Another key element in successful activities is the amount of time that you have for your church school class. Churches vary in the amount of time given to religious exploration. Some groups have only 45 minutes after children leave the sanctuary; others routinely have up to 1 ½ hours. Whatever the time you have, set aside at least half of it for an arts activity to insure a successful experience— 20 minutes at the minimum. Children need time for this process, especially if they don't feel creative because of prior negative experiences. Always plan for more time than you think that you will need, and include clean-up in your calculations. Try to make each activity a single-session class, as the same children may not attend the next week to finish up.