victoria 
This weekend I went on a 3 hour walk with a friend and our five children. At one point we found ourselves hiking up a steep, bogey hill, which was covered with very spikey gorse which was taller than three of our children! It was tempting to turn back, but that wouldn’t have taken us … Read more
When things are difficult, it’s good to focus on good things in our lives. This isn’t to ignore the serious situations we’re facing, but to remember that God is good, and that evil is not the only thing at work! I find thinking of three things I’m thankful for each morning really helps re-calibrate my … Read more
A little story from when my children were a bit younger “What’s pancake day all about?” I ask my 7 and 8 year olds over breakfast. “Pancakes!” my 7 year old replies gleefully. O-Oh. I have work to do here! “What else?” I ask. No response. “It begins with L and rhymes with Bent.”“Lent!” *phew! … Read more
My children love small world play. When they play with Lego, they make models then use them to create a world and tell a story. They love Play Mobil (although not as much as me!), and any sort of small toy they can tell stories with, so this is an easy way for me to … Read more
Title: The Essential Guide to Family Ministry Author: Gail Adcock Price: £8.99 Published by and available from: BRF Good for: anyone involved in, overseeing or thinking about family ministry Best bit: An excellent mix of good theology and research with accessible, practical suggestions for both doing faith at home and supporting others in it. Worst … Read more
Title: Go Colour: The Lord’s Prayer* Author: Youth For Christ (with thanks to Sarah Joy, Tom Spicer and Jo Squires and Steve Squires) Price: £4.99 (or £11.99 for the pack of 3 books) Published by and available from: YFC *This is part of a series, including Go Colour Psalms and Go Colour Prayer Good for: … Read more
Title: Cold Cups of Tea and Hiding in the Loo Author: Annie Wilmott Price: £8.99 Published by and available from: Eden Good for: anyone who’s been a parent, knows a parent or is thinking about becoming one Best bit: Annie’s honesty and humour Worst bit: Perhaps a bit pricey? And I’d like audio version with … Read more
“I do it! I do it BY MYSELF!” It’s a cry we often here from young children, desperate to be independent and master skills. It’s something my husband and I chose to intentionally nurture when our children were young, especially as they are only 18 months apart in age. I remember number 1 coming into … Read more
“I got rhythm, I got music, I got my man. Who could ask for anything more.” Ella Fitzgerald We all love rhythm. It is one of the first things accessible to us. Have you seen a baby moving their body in time with music? This is because before we understand words or can hold a … Read more
Have you got some old Christmas cards stashed? Here’s some ideas of ways you can use them to explore the Christmas story together: 1. Sort them Go through your cards and split them into two piles: ones which feature something in the Christmas story and those which don’t. You might need to do a quick … Read more
Thankfulness is so powerful! It really does change how we see our lives, and encourages us when things are tricky. This activity is a way of identifying, focusing on and being thankful for the good things in our lives. You could make a thanks jar at any time of year, but I especially like starting ours on January 1st and reading … Read more
A simple activity for Advent is to do some colouring meditation. Download this beautiful nativity colouring poster and print it at whatever size suits you. Spend time together colouring and listening to Christmas carols or worship music or the Christmas story from an audio Bible. Chat and think and chew over the wonder of the … Read more