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
One thing we’ve found helpful during December is to celebrate Saint Nicholas. There are lots of lovely story books out there about him, and his story is a combination of fact and myth. What I love is that our traditions of gift giving and specifically Father Christmas are linked to him. I really like this … Read more
Make your own wrapping paper, keep it environmentally friendly and use it to pray for and bless the people who will unwrap it! Use an angel-shaped cookie cutter to print paint over a large sheet of paper. You could also make Christmas cards and gift tags in the same way. Chat about what the angels … Read more
Why not read the whole Christmas story? Could you do it even in one sitting? This is a fun idea which could work as part of your family devotions or personal Bible reading / Quiet time / Time with God or whatever you call it! The Christmas story is written about in both Matthew and … Read more
This month I’ve been doodling my thanks to God, each day aiming to draw three little symbols or pictures of things I’m thankful for. I find it helps focus my heart in the morning, making me aware of the good things right now in my life, and connecting me with The Giver of Gifts. I … Read more
I love food. I love making things from scratch and experimenting with new recipes. I love how something which nourishes my body can nourish my soul and spirit too, so it should come as no surprise that I love using food in our faith at home rituals. Food is central to so many of our … Read more
I love being able to recite verses from the Bible. It means it’s easy for them to be brought to mind when I need them, and easier to meditate and chew over them. As a child, we did a lot of this and I want this to be something I pass on to my children. … Read more
Each year we indulge in the lovely part of the Passover meal where an adult hides the afikomen, the broken middle matzah (which represents the lamb killed at Passover) and the children have to hunt for it. When they return, they get a prize. To help the dynamics of the hunt, I’ve used colour spot … Read more
Author: Madeleine L’Engle Illustrator: Frescoes by Giotto Published by: Simon and Schuster Available second-hand from sellers on Amazon and Abebooks “Possible things are easy to believe. The Glorious Impossibles are what bring joy to our hearts, hope to our lives, song to our lips.” Good for: Families with children aged 7—14 and adults who like … Read more
As part of our Passover preparations, we listened to the Exodus story (Exodus 1-15) using the NIVUK version on Biblegateway, streaming the audio read by David Suchet (aka Poirot) from my phone over breakfast and in the car. Afterwards, as we began to reflect on the story, my 6yo ask: Why did Joseph’s family stay … Read more
Making an Easter garden is a great way to share the Easter story together. We made ours after my daughter decided to collect a selection of things from the garden when we were outside on a sunny Spring day. I added a biscuit tin lid, lemon and cumin glitter playdough, some play people and we were … Read more
When having some fun in the snow, why not add in some prayer? The opportunity for this type of prayer is very seasonal and geographically limited but may be more special for it. Get everyone to write, draw or make a snow model of something they’d like to say sorry to God for doing, something they … Read more