In case you're worried . . .

This was a rather cheeky gift from Godly Play Deutschland e.V. for completely my Trainers' Training in December. And I'm finally getting around to enjoying it today! Das ist ein eher freches Geschenk von Godly Play Deutschland e.V. fürs Absolvieren der Trainerausbildung im Dezember. Und heute hatte ich Zeit es und einen Tee zu geniessen. : )

Godly Play: Jonah, the Backwards Prophet

The story of Jonah is one that I like to tell either before or during Lent, because it deals with the theme of returning to God, which is what Lent is all about. 

We heard the story again on Sunday, and I told it very differently than when I told it the first time last year. From what I have read in my personal theological studies, the original audience would have understood Jonah to be a comedy about a bumbling prophet, who does everything except what a prophet is really supposed to do. I realized that I had been way too serious in my storytelling the first time, so I intentionally tried to be a lot more playful this time in my tone of voice and how I moved the figures around on the felt.

The children that I was with also seemed to have more fun with the story this time around as well. During the Wondering, the first time around, the children seemed incensed that God didn't severely punish Jonah for being such a jerk. This time around, they seemed to just laugh at Jonah and see the irony in his actions.

The Wondering for this story is always particularly good, because the biblical account doesn't give us a conclusive ending. Jonah pitches a temper tantrum with God in the desert,  because he wants Nineva to be destroyed. Then, God patiently asks him why he (God) should not have compassion on the 120,000 people and the many animals that live in the city.  And that's how the story ends. One of the Wondering questions in the Godly Play story is how the children would end the story. One child answered that he would have Jonah go back to Nineva and buy ice cream for all the poor people in the city. Gosh, I sure hope that Jonah ended up doing something like that!

During the Response Time, one child drew this picture below. She explained that the flying figure is Jesus coming close to Jonah, "because God came close to Jonah at the end of the story instead of punishing him". What a great revelation of God's mercy and grace!

And on a different note, my on-line friend, Caro from Naturkinder, writes her blog in her native German, but always includes a summary in English. She's inspired me to try this as well. If I wrote each post in both languages, I'd never get anything written, but I do realize that not everyone in Germany wants to read a long post in English, so here goes . . . 

Am Sonntag hörten wir die Godly Play-Geschichte, "Jona, der unmögliche Prophet" in der Kinderkirche. Diese Erzählung passt gut zur Fastenzeit, weil es um das Thema "Rückkehr zu Gott" handelt. 

Diesmal habe ich die Geschichte viel spielerische als letztes Jahr erzählt, da die ursprüngliche Bibelgeschichte eher wie eine Komödie spielt. 

Wenn du dich mehr für die Godly Play-Pädagogik interessiert, kannst du hier schauen. Sie ist ziemlich verbreitet in Deutschland und es gibt einen Verein, Godly Play Deutschland e.V., dafür. 

Linked to Montessori Monday at Living Montessori Now

and Waldorf Wednesday at Seasons of Joy

Easter Club 2013 Part 1

Obwohl es immer noch Kälte und Schnee hier in Berlin gibt und Frühling nirgendwo zu spüren ist, fing die OsterAG 2013 trotzdem mit 14 Grundschulkindern an!  Although it is frosty and snowy here in Berlin with spring nowhere in sight, Easter Club 2013 began last week with 14 children from our local elementary school. 

Die gemeinsame Zeit begann mit der Godly Play-Geschichte, "Das Geheimnis von Ostern". Diese poetische Erzählung half uns zu verstehen, warum man überhaupt eine ernstere Vorbereitungszeit wie die Fastenzeit gebraucht um danach Ostern richtig mit Freude feiern zu können. Die Kinder zogen 6 Puzzleteile von einem geheimnisvollen Beutel - einen Teil für jede der 6 Wochen in der Fastenzeit. We began our time with a Godly Play story called "The Mystery of Easter". This poetic story helps children to grasp how the more serious season of Lent prepares us to joyfully celebrate Easter. The children pull 6 puzzle pieces out a bag - one for each week of Lent. 

