Quote of the Day

“Accept the children with reverence, 

educate them with love, 

send them forth in freedom.” 

– Rudolf Steiner

Jago inspired Art Project for Ascension

Jago is a respected artist and illustrator of children's books.  Our family has particularly enjoyed his work in The Jesus Storybook Bible, and it inspired my latest art project below for Ascension.  This whimsical aerial view painting depicts the 11 disciples staring up into the clouds after Jesus has returned to the Father and the two angels who respond their bewilderment. 

 

Step 1:   Using watercolors or thinned tempera paint, make a grassy background. Ascension actually took place on the Mount of Olives, so the kids can use their imaginations and paint flowers or whatever they think should be on a mountain.  I painted the background here green with yellow streaks.

 

Step 2: Paint eleven dots in different colors to represent the disciples' heads. This is a great counting exercise for younger children as well.

 

Step 3: While the dots are drying, paint white clouds using a thicker acrylic or tempera paint.  I used what Germans call "Deckfarbe", which is a type of tempera paint. The clouds do not have to be opaque. Leaving them a bit transparent gives an airy feel to the painting.

Step 4: Next add the angels.  Paint a dot for the faces and just a hint of wings.

Step 5:  Once the paint is dry, use a black felt tipped pen or a gel pen to draw faces on the the disciples and the angels. This is also a way for the children to explore and process what the disciples might have been thinking as Jesus was taken up into the clouds.  Were they surprised, sad, angry, happy, shocked, etc.?  Older children can draw the bodies as well, but younger children are fine just to draw the faces.

 

If anyone tries this project with their children, please send me pictures. I'd love to see your results!

Linked up to Art for Little Hands

Nature Table: Ascension and Whitsun (Pentecost) / Jahreszeittisch: Himmelfahrt und Pfingsten

Today we set up our nature table for Ascension and Whitsun / Pentecost!

Heute haben wir den Jahreszeittisch zu Himmelfahrt und Pfingsten aufgestellt!

Jesus went away, but now he is with all of us all of the time.
Jesus ist weggegangen, aber er ist jetzt zu jeder Zeit bei uns. 

Lady bugs and dragonflies that charm us in the spring and summer.
Butterflies are a living example of transformation.
Plants and flowers remind us of the incredible beauty of life.   
Marienkäfer und Libellen bezaubern uns im Frühling und Sommer. 

Schmetterlinge stellen die Verwandlungskraft Gottes dar. 

Blumen und Pflanzen errinern uns an die Schönheit des Lebens.

Symbols of the Triune God.
A crown for the Sovereign Father who rules with mercy and grace.
A wooden cross for the Son who came to us and gave us new life.
A dove and a flame for the Holy Spirit who brings peace and empowers us.

Symbolen der Dreieinigkeit. 

Eine Krone steht für den Vater, der uns mit Gnade und Barmherzigkeit führt. 

Das Kreuz ist für den Sohn, der zu uns kam und neues Leben schenkt. 

Eine Taube und eine Flamme stellen den Heiligen Geist dar, 

der Frieden und Kraft verleiht.

Just a few words about materials:  I always try to use things that we already have for our nature tables.  My figures of Jesus and the disciples are made of wood, but one could also make figures out of felt or cardboard.  All Join In has an excellent post on making Bible dolls.  The adorable bugs are actually buttons strung onto a pipe cleaner.  Everything else is just odds and ends from around the house or from the park.  Ein paar Wörter über das Material: ich versuche immer Sachen, die wir schon haben, für den Jahreszeittisch zu verwenden, und nichts Neues kaufen. Die Figuren von Jesus und den Jüngern sind aus Holz, aber man könnte sie aus Filz oder Pappe fertigen.  Oben ist ein tolles Link fürs Basteln von solchen Puppen. Die Käfer und Libellen sind aufgefädelte Knöpfe, die ich mal im Nähladen gefunden habe. Der Rest ist einfach Kram, das bei uns zu Hause liegt.: )

Have a wonderful week!

Quote of the Day

"Nine tenths of education is encouragement."

-Anatole France

Godly Play 101: The Space

In a perfect world, we would all have a Godly Play room.  It would look something like this:

Picture borrowed from Godly Play Deutschland e.V., of which I am a proud member!

In case you can't read the German descriptions, the circles in the middle are where the children and the storyteller sit in a circle to hear the story.  Directly behind the large circle, representing the Storyteller, is the Focus Table, which as the name suggests, gives the children a visual focal point in the room. Above this story circle are tables where the children can use art materials during the creative phase. The other shelves in the room hold the art materials and the many different Godly Play stories told throughout the year that the children can choose from during the creative phase.

