Toys to tell the Easter Story

Meet children at their level I’m a big fan of using toys to tell Bible stories. Since the Easter story is one of the hardest to share with children, using toys is one way we can make it more accessible. One of the great things about using toys instead of a book is that you … Read more

1000 hours outside

… is good for your faith! We’re currently in our second year of doing #1000hoursoutside. Whenever I tell people we’re doing it, they either say, Oh yes, we probably do about that each year. I then ask them really? It’s just over 3 hours a day EVERY DAY, including the days it’s super cold, windy … Read more

Nature is the first cathedral

We’re currently in our second year of doing #1000hoursoutside. For me, the most important thing is not HOW we’re achieving that (more on that next time) but WHY. We’re intentionally spending loads of time outside because it’s good for us, (again, more on that next time) and it gives us a way to regularly worship … Read more

The best books I’ve ever made

Ten years ago I help make the best books I’ve ever made: the Held in Hope series. At the time I was working for Christian Education, and Paul Nash contacted us to ask if we could work with them to produce a book for sick children. I went to visit him at Birmingham Childrens’ Hospital, … Read more

8 Ways to Use Mini-Books in Your Faith at Home

I love mini-books! They are so cute and so quick and very satisfying to make. I recently made this rainbow set for a group of 12 children. It only took me about an hour and only used paper, card and staples. I have a lot of mini-books, both ones I’ve bought and ones I’ve made. … Read more

Review: Make Room

Title: Make Room: a child’s guide to Lent and Easter Author: Laura Alary Illustrator: Ann Boyajian Published by: Paraclete Press Price: £8.99 (Amazon) Good for: Families with children aged 3–10 years old who want to introduce them to the Easter story focusing on the transforming nature of the story Best bit: The book is written … Read more

Chalk home blessing for Epiphany/New Year

This is a traditional activity used to mark Epiphany, the day when we celebrate the wise men visiting Jesus. It’s really simple: all you need is some chalk, and you write the following letters and numbers over your door as a prayer asking God to bless your home. This year (2022), we’ll be writing: 20 … Read more

Christmas art meditation using The Glorious Impossible

I love this book! It’s the Christmas and Easter stories told by the eloquent Madeleine L’Engle illustrated with frescoes from the Scrovegni Chapel by Giotto. You can see my review of the book here, but this post is about how I’ve used the pictures and story in this book to meditate on the Christmas story … Read more

Ten fun easy ways to do family praise

family worship

There’s nothing quite like family worship, is there? Or is it just a bad word in your home? Many psalms start with the words: A Psalm of David, and the word ‘psalm’ is a translation of the Hebrew word ‘mizmor’, meaning a poem set to notes (ie a song!). It comes from the root word … Read more

The secret place

I vividly remember the first time I started to understand what it meant to ‘dwell in the secret place’. I was drinking coffee with Sarah her kitchen while her three children played in the room next door. As we were chatting, Starzie, her three year old ran into the room and grabbed my arm, saying, … Read more

Review: Out of the shadows

book review emotional mental health

Title: Out of the shadows By: Lisa Haskett Price:Hardback: £6.99 Published by and available from: Lisa’s website Good for: children age 7-11 Best bit: Lovely contemporary pictures with a great story about becoming confident Worst bit: There are a lot of words on each page, meaning that it will work better for children age 7+ although … Read more

Review: Dangerous Journey

pilgrims progress for children

Title: Dangerous Journey – The Story of Pilgrim’s Progress By: John Bunyan’s words selected by Oliver Hunkin, illustrated by Alan Parry Price:Hardback: £12.99 Published by and available from: Lion Good for: children age 7+ up to younger teens, plus adults wanting an abridged version (me!) Best bit: Cleverly edited words from the original story written by … Read more