Older Boys!

Older boys… hmmm. Yes, they’re a challenge, aren’t they?! I want to inspire my sponsored boys to live Godly lives. To call them to a ‘courageous manhood following in the footsteps of Jesus.’ No easy task. I do not want to waste this wonderful, all-too-soon-it-will-be-over opportunity to build into them for all of eternity. How about you?

Order of this post:

Bible Adventure / Bible Heroes
FREE Paper Gifts
Devotionals | Bible Study
Apologetics | Archaeology
Science | Creation
True Stories | Radical Discipleship
Godly Character | Purity
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made | Made in His Image
Just for Fun | Sport
Books | Magazines
Colouring pages for older boys
Puzzles
Photo Fun
Make your own…
Stationery

BIBLE ADVENTURE / BIBLE HEROES

Daniel – what a fabulous Godly role model for our boys! Two articles, matching freebies designed exclusively for them, plus free colouring pages, puzzles and more. A life of danger, adventure, faith, integrity, no compromise = Biblical hero. Did you know? The Bible is a brutally honest book about the frailties and short-comings of humanity. However, Daniel is only one of two characters in the Bible (apart from the Lord Jesus) where no bad seems to be recorded against him. Doesn’t mean he was perfect; just that it wasn’t written down, so when we get to Heaven we can’t say to him, “Oh yeah, you’re the guy who…!” :o

Warrior or Wimp – a closer look at the lives of King David / King Saul. There’s a FREE article, matching free paper gifts designed specifically for our boys, plus colouring pages, puzzles and more. King David was not perfect, but a man after God’s own heart.

Elijah – a man of God who called down fire from Heaven and boldly confronted the powers of darkness. FREE colouring pages, puzzles, crafts, posters, bookmarks and creative ideas.

Moses | God’s Top 10 – FREE colouring pages, puzzles, crafts, posters, bookmarks and more; plus see pictures of a real burnt mountain that looks very much like the prime contender for where it all happened.

Jonah – FREE colouring pages, puzzles, crafts, cartoons, paper gifts; plus a true story of a real life 20th Century Jonah AND a 21st Century Jonah! Diving near Cape Cod, June 2021, it quickly dawned on Michael Packard that he had been swallowed by a whale. “I was completely inside; it was completely black,” Packard said. “I thought to myself, ‘there’s no way I’m getting out of here. I’m done, I’m dead.” Find out what happened and share this incredible information with your child to build their faith.

Jonah - world's first submarine complete with eject system

Noah and his massive, ocean-liner-sized Ark – FREE colouring pages, puzzles, crafts, creative ideas and tons of scientific information from scientists who take the Bible seriously. This one is a definite for our older boys!

Joshua – man of courage and the brave warrior who took over the leadership after Moses. FREE colouring pages, puzzles, crafts and creative ideas; and another great role model for our boys.

Joseph – a man of integrity, leadership and wisdom. God used him to save a whole nation. FREE colouring pages, puzzles, crafts and creative ideas. The other Genesis patriarchs are also in this post – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.

Armour of God FREE colouring pages, puzzles, crafts, paper gifts, and creative ideas

Bible Treasure Theme FREE colouring pages, puzzles, crafts, paper gifts, and creative ideas

The Secret of the Missing Scrolls a fun time-travel adventure specifically tailored for our boys that puts them right in the middle of a mystery treasure hunt to find out if God’s Word can be trusted. They will be sent deep into the desert on a very special and dangerous mission; travelling backwards and forward through time; boldly helping others to escape from marauding Roman soldiers; witness dangerous and secret meetings; be part of an exciting archaeological expedition; and actually discover the archaeological treasure find of the century… the priceless and very famous Dead Sea Scrolls.

Bible Timeline of History Do our boys know that the Bible is REAL history? That it is actually THE HISTORY BOOK OF THE UNIVERSE? Regardless of how much sinful, fallible man tries to deny it. The Bible is banned in many, many countries. Why? NO ONE goes to jail for reading fairy tales… think about it! Let’s ground our boys’ faith in the solid rock of God’s Word. And also let them know where THEY fit into God’s timeline of history.

Heaven (and how to get there) – FREE colouring pages, puzzles, activities, paper gifts, and vital information: let’s make sure our boys don’t leave Earth without it!

