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I was recently at a Forum organised by Children Matter where we were looking at faith at home and the big story of the Bible, and how we help children to engage not just with individual stories but with the Big Story in the Bible. While this was looking at the story in the WHOLE … Read more
When I put together the Held in Hope series, we included activities in the books to help families dealing with issues of illness and death. I’m putting together some activities for a funeral next week, so I’m doing an activity from Sam’s Special Book. In the book the children remember being told that Jesus said … Read more
Last week a tragedy happened in a town near us when two young boys were killed in a hit-and-run. One mother whose daughter knew the boys contacted me asking if I knew of any resources to help them, and as we’ve also had a family bereavement this week, I thought a post about things which … Read more
This week I was asked by a friend on Facebook: “I’d like to start introducing the children to Christianity but no idea where to begin. I thought pancake day/lent/ easter would be a good place to start. Do you have any recommendations for a family of non-Christians?? I have a good understanding of the Bible/the … Read more
Have you seen my family activity sticker book: GodVenture through the story of Lazarus? It’s a collaboration with Yvonne Morris from the Diocese of Oxford, and perfect for use during Lent due to the poster in the middle with 40 days of Bible verses and activities. Don’t worry! It’s designed to be easy to use, … Read more
Title: Story Stacks Author: Becca Stileman Useful for: parents of children age 3-10 wanting to do faith together at home, childrens groups where Bible stories are shared Best bit: large sturdy, bold character cones Worst bit: the cardboard box they arrived in was a bit worse for wear to use to keep them in Price: RRP £34.99 for 25 … Read more
This activity provides an open-ended opportunity to respond to a story using words. I’d probably use it for children age 7+ after sharing a Bible story with them as I don’t want negotiating the words to become the focus for early readers. For them I’d use something similar but picture based like this. This set … Read more
Title: Diary of a Disciple Author: Gemma Willis Useful for: children age 8-12ish or anyone wanting a new slant on the Jesus story Best bit: brilliantly retold and designed Worst bit: you’ll finish it quicker than you want to Price: RRP £10 Only £6.99 here at time of writing It’s not often I come across a book I feel deserves … Read more
Free Download! I love making books (being a publisher, that helps!) so here’s a way to make your own Christmas story photobook. We often make photobooks with FreePrints which print 20-page photobooks for reasonable prices. All you need to do is download their phone app, upload the photos and wait for your luscious new book! … Read more
New Year isn’t necessarily a particularly family event especially for younger children. My youngest, currently four, has put in a request to stay up late this near year, and watch The Beegees, which is what she considers to be ‘New Year’. (Just to clarify, last year we DID watch a documentary about the Beegees with … Read more
I love Advent Candles and you can get these from amazon. We light ours each dinner time in Advent, sometimes spending a few minutes chatting or praying or being thankful (here are 25 ideas on things to be thankful for!). Here are some other ideas of prayers you could use each time you light your … Read more
Search online for nativity art, and look at how the same stories have been depicted differently by different artists. You might like to look for pictures of the angel visiting Mary, the angels and the shepherds, the shepherds visiting Jesus and the wise men arriving. Which picture do you like best? How does it speak … Read more