Resources for Children, Young People and Families (updated)

Jodie Thorpe, the YBA's Children, Youth and Families Enabler, writes:-

"AT this time of trying to find new ways of supporting, resourcing and even being Church, I thought it would be helpful to signpost some useful websites, links, events, materials that might be appropriate for your ministries with children, youth and families. 

Personally, I have found the high volume of suggested resources to facilitate faith in the home rather overwhelming, so I have spent some time looking through some of them, and want to signpost you to some of the ones that I would recommend.  I do want to encourage you that there is no need to ‘reinvent the wheel’ or always to create new things, as there are quality materials already available.

LATEST RESOURCES

Youth

Tabletalk - Usually purchased in the format of cards to discuss around a table.  Tabletalk have currently got some great discussion questions available free on their website to help generate chat with friends and family.  Could also be used in a youth group setting.  (Something to keep your eye out for too - they are developing a new ‘wellbeing’ table talk game which sounds great.) http://www.table-talk.org/

Toddlers

1277 National Network of Church-based Toddler Groups - Have some good ideas for praying for and with Toddler Groups.  See their website and Facebook.  Also links to various resources ready for when you are able to get Toddler Groups back up and running.  https://1277.org.uk/

Toddler Time - A weekly story, craft and song time for Toddlers on YouTube from West Mersea Free Church.  Accessible from their website (https://merseafree.church/youth/toddlers/) and on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvqUJSqo2zw)

Families

The Kitchen Table Project from Care for the Family have some really helpful resources for parents trying to engage their children with issues of faith.  https://kitchentable.org.uk/
These include practical tips for faith at home, videos with well-known faces about how to inspire faith in the home and free resources, blogs and encouragement for parents.

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Scripture Union Resouces include:

Mental Health Suite

A collection of resources helping 5-18 year olds understand, express and improve mental health and emotional wellbeing, with a biblical perspective on anxiety, self-worth and more. Endorsed by the Mental Health Foundation. Click here.

INspire

Daily videos for teenagers using challenges from sport and culture to help them explore the Bible and how it might be relevant today. Created for teenagers with no experience of church, as well as those who’ve been there all their lives. Click here.

Make and Pray

Daily videos for children and families featuring a make-at-home craft with an accompanying bible story or prayer idea. Ideal to share with families who are looking for things to do at home. Click here.
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Engage Worship are posting daily ‘engage at home’ suggestions for children and their families to creatively partake in worship and prayer together. They can be accessed via their website or through their social media accounts.  These are simple, fun ways to increase conversation about God.
 
For older children and young people, Youth for Christ are directly addressing the concerns under 18s have with free video resources for ‘Fear and anxiety around the Coronavirus’ aimed at 7-11s and 11-18s.
    
Ultimately, I urge you not to add pressure to parents who are already having to adjust to new daily rhythms, but know that there will be families who would really value some inspiration as to how to incorporate faith into these new rhythms."
 
Here are some more:-

Joanne, from Beauchief Baptist Church, Sheffield, has shared her really useful blog where she reviews various Christian apps and advises which ones are good.

A six-week prayer and activity plan from ‘Faith Inkubators’ entitled “Pandemic Hope; A Family Devotional for Life during Covid-19”

‘GodVenture’ have some great suggestions for faith at home.  Including things like making a ‘Holy Week Box’ to interactively tell the Easter story each day during Easter week with young children, and how to combat anxious feelings using prayer.  

Online family worship: This is great for families to engage with and worship together as families - they do a new session every Wednesday and Saturday broadcast live at 4pm (but can also be accessed afterwards):

‘Together at Home’ are creating family resource sheets around scripture with suggestions for activities, prayers, discussion etc:

Godly Play UK have come up with 10 easy things to do to help us talk to each other … listen … be calm and relax …be quiet and still … and, perhaps, be silent.