Can you be trusted? This month's widget challenges families to determine whether an action is responsible or reckless. The four-part game pits you against our timer to make the responsible call… before time runs out!

Share your stories below on how each week's games are going! Who's winning? Who's whining? Who's the most responsible???

We all know it’s tough to see beyond the moment when that kid just cut ahead in line or the boss at work is yelling at you. So stretch your big picture muscles with this month’s widget: The Missing Piece tangram puzzle. One family member creates an image using the pieces while others guess what it is. Bonus points go to anyone who can guess the “big picture” before all the pieces are in place.

Pick up your Missing Piece game in KidzRock! And be sure to share your stories and pictures of the shapes you all came up with!

It’s not easy to stand for what’s right. In fact, it’s a lot easier to just trail along with whatever the crowd decides. God’s power will always help us stand … but we have to remember to ASK. That’s where this month’s widget, the Stand Tag, comes in. This dog tag-style shoe accessory is stamped with the word “STAND.” Wear it on your shoe as a reminder to stand firm, even when others don’t! If you don’t have shoelaces, use the Stand Shoe Sticker instead!

Be sure to share stories below of how your child is standing up for what's right this month!

Kindergarten/1st Grade Leaders

Linda Garay – coffee cake, avocados, café mocha

Heather Mueller - oranges, sun chips, almonds, chocolate, cafe mocha, Dr. Pepper

Adam and Stephanie Murphy – Skittles, Peanut M&Ms, almonds, Sprite, Root Beer, Dr. Pepper, coffee

2nd Grade Leaders

Sarah Merrill – lattes, cinnamon teddy grahams

Sharon Armstrong - chocolate, vanilla latte

Kimberly Valentine – chocolate, while chocolate mocha latte

3rd/4th Grade Leaders

Shannon Rood – blueberry muffins, tall almond latte

Joe Rood – nonfat caramel macchiato, coffee cake

Nate Babin – anything gummy, BBQ chips, Mountain Dew, Monster Energy

Rebecca Odell - sweet tarts, m&ms and Sprite

Laurie Martini – latte with whip, peach tea, rolos

We all know that crowns can be a symbol of great honor. It's a visual reminder of worth and value. With this month's origami Crown of Honor, honor goes two ways! Kids are encouraged to wear their crowns the first part of the month as a symbol of how God has honored them by creating them with a unique calling and naming them His friends! Then kids need to be on the lookout for where they can give honor to others. Maybe they could honor a grandparent or teacher. Or perhaps they honor the church janitor or even a younger sibling. Each child is encouraged to present their Crown of Honor to someone else sometime during the month to let that person know just how valuable they are!

 THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE:

1. Create your origami crown of Honor together as a family (Kits available in KidzRock).
2. Choose someone special to honor with your crown. (Ideas above!)
3. Take a photo of you and the honoree (cell phone quality is fine!)
4. Send the photo to Mr. Daniel (ddejesus@cccconline.org) AND a short paragraph on why you chose to honor this person.
5. Each submission will be entered into a drawing to win a full scholarship to AMPL!FY Kid's Camp

Lose your origami crown instructions? View them HERE or download the file HERE. And as always, share your stories below!

Knowing what God says changes the way you play! When we hide God's words in our hearts, we will always have them with us when we need them. Our Challenge continues as we study HONOR!!!

Here's something fun we've created for all of the elementary kids this month. We're calling it the Game Changer Verse Challenge!

1. Download the new memory verse sheet HERE
2. Memorize a verse. The goal for Kindergartners and 1st graders is to memorize at least two verses from the sheet. The goal for 2nd - 4th graders is to memorize four verses.
3. Once you have a verse memorized, recite it to your Small Group Leader. They will award you with a paper "game controller" where you'll write your name and the verse reference.
4. Tape your controller to the display board in the KidzRock lobby.
5. Sign your name on the record sheet on the table near the display board.

All kids who meet their goal and complete the challenge with have their own PIZZA PARTY on March 4th after FamJam!

Simple as that! Are you game?

Ever feel like life is moving so fast you boilover and say the biting words or make the hurtful move before you can even think? It's time for a game changer—THE Game Changer, in fact! This cool wristband reads “game on” on one side and “game off” on the other. When you feel your temperature rising, STOP! Grab your “game on” wristband and flip it around to the “game off” side. Take a few moments to breathe, pray, and plan your next words or moves with self-control. Then flip that wristband back, and, oh yeah … it's game on!

Comment below and share your stories of when the Game Changer helps you! 

This month we're giving a sheet of Christmas wrapping paper to every family at your FamJam. Generosity allows us to show the character of God to others because we are never more like God than when we give.We can give our time, talents, and possessions. The challenge for families this month is to think of something to give away to someone who would never expect a gift from them. It could be an acquaintance, a stranger, or someone that families know but have never given a present to. Families can get as creative as they want with their generosity. You should use the wrapping paper to wrap up something unexpected and then go out and make someone’s day.

Don't forget to share your stories of generosiy in the COMMENTS section below! :) Happy giving!

-Mr. Daniel

Materials:

Hat

10-15 slips of paper with one person or thing you are grateful for written on each. (like trees, water, mom, dad, hamburgers, etc)

How to:

Fold each paper in half and mix them all together in the hat. Choose one person to be "it" first.  He or she will draw a slip of paper out of the hat, secretly look at the word, and try to get the others to guess what's written by saying how that person or thing helps us. For example, if you draw a slip of paper that says "blankets", you might say something like, "this object helps keep me warm at night." If you want to make it more competitive, set a timer for 60 seconds or break up into teams (like Charades or Pictionary!) Have fun!

This month the featured take home tool is a Thank-You-tation. The idea is for families to use their Thank-You-tations to “let others know you see how they’ve helped you.” Each family member gets a Thank-You-tation to give away to someone outside their family to show thanks to that person and invite him or her to an event. It could be a dinner, or a game night, a birthday party or a movie. We've even organized a special event you can invite your friends to: a special encore performance of the November FamJam at This Side Up! Family Fun Center! (thissideupfamily.org)

Submit your Thank-You-tation stories by commenting below! :)

Here is this month's family connection game! We're calling it the "Sculptivity Smackdown"!

We've provided each family with a set of Wiki Stix. If you didn't receive yours they're in a white box on the KidzRock counter. Plan a family game night or simply set aside a specific time for the Sculptivity Smackdown. Set a timer. The first sculptor gets 30 seconds to make something creative out of the Wikki Stix. After the 30 seconds are up each family member guesses what the first player has made. Families can mix it up ahead of time by creating a list of ideas and letting the player select from that list. Or you can form teams and play using standard Pictionary® rules. However families play, they should have fun celebrating the fun and creative ideas that are sure to arise. Celebrate using your imagination to do something unique!

This month, each family gets Trust Token. These shiny coins can be used to play a game based on honesty. One person in the family starts out with the Trust Token and watches to catch someone else in the family showing the virtue of honesty. Perhaps that person is telling the truth when it’s a difficult situation, or when they could easily conceal the truth but choose not to. Then that person gets the Trust Token and one point. (You may want create your own little point chart) He or she is then responsible for catching another family member showing honesty, and so on. At the end of the month, the families can celebrate the virtue of honesty in their family by recognizing the person who received the most points.

So why’s it called a Trust Token? Families that practice the virtue of honesty automatically build trust with each other. Trust tokens are a great way to remember that every time we choose to be truthful we also give others a great reason to trust us.