Most children’s ministry workers understand the old adage… “Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.” No one needs to explain that after a bath, the baby is dried, warmed, lotioned, and dressed. Who doesn’t love the sweet smell of a newly bathed infant who is ready for bed? And who doesn’t understand that the bath water goes down the drain or, in earlier days, gets thrown “out?” The baby is clean and precious. The bath water is waste. Nobody could make the mistake of throwing the baby out with the bath water.

And yet, these kinds of proverbs survive because they refer to possible (even comical) realities while also reminding us of mistakes we might make. If we’re not thoughtful, it can be easy to eliminate the good in our quest to get rid of the bad. If we’re not careful, we can throw the baby out with the bath water.

When it comes to choosing effective teaching methods, it can be easy to overlook something good in an effort to eliminate the bad. This can happen when teachers refuse to use printable activities, EVER. Perhaps printable activities are perceived as being too much like “school.” Or perhaps they don’t involve enough movement or require as much energy. The reasons can be many. We would suggest that such an attitude is essentially “throwing the baby out with the bath water.” There are good reasons for using printable activities at least PART of the time.

Activities that require movement can be distracting to a child’s attention. There are times when children need to be still and THINK. Printable activities can facilitate this kind of calm reflection. Younger children especially may find it difficult to think while they’re also trying to keep up with a relay race (or similar game). Printable activities can encourage focus.

We also need to remember that some children may simply prefer activities that involve a pencil or crayon. We have long known that all of us favor certain learning methodologies or styles over others. Some children will learn better while they’re moving. Some will learn better while they’re sitting still. We need to create lesson plans that serve ALL children.

Printable activities can also serve to connect learning with important visual impressions. For example, children should learn early how to recognize the Mediterranean world, especially the lands of the Bible, including the relatively small area where Jesus lived and ministered. A colorable map can create a much more lasting impression than the big map on the wall, if there even is one. And how much more impactful will it be for a child to see a picture of Jesus and the children stuck on the refrigerator after coloring it at church?

And that brings us to the joy of giving (and receiving). Children love to show their parents what they have done. And they love to GIVE their parents something they’ve done. A game of bean bag toss may be great fun, but what will they (or the parents) take home with them after such a game? I have a wall in my office that is plastered with paper treasures given to me by our Granddaughters. They see them every time they visit. It says I’m proud of them. You can’t get that from a game of “telephone line.”

And we should note that some printable activities can be “enhanced” with yarn, glitter, glue, and other things to create a wonderful craft. In these cases the printable activity is merely the foundation or starting point for an activity that creates something absolutely fabulous!

Now, I realize that this may all seem rather self-serving since we are operating a site that provides printable activities. But, we’re not saying lesson plans should use ONLY printable activities. We’re merely saying that there are times whey they make good sense.

All of us want to be effective Bible teachers to the kids in our care. And, we understand that children have short attention spans. Consequently, variety in our teaching plans is essential. Even the most creative method will soon become ineffective if it’s the ONLY activity used. So, don’t say “no” to any particular type of activity. Don’t discount the value of printable activities. In other words, don’t throw the baby out with the bath water!