The ‘I AM’ statements of Jesus The Lord Jesus made some extraordinary claims. Let’s take a look at them. Plus there is a smorgasbord of FREE colouring pages, puzzles, paper gifts, crafts and activities.

FREE PAPER GIFTS ~ WITH BIBLE VERSES ~ FOR BOYS

FREE Bible Posters | FREE Bible Verse Cards

FREE Bible Bookmarks

FREE Bible Wallet Cards

Joyful Toon | Castle Glorious FREE Bible cartoons ready to download, print and send; share them with your child; free printable

A ton of Bible verses choose a Bible verse from this 35-page list, or print a whole page at a time. A perfect companion for a Bible Treasure theme. Encourage your child to get to know God and His character through His word; free printable

Here is a sample:

Genesis 18:14 ~ Is anything too hard for the Lord?
Exodus 14:13 ~ Don’t be afraid! Stand your ground and you will see what the Lord will do to save you… The Lord will fight for you…
Exodus 20:2-3 ~ I am the Lord your God… Worship no God but me.
Exodus 23:2 ~ Do not follow the majority when they do wrong…
Leviticus 20:26 ~ You shall be holy and belong only to me, because I am the Lord and I am holy. I have set you apart… so that you would belong to me alone.
Numbers 23:19 ~ God is not like men, who lie; He is not a human who changes His mind; Whatever He promises, He does; He speaks and it is done.
Deuteronomy 6:5 ~ Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength.
Deuteronomy 10:12 ~ Worship the Lord and do all that He commands. Love Him, serve Him with all your heart.
Deuteronomy 10: 17 ~ The Lord your God is supreme over all gods and over all powers. He is great and mighty and He is to be feared.
Deuteronomy 30:15,19 ~ Today I am giving you a choice between good and evil, between life and death…. between God’s blessing and God’s curse… choose life.
Deuteronomy 31:8 ~ The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
Deuteronomy 32:4 ~ The Lord is your mighty defender, perfect and just in all His ways; Your God is faithful and true; He does what is right and fair.
Joshua 1:9 ~ Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged for the Lord you God will be with you wherever you go.

DEVOTIONALS / BIBLE STUDY

Dr Chuck Missler (khouse) various Bible Study articles; Dr Missler has an incredible background and knowledge of Hebrew, Greek, science, information technology, prophecy, current events, and history and how it all dovetails together. Your child will get excited (as I did) as they realise that the Bible is an intricate tapestry. God has carefully dictated, designed and authenticated every detail from outside our time domain. Discuss them with your child (e.g. I’ve been reading about…), include snippets of Bible treasure in your letters, or print off a whole article for them. Let them know that God says what He means and means exactly what He says! God can be trusted!

My Utmost for His Highest (utmost) Oswald Chambers pulls no punches in his daily devotional – excellent, challenging, thought provoking for older children and adults. Definitely not for the faint hearted. The most Godly person I know (whose Bible was falling apart) used to read from this devotional every day (now busy partying in Heaven).

FCA resources.com Bible studies, devotionals, Bible posters, wallet cards and other resources designed by ~ and for ~ Christian athletes about courage, integrity, and perseverance; free printable

God talks to me | I talk to God – mobile phone craft (Paper Gifts for Estefany) a fun and colourful paper craft to write out their sms/texts/prayers to God (I talk to God) and some of their favourite Bible verses (God talks to me). There are ready made designs, transparent templates where you add your child’s photo, as well as extra inserts; simply print, cut, and fold; free printable

APOLOGETICS / ARCHAEOLOGY

More and more, I am introducing apologetics into the things I do for my sponsored children to make their faith REAL. Telling them about the Creator. Creation. Exactly who Jesus is. Why we can trust Him. Why we can trust the Bible… etc etc. That Jesus was fully God and fully man ~ a REAL historical person ~ who came to Earth on a very special mission, lived, died, was buried, and rose from the dead (thus proving that He was God! The Creator! How many other people do you know from history ~ especially religious leaders ~ who have ever been raised from death?!)

The Secret of the Missing Scrolls a fun and exciting mystery/adventure theme that I did for my older children describing the ultimate treasure hunt to find, piece together and photograph thousands of fragments of the famous Dead Sea Scrolls – God’s Word. Written 2,000 years ago and first discovered in 1947 at Qumran, on the Dead Sea, this jigsaw puzzle still continues today. High-resolution images of 950 different manuscripts have been made using special hi-tech cameras and technology, making sections of parchment visible that were previously indecipherable. They prove that God’s Word is absolutely trustworthy!

