Fold Up, Hold Up

Before dumping a basket of clean laundry out to fold, hide a small treat or treasure inside a sock or pocket. Then, invite your child to join you. Sweeten the request by sharing that there’s a treasure hidden among the pile: something for him or her to find while helping to complete the chore! There are only two rules: If you touch it, you fold it. When you find the treasure, you hold it up.

While you work together to fold the laundry, explain that he or she is a lot like the treasure that’s currently hidden. There are lots of clean clothes in the pile, but only one piece will have the treasure tucked inside. And there are lots of people in this great big world, but only one of them. Explain that they are irreplaceable and immeasurably valuable because God made him or her just the way they are on purpose and for a purpose.

As soon as your child discovers the hidden treasure, ask him or her to take a closer look at it. Then, invite them to describe it out loud to you. Afterward, point out that you specifically selected this surprise for them based on their preferences. Share that you hope this surprise is valuable to them, but that they are far more valuable than anything money could ever buy. That’s because the Creator of life—God Himself—created and designed them. And just like that special piece of clothing was set apart with the treasure inside, so are they set apart and special because of what God has in store for their life.