Sponsor Theme Packs--Now there's a page :)

I'm adding new theme packs nearly daily for sponsors to print and send to their kids. Today I'm adding a paper doll Psalm 31 themed pack for girls.  To avoid making a new blog post each time, I have set up a page just for the theme packs.  Just visit the home page of my blog and click on the Sponsor Writing Pack page, and you'll find them all in one place!

Thanks! Hope you find them useful!

New Sponsor Writing Packet--Trees theme for young kids

Here's a cute tree themed packet for kids ages 2-10 with devotional verse from 1Chronicles. Most of the activities in this packet come from the US Forest Service. Includes cute little paper doll puppets and a puppet stage, plus a mini book and coloring sheets!

Tree themed Sponsor Packet

Sponsor Theme Pack ~ Gender Neutral Ages 2-8, Bees

Much of the artwork/activity sheets in this printable pack came from the US Forest Service Natural Inquirer Website. There are free downloadable magazines available on that site, as well, in English and in Spanish--they make great items to send along to your Compassion Kids! You can order hard copies, also (they are free!!).  Great for homeschooling!  The website for the Natural Inquirer is www.naturalinquirer.org

The Devotional Verse for this packet is Psalm 50:11- I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine.

Bee-themed Sponsor Packet

Sponsor Writing Packet--for Teen Boys! Space theme, with Devotional Verse

Here's a new packet. I know that sometimes it's hard to know what to send teen boys. This packet has space-themed stationery, 2 bookmarks from www.NASA.gov, and a paper model for your teen boy to cut out and make (please note--the model came from www.NASA.gov and I have not tested the model, so if you are concerned about how it turns out, please try it yourself before sending it!)

In addition to the "goodies", there is a page with a lovely devotional verse from Psalms, with a space-related theme.  The verse is given in English, Spanish, and French.  The English translation is from "The Message," which I appreciate for it's modern-day resonance.

Thanks for dropping in!  Next up--a packet for teen girls, and a generic packet for any age group.

Download the Space Theme Sponsor Writing Packet Here

Jonah Themed Sponsor Packet-Free Download

Here is a Jonah Themed packet, suitable for girls or boys, complete with coloring sheets, mini book, and game... Enjoy!

Jonah Themed Sponsor Packet

Free Printable Sponsor Packet ~ Soccer Theme!

As promised, here is the next free printable packet.  Please check back often, as I will be adding Noah's Ark, Daniel and the Lions, God's Princess and Prince, and several Teen themes, including Solar Systems, Angels, and Devotionals.

Enjoy! If you like these, consider making a donation to Compassion International!

Soccer Theme Sponsor Packet

Free Printable Sponsor Packets!

So the other day I started by posting templates for allowing young children to engage in the writing experience. Today I'm excited to post the first of several downloadable, printable sponsor packets!

I know sometimes it is hard to round up all the links, sites, and printables in one place and get them ready to send. I'd like to offer these up as one solution, especially for first-time sponsors who may need some ideas to get started.

Each packet is themed and has a stationery sheet, several coloring pages, and a game or maze (or both!).

Today's sponsor packet is butterfly and flower themed (don't worry sponsors of boys--a soccer theme is next up!). This packet has stationery, flower and butterfly coloring sheets, a memory matching game, and a maze.

Butterfly and Flower Printable Sponsor Packet

Enjoy!  Please let me know if you find these useful!

Congratulations, Goodbyes, Hellos, and FREEBIES!!!

One of my correspondent children, Banji Mariyadasu, has left our family fold this month. Thought I truly never got to know Banji, because he was assigned as a correspondent child in January of this year and finished the program on April 1, I do hope that the letters and cards I have sent him have and will continue to touch his life in some small way. I am so very proud of Banji for completing the Compassion Program as a successful graduate, for finishing his education to a 12th grade American equivalent, and for....securing a JOB!!! Way to go Banji Mariyadasu! You are well on your way to breaking the bonds of poverty and I am certain you will become a rock for Christ Jesus!

Congratulations Banji!!

Only a few short days after losing Banji to graduation, we have welcomed a new correspondent child into our fold. This sweet boy is 6 year old Manikandan Palsamy from India. Isn't he handsome?? I just sent my first introductory letter and a packet of goodies to him yesterday. I'm looking forward to getting to know Manikandan and supporting him through encouragement and love in the coming months and years. Won't you please say a prayer for our Banji as he takes the next steps into his future, and for Manikandan as we begin a relationship with him?

Welcome, Manikandan!

Speaking of Hellos... On the amazing Our Compassion sponsor forum, discussions went around not long ago about templates for writing to your sponsored children, and Michelle from Blogging From the Boonies asked if anyone had developed child-friendly templates (e.g., templates younger children could use to correspond with sponsored kids). I think that's a great idea for young kids, especially since I have a 2.5 year old and sometimes struggle with how to involve him!

Several people popped up with excellent templates, including and especially Elephant Grace, who also offers correspondent kits. I thought I might take a stab at the challenge, as well. So, here are the first of my downloadable templates (more to come in the future) for young children to correspond with your sponsored child! Just click on the photo and it should take you to a pdf for download. These templates are specifically geared toward very young kids (e.g. ages 2 to 5) who may need help writing, so that they can feel like they are a part of the sponsorship experience. 