The Secrets of the New Testament – the sequel to The Secret of the Missing Scrolls, this one is all about why we can trust the New Testament, and what those eyewitnesses went through to bring us the truth about the Messiah, Jesus.

How do we know the Bible is true? (Christiananswers) many people tend to go along with the popular delusion that the Bible is ‘full of mistakes’ and is ‘no longer relevant’ to our modern world. Let’s look at the facts…

Mountain of Fire (updated) | Mountain of Fire (original documentary) Ever wished you could stand on top of the mountain where Moses met God face to face? Bob Cornuke, former police crime investigator and often referred to as a modern day ‘Indiana Jones’ (while referring to himself as a sinner saved by grace), shares one of his amazing adventures in search of lost and unknown Biblical artefacts. This search for the real Mt Sinai will make your jaw drop as it discards tradition and confirms the incredible accuracy of God’s Word. Watch this amazing documentary (46 minutes) and then share it with your child. Be in awe, examine the evidence and decide for yourself. Could this be the mountain where Moses met God?

How about a timeline of world history with your child’s name included, and showing how the Bible fits right in? We’ve got the BIG picture of world history straight from the Creator. Let’s share it with our children.

©creation.com

Apologetics answering many of those tricky questions. Like all questions about God and the Bible, there is an extremely logical answer. It’s just a matter of discovering it.

A Defence of the Bible (adefenceofthebible) reasons why the Bible can be trusted; written by a scientist with a PhD in organic chemistry who takes the Bible seriously; some resources are also available in Portuguese, Chinese, and Indonesian. Include a couple of quick facts in every letter to build your child’s faith.

SCIENCE / CREATION

The world is overflowing with extremely hostile anti-God messages. Our kids will come across them. We need to hit them head on before they become a problem and destroy their faith. Because there are answers to all the doozy questions. And there is much mis-information, suppression of the truth, and downright blatant lies. As we speed into the last days before the return of the Lord Jesus, who knows what persecution they ~ and we ~ may have to suffer? If our faith is not built on solid rock, it may crumble.

FREE Articles for kids (Paper Gifts for Estefany) giving glory to God as Creator, e.g. Tiger | Dinosaur | Elephant | Giraffe | Exploding Beetle | Frog in a Sleeping Bag | Seahorses and Seadragons | Biomimetics (copying God’s designs in technology) | Seashells – whether it’s going surfing or going scientific, everyone loves the beach. Some of our kids may never have even seen a beach; and check out the photos of beach sand under the microscope | Space | Universe | Panda | Polar Bear | Big Horse, Little Horse… huh? Zorse? | Kangaroo | Koala | How about the super cool Chameleon who can change his colour from brown to purple and light blue, then turn his eyelids yellow with green spots when he is looking for a girl! | Colugo | Woodpecker | Hummingbird | Snowflakes | Butterfly – why not? Boys can still appreciate God’s exquisite designs. Not cutesy, but go scientific. I often send the same articles to both boys and girls of all ages, from about 9 or 10+ depending on the child, and just change what I send with it; free printable

You may like to discuss how all of our technology designs are just inferior copies of God’s original designs; or choose something specific from the enormous (and fast growing) scientific field of biomimetics (scroll down), where scientists are deliberately copying God’s incredible designs for modern technology, while mostly denying that they are designed, and without any acknowledgement of the true copyright owner.

101 Scientific Facts (eternal-productions) written down in the Bible centuries before they were discovered; include a snippet in each letter or print off the whole page; free printable

Creation (creation.com) is a fabulous site for those tricky questions about God and science. Written by Ph.D. scientists who take the Bible seriously ~ all who were previously evolutionists and brainwashed with evolutionary atheistic doctrine. This site seeks to restore the authority of scripture and is one of my main information sources when I prepare my articles for my children. Check out the Creation Q&A index for key topics, parents’ corner for homeschool resources, resources in other languages, or print off one of these free scientific tracts. Remember to tell your child: ‘Evolution is not science… it is humanism in a white lab coat.’

Answers in Genesis (answersingenesis.org), The Institute of Creation Research (icr.org), and Creation Research (creationresearch.net) also have resources from scientists who take the Bible seriously. If you are looking for something specific, try this Creation Search Engine that sweeps these main creation web sites to find exactly what you are looking for.

