Summertime. A welcome break from the school routine, but . . . lots of hours to fill. 

This summer, send your kids (and yourself) on an adventure.

Proverbs 25:2 (NIV) says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.”

Now is the time to search out matters. To treasure hunt. 

Tips for Treasure Hunting

1. Bible Study: Choose a favorite Bible figure or event. (You can each choose individually or choose one as a family. Your age range will impact this as will the mix of guys and girls in your home.)

2. Imagination: Use your imagination to walk in their sandals, those of a key biblical figure or someone involved in a biblical event. Dive in. Don’t just read the Scripture. Live it. (Skits, role play, costumes?) How do you think Luke, a doctor, felt as he recorded the healings of Jesus in his gospel (Luke, Acts)? How did kids in the Bible live? The little servant girl who worked for Naaman (2 Kings 5). The boy who gave Andrew his loaves and fish (John 6). Esther as she spent two years in beauty school (Esther). Joseph at seventeen (Genesis 37). 

3. Research: Want a sneaky way to pull in math, science, geography, social studies, or fashion? Depending on the event or person you study, the possibilities are staggering. What were the dimensions of Noah’s ark (Genesis 6)? What might Queen Esther have worn when she bravely walked into King Xerxes’s court (Esther)? How many miles did Paul log on his first missionary journey (Acts 13-14)? How much practice did it take for the warriors from the tribe of Benjamin to get so proficient with a sling that they could nail a single strand of human hair (Judges 20:16)? What might Martha have served Jesus and the disciples (Luke 10)?

4. Field Trips: What’s close that pertains to your subject? Could you interview a shepherd? Ride a camel like the Magi? Take an archery class? Visit a local synagogue and question the rabbi about Old Testament festivals and traditions? And did I mention food? (Always a draw.)

5. Other People’s Imaginations or Work: Are there books or films that fit your choice? 

• For young readers, Jenny L. Cote’s The Ark, the Reed, and the Fire Cloud explores the flood through the eyes of the animals traveling to the ark. 
• Madeleine L’Engle also tackles this story for middle grade readers in Many Waters.
• For older girls, Angela Hunt has written biblical fiction on Esther, Bathsheba, and Delilah. 
• Moms, Francine Rivers’s Redeeming Love was inspired by the book of Hosea. 
• For nonfiction lovers, Dr. Charles Swindoll has a biographical series covering the lives of David, Job, Paul, Elijah, Moses, and Joseph.
• And we haven’t even started on films. 

Discuss where and how the fictional account differed from Scripture. Did it fill in gaps? Did it go off the rails?

Take advantage of the extra time this summer and treasure hunt. What gems has God hidden that He’s waiting for you to discover?

Activities:

1. Measure out the dimensions of Noah’s ark. (Check out Ark Encounter.)

2. Learn to use a slingshot—the kind David had, not the kind you pull back and release. (Link and YouTube video)

3. Research fashion in Queen Esther’s time and design an outfit.

4. Choose a famous biblical meal, find recipes and ingredients, and serve it.