That having been said, I only know of a few GP storytellers in Germany that actually have rooms like the one described above.  Most of us are religion teachers or children's workers who use borrowed rooms and transport our materials from place to place in suitcases.  In my case, I am a children's pastor for a church plant (that doesn't have property of its own) and teach religious clubs at an elementary school.  My Godly Play "rooms" are my kitchen, the park in summer, and a borrowed classroom.  Even my on-line friend Storyteller in Finland (whose blog Wonderful in an Easter kind of way you should definitely read), who is part of an already established church, doesn't have a GP room and transports her stuff each week.

So, if you are thinking of starting Godly Play or Young Children in Worship with some group of children and don't have access to a room to permanently set up as the GP room, don't let that deter you from plunging into the great adventure! Think rather of creating Godly Play "space".

Maria Montessori wrote of the necessity of a "prepared environment". This would be an environment that includes aesthetic beauty, structure, appropriate freedom and child-friendly materials.  A Godly Play "space", whether it is in the park or in a classroom, needs to have these elements and requires a little forethought.  I have to admit that I haven't always gotten it right and my thoughts have evolved in this area.: )

• A GP space should be aesthetically pleasing.  A disorderly room does not allow the mind be at ease for prayer or meditative thought.  If you are in borrowed space, you may have to rearrange some furniture before you begin.  (In the Easter Club, the children themselves helped with this each week and it was a bonding experience for us all.)  Outdoors in the park, look for an area where trees or bushes provide natural boundaries and where there is less traffic.  
• Godly Play spaces need structure, so that the children know what to expect and are able to build community together. The materials should be positioned in an orderly way that the children can reach them without help from an adult. There should also be a routine to the children's service, so that they learn what comes next without too many surprises.  
• The children should have an appropriate measure of freedom in making decisions about how they want to spend their time.  In a permanent Godly Play room, all the stories and all the art materials are available at each worship service.  However, in my case, I couldn't possibly haul all of those things around in a bicycle trailer each time.  So, I offer a smaller selection of stories, art materials and practical life activities. The children are then still able to make their own decisions about what to work on. 
• A focus table in the room/space is not 100% necessary, but is very helpful for the children. (I obviously didn't have one in the park!) The things on it, such as the Christ candle, Nativity, Cross and Risen Jesus help children to draw connections between the stories and give their eyes a place to rest if they wonder away from the story. 

A simple focus table in my kitchen. 

So, prepare your space, wherever it may be, have fun, and let yourself learn (even through mistakes!).  If I've left out any aspects that other fellow storytellers feel are important, please feel free to join the conversation.

When your Child asks about Death / Wenn Kinder über den Tod fragen

If you are the parent or caregiver of a young child, then you know this experience: you are going somewhere (usually in a hurry) or doing something really fun, and then suddenly, out of the blue, comes a question from your child that you never saw coming. "Mommy, what happens when I die?"  "Daddy, will I die someday? Will you die?" We, as adults, are often caught off-guard or taken aback by such questions. After all, it's not a pleasant topic and certainly not one that we want to dwell on. However, it is very important to remember that such questions are a healthy and normal part of a child's spiritual and psychological development. How we react and what we say can go a long way in comforting and allaying fear in a child. Wer Kinder im Kindergartenalter hat, kennt diese Geschichte:  du bist unterwegs (meistens in Eile) mit den Kindern oder ihr macht irgendwas Lustiges zusammen und dann plötzlich aus der Luft kommt eine ganz unerwartete Frage.  "Mama, werde ich mal sterben?" "Wirdst du oder Papa sterben?" "Was passiert, wenn man stirbt?"  Wir als Erwachsene fühlen uns sofort unbequeem und wissen oft nicht, was wir dazu sagen sollen.  Tod ist natürlich kein schönes Thema und man will nicht so lange darüber nachdenken.  Aber, es ist wichtig zu erkennen, dass solche Fragen über den Tod normal und gesund sind.  Sie gehören zu der geistlichen und psychologischen Entwicklung des Kindes. Wie wir darauf reagieren kann dem Kind trösten und helfen Angst abzubauen. 