A Defence of the Bible (adefenceoftheBible) reasons why the Bible can be trusted; written by a scientist with a Ph.D. in organic chemistry who takes the Bible seriously.

Answers to sticky questions about God and science (answersingenesis); printable pamphlets some are free; more free printable answers and activities for kids; or tell your child about the fabulous Creation Museum giving glory to God as designer; or the real life sized Noah’s Ark theme park and how they built it, preparing of the exhibits, etc.

500+ Creation – church bulletin inserts (creationmoments) Help your child and your church stand strong against athiestic evolution; more here specifically designed for youth; send one of these faith builders with every letter for your child, and you may like to share them around with your family and friends; free printable

The Creation Research Society (creationresearch) browse the archive from an international team of highly acclaimed professional scientists who are firmly committed to the Biblical history and 6-day creation. Share a snippet, or a whole journal booklet with your child. Journals from 1996 and up to the end of 2020 are free printable.

God’s Flawless Design of Water Makes Life Possible (answersingenesis) water is purposefully designed for making the earth habitable; information from scientists who take the Bible seriously.

Carbon: God’s Building Blocks for Life (answersingenesis) Everyone is familiar with lego, and that a single piece can be used to build a multitude of different structures for different purposes. Well, God has just such a piece that he uses to build the myriad different life forms. It is called carbon; information from scientists who take the Bible seriously.

God’s Gift of Metals – crafted for life (answersingenesis) a study of the roles that metals play in life shows that each has been uniquely designed by a wise Creator to carry out specific and complex functions essential for life; information from scientists who take the Bible seriously.

Proportionally Perfect for Life: O₂, CO₂, N₂ (answersingenesis) a look at the gaseous components of our atmosphere: oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. Nitrogen constitutes the major component (approximately 78%) with oxygen following at about 21%, and carbon dioxide at 0.04%. Though carbon dioxide constitutes a minor part of the atmosphere, life, as we know it, could not exist without it; information from scientists who take the Bible seriously.

Periodic Elements Table | worksheets (homeschooling-ideas) for science students. There is also a blank one for students to complete. Look at the periodic elements from a Biblical perspective, with information from scientists who take the Bible seriously. Tell them about the 4 brand new chemicals added to the periodic table (updated) in January 2016. You may like to add these photos of 10 raw minerals in order of hardness (scroll down to ‘scale of mineral hardness’) from talc to diamond. Or use this information as a basis for a fun science DIY activity book for older children from a Biblical perspective.

Quella – cartoon for teens (atheismforkidsandteens) Confronting what atheism really means – Quella asks an innocent question, “Dad, where did we come from?” and receives a shocking reply. Why not download a copy and share it with your child and then discuss it; free printable

The Creation Research Society (creationresearch) is an international team of highly acclaimed professional scientists, who are firmly committed to the Biblical history and 6 day creation. Share a snippet with your child in your letter or print off an article for the serious science student. Journals from 1996 and up to 2018 are free printable.

Did you know that the scientist responsible for the scientific order of classification, Carl Linnaeus, was one of many famous scientists who claimed to believe in God and take the Bible seriously. Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778) designed the original classification system of living things. He knew that God created all living things in their own KINDS. God Himself said so. That’s why the classification system of living things works. There is tremendous adaptation and variation within each KIND (we know that as ‘natural selection’), but he knew that if a horse-kind breeds naturally with another horse-kind, it will still be a horse. In fact, this is one way we can tell what belonged to an original kind – whether or not they can interbreed naturally. Consider doing a theme about his life, scientific achievements, and deep faith in God. And why not also make your own ‘Classification of Living Things’ poster with a fun and colourful mnemonic to help learn the scientific order of classification, e.g. King(dom) Phylum called his class to order so the family gen(i)us could learn more about species.

Many other founding fathers of modern science also claimed to be Bible-believing Christians, as were many of the less well-known scientists who have helped expand scientific knowledge. Choose one of those scientists, either historical or living, who claimed to honour God’s Word as literally written in Genesis. You will find modern scientists who have accepted the Biblical account of creation here. Consider doing a theme about their life, scientific achievements, and their deep faith in God.

Brave Scientists question the ‘official narrative.’ If your child is a serious budding scientist or thinking about studying in the realms of science, you may like to discuss this open letter to the scientific community, signed by scientists and independent researchers willing to risk their careers in a quest for the truth.

