In Praise of Godly Play

Jenny Hyson , Diocesan Children's Officer writes about an alternative way of making religion come to life for children.

I first came across Godly play back in 1998 when I read an article by Rebecca Nye following her visit to a children's session led by Jerome Berryman in the USA.

Godly Play is a distinctive way of approaching Christian education in the church with children aged between the years aged 3 to 11. It has been researched and developed for more than 20 years now, and is widespread in Episcopal, Lutheran and other Churches in the USA. It has at it's root ideology from the Montessori method of teaching.

Within Godly Play there is a deliberate attempt to follow the shape of worship in the way the children's time is spent in Sunday groups. For several years many of those involved in working with children have struggled to move away from the image of Sunday School or worse still a créche. Godly play takes the framework of greeting, preparation, the Word, wonder, response, feasting and dismissal. So how is it different some of you may be saying?

One of the first things that struck me is the use of good quality symbols, figures, materials etc. that the children are given to work with. (No disposable yoghurt pots, toilet rolls or computer paper here). The language and symbols of the Christian faith are presented in tangible forms to the children. A growing number of biblical stories have been selected to represent the core of our faith. These are told to the children, using specially made figures and models in a very simple but powerful way. In effect these stories are 'played out' before the children's eyes using these materials so that they feel the drama of the story and are drawn into the symbolic representation. The next stage for me is an important one, the use of 'wondering' questions. This is intentionally non-directive, moves away from asking factual closed questions to inviting the children to be part of the creation of the story through 'wonder' about what they have seen and heard. At this stage the wondering is respected and acknowledged, shared but not exploited or manipulated, and is recognised as a form of prayer.

In the next phase the children are invited to respond having spent time reflecting on what has been told. This response values the unique individuality of the child, recognises the different ways that children learn and so allows the child to respond in a number of different ways. This may be through craft materials, dressing up, writing something or playing with the story materials. Each story has its own set of permanent materials. Rebecca noted on her visit that all kinds of miniature play sets were available to the children representing different stories and symbols of the church. She says, 'There was Ð to tell a story, to prepare an altar, to decorate an area with flowers with tiny vases and flowers. For example the ten commandments were represented by a wooden chest inside which there were ten wooden tablets. The children could unlock this chest to examine, handle, read or copy out, one or more of the commandments."

Godly play works from the premise that children are unique individuals, with different needs, ways of learning and responding, and that play is a vitally important element to learning. It aims to make religion come alive to children, to help them in their spiritual development by making Christianity become part of their daily life. It's about helping the children learn the language of religion so that they can understand and claim their inheritance as children of God.

If you'd like to know more about Godly Play then book now for the first of our two days on Celebrating Children's Spirituality led by Rebecca Nye on Friday 29 September.