First Steps in Missions ~ Chapter 1 Activity Extension Ideas for Preschoolers

First Steps in Missions, Ideas and Activities for Preschoolers and Teachers, Volume 22

by Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell 

 

I'm so excited about First Steps in Missions! This resource has 12 months of ideas for activities teachers can do with preschoolers to teach them about missions around the world.

 

One of my favorite activities in Chapter 1 is Washing Clothes (page 9). Chapter 1 focuses on the Philippines. Some families in remote areas of the Philippines wash clothes in rivers. While I wouldn't want to wash our laundry in the river because it sounds like a lot of hard work, I am fascinated and admire the many families who must use local resources to wear clean clothes. I also know preschoolers enjoy water play.

 

The Washing Clothes activity suggests preschoolers wash clothes in two plastic tubs. One tub should have smooth stones for washing and the other have clean water for rinsing. Set up a drying rack for clothes to hang while they dry. My favorite tool for preschoolers from this activity? BAR SOAP!

 

Do you know how many fun activities you can do with BAR SOAP? Maybe some of the children you come into contact with have never used BAR SOAP. Think about it. We are a culture committed to cleanliness. This often comes in the form of hand sanitizer, liquid soap dispensers, and all sorts of gels, sprays, and goop. BAR SOAP is a great resource for preschool (and other age level) rooms.

 

Fun with BAR SOAP

 

1. Car Wash. I just did this with my grandson. Fill a plastic tub with warm water and put it on a thick towel. Use toothbrushes dipped in the water and raked across BAR SOAP to clean the cars. Rinse in water and drive on the towel to help cars dry.

 

2. Rock Scrub. This is one of my favorite summer activities, but you can do it anytime. Kids will rewash the same rocks for hours at a time. All you need is a tub of water, a variety of rocks (I like to use rocks big enough so little hands can grip them),  BAR SOAP, and toothbrushes. You have a rock washing station. This can later transform into a rock painting station.

 

3. BAR SOAP Boats. Any old BAR SOAP will float, but experiment to find your favorite brand. Open up BAR SOAP, use a screw driver or butter knife (no sharp tips) to scoop out a center (you can skip this step), and add toothpick flags. Have boat races in the bath tub or sink. Get clean and have fun!

 

These activities show that one can use just about anything to have fun. Let's get creative!

  

If you would like to order your own copy of First Steps in Missions, call 1-800-968-7301 or visit www.wmustore.com. Thanks!

Thanks for visiting. Feel free to share these ideas with your friends.

I hope to see you again soon.

Meet My New Book ~ First Steps in Missions

First Steps in Missions, Ideas and Activities for Preschoolers and Teachers

 by Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

I'm honored to announce the release of First Steps in Missions, Ideas and Activities for Preschoolers and Teachers, Volume 22.

What? You already have a copy?

True. It was available in late summer. I was barely available. Thank you for going on without me and getting your copy!

My honey and I were eyebrow deep in cleaning, packing, sorting, storing, and donating our belongings. Why? We sold our home. I should say, God sold our home. In 3 days.

That was a quick sale and left us with no free time to do anything. Except move.

Never fear, we are not homeless. Many of you have already seen the pictures. We are full-time RV'ers living in a solid (though you can feel it move when walking inside), warm (we hope), and quite spacious RV with our 2 crazy kitties. The excitement and adventure is fantastic! Let's just not mention the period of adjustment, shall we?

In the midst of this transition, First Steps in Missions was released. I'm very excited to see this work in print.

In honor of this project, I am going to take a monthly walk through each chapter and area of the world, choose my favorite activity, and flesh out additional ways to use the activity with preschoolers. So much fun!

Coming soon: September fun in the Philippines.

If you would like your own copy, I'm thrilled to direct you on the right paths. First Steps in Missions, Volume 22

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy to See This!

Happy to see this new article, Into the World, in Missions Mosaic.

It has been a whirlwind summer!

Selling our home, moving into an RV, fixing the RV set-up, sorting belongings, giving away stuff, acclimatizing the kitties to living in said RV, learning how to cook in an RV, . . .

The list is much longer, but just that much lets you know why I have been lost in cyberspace.

On to fall. The dust is settling, and in just a few more days, we will have only 1 home to care for.

Writing is back on the menu, boys! (Can you name that movie reference? Comment below!)