TRUE STORIES / RADICAL DISCIPLESHIP

Arthur Blessitt | The Cross Museum An American evangelist has carried a huge cross for 56 years through 324 countries and walking over 43,340 miles, making it into the Guinness Book of records for the longest walk ever. You may like to discuss with your child some of Arthur’s interesting stories, facts, 24 arrests(!), photos of him carrying the cross through your child’s country / your country / other special places–e.g. Antarctica, the Great Wall of China, Siberia. This free printable world map (answersingenesis) entirely made up of human faces and from a Biblical perspective is a reminder that we are all of ‘one blood’ created by God, and would be fabulous to go with it. Maybe turn it into a geography lesson and mark off the different places he went. As a side note, I once heard Arthur Blessitt being interviewed. He said he will keep travelling and telling others about the Gospel for as long as God enables him to. He has had big offers from mega companies to be ‘their poster boy’ for the world’s longest walk ~ they all want that ~ if only he will ditch Jesus! He refused.

Inspire your child with a true story of radical obedience, like this one of a homeless man sleeping on the lawn of the church who turned out to be the new pastor of that church! :o

Former sponsored children ~ Where are they now? Inspire and encourage your sponsored child with real life stories of children who have been where they are, and find out what happened to them.

GODLY CHARACTER / PURITY

Prince of the King – FREE article, colouring pages, puzzles, crafts, stationery, paper gifts, and creative ideas. Let’s encourage our princes that if they have a personal relationship (and everyone is invited) with the Lord Jesus Christ, they are now a very special son of the King of Kings.

The Knight’s Code – poster (counterculturemom) 10 principles for all honourable and courageous knights to live by, on a beautiful scroll background; free printable

Write a letter | to your child (familylife/mensteppingup) encouraging them to follow Jesus to a courageous manhood, using these two articles to assist you write your own personal message to your child.

Teen Q&A (Christiananswers) about teen issues; share a snippet with your child.

The Courageous Resolution (heartquest101) from the movie, ‘Courageous.’ I adapted this slightly for my boys to encourage them to grow to be Godly men. It is all about mentoring with intent. I want to be intentional, knowing that, “It’s easier to build into boys, than fix men.”

Okay, I’m in love… how do I tell if they’re ‘the one’? In no time at all, this question is bound to come up. This is an article that I made for my older children in anticipation of that moment, to get them to start thinking about it; and there are matching free paper gifts – Bible poster, wallet cards and stationery; free printable

MADE IN HIS IMAGE / FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE

God has a Plan 4U – FREE article for kids (Paper Gifts for Estefany) to tell them how special they are to their Creator—Precious. Beautiful. Worthy. One of God’s exquisite designs. And He has a very special plan for each one of their lives—while at the same time striking down one of the enemy’s biggest lies to them… and to us; free printable

Even before you were born, God knew you! (Paper Gifts for Estefany) Let your child know that they are fearfully and wonderfully made, that God carefully designed them to be a unique person and has a special plan for their life; add your child’s photo; free printable

Made in the Image of God (ministry-to-children) a simple lesson from a paper airplane. God is the creator, so being like Him makes us creative, too. Your child will grow up to do bigger things, like build a house, open a business, become a pastor or teacher or pilot, help other people, or write a book… (there are some great paper airplanes in the ‘Just for Fun’ section of this post, below)

Cell Diagram to label and colour (pdf) Cells are NOT simple ~ that is a fairytale ~ each individual cell is a fully functional, complete miniature city!

Human Brain – poster (answersingenesis) a mad scientist and fun facts from scientists who take the Bible seriously; free printable

JUST FOR FUN

Transport Paper Toys

Paper Airplanes (amazingpaperairplanes) origami style paper crafts; Paper Airplanes (paperairplanes); Paper Rocket (krokotak); Floating Wing Glider (auntannie); Paper Airplane (printablepaper) a blank paper airplane template to cut out and decorate; more Paper Airplanes (duckduckgo); free printable

Paper Helicopter (papertoys) a simple template that makes three helicopters. Just cut, fold and put a paper clip on it to make it spin as it falls to the ground; Apache Helicopter – 3D paper craft to cut and assemble; Paper Helicopter (printablepaper) a blank template to cut out and decorate; free printable

