10 Songs I'll use in #KidsMin for the Rest of My Life

I love music.  I love everything about it.  I love the instruments, I love the voices, and I love the way it makes me feel.  It's only natural that I incorporate music into everything that I do as a #KidsMin.  I love singing with my kids, dancing with my kids, making up silly motions, and playing the tambourine, drums, maracas, and whatever other instruments we have.  

If you don't sing with your kids (whether in your ministry or at home) you should!  Learning to worship Jesus through song is such a special thing.  It's one of the ways that we communicate our love, praise, and adoration to Jesus.  

"Worship the Lord with gladness, come before Him with joyful song." -Psalm 100:2

Here are 10 songs that I'll use in #KidsMin the rest of my life:

1) Jesus Loves Me
2) Shout by Yancy
3) King of Majesty by Hillsong Kids
4) Not Forgotten by Israel Houghton & New Breed
5) The Word of the Lord by Seeds of Faith
6) Alive by Hillsong Kids
7) Sing Sing Sing by Chris Tomlin
8) God's Great Dance Floor by Passion
9) My Savior Lives by New Life Worship
10) Living For You by Gateway Worship

What are some of your favorite songs to sing with the kids in your ministry? 

Music Night

"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music."  

Psalm 98:4

Yesterday was the most glorious day!  

I absolutely love music.

I've been singing since I can remember, I play the violin, and I am actually self-teaching myself piano.
I've been in choirs, and led and sang on more praise teams than I can remember.
It's only natural that I incorporate music into as much as my #kidsmin as I can.  

In planning this year's themes I absolutely knew that I had to put music night on the calendar and I am so glad that I did. 

I sent home a postcard the week before as usual and encouraged all of my kids to get creative in coming up with their instruments and get creative they did!  I saw all of the most interesting and unique instruments last night. 

I set up a music station for our pre-service activity where all of the kids had the opportunity to make their own tambourines.  All I put out were plastic plates (paper works too) and markers.  I had one of my volunteers responsible for gluing the tambourines together and filling them with a mix of rice and beans.  We used hot glue because we used plastic plates and they were too thick to staple like you could a paper plate.  

Here's a look at what our table's looked like. 

After the kids made their tambourines they moved to their seats where Miss Mary helped lead them in lots of exciting music for Jesus while the rest of the kids were coming in and making their tambourines.  

We said our opening pledges and I gave a brief (3 minute) lesson on why we worship Jesus.  We talked about how the Bible says to shout to the Lord all the earth and how it doesn't matter how talented of a singer we are or how old we are.  We can all worship Jesus and it is exciting for all of us!

Here's a look at my tambourine!  Yes, it has bling on it!  Being the lady in charge has to have its perks somewhere.
Can you guys & gals keep a secret?
People think I plan theme nights for the kids... 
I really plan them so I can sit in my office and craft during the day without people looking at me like I'm weird.  

The most glorious thing that I've seen in my whole life happened after that.  All of the kids got their instruments and we worshiped Jesus together.  It was the best worship experience that I've ever had in my entire life.  There was truly something jubilant about worshiping Jesus with 50 of my littlest and closest friends. 

We sang "Shout" by Yancy and boy did my kids shout!
They loved it so much that we sang it again at the end of our club time.

If you don't have a music night planned already put it on your calendar... yesterday!

It's such an easy and again low-cost night!  This night cost me less than $25 dollars because I pulled together almost all of my supplies from what I already had in my resource room.  My biggest expense was my glue gun sticks to glue my plates together.

I truly believe that it is so important for kids to learn how to worship Jesus at a young age, and I'm looking forward to seeing all of my kids worshiping Jesus in church on Sunday.

Have you ever had a music night?  Share your thoughts below in the comments!

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Top 5 Easy DIY Musical Instruments

Coming up this Wednesday my kids ministry will be themed around Music night. 

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.  Worship the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs."  -Psalm 100:1-2

I thought I'd put together a craft post of some easy instruments that every kid can make at home. 

Last summer, I hosted a music night and we made a lot of the instruments right there at the church.
I love music and it is very important to me that my kids learn at a young age how important it is to worship the Lord through music.  Every kid can make a joyful noise to the Lord with both their voice and an instrument.

Here are some simple musical instruments that your kids can use to sing and dance to Jesus.  

Egg Shakers

We all have old Easter eggs sitting in our closet and a bag or rice or dry beans in our kitchen. 

Scoop a small handful of rice (or the food or noise maker of your choice) in your Easter egg and you have an instant shaker. 

If you don't want rice all over your house I suggest taping or gluing your egg shakers closed.  

Shoe Box Guitars

Need an idea for all those old shoe boxes sitting in your closet?  Make shoe box guitars. 

Grab some markers, crayons, wrapping paper, etc and let your kids go to town on decorating the outside of the box. 

After your kids have decorated the box, find some string or yarn. 

Use a hole puncher to punch holes in both sides of your guitar and tightly string your yarn across. 

Make sure that your string is pulled as tightly as it can be so that it will make a noise.
If you want to have a neck on your guitar use an old paper towel roll.
Hot glue* it to the shoe box and you have a complete guitar.  

Paper Plate Tambourines

This is also another super easy do it yourself instrument.
Much like the egg shaker, all you need is a paper plate, rice or beans, and a stapler.
Let your little one's decorate the backs of their paper plates however they wish with markers, crayons, etc...
After they have finished decorating fill the plates with whatever you want (different foods make different sounds) and staple it shut.
And just like that you have a tambourine.

Drums
This is by far the easiest instrument of all to make.
Grab some pots and pans, and a few cooking spoons or spatulas and you have an instant drum set.
I do recommend grabbing some earplugs for mom & dad before using this option though.
For a more complicated drum set you can use old oatmeal (or any circle) containers.
Cover the outside with construction paper, let your kids decorate, and go to town.

Microphone
When I was growing up I was the singer of my family.
My dad always says that I learned the words to the Disney songs faster than anyone he'd ever seen.
To make a microphone for the little vocalist in your family just save those empty paper towel holders.
Gather one up and decorate it however you want.
For the little girls in your family I recommend lots of sequins and bling.
She'll go nuts over her very own bedazzled microphone that she can use to sing to her hearts content.

Do you make any instruments with your kids?

Leave your suggestions in the comments! 

*Hot glue should only be used by adults or by those with proper adult supervision!