I'm hoping in the future to develop downloadable sponsor packets by theme for those who might need a quick solution or might just be getting started.

Thanks for stopping in, I'd love your feedback about the templates, I'd love your thoughts about themes for future packets, and I'd love your prayers. I'd also really love it if you'd pass my blog along and if you'd check out my ETSY store...100% of purchase price for all items on my store goes to Compassion Child Survival Programs!! GREAT for Mother's Day (which is coming up--so don't forget your mom!). To date, over $400 has been raised and donated through my site/sales thanks to your generosity and purchases!

Conspiracy of Love handmade jewelry for Compassion

Ten Fun things to Send your Sponsored Child

Spring brings so much pleasure to me. I love the longer days, the warming sun, and the color of new leaves and bright blooms after a cold, gray, dark winter. There is something about spring that wakes us up and makes us want to do more, to work harder, to shake off the doldrums and get to living again.

Spring also makes us a lot busier. I know for me, personally, this spring is shaping up to be one of the busiest I've had in years. I have several work-related trips planned, I'm dancing quite a bit, there are birthday parties to attend, Mother's Day jewelry orders to fill, garden beds to be planted and tended, and yardwork galore. I'm also planning a yard sale with a fellow sponsor to benefit Compassion, so I need to start pulling all my stuff together that I plan to sell--and I have no idea where to begin!

In the busy new outdoor life of spring, it may be harder to remember to sit down and write our Compassion kids. The official Compassion International blog recently posted a series of pictures of sponsored children holding their most prized possessions...the letters from their sponsors.

It seems that the overarching agreement among sponsored children who have graduated the program is that sponsor letters were extraordinarily influential in their lives. In fact, children who recieve letters from their sponsors are more likely to remain in and graduate from the program than children who do not.

That's the amazing difference that Compassion sponsors make.

There are so many amazing posts out there with topic suggestions if you run out of things to discuss with your sponsored child. Blogging from the Boonies has some awesome suggestions. Compassion.com had some great suggestions, as well. Here, I thought I would chip in my 2 cents with some ideas for "extras" (besides stickers) that you can send along to your sponsored children to add to their excitement when they get your next letter.

1. Paper Dolls ~ Paper dolls are so fun, and so easy to find. Dollar General carries books of paper dolls for about $2 each, and Dover Publishing has amazing paper dolls (and they offer frequent discounts). If you have a pinterest account, search "Paper dolls" and you'll find many free paper dolls--print on cardstock and cut out for a great treat!  Another fun paper doll idea--make paper dolls of YOUR FAMILY for your sponsored child! Simply have your family members stand against a plain background and photograph, then print out on cardstock and cut out. You can use decorative scrapbook paper to make clothing for your paper doll selves. For extra fun, print your sponsored child's picture as well, and make him or her into a paper doll! Here's an adorable printable paper doll to get you started: http://oliverands.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/paperdolls2.jpg

 

2. Paper airplanes ~ For young children you can pre-make the paper airplanes and tuck them into a small envelope so that they are ready to fly when the child receives them. For older children, print out instructions from the internet (or photocopy instructions from a book) and send along with sheets of decorative paper. Here's a blog with many printable instructions: http://paperplaneideas.blogspot.com/

3. Recordable Cards ~ There are a great many musical cards out there--some that include flashing lights and pop up! Most of them are birthday or holiday-specific, but Hobby Lobby carries a lot of Christian themed musical cards that are generic in nature. Some feature contemporary Christian songs and some feature classic secular music. People from the Compassion mailroom indicate that not only do the children love to recieve these cards, the staff in the mailrooms love them as well! If you are ambitious you can find cards that also include a record button, and you can record a personal message from your family--what a gift to your sponsored child to be able to hear your voice!

4. Friendship Bracelets ~ We are unable to send real jewelry or string through the mail, but there are some really adorable paper bracelet (or necklace!) tutorials out there that feature strips of paper folded across each other. Here's one fantastic tutorial: http://increations.blogspot.com/2008/09/origami-bracelet.html
You could coat the paper with a layer of mod podge or spray acrylic for durability. For older kids, send a completed bracelet along with instructions and materials for your child to make his or her own! And don't think these are just for girls--in other cultures some men wear jewelry as well, so your little boy may well enjoy wearing a cuff-style bracelet in "manly" colors or a superhero theme. To close the bracelet, many sponsors have reported that small (tiny) velcro circles that stick-on have made it through. You might also try including some glue dots or punch a hole in each end and perhaps the child can find a small piece of string or grass with which to tie it closed.

5. Photo album ~ I plan to do this for my children this spring. The most beloved and requested items from sponsored children are photographs of their sponsor family. You can make a simple photo album using commercial software (or even MS Word) or online tools and print your album at home or your local copy store. Staple with a cute decorative cover and you have a treasured gift for your child. This is super easy to do for multiple children because it's as easy to print 4 copies as it is to print 1 copy. Include a photo of your sponsored child in the album so they know they are part of your family, too!

