Preschool is for ages 3 & 4. Kindergarten Sunday School starts when children begin kindergarten in the wider world. Children come to class prior to the start of the 10:30 a.m. Worship Service. The focus of our Pre/K classes is both seasonal and thematic. [here, match formatting of this list to the one in the first section, at top of page: either use bullets for all, or no bullets for all]

• We start September “Making Friends” and learning that “God is our Friend.”
• Giving Thanks is our theme in November.
• We celebrate Christmas during December.
• In January, following the birth of Jesus, we explore what Jesus’ life might have been like as a child. We also learn about Jesus as a teacher through acting out the parables.
• We teach the Easter story gently with sensitivity to developmental appropriateness.
• We spend the remainder of the Spring exploring God’s wonderful Creation!

In our Elementary grades, students study the scripture for the upcoming first Sunday and explore how best they can present that scripture to the congregation through skits or readers theatre on the second and third Sundays of the month. They meet together and open with a check-in which we call “Pow-Wow-How”, pow being a difficulty they experienced, a wow being something great that happened, and a how being how they saw God during the week. We then read the scripture from several different versions of the Bible and see how different interpretations stress different ideas. Then we explore the meaning of the scripture and how it pertains to our lives today. It is then that we start to play with the different ways we might share what we have learned with the congregation on the first Sunday of the next month.

Most Sundays our Elementary Sunday School children begin with their parents in the 10:30 Worship Service. Part way through the service, they leave to engage in their program.

• First Sunday the children present the scripture to the congregation, the elementary choir, Joyful Noise, sings and anthem, and the children remain in worship.
• Second Sunday the children start in worship and then move to Sunday School to start their exploration of the scripture for the next First Sunday.
• Third Sunday the children start in worship and then move to Sunday School to continue their exploration of the scripture for the next First Sunday.
• Fourth Sunday the children and youth leave worship to participate in SERVE Sunday, an opportunity to do service projects for the community and the church.
• Fifth Sundays are a time to enjoy and get to know one another better through community building games.

First Congregational Church is committed to creating and maintaining a safe space for kids. To that end, all volunteers who work with our children and youth commit to our Children & Youth Protection Policy and undergo a background check.

ARTS Camp is a week-long residential camp for children and youth completing grades 2-8 at Highlands Camp and Retreat Center in Allenspark. A highlight of the church year, ARTS Camp is held annually on the first week of June after Memorial Day. During their week together, children and youth produce a musical based on a story from Scripture. They sing together, build sets, play instruments, and have great camp experiences! Activities include hiking, rock climbing, archery, mini-golf, and gathering around an evening campfire for camp songs and Vespers.

Kids enjoy a faith-filled, less “church-y” experience outdoors in nature, without electronics, as they are surrounded by encouraging, loving adults who believe in them. ARTS Camp is under the direction of Deborah Voss, our Director of Christian Education, Kajsa Teitelbaum, our Director of Music, Julia Wirth, our Director of Children’s Music, and Er-Hsuan Li, our Children’s choir accompanist. The faith-based play produced at ARTS Camp is presented to the congregation in worship on the Sunday after the campers return home.

“ARTS Camp is way more than just another camp. The lessons learned about God and friendships last a lifetime. There is a sense of community among the kids that attend that will last them the rest of their lives.” Tara Cone, parent

Middle School Youth narrate and Elementary School Children act out the roles of Shepherds, Angels, Magi, and Camels. The family with the youngest newborn plays Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus.

On the first Saturday in December, Boulder hosts a holiday parade down Broadway. Our kids and parents gather before the parade for a potluck and then, dressed in Christmas Pageant costumes, join the parade with the First Congregational float. Afterwards, we open Plymouth Hall to the whole community and invite everyone in to drink hot chocolate and cider, decorate cookies, make crafts, listen to Congregational Bells, and to sing carols with the UFOs (Ukulele Foothills Orchestra). Santa Claus shows up for a visit and stays all evening.

With Rocky Mountain National Park so nearby we’re glad to take the opportunity to reserve a couple of group sites in late August. Folks of all ages meet for a weekend of recreation and community building, hiking, and campfires at the Glacier Basin Campground.

This is an opportunity for families with young children through elementary school age to socialize in fellowship (older siblings are welcome). On one weekend a month our families gather at a local park or playground for a picnic and games. Contact Deborah at deborah@firstcong.net for more information.

Children in Grades 1-5 meet at 9:30 a.m. in the Chapel with Julia, our Director of Children’s Music, to learn age-appropriate anthems and to prepare to sing three or four times a year in Worship.

Monthly Saturdays at 5:00 p.m.
An intergenerational worship service: Great food, prayer, song, with a reflection on Scripture and Holy Communion in Plymouth Hall. Children are free to roam and visit and special activities are planned especially for them. The service is usually followed by well-supervised children’s activities so that parents can extend their evening out.