Boomerang – paper craft (canon) x-shaped in neon colours; Paper Airplane – paper craft; Paper Airplanes – 3D paper crafts various to choose from; print, cut out and assemble; Sports Car – 3D paper craft elastic powered; Vehicles – 3D paper crafts cranes, excavators, trucks, tractors, locomotives, ships, paddlesteamer, cars, aircraft, helicopter; hot air balloons; to print, cut out and assemble; free printable

Transportation – 3D paper toys (papertoys) cars, bus, motorbike, van, boats; free printable

Paper Roads – 3D paper craft (krokotak) use this idea to make up your own version of a race track. Make it as simple or as complicated as you like.

Space Shuttle – origami (origami-n-stuff4kids) easy, just print and fold; design already pre-printed; more Space / Universe FREE colouring pages, puzzles, crafts and creative ideas

Catapult Airplane – craft (amysfreeideas) Make an airplane out of styrofoam trays, cardboard, or balsa wood. Throw it to make it fly or use a catapult rubber band to shoot it into the air; template is free printable

Board Games

The Amazing Ace Dog Sled Race – FREE Bible Board Game (answersingenesisvbs; download the board game at the bottom of the page below the final image; and there’s also some instructions and supplementary teaching materials that you can download above the final image) 2 page, fast-paced action Bible board game with a fun and exciting Arctic animal theme with polar bears, sled dogs, reindeer teaching children about the authority of God’s Word and it uses cool terms like: Snowfall Station checkpoint, Discovery Pass, Crystal Falls, Glacier Gap, Cold Feet Creek, Mosquito River, Treasure Point Finish. And it’s in black and white so your child can have extra fun colouring and decorating it; free printable

Traffic Jam – board game (dr-mikes-maths-game) get the red car out of the traffic jam; boys of all ages will enjoy these logical thinking puzzles and games using grids and various difficulty levels; click on the menu to find lots to explore; Battleship – FREE board game for multiple players; free printable

Battleship – FREE board game (familystyleschooling) with ships; to colour; free printable

Battleship – FREE board game (printableboardgames) with ships; free printable

Battleship – FREE board game (printablepaper) printable blank grid template to use with your own ships; free printable

Racetrack – DIY board game (auntannie; scroll down) choose your board game template, stickers, and storage envelope; one-page or two-page templates; free printable

Board Games | DIY Board Game ready made board games or make your own; various to choose from; free printable

Other

Eiffel Tower – 3D paper craft (canon) Paris by night; Eiffel Tower – 3D paper craft by day or sunset; Arc de Triomphe – 3D paper craft from Paris; Big Ben | Tower Bridge – 3D paper crafts from London; Sydney Opera House – 3D paper craft from Australia; architecture / famous landmarks – 3D paper crafts to print, cut out and assemble; free printable

Architecture / Famous Buildings – 3D paper crafts (popupology; scroll down to ‘origamic architecture’) detailed pop-up paper crafts to make of famous buildings from all over the world; free printable

DIY Exploding Box – paper craft (thedatingdivas) a little box to make that when the lid is removed, the box sides “explode” out with many sides to cover in creative and adventurous ways – think pictures, photos, Bible verses, doodles, notes of encouragement, stickers, etc; free printable

Sport FREE colouring pages, puzzles, crafts and creative ideas

Formula One – printables for boys (fazendoanossafesta) add a Bible verse and make your own Bible verse cards | Bible wallet cards | or photo frames; free printable

Summer Vacation House – 3D paper craft (canon) a tropical summer deck to print, cut out and assemble with stairs, beach umbrella, surfboard, hammock, life rings, drink counter, drinks, fruit bowls, deckchairs, ladder, sundeck on the roof, palm, tropical plants; Treehouse – 3D paper craft a tiny treehouse to print and assemble with stairs, couch, pop-out windows, telescope, campfire, cooking pots, tree-stump chairs, animals; Surf Camper Vehicle – 3D paper craft to print and assemble with camper vehicle, pop-out roof, deckchairs, table, guitar, surfboard; Mobile Crepes and Coffee’ Cafe – 3D paper craft to print and assemble with caravan, billboard, beach umbrella, chairs; Mobile Icecream Van – 3D paper craft to print and assemble with pop-up roof, beach umbrella, deckchairs, ice cream trays, cones; Camping Diorama – 3D paper craft a camping diorama to print and assemble with tent, campfire, hammock, bbq, deckchairs, small birds, squirrels; Ski Resort Diorama – 3D paper craft to print and assemble with skiers, cable car gondolas, snowy mountain background, animals, snowman; free printable (via sign-in)

