By Rev. Doug Forbes

As I drove through town I saw many children and their parents having a great time sledding down a neighborhood hillside. Sledding could be an excellent outdoor activity for your class, and making Popsicle Sleds could be a reminder of this fun activity.

To make Popsicle Sleds you need: Bibles Bible concordances, Popsicle sticks, newspaper, tacky glue, paint, brushes, narrow ribbon, scissors and a small drill.

Ask your students to use their Bibles and concordances to discover Bible passages regarding transportation and travel. Allow time for each child to share his or her findings. Read Hebrews 12:1 to your class and discuss how you don’t want to carry extra weight when climbing the sledding hill because it will slow you down and tire you out. Explain that our spiritual life is like a race and we don’t want to carry unnecessary weight. We want to drop all sin and negative things so that with God’s help we can win life’s race with joy.

Spread newspaper on the table to protect it, and have each child lay five Popsicle sticks side by side, pushing the middle ones forward to form a point. Glue one stick across all five sticks near the point to create a handle. Cut another stick so that it measures five sticks across and glue it across the lower section of the five sticks. Allow the glue to dry and drill a hole at each end of the handle. Flip the sled over and glue two sticks on their edges underneath to make runners. Encourage your young people to paint their sleds in a creative and colorful manner. Tie a narrow piece of ribbon to both holes of the handle to make a “rope” which could be used to hang the sled.