories in the Bible!
Would you be surprised to learn that the Bible is actually filled with some messy moments and gory stuff? Sharing these types of stories with your child can lead to some incredibly memorable Bible studies.
Recently, I came across a book called Wacky Bible Gross Outs from the It’s A Fact Series from Zonderkidz. This book is designed to introduce children to all of the bizarre stuff in the Bible that you probably never knew was there! Children can use this book to discover fascinating facts and stories about Bible science, history and characters. Parents can use this book to build Bible lessons and create Bible games and trivia!
- Has your family ever experienced a blackout? The next time the lights go out in your neighborhood, gather your children and share the story about how God once punished the Pharaoh by casting total blackness upon Egypt for three days. Ask them, what it would be like to live in total darkness for three days? How would they survive?
- Do you live in an area of the country that is invaded by the 17 year locusts? If so, you know just how disgusting those creatures are! Ask your children to recall their experiences with the locusts and share how God once used locusts to help the Egyptian Pharaoh learn He was God. What are some of the differences between the locusts that God sent then and the locusts that we experience today?
- Has your child ever had poison ivy? Ask them to recall what it’s like to burn and itch all over. How badly did they want it to stop? Now ask them to imagine what it would be like to have an itch from which there was no cure. Did you know that God takes obedience so seriously that Israelites who disobeyed Him could be faced with this as a punishment?
Are your creative juices flowing? What are some experiences from your past that might serve as perfect lessons to help bring the Bible to life for your kids, especially if your stories have that element of ick?
Let’s use the more sensationalistic facts in the Bible as learning opportunities to encourage our children and friends to delve into the Bible to see what other interesting stories they may find!
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Your Turn
What’s the most unusual fact or story you remember from the Bible and how can you use it to teach your child something important about God? Join the conversation on our blog! We’d love to hear from you!
