Godly Play Easter Preparations

With Lent approaching later this month I am busy getting ready for our Godly Play Easter lessons.  Ash Wednesday we will begin with 'The Mystery Of Easter'.  Here is a link to the script and movements.  I plan to make our puzzle/cross out of poster board.

Then, each following week I will share one part of 'The Faces Of Easter'.  I bought the DIY prints from Godly Play and will laminate them.  I wanted to create my own, but couldn't find decent enough pictures of the official Godly Play plaques to go off of.  I will post clear pictures of ours for those of you who would like the reference to draw your own.  To learn the stories purchase Godly Play, Volume 4.  Each week you share the corresponding story of Christ's life with the picture.  The tricky part for doing these lessons in an unprepared Godly Play environment (like most of our homes) is these lessons particular wondering questions-  "Now I wonder if there is anything in this room that you can bring and put beside this picture to help us tell more about this part of the story."  I am thinking through the best way to prepare our room as to have options available without making them obvious as MY choice.  I want the children to choose freely with out feeling any expectations.  I think the best way to do this is putting out all of our GP materials during this time.  Usually, due to space limitations, we only have out our current story.  This means a post on our home's prepared Godly Play environment will be coming soon.

Until then!

Godly Play Fall Wrap Up

We shared Godly Play with a few families this Fall.  We began at our house and quickly realized we needed a larger space.  We were fortunate to be able to use a local church's Sunday school classroom.    

Our desert box.   

We are purchasing/creating our materials as we need them.  What we have on the shelf is only the stories we have done.  I look forward to years to come when we will have them all ready.

Our circle was made up of about 20 people from 1 year to 40 years old.  Our experience was the children entered the stories and responded to them with more ease than the adults.

A response to the Great Family

One of the best moments was during the wondering after the temple of Solomon.  A child stated she felt the part that could be left out was the curtain separating the holy of holies.  

We have taken a break from gathering.  Mav and I are sharing Advent with our girls and excited to add The Mystery Of Christmas with art cards by Giotto.  I purchased Madeleine L'Engle's book The Glorious Impossible and we are making the materials from that.

Try A Godly Play Story This Advent Season

 Godly Play?

Liturgical colors?

Advent?

Enter a story?

These can be questions that keep someone from embracing Godly Play as a part of their families education.  For those of you who are Believers and also educate using Montessori principles I cannot think of a better fit than GP.  

I want to help you get through any hesitations you may have and help you see it's simplicity and accessibilty as something you are able to incorporate during the holidays and beyond.

Let's start with the Holy Family.

This would be the story I suggest if you wanted to test the waters with Godly Play.

Materials needed: a nativity set (use the one you have) a tray, and a picture/figure of Christ with arms out stretched (more in a hug way than a crucified way)

Here is the "script"  it looks like long, but it really is simple.

Now here's what you do with them: (click each page for a clearer read)

Remember to adapt this as fits your children and situation.  I'd love to hear how it goes for those of you who try it!

Godly Play In The Home: The Great Family

Here you have a glimpse of the materials we gathered for this lesson: large clear storage bin, 50 pounds play sand, blue ribbon, two wooden blocks, four peg people.

Here is the combination of our art response and material shelves.  (we switch out our homeschool materials each Saturday morning and then switch them back before Monday) 

Art: chalk and black paper, clay and tools, homemade playdough and tools, finger paints, collage materials, crayons, pen and lined paper, water colors, stamp pads and ink, rainbow puzzle, and stick people with markers.

Materials on the shelf are the ones we have had lessons on thus far: Holy Family, creation, and the great flood.

These two photos give you a better look into our environment.  We are quite limited on space and adjust wherever we can.  Today we had 17 people and I am not sure there is room to make the circle any larger in the living room. (below)

There are two more families who might become part of our group - I live by the motto always room for one more.  So we will make it work.

There is a possibility of pursuing a space within a local church where we could meet.  I am simply not sure we are ready to give up the "home " element.  (although after a few more times with the desert box in my living room and I may be more eager)

Godly Play In The Home: The Flood

As we prepare for week Godly Play week three I realized I needed to get a week two post up.  Last week we did 'The Flood and the Ark'.  My husband, Mav, was the storyteller.  (We have decided to alternate weeks.)  Above you see the material.  I bought the set, a vintage toy that Mav actually had as a child, on Etsy.  

We had 16 adults and children join our circle this week.  Three of the children are under 2 and we anticipate them having difficulty sitting.  Last week I let everyone know that the youngest children might get up and make noise.  Reminding (and encouraging) everyone else that they are old enough to sit and listen.  This week we had two other arks outside of the circle to help with the youngest wanting to touch the story material.  This is an issue we continue to prepare for each week because it is very important to us that everyone feel welcome.  

 Godly Play is the tool we use in order to give the Spirit room to work within all.  Along side of this we aim to be hospitable in offering ourselves and our home.  It is my belief that a person quite often needs to experience true belonging in order to grow.  My hope is for each person to feel they absolutely belong within our 'circle', which in our case is also our home.

We are fortunate to live close to a center for Godly Play training.  If you are unable and would still like to use Godly Play I encourage you to do it.  I recommend reading Teaching Godly Play and the presentation books in The Complete Guide to Godly Play.  We are working out of volume 2 but we began with Volume 3 because we used GP for Advent last year.  

Godly Play In The Home: Creation

We have used Godly Play on our home on a few occasions.  Today we began what we hope will be weekly sessions (I can't think of a better word)  We invited a few friends and family and began.  Where? With creation of course!

 We are slowly gathering materials and discovering how we will share this in our home rather than a classroom.  One hurdle is cost.  We aim to use the best materials we can provide but supplement with home made or plastic versions when necessary.  Another constraint is space.  We live in a small home and tell the stories in our living room.  Knowing how important a prepared environment is we do a lot of shuffling.  For now we have a folding cabinet in which we can keep our story telling materials.  Rather than a room full of many stories we will have these shelves holding each seasons', keeping the nativity as the focal point.

  

Our dining room will be transformed into our art response area on Saturday mornings.  This is a smooth transition because we use that room to keep much of homeschooling materials and it has two small table and chair sets.

Today went smoothly for our first "official" day.  The children sit with their parents because we appreciate how much all ages can glean from the stories.  We have a few toddlers who roam a bit.  I reminded the others that they are just one and two years old and sitting in the circle can be hard work.  "If they get up and walk away it is okay.  You can still listen to the story.  If the little ones need any help their parents will know."  This way the older children were prepared for the possible distraction.

Another obstacle with being in our home is the children want to play with the toys in our girls bedroom as they often do when they visit.  It may take awhile for them to trust there will be time for playing after our feast.  The key will be for all to be here right on time (not early or late) and to begin our circle as they arrive.   Pulling them away from the toys would be too hard.  I hope after a few times with the same children they will know the rhythm.

Godly Play Holy Family Story

 Godly Play?

Liturgical colors?

Advent?

Enter a story?

These can be questions that keep someone from embracing Godly Play as a part of their families education.  For those of you who are Believers and also educate using Montessori principles I cannot think of a better fit than GP.  

I want to help you get through any hesitations you may have and help you see it's simplicity and accessibilty as something you are able to incorporate during the holidays and beyond.

Let's start with the Holy Family.

Materials needed: a nativity set (use the one you have) a tray, and a picture/figure of Christ with arms out stretched (more in a hug way than a crucified way)

Now here's what you do with them:

Remember to adapt this as fits your children and situation.  I'd love to hear how it goes for those of you who try it!