kids church activity bag

when my brother and i were little we used to come to church with a family who also had two kids. we were all around the same age, so with four littles running a muck, the parents had to find a way to entertain us. they brought a bag with them each week that had books, toys, crayons, etc. and we got to sit on the ground in the pew aisle coloring, reading and playing (sometimes, though, my brother would take off under the pews and go a few rows up, haha). that bag kept us (for the most part) quiet and entertained so they could focus on the service.

when bry was little and it was just the two of us, she usually sat pretty quiet, singing when we sang and listening to the pastor. sometimes she would sit with friends and they usually had books and crayons, so that kept her busy. but with the boys, they keep me on my toes and i just never really thought about putting together a bag. it wasn't until it go to the point when i had to stop going to church because i just couldn't keep the boys in the pews that i realized: i need to fix this. so i remembered back to when i was a child and thought, 'duh. i need to make an activity bag!'

i went to the dollar tree and gathered up items, grabbed the boys' bibles and put them in this adorable cotton on kids bag. here is what's inside:

i got them each a coloring book (the same kind so they wouldn't fight over them) and a box of crayons to share.

they also have some books to read and look through when they don't want to color anymore. joseph's soft bible (pictued) and oliver's bible are in the mix, too.

i included some wood alphabet blocks to play with. i am trying to find some bible character toys as well, but i am cheap so i haven't been able to find a good deal. (but let's face it; i want it, so when i'm done publishing this post i'll go online and buy the set anyway.)

UPDATE: i found the bible character toys, finally. and i got a great deal on them: $1/each. now the bag is complete.

i decided to go with all bible related items just for personal preference, but you could really add any theme or genre to it, as long as it's church and kid appropriate of course. i also plan to make these items things that they get to use and play with only in church, so it makes them extra special and something they look forward to each week instead of getting bored of them too quickly. i'll replace the coloring books when necessary and will switch out the toys every couple months, but they'll all be special for church.

what's in your church activity bag?