Unten bringen zwei Kinder alles zusammen. Daraus wird ein ersthaftes und trauriges Kreuz. Das ist die eine Seite von Ostern, die Kreuzigung von Jesu. Here two children discover that the pieces come together to form a purple cross that is both serious and sad. 

Und hier ein Junge endeckt, dass Ostern auch eine andere Seite hat, die sogar  wunderschön ist. Here a boy helps us discover that Easter has another side - one that is beautiful and full of joy. 

Wir erfuhren, dass Ostern "uns von innen nach außen verwandelt". Und es kann sein, wenn man eine traurige oder ernste Zeit erlebt und danach eine richtig glückliche Zeit auch erlebt, ist manchmal das Ergebnis eine tiefe, lang anhaltende Freude. Das ist das Geheimnis von Ostern. We learned that Easter "changes us from the inside out and turns everything upside down". And sometimes, when a sad or serious time is followed by a very happy one, the result can be a deep long-standing joy. And this is the mystery of Easter. 

(Wenn du mehr über diese Geschichte wissen möchtest, siehe diese Post von 2011. For more details about this story and pictures, see this post from 2011.)

Wir bekamen auch Besuch von der beliebten Religionslehrerin an unserer Schule, die mit uns Frühlings Lieder sang! We were also treated to a visit by our school's beloved religion teacher, who led us in some very fun songs!

Jede Woche nach der Geschichte und einem Ergründungsgespräch, gibt es eine Kreativphase mit verschiedenen Angeboten. In dieser Zeit dürfen die Kinder eine Beschäftigung aussuchen um zu reflektieren.  Each week, after the story and a time of "wondering" about the story, we have a Response Time where the children can reflect on the story they just heard or on anything else that might be on their hearts. 

Nach den Prinzipien der Montessori-Pädagogik, entscheiden die Kinder selbst, wie sie die Zeit verbringen und wie lange sie bei einer Aktivität bleiben. Following the principles of Montessori, the children are allowed to choose from activities at different stations and spend as much time as they like playing, creating and exploring.

Ein Angebot, die wir immer zur Verfügung haben, ist das Spielmaterial von der Geschichte, die gerade erzählt wurde, und von anderen Geschichten aus der Bibel. Das Material steht auf und unter eine Kirchenbank, die ich als "Regale" verwende, und die Kinder nehmen was sie wollen und spielen damit. One "station" is the Focus Table and "shelves" (in reality a bench at the church!) directly behind the storytelling circle. On the shelves, one can find the story that has just been told as well as materials for other stories from the Old and New Testament.

Hier spielt ein Mädchen mit dem Gleichnis, "Die Kostbare Perle". Here a child examines the parable, "The Pearl of Great Price". 

Die zweite Station (unten) war eine Filzunterlage mit einem "Weg", der zum Kreuz und dem leeren Grab führt. Daneben gab's "Auferstehungseier", also Plastikeier erfüllt hit Gegenständen, die von der Passionswoche und Auferstehung erzählen. Hier konnten die Kinder die Gegenstände auf den Weg hinliegen und mehr über die Passionswoche entdecken. The second station (below) was a felt underlay with a "path" to the cross and empty tomb. Next to it was a set of Resurrection Eggs, plastic eggs filled with objects that tell the story of Jesus' Passion and Resurrection, so that the children could explore the eggs and lay the objects along the path. (More about these in this post.)

Das dritte Angebot war die Möglichkeit "Gebetschalen" für die Fastenzeit aus Ton zu machen. Die Co-Lehrerin, Melinda, gab den Kindern ein paar Tips mit dem Ton. (Ich muss hier hinfügen, dass Melinda eine ausgezeichnete Kollegin ist, die höchstsensibel und liebevoll mit den Kindern umgeht.) Our third station was creating Lenten prayer pots out of clay. My co-teacher, Melinda, is demonstrating a clay technique to the children. (I'll just add here that Melinda is an amazing co-teacher, who is so sensitive to the children's needs.)

In die Schalen zu Hause kommen jede Woche kleine Gegenstände, die uns an Gott und die Ostereschichte errinern. Im Foto unten stecken die Kinder die 6 Gegenstände in eine Tüte, die sie mit der Gebetsschale nach Hause bringen. The pots are to be set out during Lent and the children can place a small object in them each week to remind them about an aspect of God and their relationship to him. 

