A teachable-moment devotion is based on a gamelike activity, a few questions, and an applicable Bible verse or passage. They can take as little as 15 minutes to make a lasting impression with a planned catalyst.

Here are some good examples of scheduled catalysts for one child or the whole family taken from the An Introduction to Family Nights Tool Chest:*

• Put together a jigsaw puzzle with the pieces upside down for a lesson on finishing difficult tasks.

• Give each child a tube of toothpaste and have a race to see who can squeeze the tube empty the fastest, then ask them to put the paste back in. This illustrates how reckless words can’t be taken back.

• A flashlight game can teach a lesson on how the Holy Spirit guides us.

• Milk and a drop of food coloring can show that sin discolors our whole lives.

• A brown paper sack and some everyday objects can teach the lesson that you can’t tell from the outside what is inside a person.

• Racing through an obstacle course while holding some building blocks can teach a valuable lesson on responsibility. The more blocks you hold, the more careful you have to be.

The more enjoyable the teachable moment, the longer the memory lasts.