Godly Play Resources

Spiritual Child Resources

Godly Play What is Godly Play? A description of Godly Play including setting, storytelling, response and the feast.

Setting up: How do you start doing Godly Play? What materials would you start with? Our thoughts about developing Godly Play in four stages from "Trying it out" to "Developing a Godly Play room".

Beginnings 1: The experience of a small village church setting up Godly Play in the space under the tower!

Beginnings 2: A town church's experience of starting Godly Play...

Free response: Why do we have a free response following the storytelling and wondering? Wouldn't it be better to have a set activity?

Godly Play resources: Links for places where you can buy Godly Play resources; suggestions for books, websites and blogs

Godly Play in school: How does Godly Play work in a school setting?

Materials

United Kingdom

Resources for Godly Play and Young Children and Worship are available from:
Bowthorpe Community Trust

St Michael's Workshop,
Bowthorpe Hall Road,
Norwich NR5 9AA

Telephone: 01603 746106

Website: www.stmichaelsworkshop.co.uk    email: bowthorpe.trust@tiscali.co.uk

The workshop teaches skills to people with a physical or learning disability. It is the main supplier of Godly Play materials in the UK. The artefacts include the wooden models of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and the wooden figures of people used for Godly Play and Young Children and Worship

United States

Godly Play materials can be ordered from Godly Play Resources through their website: www.godlyplayresources.com

If ordering from outside the US there may be a heavy import duty added onto the price.

Germany

Godly Play materials are made in a sheltered workshop near Leipzig.

Their website address is: www.godlyplay.de

Finland

You can find Godly Play materials at www.godlyplay.fi

Websites

Godly Play UK

can be found at www.godlyplay.org.uk

The website includes details of courses and materials, a list of contacts, articles and discussion about Godly Play.

Blogs

Wonderful in an Easter kind of way

When "Storyteller" started Godly Play sessions in her church in Finland in February 2011, she started a blog to share the insights, joys and difficulties of doing Godly Play with children. Click here

Explore and Express

Sheila is a children's pastor in Berlin, Germany, helping children to explore the character of God and express a relationship to Him through Godly Play and art. Her blog reflects on children's spirituality, Godly Play and art. Click here

What can we leave out?

A blog about using Godly Play by Jill Stewart, a parishioner at St. Philip's Episcopal Church in Western North Carolina. Click here

Books

The Complete Guide to Godly Play Volume 1:
How to lead Godly Play Lessons

by Jerome Berryman

In this book Jerome Berryman describes Godly Play and the thinking behind it, with emphasis on the importance of storytelling, play and a theology of childhood. There are practical suggestions for starting out in Godly Play and for Godly Play sessions, and an outline of its development from the work of Maria Montessori and Sofia Cavalletti.

published by Living the Good News
2002    ISBN 978-1889108957

The Complete Guide to Godly Play Volume 2:
14 Presentations for Fall

by Jerome Berryman

This first book of presentations starts with an orientation session and includes the stories of the Circle of the Church year, Creation, the Great Family, Exodus, The Ten Best Ways to Live, Exile and Return and Jonah, the Backwards Prophet.

published by Living the Good News
2002    ISBN 978-1889108964

The Complete Guide to Godly Play Volume 3: 20 Presentations for Winter

by Jerome Berryman

This includes Advent, a Children's Liturgy for Christmas Eve, Epiphany, Holy Baptism and the Parables: The Good Shepherd, The Good Samaritan, the Great Pearl, the Sower, the Leaven and the Mustard Seed.

published by Living the Good News
2002    ISBN 978-1889108979

The Complete Guide to Godly Play Volume 4: 20 Presentations for Spring

by Jerome Berryman

This book starts with the enrichment lesson on the Holy Family and then continues with stories for Lent: the Mystery of Easter and the Faces of Easter. It also includes the Good Shepherd and the World Communion, the Synagogue and the Upper Room, the Circle of the Holy Eucharist and Pentecost.


published by Living the Good News
2002    ISBN 978-1889108988

The Complete Guide to Godly Play Volume 5: Practical Helps from Godly Play Trainers

by Jerome Berryman

Godly Play Trainers from around the world share their experiences of Godly Play, including suggestions for telling stories, managing time, managing space and resources, nurturing relationships and going deeper into Godly Play.

published by Living the Good News
2003    ISBN 978-1931960045

The Complete Guide to Godly Play Volume 6: 15 Enrichment Presentations for Fall

by Jerome Berryman

A series of enrichment sessions focussing on the Old Testament and including: Abraham, Jacob, Sarah, Joseph, Ruth and King David, and the Prophets: Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

published by Living the Good News
ISBN 978-1931960427    2006

The Complete Guide to Godly Play Volume 7: 16 Enrichment Presentations

by Jerome Berryman

This book focuses on the communion of saints and includes St Patrick, St Catherine of Siena, St Columba, Julian of Norwich, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, St Teresa of Avila and St Nicholas, Bishop of Myra.

published by Living the Good News
ISBN 978-1931960465    2008

The Complete Guide to Godly Play Volume 8: 15 New Core and Enrichment Sessions

by Jerome Berryman with Cheryl Minor

This book includes Jesus and Jerusalem, the story of Holy Week; Knowing Jesus in a new way and the Church.

published by Morehouse Education Resources
ISBN-13 978-1931960472    2012