• At the start of the class settle the kids down, have a prayer, and ask each one thing about their week as you quietly set up your room.
• Have the children pick a favorite song, put their hands on their head and sing it while you set up.
• (GIA suggestion) Keep mini journals for each child. Have the children write or draw in them when they come in.
• Make challenge books for each child. At the end of class ask each the children to make a challenge that relates to the lesson and write it in their book.
• At the next lesson when they are given their books again they can write how the challenge went. Perhaps you could give a child a sticker for their book each time they complete a challenge.
• Use variety in telling stories:
• puppets (finger, stick, hand) -flannel board (with story outline in Friend magazines)
• reader’s theatres -dramatizations
• roller boxes -pictures
• Games

Know your Standard Works:

• The leader calls out the name of a book or person from the standard works and the children name the particular works from which it comes.
• Example: Peter Answer: New Testament

Guess Who You Are:

• The names of famous scriptural or church history characters are written on small cards, one on each card, and one of the cards is pinned on the back of each player. By questions that can be answered yes or no, each class member is to guess the name on his/her back.

Scripture Talk:

• One group is to say a scripture simultaneously, each individual saying one assigned word. The other group has to figure out the scripture.

• Use a bean bag to toss to the children. When a child catches it, they must name a prophet (ancient or modern). This can also be done by naming the temples.

Scripture Chase:

• materials: scriptures
• Divide the class into two teams. Throughout the lesson when you introduce a scriptures listed to be discussed, make it a real scripture chase competition and see which team can get the entire team to find the scripture first. To make it even more official, have them put their scriptures down on a table or on their laps. Their hands are not to touch the scriptures until you call the word "chase".