Awana Forums

We are starting Puggles this year and were wondering what are the youngest children that are in Puggles?  The material says "older 2 year-olds and younger 3 year-olds".  We were thinking that having kids that just turned two in the group would make it a little out of control.  We were thinking of a requirement of 3 years old by Dec. 31st.  Any experience or advice concerning this is greatly appreciated.

Since they would be 3 long before Cubbies I disagree. We had young 2's last year

in our clubwe will take them as young as 18 mos. as long as they turn 2 by end of club.our cut off is between puggles and cubbiesis 3 and potty training. if they are 3 and potty trained, they will be cubbies.

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IN HIS SERVICE
AARON WILSON
COMMANDER
CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCH LEANDER TEXAS

What is your 'cut-off' for Cubbies?

If it is 3 years old by Sept. first, then Puggles would be 2 years old by Sept. first.

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"There's a little child in everyone...
... let the little children come to Him"

We sorta' did Puggles last year as part of our Nursery during Awana - so whoever was in the nursery was included. This year we are separating it out into it's own class (YAY - think I've actually found two leaders!!!) We are being flexible with age... our Cubbies cutoff is 3 by September 1st, which matches our school's requirement of 5 by Sept. 1 for Kindergarten. For Puggles, the soft guideline is 2 by Sept 1st, but we have one little girl who is talking really well and very interactive that won't be 2 until the end of September, so we are going to let her try it out. She will have to repeat Puggles next year, but we didn't want to force her into the nursery while there was beneficial training going on right next door. If she (or any of the others) become a problem, they will be sent next door to the nursery.

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Mother of a Cubbie and a T&Ter

Matthew 12:34b "... for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."

We don't have a cut-off.  If they can participate appropriately then they are "in".  Repeating Puggles is like repeating God's Word and God's works to them.  It can't hurt anything!!!

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JOSIE LYNN
Journey On!
This is my 21st year in Awana!
2nd Citation '09

Ashland, Oregon

"Jesus loves the little children! All the children of the world!"

 I think it really depends on the child and if they can handle sitting still to listen because you dont want them to distract the other children from learning. I agree about repeating Puggles not hurting the child!!! My 18 month old will be joining our group because the church doesnt have nursery on Sunday nights for him. I think Puggles will be great for him!

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I honestly do not agree with you. Last year I started the Puggles program. I allowed 1-3 year olds. I wanted familys who wanted to be more involved to help. I had two 1 year olds last year, three 2 year olds, and two 3 year olds on an average week. My class was very affective. I had familys all summer this year asking me if there son or daughter could join this years AWANA program. I already know that I have 12 students this year registered. And our program doesnt even start untill the 2nd of September. I am very excited.

I'm just starting Puggles with my little one, but our church cut it at 1. There are some that are not quite one, but they don't do the lessons, they just kind of sit and listen. Puggles for us is 1-2. I'm not sure what they will do with my daughter at her birthday. She'll be three in February, do you think they would move her to Cubbies around her birthday or finish the year in  Puggles and start Cubbies next fall?

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Mommy to a wonderful Puggle, Wifey to a wonderful Youth Pastor in Training.

For our club we have specified that they have to be at least 2 by the time club starts. They will stay in Puggles for the entire year with one exception. If they are 3 when club starts but NOT yet potty trained they cannot go to Cubbies so they start the year with us. Once they are potty trained they go straight to cubbies since that is where they should have been anyhow. We started with one 2 year old and two 3 year olds. We have already gradulated one of our 3 year olds over to Cubbies. There was some mumbling and murmurings about the cost effectiveness of running puggles for "just one or two", but fortunately we decided that even for one child to hear the gospel message it is worth it if we are able to have the leaders and the space (both of which God provided this year)

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Never Too Little to Know the Lord!
Carol

She should be moved next year

i agree. a child that will not be 3 until february should definely not be moved until next year.  if you are in the states, that is more than halfway through the club year.  there would just be too much the child needs to do to catch up to the others

Thanks ladies. I was just curious because in her Sunday School class she is the oldest by almost a year. This will be the same in her Puggles group. And I wasn't sure when they would move her with Puggles since they may be moving her Sunday School class mid-year. This is all very new to us, she's our first child and this is the churches first year with Puggles included in AWANA. We start tomorrow night, a work schedule conflict kept us from going last week (the first official week). Wish us luck.

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Mommy to a wonderful Puggle, Wifey to a wonderful Youth Pastor in Training.

If you want to do some prep work with her at home, last week would have been God made light and dark (the first day of creation). This week should be God made the sky (the second day of creation)

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Never Too Little to Know the Lord!
Carol

Our group says you need to be 2 by September 30th. That meant that my daughter and another little boy (one of the Puggles leaders child) are the youngest.  I think my daughter is as ready as any other 2.5 year old (she knows her letters and numbers and colors). I have some people (mostly those who do not go to our Awana) call Puggles "glorified daycare".  Well, maybe... if you are in my daycare.  I believe unless you are exposed to things you will have a harder time when you get to "preschool age".  And shouldn't we be teaching our children about God from the very beginning?  I think once a child is able to sit and listen to a story for even 5 minutes, they have enough concentration to be a Puggle.

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Proud mom to new Puggle and bonus mom to my sweet teenaged stepdaughter.

"...still my heart is torn. I will praise you in this storm" Casting Crowns