I am addressing this topic, because I run into many parents who are almost paralyzed by questions about death. However, taking time to process such questions with our children builds trust and strengthens both their character and ours.  A child's journey is one of trying to make sense of the world around them.  In asking about death, children are expressing curiosity about something that is unknown and may be trying to relieve fear about it.  As author Mary VanClay points out, children become aware of death at young ages as a result of everything from hearing fairy tales to interaction with nature.  Talking about it with a trusted adult gives them invaluable opportunities to process before they at some point in their lives actually experience the death of a beloved pet or a grandparent.  Ich schreibe etwas über das Thema. weil ich immer wieder mit Eltern rede, denen es sehr schwer fällt solche Fragen zu beantworten. Wenn wir die Zeit nehmen, um diese Fragen von unseren Kindern wahrzunehmen, dann bauen wir Vertauen zu unseren Kindern auf und gleichzeitig stärken wir ihren und unseren Charakter. Die Kindheit ist ein großer,, schöner Versuch die Welt einzuordnen, und deshalb wenn Kinder über den Tod fragen, drücken sie Neugier über etwas Unbekanntes aus und versuchen dabei Angst abzubauen. Wie Autorin Mary VanClay schreibt, kommen Kinder in Kontakt mit dem Theman Tod fast täglich durch Märchen, die Natur, usw.  Die Möglichkeit sich mit einem vertrauten Erwachsenen darüber zu unterhalten bietet eine unhelimlich wertvolle Zeit an, die Gedanken zu verarbeiten, bevor die Kinder in der Zukunft tatsächlich den Tod von einem beliebten Haustier oder sogar von den Grosseltern erleben.  

One of the things that I treasure about my work as a children's pastor and with Godly Play is that it provides opportunities for children to think about death in a safe place.  In the Godly Play story, "The Great Family", about Abraham and Sarah, the storyteller at one point encloses the figure in her hands, explains that Sarah was "full from her many years" (translated from the German!) and actually buries her in the sand of the Desert Sack.  It is not unusual after this story and others with similar themes to see the children burying the figures in the sand during the creative phase where the children are allowed to play with the story materials. This often shocks parents to see their children "playing" death. Children, however, are sensorimotor beings who learn and process play. Through play, they find the words to formulate the questions that come "out of the blue".  Ich schätze in meiner Arbeit als Kinderpastorin und mit Godly Play, dass die Kinder Möglichkeiten haben sich Gedanken über das Thema in geschützen Rahmen machen zu können.  Bei der Godly Play Geschichte, "Die Große Familie", die um Abraham und Sarah geht, nimmt der Erzähler die Sarahfigur in der Hand und sagt, "Sarah war voll an Jahren" und begräbt sie in die Sand.  Oft in der Kreativzeit nachher begraben die Kinder Sarah und die anderen Figuren wieder beim Spielen.  Das schokiert die Eltern manchmal, wenn sie sehen, dass die Kinder "den Tod" spielen. Kinder aber lernen und erfahren mit den 5 Sinnen. Durchs Spielen finden sie die Worter um später Fragen zu stellen.

When your child asks you about death, here are some things to keep in mind / Wenn Kinder den Tod ansprechen, hier sind ein paar Dingen zu beachten:

1. Provide a safe place for them to talk.  Keep your own emotions in check and be patient with their questions.  Don't try to distract them or hurry the conversation to an end. Schaffe geschützen Raum für sie zu reden.  Versuche die eigenen starken Emotionen oder Ängste unter Kontrolle zu halten.  Versuche nicht das Gespräch woanders zu lenken oder schnell zu beenden. 

2. Be honest about what you know and don't know.  A friend of mine, who isn't at all religious, was recently talking to me about this subject and asking me what I told my children about death.  I told her that, of course, I can't provide any scientific evidence about what happens to the soul/spirit when a person dies, but I did tell my children that God promises never to leave or forsake us and that nothing can separate us from his love, not even death. We don't have all the answers, but God did not mean for us to, did he?  Gib ehrlich zu, was du weisst und nicht weisst.  Eine Bekanntin, die gar nicht religiös ist, hat mich gefragt, was ich den eigenen Kindern über den Tod sage.  Ich habe erzählt, dass ich natürlich nicht genau beweisen kann, was wissenschaftlich mit der Seele und Geist nach dem Tod passiert. Aber ich sage meinen Kinder, dass Gott verspricht uns niemals zu verlassen und dass Nichts kann uns von seiner Liebe trennen. Ich muss nicht alle Antworte haben.: )   

3. After your child asks, provide a "playful" (by this I do not mean flippant) way to talk further about death.  Read a Bible story or another story together in which someone dies and talk about it.  Or allow your child to process with play figures such as Playmobil or wooden figures by making up a story together and asking your child how he/she feels when one of the characters die. This can help your child (and maybe even you!) process in a healthy way.  Nachdem dein Kind die Frage stellt, kann man weiter auf eine spielerische Art und Weise darüber reden.  Lest eine Bibelgeschichte oder eine andere Geschichte, in der eine Person stirbt, und diskutiert sie zusammen. Man kann auch Playmobil Figuren oder Puppen holen und eine Geschichte zusammen ausdenken.  Frage dein Kind, was es empfindet, wenn die Figur/Puppe stirbt.  Das kann dem Kind (und vielleicht dir auch) helfen die Gedanken zu verarbeiten.