Hier sind ein paar von den fertigen Schalen. (Sie wurden im Suppenteller gelegt um den Transport nach Hause zu erleichtern.) Some of the finished prayer pots decorated with nature materials. (They are in soup bowls to make them easier to transport home.)

Und zu guter Letzt gab es eine Station mit Ölkreide. Diese Angebot ist sehr wichtig in der Godly Play-Pädagogik, weil es kein "Projekt" ist und gibt den Kindern Freiraum um ihre Gedanken über alles Mögliches auszudrücken. (Ich habe auch eine gute Werbung für die Ölkreide gemacht, indem ich sagte, dass mit Ölkreide ist sowie mit Butter zu malen. Welches Kind möchte das nicht ausprobieren?!) And last but not least, the fourth station was drawing with oil pastels. This is a particularly important station, because it is not a "project" and the children have complete freedom to draw anything they wish. I did give the oil pastels good advertisement, though, by telling the kids that they were "like drawing with butter". Come on, what kid wouldn't want to draw with butter? :)

Das Kunstwerk von einem Kind. A child's drawing.

OsterAG (zusammen mit den AGs in September und Advent) ist wirklich der Hohepunkt meines Jahres! Melinda und ich geniessen zutiefst jeden Moment mit den Kindern, und wir lernen soviel von ihnen als sie von uns. Easter Club (along with the other two clubs that we do in September and at Advent) really is the highlight of my year! Melinda and I savor each moment with the children and learn as much from them as they learn from us. 

Bis nächster Woche! See you next week!

Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5


Just wanted to mention as well that Hillary from Featherglen is also doing an Easter Club this year! Be sure to check out her Easter Club in Scotland here!


Linked to Montessori Monday at Living Montessori Now

and Eco Kids' Tuesday at Like Mama-Like Daughter and Organic Aspirations

and Waldorf Wednesday at Seasons of Joy

The Importance of Childhood (or why we outlasted the Neanderthals)

Childhood is a gift - something to be cherished and taken care of. The Bible speaks of children as being gifts from God, and Jesus himself affirmed children in a way that was unheard of for his time, even going as far to say that we have to be like children in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

I always feels an immense joy when science confirms something that I already know to be true. Recently, I saw an interview with journalist Chip Walter, the author of Last Ape Standing, a new book about the latest anthropological research on the Neanderthals. When asked by a Wall Street Journal reporter, "Why did human beings outlive the Neanderthals?", he responds like this:

"We, more than any other primate, developed a long childhood. . . . Our personal experience as children is what lays the foundation for the interesting people that we become later. We develop individual talents and later those turn into individual ideas. Then there were more and more homo sapiens as we became more and more successful, because of our larger brains, the ability to communicate and to share our creativity. And ultimately, that’s how you end up with civilzation. . . . And that’s why . . . there are 7.5 billion of us and we’re living in every nook and cranny of the planet. "

Do you hear what he is saying? Not only is childhood a beautiful thing, it is an essential thing. A prolonged childhood - the ability to learn, explore, experience and be mentored by loving caregivers - was (and is) key to the longevity of the human race. 

But many times it seems that childhood is blown off as unimportant in our world. In the West, TVs are used as babysitters, companies market strategically to tweens, and even worse sexualize children in ad campaigns. In other parts of the world, children are sold into various forms of slavery or forced to do hard labour in sweatshops.

My friend, Storyteller from Wonderful in an Easter Kind of Way, writes in this post about a woman who gave up teaching, "because they will pay you to take care of their money, but not to take care of their children." When things get financially tight, the funds for education and services that help children are usually the first to get cut. Even happens in the church, which should definitely know a lot better. 

When we put our children last, we are ultimately putting the whole human race at risk.

Please don't write Chip Walter off just because you may not agree with his worldview. Whether you are a progressive creationist, theistic evolutionist, atheist, agnostic, Young Earth creationist, or of a completely different religion other than Christianity, let his words about childhood sink in. 

Here is the full interview for anyone who wants to watch. The part that I quoted comes in the last two minutes of the interview.

