I can already feel summer coming to an end. I have loved these warm days spent playing in the sun, and decided to spend a few days this week hosting a ‘summer camp’ for my two children and my two little sisters, aged 1-8.

Come Follow Me Study Idea

My church has a home-study curriculum that we follow as a family. The past three weeks have been spent studying the book of Psalms. To help reinforce some of the powerful scriptures we’ve read, I based each day off of one verse of Psalms.

Day 1- Psalm 119:105

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

We began our day singing various camp songs to get the kids excited for summer camp and set the mood. I honestly hated camp songs when I was attending camps as a teenager, but it was a blast to teach the littles some fun songs. We then introduced our theme scripture and had a discussion about what “thy word” means in this context, and how the Holy Spirit can be a light in our lives.

Our theme song for the day was Teach Me to Walk in the Light. The children memorized both the song and the verse throughout the day.

We spent the rest of the day playing games and doing activities, loosely tied to the theme. Some examples included playing dress up and having a little photo shoot (we talked about how the scriptures teach us who we really are– children of God), picking wild blackberries and making jam (we can enjoy the ‘fruits of the Spirit’ as we read the scriptures), and a good game of flashlight tag once night fell.

One of my favorite activities was inviting the children to draw a picture, piece by piece. Then we blindfolded them and had them attempt to draw the same picture. We laughed about how tricky it is to draw without eyes to see, and drew comparisons to life without the word of God.

I also made a sash and badge for this day. Each child got to choose an individual button and help construct a little campfire out of felt. I intended to do this the following days, but what do they say about the best-laid plans?

Day 2- Psalm 116:13

I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.

Day 2 began with some difficulty, possibly due to staying up too late playing flashlight tag. It took a while to get things going, but we finally were able to begin with some more singing and a talk about the theme for the day. We talked about prayer, and how prayer allows us to access the grace that Jesus offers so freely.

Our theme song was Did You Think to Pray?

The first activity was finding and decorating a prayer rock, to help the kids remember to pray each morning and night. I’m also working on remembering to pray, to be honest. We had a little testimony meeting about prayer, and spent most of this day playing outdoors games, like Red Rover and Telephone. These games connected to the theme because they center around calling each other and communication, and we also made a caveat that each phrase in Telephone should be something the player is grateful for. We really enjoyed spending time just playing and talking about prayer.

Day 3- Psalm 139:14

 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works…

Day 3 began more smoothly. This day focused on Heavenly Father as a creator, and ourselves as His creations. He is the Master and loves us deeply.

Our theme song was I Am a Child of God.

This day we spent a lot of time on various crafts and projects, as well as just playing freely. We had a discussion about what it means to be a child of God, and how we can love His other beautiful creations. Some of our projects included making bath bombs and coloring pictures. Our day was cut short by a visit from some friends. It’s hard to compete with friends and a swimming pool!

Overview

Structuring our scripture study like a summer camp really helped me and the kids to remember these verses and inspired some pretty deep conversations. It was a great way to spend quality time together and enjoy the last of the summer, too!