6. Thin books or book chapters ~ I recently discovered that it is okay to send thin books as long as the cover is removed and the book meets the 1/4 inch thickness rule. In fact, for older teens you can send big books (think C.S. Lewis) chapter-by-chapter. Yes, it hurts to tear a book apart, but visit a used bookstore, yard sale, or Goodwill for a copy of a beloved used book and start ripping! Be cognizant of language differences, however--if your child speaks a different language the translators will not translate an entire book. You may be able to find used foreign-language books through Amazon or Ebay (or even at your local used bookstore--particularly in Spanish).

7. 3D bookmarks ~ I love the 3D and "moving" bookmarks that craft stores and bookstores sell. Even young children love these.

8. Magazines ~ You can remove the cover and send thin magazines. For little kids, National Geographic has great animal-themed magazines. Zootles is a good one for little kdis, as well. Highlights is wonderful for English speaking children. Target ocassionally carries some Highlights activity pads and posters in the $1 section that are wonderful.

9. Lapbooks ~ Lapbooks are among my favorite things to send. Originally a homeschooling idea, a lapbook is simply a folder-sized study unit organized around a central theme, containing multiple activities. For example, you might choose a Noah's Ark theme and include coloring pages, stickers, a matching game, a mini book, paper dolls, etc all depicting the story of Noah's Ark, and you might tuck it all into an animal-themed school folder. Some great resources for lapbooks include www.lapbooklessons.com (www.lapbooklessons.com/NoahsArkLapbook.html for Noah's Ark), http://www.heartofwisdom.com/homeschoollinks/lapbooks-scrapbooks-make-learning-fun/, http://www.homeschoolshare.com/lapbooking_resources.php, http://pinterest.com/MeetPenny/lapbook-ideas/

10. Paper bag puppets ~ How much fun are paper bag puppets? They are easy to assemble yourself, and you can find plenty of templates on Google and Pinterest, or you can be lazy like I was and purchase a Paper Bag Puppet kit from Alex toys, which comes with 5 ADORABLE puppets in individual plastic sleeves, with all the pieces necessary to make the puppet AND instructions AND stickers for decorating the puppet. How easy is that?? I punched out the pieces to keep the package within the size limits, and then stuck them all back in the plastic sleeve with a photocopy of the instructions, and my mailing was ready to go! http://www.amazon.com/Alex-Toys-Little-Hands-Puppets/dp/B0013GRW1K

I hope this post gets you excited about spring mailings for your sponsored kids. I would love to hear your ideas and comments! What do you plan to send this spring?

Blessings and Happy Easter!

Everyone Likes Free Stuff!

So, I'm pretty new to this blogging thing. I'm learning as I go. I'd love comments and feedback from anyone who happens to stop in, and please share my blog with others!

I was browsing the Compassion.com website the other day (a dangerous thing once you are a sponsor--it is so hard to pass up those beautiful children who need sponsorship!). I came across a wealth of free resources that I think a lot of moms would love to get their hands on, but are probably unaware of.

First, if you are a homeschooling mom, teacher, Sunday School teacher, children's minister, or any parent who wants to share cultures and lives of children in other countries, the Christian Homeschool resources are really wonderful.

One lesson focuses on Burkina Faso, which just happens to be where two of our sponsored kids live. The curriculum materials include information about Burkina Faso, activities to help children understand how their lives differ from children living in Burkina Faso from the perspective of relative wealth, and crafts to make a homemade soccer ball from recycled materials (plastic bags!) and a beaded bracelet from recycled magazines. Burkina Faso celebrates the arts, and many of its residents are craftsmen, so arts and crafts are a good way to celebrate and remember the culture of that country.

Another lesson focuses on Brazil, and on taking care of our rain forests and other creatures in God's world. Children learn to identify food products in their own homes that originated in the rainforest, and make a rain forest in a bottle. In lesson plan two, kids unscramble the names of countries and capitals to improve geography skills.

Other regions explored include Peru, Mexico, and India, and focuses extend from Biblical concepts of stewardship, evangelism, and caring for others to science (how mudslides occur and how they can be prevented, for example), measurements, map reading skills, and other important concepts.

You can access the materials and download the lesson pdfs at http://www.compassion.com/christian-home-school/homeschool-lesson-plans.htm

Another freebie for parents and kids is the really cool "For Kids" section of Compassion.com.  This page offers an online educational journey called "Quest for Compassion" to four countries where Compassion's ministry works on behalf of children. Kids can also access "Explorer Magazine" for children, which can be read online or printed in hard copy. This magazine features stories of children around the world and activities that help children learn about poverty and culture. Also included are recipes and crafts from the featured countries.

You can access "For Kids" and all of its content at http://www.compassion.com/povert/kids-corner.htm

Finally, if you have a heart for helping the poor--particularly through Compassion International, there are a variety of free resources available to you online, including posters detailing poverty-related statistics; computer wallpaper; web gadgets (banners, widgets, etc); and videos.

You can access free downloads at http://www.compassion.com/get-involved/free-downloads.htm

With so many free resources, it's well worth your time to visit the Compassion.com site and see what they have available. And while you're there, why not sponsor a child?