Here you can find another article by Chip Walter specifically about the benefits of childhood.

Let's do whatever it takes to make sure that the children in our nations are allowed to remain children, and give them the love, attention and educational opportunities that they deserve!

Linked to Friday's Nature Table at The Magic Onions

New Idea for Resurrection Eggs

 Before I discovered Godly Play, I was still very aware that children need to explore their spirituality with all five senses. Resurrection Eggs were one of the first tools that I used with my own children to help them experience the mystery of Easter. In case you are not familiar with them, they are plastic eggs with small objects inside that tell the story of Jesus from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. It is a bit like the Stations of the Cross plus the Resurrection.

The eggs are numbered so that the children know their order
in the Easter story.

This is a peak at the objects inside.

Though there are many great resources for using these eggs in English, I have had to be creative in my German-speaking context. In the Easter Club for elementary school students, one year used the eggs as part of an Easter Egg hunt and the following year I told the Easter story using the objects found in the Easter Egg hunt.

This year I wanted to do something new with the eggs,  and also wanted to give the children an opportunity to explore the events of Holy Week more. When we use them in the Easter Egg hunt, the kids only see the objects briefly on that particular day. 

So this year, I decided to make a station during our Godly Play Response Time featuring the eggs. On a table I placed a felt underlay with a path leading to the cross and then to the empty tomb. The children are then able to take out the individual pieces and place them on the path where they can wonder more about them or ask questions. 

This is what I place on the station table during the Response Time
and how a child might lay the pieces out and play with them.

At our first week of Easter Club on Monday, this was a popular station.
Here a child explores them with a co-worker.

If you don't already have Resurrection Eggs, you can easily make them. Just check out this post from Lacy at Catholic Icing.

If any of you have other ideas of how to use Resurrection Eggs, please leave a message in the comments!

Linked to Eco Kids' Tuesday at Like Mama-Like Daughter and Organic Aspirations

and Waldorf Wednesday at Seasons of Joy

Sketchy Sunday: "Music" and "In the Kitchen"

Joining the Artsy Ants again for Sketchy Sunday! 

We missed last week, so here's a couple of sketches from "In the Kitchen".

I've always avoided technical drawing, so this was a good challenge for me. I picked the mixer, because I thought the beaters would be the most challenging thing to sketch.

My 9-year-old drew the refrigerator, the oven and a cupboard, but put them in a made-up constellation. He's never drawn these things before to my knowledge, so it was a good challenge for him as well.

This week's theme was music, so I drew a fantasy pictured inspired by an illustration of children dancing. I then looked up images of people playing the flute to get the arm position right. And I added metallic gel pen ink to spruce it up a bit.

Thanks, Simona and Sylvia, for coming up with unusual themes!

Drawing from Photos vs. Live Models

Is it better to teach children to draw from live models? Do we do them a disservice when we have them draw from photos or illustrations? If you are like me and teach children drawing mainly at home, you might not always have access to live models. Sure, occasionally you can throw together a still life, but getting a living thing to stay still long enough to draw it - that can be problematic. 

Live drawing of marine animals at the aquarium by a 7-year-old 

I've always wondered about the balance in the above questions, and I recently found something encouraging in Mona Brooke's second book, Drawing for Older Children & Teens.  She cites research done by Dr. Margaret Dowell, an art educator from Frederick, Maryland, who found "that students who had been trained to draw the human body from photographs or photocopies of masterworks were as technically proficient . . . as students who had been trained exclusively from the observation of live models." And in an impartial judging of students' work, the less proficient drawing came from students who had only observed live models. 

Drawing from an illustration on the computer by a 6-year-old

The overall consensus seems to be that students of drawing need to have experience with both photos and live models. But if your child only has limited access to live models, don't sweat it. Interesting photos and illustrations can be an important learning tool as well. 

New Blog!

Those of you who journey with me on a regular basis have met my dear friend in Moscow, Asmic. 

I am excited to announce that she has started her own blog called Amazing & Amusing! 

Asmic is the mom of three very active boys, and she is so creative. I can't wait to read all of her great ideas. She'll be posting about everything amazing and amusing in her life as well as her journey with Montessori and Godly Play. 

