Family Time

I decided to spice up our nightly family time by incorporating an activity once a week from a workbook I ordered (ummmm...last summer...better late than never, right?). Ella Ann really, really looks forward to our family time in which we usually just read from the Bible, talk about what we read, do a memory verse and pray. She likes the reading part, dislikes the memory verse. However, when I tell her during the day that tonight we will be doing an activity during family time she gets incredibly excited. The anticipation is very fun and I am thrilled she is learning so much from doing such simple things. Once we made Noah's Ark out of a packing box and used all her stuffed animals as the passengers, we put a baby doll in a plastic bowl and floated it in the bathtub and made her search the house for "Baby Moses" and a couple of nights ago we did a play with the story of Ruth and Naomi. Each time the story is told, verses are reiterated and we end with a discussion/Q & A. It can be a little much to prepare at times but it is worth it to see Ella Ann learn and want to do it over and over and over.

I used pipe cleaners as the characters for the story of Ruth and pieces of construction paper for the land of Judah, Moab and the fields of Judah. I did the entire "skit" for Ella Ann and she really got into it. She has played with it every single day and night since and we have had to repeat the entire activity the following night for our family time. She will spread it all out of the floor and spend some time acting out the story. Side note, though, sometimes Ruth, Naomi and Boaz magically turn into Dora, Boots, and Ally (friend of Dora's). Funny, funny kid.

The balloon was also part of the activity. Ruth is drawn on the balloon, I know I am such a fantastic artist, and to show how Ruth "clung" to Naomi we rubbed the balloon on Ella Ann's head, stuck it to her backside and made her run across the room. She loved it.