Montessori-based Godly Play can deepen the religious-education programs in churches of any Christian denomination. Godly Play can also deepen the religious education you provide in your homeschool.
The Ten Best Ways from Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Portland
Here are some suggestions for adding Godly Play to your homeschool. These suggestions are also appropriate for new church-school Godly Play programs.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links (at no cost to you).
Take Godly Play training if possible.
I talked about Godly Play training last week. It’s a deeply moving spiritual formation experience as well as a way to understand the Godly Play storytelling methods and language.
Buy (or have access to) the essential Godly Play books.
Those books are:
2018 Update: A new essential for parents and caregivers: Stories of God at Home: A Godly Play Approach by Jerome W. Berryman was published in April, 2018.
Teaching Godly Play: How to Mentor the Spiritual Development of Children by Jerome Berryman. This is the most important Godly Play book to have for group work, since it gives a good introduction and goes through a Godly Play session.
The Complete Guide to Godly Play (Volume 2), Revised and Expanded by Jerome W. Berryman (2nd edition, June 15, 2017), (Presentations for Fall)
The Complete Guide to Godly Play (Volume 3), Revised and Expanded by Jerome W. Berryman , 2nd edition, September 15, 2017, (Presentations for Winter)
The Complete Guide to Godly Play (Volume 4), Revised and Expanded by Jerome W. Berryman, 2nd edition, January 17, 2018), (Presentations for Spring)
A new book of patterns for making Godly Play materials is planned. Until the book is published, it’s very helpful to have the patterns in Young Children and Worship by Sonja Stewart and Jerome Berryman. A word of caution, though: Godly Play has evolved since Young Children and Worship was written. Be sure to follow the presentations as they’re given in volumes 2-4 of The Complete Guide to Godly Play.
To learn more about the Godly Play philosophy, it’s also helpful to read Godly Play, An Imaginative Approach to Religious Education by Jerome Berryman.
Follow the directions in the books to set up your Godly Play room or space and learn the storytelling scripts.
There are also some helpful YouTube videos on Godly Play that show how a few of the sacred stories are presented.
There are even ready-made materials that can be purchased, although it’s less expensive to make the materials yourself. Here are a number of helpful websites for materials and other resources.
Start small. If you have a room, do your focal shelf (central organizing point of your room) first.
Introduce the sacred stories in the fall – Creation, The Flood and the Ark, The Great Family, The Exodus, The 10 Best Ways, Exile and Return. Then introduce Advent, the Mystery of Christmas, Parables, and the Mystery of Easter. Of course, it’s fine to start as small as you want in your homeschool. You can even introduce just one or two stories.
Don’t worry about being perfect with your Godly Play room or space within a room. Just do the best you can. God will be there to take care of the rest.
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You might like the devotional book: God and Me: 365 Daily Devotions by Penny Boshoff. My sister Joyce uses these in every classroom of the church preschool. And I use one at home with my kiddos. This devotional book is very age appropriate for toddlers and preschoolers. We love it! 🙂
Thanks for your comment, Jeannine! My children used to love having devotions before bed. I’ll have to check that out!
Great ideas here! Thanks!
Happy ifellowship day!
Many Blessings!
Thanks, Amy! I hope you have a happy iFellowship Wednesday as well!
Sounds like Godly Play can apply to those of us that work in the church nursery too.
Thanks for stopping by my blog today!
Happy iFellowship day!
Joy
Thanks for stopping by, Joy! That’s true – and it’s one of the things I really love about Godly Play. Godly Play is a deep religious experience yet very adaptable according to where it's used.
I’ve never heard of this. THis sounds wonderful for the kids to learn about God and Bible stories. 😀
Thanks, Sherry! I was so excited when I first learned about Godly Play! I had used the Montessori-based Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, which is wonderful. I love that Godly Play can be adapted for any Christian denomination, many age levels, and even homeschools.
Hi Deb! Wow you hvae opened up an entire world to me through this post. I have been reading and reading and researching Godly Play every chance I got these past two days. Thanks so much for all the references! I am in South Africa, so ordering the books is quite pricey, and I can only start with one and was wondering if you could make a suggestion? I need something with the most practical examples, and my children are almost 3 and just 1. (I am obviouusly focussing on my eldest with this at the moment!) I read a few reviews and so far it looks like The Complete Guide to Godly Play VOLUME 1 may be the best way to go? Would you agree?
Thanks so much for your comment! Actually, if I could only get one book, I think it would have to be Young Children and Worship. The other most practical books are The Complete Guide to Godly Play, Volumes 2-4. Even though Godly Play has evolved since Young Children and Worship, the book still has a wealth of ideas. It has scripts for telling stories as well as patterns for making materials.
I think there are so many ways children can benefit from Godly Play that it isn’t that important if some of the story scripts have changed a bit. I’d be sure to study the YouTube Godly Play videos because they’ll give a feel for how to present the stories. How exciting that you plan to share Godly Play with your children!
I am so glad you blogged about this subject. My children are really getting into asking questions about God and wanting to hear more bible stories since our count down to Christmas. I heart your blog! Thank you for sharing.
I just found this. I love what you’ve been doing with Godly Play in your homeschool! 🙂
I’m hoping to start Godly play at our church this fall. I’ve been readingTeaching Godly Play on my Kindle, but was wondering why you don’t recommend The Complete Guide…Volume 1. Wouldn’t it go best with Vol 2 – 4? I’m trying to pick one hard copy book to present to the Christian Ed board, to ge them on board, and I’m not sure which one. Maybe Young Children and Worship, since you said that’s the one you would get if you could only get one? Is that one the most comprehensive to get us started? I’m planning on getting the others as well, but I have to get approval first.