Traditionally, it's the time of year to prepare and present a special 'thank you' gift for your leaders and volunteers. But I know that you'll also be wanting to present something to these priceless kidmin leaders that will truly express your real appreciation and thankfulness for their ongoing commitment and dedication.

So, although it takes more time, a unique, handcrafted gift says more than a mass-produced item of the value you place on their involvement in your kidmin programs.

Fortunately, there are many wonderful and imaginative people willing to share their ideas and creative ability and I've been checking out some of their great ideas on Pinterest. 

Have you had a chance to take a look yourself? Many of the ideas are not only attractive but easy to prepare. And some include printables- always a big plus! I've listed some images below of these gift ideas and you can find more information plus a link to the website by clicking on the image. 

Decorating kidmin areas creates high-interest and excitement for children and families and generates a lot of questions from the kids if the decorations relate to the lessons or theme of your program. I'm often amazed by how much the children will notice and think through from the decorations and posters that we display. 

But it takes a lot of time and can be expensive. You can create and print your own posters if you plan to change your decorations regularly and this is a more affordable option. Yes, it's not quite such a professional result but you'll be surprised how effective these posters can be.

It's helpful if you have access to Microsoft Publisher. When you open the program and select 'new', choose 'banner' or 'poster' setting. Many sizes and options are available so decide what size poster you want.

Christmas banner idea

Just as an added extra, check out this idea for a Christmas display that could be used with other lettering to spell out any message you require.

You'll find the instructions for this design here.

It seems a little incongruous to find Lego Star Wars, Angry Birds and even Princess Wedding advent calendars on the shop shelves loaded with Christmas gifts and decorations. 

Every year, it seems increasingly difficult to find Advent calendars that focus on the real meaning of Christmas while helping kids count down the days until Christmas. 

Advent calendar app
So, it's encouraging to note that Focus on the Family's Adventures in Odyssey has produced an Advent app for families to help you focus on Jesus' birth and to provide your family with plenty of holiday crafts and activities to keep everyone busy.

What's included?
You'll find a daily calendar with a picture to open for each day, daily Bible verses, Christmas crafts, downloadable, printable Odyssey town, discussion questions and a podcast of 22 Odyssey episodes that you can stream.

Download the new 'Thriving Family' app from the App Store to access the Adventures is Odyssey Advent Calendar. Once you download the app, you'll find it in in your iPad Newsstand. The library of Thriving Family will list a number of free editions of the Thriving Family magazine that you can download and read but also, the 2013 Advent sample. Click on the sample to read, but for full access to all the activities and content resources, you will need to purchase the full version.

Clicking on 'Purchase Full Version' will also take you back to the Thriving Family library. (See screen shot on the right.) Read morehere...

YouVersion Bible has already been downloaded 100 million times and now, it's coming for kids. YouVersion Bible app, in partnership with One Hope (God's Word. Every Child), is working to produce 'The Bible App for Kids'.

This storybook app will include colourful illustrations with touch animated animations to help your child fall in love with God's Word. 

Release date
Due late 2013, this app will encourage kids to interact with stories and see them come alive through the animations. Kids-friendly navigation is included along with  games and activities to encourage learning. 

You can find more information here and you can also be notified when this app is released.

Check out the YouTube clip below for further information about this upcoming app.

You'll often hear the advice, 'Don't work with children or animals'. As a kidmin leader, I often find that we're doing both- working with children and animals. And yes, it can be interesting.

We've had visiting camels, deer, reptiles, and birds. We've visited dairy farms, goat farms and sheep farms. We've created our own beach with sand, shells and crabs and gone fishing in a super-sized water tank. Mmmm... yes, it's been fun.

Safety
But 'safety' is paramount when you're working with kids and especially when animals are a big part of these activities. So.. if you're considering a petting zoo for your Christmas celebration, then please make sure you consider the following recommendations. (Please add any other suggestions you may think of below.)