Here are some other helpful articles that I found on the web / Hier sind ein paar hilfsreiche Artikeln vom Internet, die das Thema behandeln: 

• How to talk to your preschooler about Death by Mary VanClay
• Talking to Children about Death from J.W. Worden
• Mit Kindern über den Tod reden von Lacrima Zentrum

I hope this is helpful and wish you wisdom, patience and a healthy dose of playfulness when your child gets around to asking this question!  Ich hoffe, diese Gedanken sind behilflich und ich wünsche euch Weisheit, Geduld und Kraft, wenn die unerwarteten Fragen kommen!

Sensorimotor Worship: Gardening

Sensorimotor worship is a spiritual lesson or experience that involves all or most of the five senses and incorporates visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning styles.  Such experiences are essential for young learners to make sense of the abstract concept of "God".  Almost any "hands-on", everyday experience can be turned into a sensorimotor lesson with a little forethought and preparation.  

The Bible is filled with metaphors about seeds, sowing, reaping, trees and plants.  Jesus himself used agricultural examples that the people of his day knew very well.  Unfortunately, in many parts of the western world, children are no longer exposed to the process of growing their own food or plants, and the important principles contained in these biblical metaphors are foreign concepts to them.  

I would like to suggest that gardening can be an important part of a child's spiritual education.  Not only do the children learn responsibility by caring for another living thing, they come into contact with valuable lessons about sowing, reaping, growth and change.  

What if you don't have a plot of land for a garden?  We live in a big city and only have a balcony.  Fortunately, most plants and vegetables can be grown in containers even in the smallest of spaces.  You need to observe beforehand how much light your area receives and plant accordingly.  There are lots of shade-loving veggies that thrive even in darker places.  

Step 1: Choose seeds and plant them with your children, allowing them to do the majority of the work (within reason of age and developmental considerations).  After planting the seeds, here are some ideas for discussion and prayer over the next several days:

1. Important things with God usually start small like the seeds we just planted.  Ask the child, can you think of some small beginnings in the Bible? (Examples include: Jesus, the King, being born as a small baby in a stable; David was a small shepherd boy when he was chosen as King of Israel) Then, the parent could share some small beginnings either in their own lives or in the lives of their child.  (For example, I showed my son, who is an accomplished artist for his age, some of his first drawings and paintings as a toddler.) Pray and thank God together for the great things that come out of small beginnings!

Step 2: Teach your children  to water the plants daily.

2. Just as plants need water, we need the water of the Holy Spirit.  Why do plants need water?  Why do we need water?  What do we do with water? Read John 4:13 and/or Jeremiah 17:7,8 together.  Why kind of "water" does God give us? How does he give it to us?  Why do we need it?

3. When we grow in our friendship with God, the result is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.  Many plants bear fruit.  Why do you like fruit so much?  Read Galatians 5:22-23 and explain what the nine fruits of the Spirit are. Isn't the world much nicer when love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control are visible in our lives?  Pray together for God's fruit to grow in your lives.  (We adults need this as much as the kids!)


Step 3: When the time comes, demonstrate for your children how to trim dead leaves. (This is actually a Practical Life exercise taught in many Montessori preschools.)


4.  Just like plants need pruning, sometimes we need it, too! Talk with your child about John 15:2 where Jesus says that the Father prunes branches that bear fruit so that they will bear even more fruit.  Trees can't produce new fruit unless the dead, wilted foliage is removed.  In the same way, if we always do everything exactly the same day after day, we can't grow either.  There are times (like Lent) where God leads us to change things in our lives to make room for growth and new experiences.  


Here are some great links for container gardening in limited spaces:

• Design your Container Vegetable Garden from Garden Know How
• Balkonbepflanzung von Äppelsche
• Life on the Balcony

Please be sure to use child-size gardening tools for little hands if at all possible.  Our set is from Tchibo. There was a blue shovel, too, but my son planted it inside the flower box for the radishes as a "surprise"!  

And the unparelleled joy of seeing tiny living sprouts shoot up from the ground.  My son was hopping around the apartment as if it were his birthday! 

Linked up to The Magic Onions.