Keeping kids quiet during church

We've recently switched churches, and our new church does not have children's church during the service like our last one did. Our 7 yo DS is doing very well sitting quietly and usually draws or colors, but I'm having quite a challenge keeping our 5 yo DS quiet and occupied.

He doesn't read yet, and doesn't really like to look at books if no one is reading to him. He doesn't really like to draw or color either. The church provides busy bags with books, sewing cards, paper and crayons, but nothing really interests him.

Anyone have any really great ideas for keep little boys quiet for an hour or so?

Food... That is my secret weapon until kiddo finally understood to sit still... now he is entertained by the Sticky Learning items from SSD (shameless plug)... that keeps him pretty busy...

eta - these are the ones that J likes best in church..



and... he loves these because his photo and pics of things he loves are in these... I slipped them in a cheap 4x6 photo album, and he can doodle on them with a dry erase marker

Avery has gotten much better with church but when he wasn't I let him take one small toy that he would play with during services...it had to be small and noiseless..at 4 he liked to push his cars and trains so he would do that and basically be quiet. Sometimes I'd put a handful of legos in a ziploc baggie and let him play with those. And honestly..there have been desperate times when I just handed him my phone on mute and let him play a few games...that worked every time lol

When coloring and drawing in her journal bores Rachel, I let her play games on my cell phone (with the volume off, of course)

I guess it sounds awful, but I would try very hard to not attend a church that didn't have children's church or something else to keep my young children out of service with me! *lol*

The church we attend now has Sunday school/childcare during church for birth - 5th grade during the school year and birth - 1st grade during the summer. I do think it's important for DD to be able to sit quietly in church even if she's too little to understand, but I won't be requiring that out of her until she's 7 or 8.

I'm glad the other ladies had suggestions for you.

I always send our kid to Sunday School. Our church has a very quiet inward compotent so that they always offer a kid program for the sake of the other adults! I wouldn't take him if he had to sit there and play on my cell phone. I sure wouldn't want to give him the idea that 'church' is for playing games!

We always have the children with us for the first hour of sacrament. When sacrament is finished, the adults go to adult classes, and the children go to primary classes.

I usually let my girls colour in, but they must do it in silence. They know (and have been taught from an early age) that reverence is required in the chapel. If they can sit still for an hour and a half and watch a movie, then they can surely sit quietly for one hour at church. Five years old is old enough to understand and follow rules IMO. They either sit quietly and colour in, or they sit next to me without activities, and listen to the speakers. It's a learned behaviour, and it will come in time if you are consistent. Don't try to over-entertain them - it defeats the purpose of going to church. They need to learn to listen and be still. That's my 2 cents anyway.

I remember vividly the Sunday from my youth that my brother and I sat giggling and really misbehaving in church. My Dad took us home and made us go into the trees behind our house to FIND OUR OWN STICKS that he then used to spank us. In actuality, he hardly touched us with them - clearly his goal wasn't to really spank us but to put the "fear of God" in us, so to speak.

I wouldn't recommend that today but it sure was effective at the time, especially since my Dad was a real softie and that's the only time I remember him "spanking".

We don't have children's church at our church either. We have a bag that contains a coloring book, colors, color wonder book and markers and a couple of silent toys like a car or two. Those plus a small snack always keep our 3yo DS quiet and still in church. He has just learned to write his name so I'll take some blank paper for him to write or draw on and he loves that right now.

This is what works for DS now but we have also had sticker books, magnet books and those felt books. When he starts to get tired of one thing, we just move on to something new for a while. One thing we do is that those toys and coloring books stay in the church bag and do not get played with at home. That way they he's not tired of them when Sunday comes around.

We generally have children's church up through the 5th grade, except on the 5th Sunday of the month (usually 3 or 4 times a year I think), which are "Oneness Sundays" at our church. All of the Sunday School classes meet at the same time (so the other classes that use our room at different hours meet with us that day)...it's a good way to meet some other people. And then there is just one worship service afterwards, with childcare for ages 3 and under only. Those are the Sundays that they perform baptisms and the Lords Supper. There is some upbeat music and a shorter-than-usual sermon.

In my church, the entire family is together during the first hour which we call Sacrament. Then they go to Primary for the last two hours. But, when my kids were little, I had them bring their "Sacrament bags" with us each Sunday. In it, there were coloring books, church like books, crayons, blank paper, quiet books, and some snacks such as goldfish.

They were NOT allowed to open their bags until after the Sacrament was passed. Once that was done and the speakers started, I let them open their bags and they were usually quiet.

Great ideas - thanks! He's a big Lego fan, and likes cars, too, so I'm going to try to bring a few small things in a bag tomorrow for him to play with quietly. My 7 yo does very well with mazes, worksheets, and coloring.

I should clarify that they are only with us during the church service -- they have their own age-appropriate Sunday School class afterwards, and they LOVE it. Our church does offer nursery care for children ages 3 and under all morning, and our 2 yo DD goes there -- I have no idea how I'd keep her quiet during the service!