Asmic's youngest son engaged in a Montessori sorting activity.

A fleece heart craft that she did with her boys hanging on a framed  Nicene Creed.

Thanks for taking the time to share with us, Asmic!

Beginning Lent

Lent has become a special time for our family to slow down a bit and take more time for God and each other. Although we fast by abstaining from meat during the week, we try to focus on what God wants to give us in this season rather than on what we are giving up. 

At our Sunday Brunch and children's service, I finally found a way to hang up my Circle of the Church Year. The kids knew exactly where the hand of the "clock" should be - on the last Sunday of the green, growing season (also known as "Ordinary Time") before Lent. 

Since I neither grew up Catholic nor in the state of Louisiana, "Fasching" (what we call Carnival or Mardi Gras here) was not part of my tradition. But it is celebrated here in northern Germany as a children's holiday on Shrove Tuesday, and the kids have parties at school. It is a fun way to say good-bye to Ordinary Time before greeting Lent.

This year, we had a doctor in the house . . . 

and a visit from Legolas . . . 

(If you'd like to know how my husband made those elf ears, click here.)

Then we enjoyed a "Pfannkuchen" (pancake) for afternoon tea.

It's actually more of what Americans would call a doughnut and filled with jelly. We call it a Pfannkuchen, but Germans outside of Berlin call it a "Berliner". And this is incidentally what caused the roaring laughter in the crowd when John F. Kennedy said, "Ich bin ein Berliner!" Because he used the indefinite article, he inadvertantly referred to himself as a jelly-filled doughnut.: )

Today, we began to build our Lenten Nature Table. 

It's tulip time in Europe right now, and they are my absolute favorite. I couldn't resist adding them to our nature table.

On Sunday the children made Lenten prayer pots. My daughter made a new one, since she made the last one when she was four.

and my son still loves his old prayer pot, 

so he created something new for the nature table . . .

We ended our day by attending an Ash Wednesday service at a church near our home. The children had the experience of getting ashes on their forehead for the first time, and found it to be a meaningful symbol. 

Many blessings on your Lenten journey!

Ideas for Celebrating Lent with Children

Ash Wednesday, February 13, begins the season of Lent. I'd like to share with you some of the ideas from the past three years for making this season meaningful for the children in your life. If you have never observed Lent as a family before, I encourage you to try it. Preparing ourselves and our children for Easter makes it more celebratory and communicates that Easter is much more than hunting eggs and eating chocolate bunnies (although those things are loads of fun!) . 

Click on the links below the pictures for the original posts. 

A Lenten Nature Table

Children need time to prepare for important holidays just as adults do. Having symbols of Lent in the home help children to prepare for the joy of Easter.

Lenten Nature Table 2012

Lenten Nature Table 2011

The Stations of the Cross for children

This website offers a great plan for doing the Stations with children in a way that they can understand.

Lenten Prayer Pots 

These are small bowls that the children make out of clay and nature materials. Each week they place a small object in the bowl to remind them of God and help prepare their hearts for celebrating Easter.

Lenten Prayer Pots

Godly Play: The Mystery of Easter & The Faces of Christ

These stories focus on the meaning of Lent and the life of Jesus.

The Mystery of Easter
Post 1 and Post 2

The Faces of Easter

Pray for the poor of the world

Make meals that the poor in other countries eat on a daily basis. Pray for them with your children, and use the money that you save to send to an aid organization.

Helping Children Identify with the Poor

Do a social project

Serve someone else during Lent as a family, church, or school group.

The Easter Club visits a Senior Center.

Grow Easter Grass in the Shape of the Cross

Easter Grass

Resurrection Eggs

These eggs have symbols inside that tell the story of Jesus' death and resurrection.

Resurrection Eggs

Ideas from last year's Lenten Link-Up, Celebrating Lent

You can find 39 more ideas from some other wonderful bloggers here!

Linked to Montessori Monday at Living Montessori Now

and Eco Kids' Tuesday at Like Mother-Like Daughter and Organic Aspirations

and Waldorf Wednesday at Seasons of Joy

and Friday's Nature Table at The Magic Onions