Children & animals
Children love animals and a petting zoo allows them to gain a greater understanding of the conditions surrounding Jesus' birth. Kids will often make comments like, 'Yuck! It smells!' Yep.. it does. But when Jesus was born in a stable, it wasn't like a hospital, and those were the kinds of smells you'd find there. 

Use a registered, insured petting zoo company
Although it's tempting to cut your costs and bring in some animals from a neighbouring farm, please use a registered, insured petting zoo company. Yes, I know they can be expensive but it's worth it. The animals are used to being handled and are comfortable with kids. They have a well-organised setup with a large, portable enclosure with double gates to allow kids to come in but prevent animals escaping. They usually use a waterproof sheeting to avoid any damage and their staff will quickly clean up messes as they occur. That's particularly important if you're having the petting zoo inside. Let's face it.. animals can make a big mess.

Although the company you're using will have their own rules and guidelines for visitors, it's helpful to provide a printed copy of your safety recommendations to families beforehand. The following are some ideas to consider. Please feel feel to include additional safety rules yourself.
*Require supervision: Under 5s must be accompanied by an adult.
It's also helpful to staff the petting zoo activity with additional volunteers to help with supervision. My experience has been that our own kidmin volunteers are more vigilant and quick to step in and help than any outside company's supervision.
*Prohibit food and drink. Don't let kids feed the animals unless the company allows it and provides approved food. Sometimes, feeding bottles are provided for some of the baby animals and kids will be allowed to feed them. Monitor it carefully. Animals can become frantic for their food and push kids aside, even if they're babies, so keep a careful eye on these activities.
Don't let kids enter the animal enclosure carrying food and remind them to keep their hands away from their mouths while they're with the animals.
*Provide handwashing/sanitising stations. Yes, these companies normally include sanitising solutions but it's best to be prepared and set up a special area nearby for this. Make a big deal of it to ensure all the kids wash their hands after handling the animals. Encourage this by giving them a sticker as they wash their hands- helps you see who has washed their hands,too.
*Do not allow the children to pick up any animals. I know this is very tempting for kids, but please enforce the rule. The animals are used to being handled but they can be upset when they're picked up. And.. we don't want animals hurt. Children take a long time to understand the safe and careful way to pick up and hold animals. Some children like to pick up animals to hear them squeal. Keep an eye on this and remind them repeatedly not to pick up animals.

Children and families love and appreciate these opportunities to interact with animals. And, they provide a wonderful source of family discussion. Provide and encourage some simple safety guidelines and this holiday activity will be a memorable event.

Why do we like quotes so much? Why do we collect them and commit them to memory? For many, the quotes resonate deeply and relate directly to what we are going through or feeling. Similar to poetry, quotes are language at its most condensed and powerful.

Tools to help highlight Bible verses 
But, for kidmin leaders, the most important quotes are those verses from the Bible and Bible points from the lessons we are teaching each week. These are the words that we encourage children and families to commit to memory. So how can we highlight these words both on Sundays and during the week? Fortunately, there are simple and free tools to help.

Use for visuals on Facebook posts
Each Monday, I plan and schedule the Facebook posts for our church and kidmin page. Whenever possible, I try to include images, quotes and clips. Visual content is always more popular and it's a great way to connect with families and remind them of Sunday's lesson, Bible point or to encourage them to think about related questions and life application during the week.

2 online programs
Much of this content is included in our lesson material but sometimes I need to create a graphic myself to highlight something important... and that takes time.
Quozio is an online program that I use to create a beautiful graphic within minutes... and it's free. The screen shots below show just how simple it is to create an image. If you get the Quozio bookmarklet, you can also highlight text from any website and transform it into an attractive graphic

You can post the completed image directly to facebook or Pinterest or email a copy to yourself and anyone else. 

Another helpful tool is ReciteThis. Their tagline is 'Turn a quote into a masterpiece.' The image here was created with ReciteThis.

Again, it's free and there are many font options to create an eye-catching image.
 Click on your completed design to save and use on your social media, print as a poster for your kidmin lesson or include as a media slide on Sunday.