Into the World

Here is something I'm happy to see, rewards from past labors. I love this magazine, Missions Mosaic, and am honored to write for Woman's Missionary Union in several different areas.

You might want to check them out here.

Missions Mosaic

Happy reading!

Back to the chaos.

The Stack (of Paper)

The completed manuscript with sources, sketches, and documents

This is what I've been up to. Instead of blogging.

There is not much time left in my days (weeks, months) after planning, writing, editing, printing, sourcing, compiling, emailing, packaging, and mailing this baby.

Oh, yes. This is my baby. The first half of a 12-month activity book for preschoolers and missions has been delivered (emailed and mailed) to my faithful preschool resource team at Woman's Missionary Union.

The completed manuscript package and its twin - the emergency copy that can be mailed if the PO loses the original

Now they get to do their huge part.

And I will continue on with the above steps for the second half of the book.

The writing life is grand.   

A glimpse of the chaos that is my office, including desk, side table, and floor

A Mission-Field at the Tip of Your Pen - Hannah Conway

As a writer, I subscribe to several different blogs. This article came through my email today. It resonated with me for two reasons.

The first thing that caught my eye was that the author is living the military life as a spouse of a soldier. I am not the spouse of a soldier, but the mother of one who served overseas in Iraq. That place in my heart is tender towards others who live and sacrifice in this way. It is a hard place. Blessed, if one lets it be, but hard.

The other idea that I identified with is how the author finally realized that her mission field was right where she was. In the middle of battlefield madness. The military. If ever there is or was a place that needs us to pray, give, love, and help, it is to the members of the military lifestyle.

God has us right where He wants us to serve. Right. Here.

The other thing (ok, there are three reasons this blog spoke to me) I connected with is the missionary lifestyle plan. My plan was to do the whole overseas missionary life. But God showed me His plan. It is good. Different than I imagined and it was difficult for this opinionated and independent soul to accept in the middle of the changes, but it is very good. Blessed and extremely good.

Can you say that about His plan for your life?

Read this blog post by Hannah Conway. Good stuff.

http://www.acfw.com/blog/a-mission-field-at-the-tip-of-your-pen/

Please copy and paste the above link to check out Hannah's post. Technical issues would not let me copy a direct link.

Christmas Tea & Traditions

TJ, Mom, and I at the Christmas Tea

Traditions are very important. This is especially true during the Christmas season.

Some traditions that we hold dear:

~ putting up the tree on Thanksgiving Day and watching our first Christmas movie (though this year, the Seahawks played - we watched them instead)

~ watching all of the versions of "The Christmas Carol" we can find

~ switching the radio station to Christmas music

~ reprogramming the Ipod to play Christmas music

~ celebrating Advent at church

~ holding a Christmas Eve candlelight service

~ rereading and contemplating the Christmas story from the Bible

~ baking special Christmas treats

~ praying for snow, snow, and more snow

~ watching Christmas movies

~ hot cocoa, candlelight, and snuggles

~ doing the 12 Days of Christmas with our stockings

~ seeing and hearing from family and friends

~ putting up the stockings we have used for our entire marriage

~ using the same tree skirt that I made when we first got married

~ buying presents for our loved ones

~ composing the Christmas newsletter and mailing the photo cards

~ allowing the kitties (whichever ones we have at the time) play with wrapped presents, wrapping stuff, and various decorations

To name a few . . .

This year my sister, my mother and I traveled to a Women's Christmas Tea in Kennewick. It was delightful. There were beautiful decorations, adorable ladies (especially my mom, just ask the lady at our table who kept telling her that), delicious treats, great music, and interesting speakers. Tack on a little shopping before and after, plus a few hits of coffee, and we called it a good day. I'm already considering next year.

Note: I just attempted to locate a good quote that included the word tradition. I had no idea that there were so many negative connotations attached to 'tradition.' Here I was thinking about sentimental reasons I did things in certain ways. I can see their points (sort of), but I mean it in the nicest sense.

Good news. Here is one that is more appropriate.

I learned from my grandmother, who grew up in devastating war times, how important it is to keep with tradition and celebrate the holidays during tough times.
- Marcus Samuelsson

So let's keep with tradition and celebrate the holidays, even now, during the tough times.

What traditions do you enjoy?