BOOKS / MAGAZINES

Send a few pages at a time; or just chat about a book in your letter as a kind of informal book review, e.g. ‘This is what I’ve been reading…’

Manga Comic Bible my sponsored children LOVED these. Even big kids like comic books and this paraphrases the Bible quite well into 5 separate books. I sent two of them to my sponsored children – Mutiny and Messiah – over separate postings. The hardest part was carving up the book! A great filler for the boys when sending an article like butterflies; for purchase

Creation magazine (creation.com) beautifully illustrated, with great photos and articles written by Ph.D. scientists who take the Bible seriously. You can subscribe, have it sent to your place for your family, keep the 5 digital versions, then cut up and pass the separate magazine pages on to your sponsored child. Or click on a magazine cover and you will find many of the articles are released after a few months, so you could just print off an article you like. They also sell back issues cheaply, and the information rarely dates. Jam packed with information that brings glory to God. I love these for my boys; for purchase

Pilgrim’s Progress (John Bunyan) a timeless Christian classic, full of adventure and real life lessons to share with your child.

Religion is for Fools a fabulous apologetics book written by professional comedian, Bill Medley. Lots of fun, small enough to cut up and send over multiple postings, but packed with great facts; for purchase

Cyber Quest – fiction book series (Sigmund Brouwer) A secret committee bands together to find a hero. He is hooked up to a computer and put to sleep, where his character is tested by a series of different swashbuckling adventures through the ages. So far, none of the other candidates have survived and time is running out. Plus there seems to be an assassin following him through time. A fabulous novel (also available as 6 smaller books – Pharaoh’s Tomb, Knight’s Honor, Pirate’s Cross, Outlaw’s Gold, Soldier’s Aim, Galilee Man) and probably eerily close to real life and God’s purpose for us than we can possibly imagine. That is, testing our character when it doesn’t seem to matter whether we go God’s way or not. As one of the adventures is aboard a pirate ship, this would be fabulous to go with a Bible Treasure theme.

Kingstone Bible Comics (kingstonecomics) a Bible paraphrase in a graphic comic form specifically designed for boys and to reach people who would otherwise not consider picking up a Bible; each booklet covers a separate Bible story and is roughly 40 pages; for purchase. Booklets are also available to download for free in other languages – e.g. Indonesian, Swahili, Indonesian – and also great if you want to have a closer look at the graphics. Also available in sets of 18-24 different stories, and in hardcover. They also have apologetic comic books that provide Biblical answers to sticky questions that students may have; for purchase.

The Action Bible (theactionBible) in comic form and a devotional specifically designed for boys; for purchase

COLOURING PAGES FOR OLDER BOYS ~ FREE PRINTABLE

I actually started writing this post because I found what I think must be the motherlode of all colouring pages for older boys (link since broken), but as I jotted it down and started thinking about it, other ideas for boys tumbled over each other. As you can see, the colouring pages ended up a long way down the list! :)

Turn your child’s photo into a colouring page like I did with this one of Moses. The tutorial even shows you how to add the cool sunnies. Moses (and his friends) loved it!

Bible – colouring pages (transformcreative) in a rugged, superhero style for our young men; free printable

2 Timothy 4:8 – colouring a warrior finishes a race – I have finished the course; I have kept the faith;
2 Corinthians 1:24 – colouring a warrior holds his Bible in one hand and a sword in the other – In your faith you are standing firm;
1 Timothy 6:12 – colouring Fight the good fight of faith; a warrior holds his shield in one hand and a sword in the other as he fights off fiery flaming arrows;
Revelation 13:10 – colouring a conquering warrior with a Bible in his belt emerges victorious at the top of the cliff; the perseverance and the faith of the saints;
Habakkuk 2:4 – colouring the righteous will live by his faith; scroll banners over a mountain reflection;
1 Timothy 1:18 – colouring Fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience; a young warrior swings a club;
Psalm 15:1 – colouring heroes stand for truth;
Luke 17:5 – colouring increase our faith; a diver stands ready to high dive into the swimming pool;
1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith;
Matthew 28:18-19 – colouring And Jesus said, “Go! And make disciples.”
Ephesians 5:16 – colouring Make the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Bible Hero – colouring pages – Old Testament | New Testament a selection of Bible heroes;
Bible Hero – bookmarks to colour – set 1 | set 2;
Bible Hero – learn to draw.

