Godly Play
- Sunday Mornings, during the school year
- Two classrooms, divided by age during both the 9:30 and 11:00 services
So what is Godly Play?
Godly Play is a non-denominational, non-traditional approach to nurturing the faith of children ages 3-12 through art, storytelling and imagination. Godly Play is also a fun, engaging way for children to learn scripture.
Godly Play not only teaches children stories of our faith, but also gives kids the language to talk about God. This method, developed by Episcopal priest Jerome Berryman, is based on the Montessori model of education in which children direct their own exploration at their own pace.
What Does This Look Like?
1. Entering The Room: An adult volunteer (Doorperson) greets each child an invites them to enter the room.
2. Joining The Circle: Each child is invited to join the circle and wait patiently for others to join the circle.
3. Sharing the Story: A second adult volunteer (Storyteller) shares one of the stories using physical representations of parts of the stories with the children. These stories can be biblical, liturgical, based on church events (like baptism or World Communion Sunday), or important figures of the faith. After she story, children are invited to explore the story through a series of "wondering" questions ("I wonder where you saw yourself in the story?")
4. Creative Work: The Storyteller invites the children to respond to the story with an individual creative activity like clay, books, paints, manipulating other story materials and writing.
5. The Feast: The Storyteller asks kids to rejoin the circle and share prayer & bread/crackers and water.
6. Exiting the Room: When parent(s) arrive, children are asked if they are ready to go. They receive a blessing from the Storyteller and are reunited with their parent(s).
Why?
The Room
Children are invited into the room one by one by a door person to keep the Godly Play room sacred, and to remind the kids that it's an important place and experience.
The Stories, and art materials are on on shelves that are a kid-friendly height and thet are always kept in the same place. The goal is for kids to be comfortable gathering their materials for Creative Work on their own, and for them to be able to clean up after themselves. This gives kids some ownership of these stories, and their feelings about them, and puts them at ease in the room since they know what to expect.
The Circle
Children are asked to sit in a circle on the floor with the Storyteller. Everyone is on the same level, creating a sense of equality and community. The story is told slowly, and deliberately, and incorporates physical representations of elements of the story to cater to both auditory and visual learners.
Creative Work
Children are given time after the story to work with art materials, or the stories, to reflect on their feelings about the story they heard that day, and to digest their thoughts and feelings. Kids are encouraged to respond in whatever way they feel and are given the freedom to express themselves and develop creativity and introspection.
Wondering
"I wonder" is a very important phrase in Godly Play.. At the conclusion of each story children are asked a series of questions beginning with "I wonder..."
I wonder what your favorite part of the story is?
I wonder what we could have left out?
I wonder what the most important part of the story is?
A goal of Godly Play is to let the children begin to interpret and grapple with these stories on their own, to find out what the stories really mean to, and say about, themselves and their lives. The "I wonder" phrase prevents Storytellers from forcing an interpretation of the stories on the kids, and gives children the freedom to be contemplative. The process of Godly Play gives children the opportunity to probe scripture in a new, deep and profound way, and encourages them to embrace each day with more awe, wonder and enthusiasm!