Armour of God – colouring pages various to choose from; free printable

Long ago, even before He made the world, God chose You to be His very own (max7) a beautiful colouring page in a frame decorated with gum leaves that will be sure to make your child smile, no matter their age; also available in Spanish, Hindi, Swahili, Tagalog and other languages; free printable

Psalms | Old Testament | Gospels | New Testament | more free Bible verse colouring pages; free printable

Lighthouse – colouring (abdaacts) with Bible verse from Matthew 5:16 – Let your good deeds glow; free printable

Words of Jesus – colouring (abdaacts) Bible verses taken from John; free printable

God chose us – colouring (abdaacts) with Bible verse from Colossians 3:12; free printable

Honour God with your body – colouring (abdaacts) with Bible verse from 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; free printable

We are His workmanship – colouring (timewarpwife; scroll down) an artist’s palette with Bible verse from Ephesians 2:10 – For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them; free printable

Surfer – colouring (coloringcafe) catching a wave; Fighter Plane – colouring; free printable

Jazz up your colouring pages specifically for your young man, using his favourite colours or sporting team colours. Add a border, a title, a Bible verse or some clip art with this easy tutorial.

PUZZLES FOR OLDER BOYS ~ FREE PRINTABLE

Bible Puzzles (max7) a selection of great puzzles; some in other languages; free printable

Mazes (krazydad) various levels of difficulty, including more challenging mazes for older children; some in different shapes; free printable

Commuter Madness – maze (Dover sample)

DIY Puzzles Do a bit of research and design your own puzzles specifically suited to your child’s interests, their family, their country, Bible treasure theme, etc. It’s actually much easier than you think. Just type in the clues and answers, then push a button!

PHOTO FUN

Photo Fun photo editing sites for your child’s photo and your family photos, too; turn your child’s photo into a billboard, magazine cover, message in a bottle, skydiver, knight, secret agent, goal keeper, and more.

Soccer Trophy – photo box (canon) print, cut and assemble, then add your child’s photo; free printable

MAKE YOUR OWN

Does your child like sport? Cars? Animals? Rocket ships? Found a great photo or clip art he would like? Maybe his own photo or your family photo. Or check these out. Add a favourite Bible verse and make your own:

Bible poster (A4) | Bible verse card (4×6)
Bible bookmark add your child’s name!
Bible note cards | notepaper
Bible wallet cards
Bible stickers
Bible board game
Stationery with Bible verse
Jazz up your envelopes
Add a favourite Bible verse to a free printable photo frame
Word Cloud Generators type in any Bible verse – e.g. whatever you do, do to the glory of God – in any language; click a button and it will do creativity for you! Or type in your child’s name; some sporting or character words about them; details about your package theme; upload a relevant shape; choose their favourite colours or sporting team colours or their country’s colours…

STATIONERY FOR OLDER BOYS ~ FREE PRINTABLE

FREE stationery (Paper Gifts for Estefany; scroll down) lots to explore; free printable

Nautical – stationery | envelope (canon) sailing ships, anchor, ship wheel, compass; 3 colours; free printable

Zebra Print – stationery (museprintables) various colours to choose from; Blue Landscape – stationery; Pastel Polygon – stationery; Grunge – stationery various colours; Aqua Tie Dye – stationery; Paint Splatter – stationery light blue; Blue Paint Splatter – stationery; Green Paint Splatter – stationery; Solid Colours – stationery various colours; Diagonal Stripes – stationery various colours; Mini Diagonal Stripes – stationery various colours; Horizontal Stripes – stationery various colours; Dark Blue Bokeh – stationery; Teal Bokeh – stationery; Sailing Boats – stationery on dark grey border; Sailing Boats – stationery on beige border; Nautical – stationery; Orange Polygon – stationery; Navy Blue Polygon – stationery; Orange Sunset – stationery; free version

Most importantly, when you are writing to your sponsored child, don’t forget…

As I think of other ideas, I’ll update this post to keep everything together. Let me know what you come up with, too. What are your best tips for packages for our older boys?

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