Exploring Spirituality with The Little Mermaid
Children have long loved Ariel, the star of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, because of her determination to live her…
MorePosts tagged: Imagination
Exploring Fears with Bright Star
Fears are a part of childhood. Whether it’s worries about monsters under the bed, big dogs, loud noises, or parents…
MoreConnecting with Nature through Apple and Magnolia
One summer, my kids and I planted a small garden. While our cucumbers and zucchini did well, our tomato plants…
MoreSuper Mario Spirituality
The Super Mario Bros. Movie begins with the Nintendo game’s familiar theme music, a siren call to multiple…
MoreEaster as Spring Celebration
Eggs hidden on windowsills or in the grass. Baskets filled with chocolate bunnies and jelly beans. Pots of tulips,…
MoreExploring A Million Views
My daughter loves creating videos. Lego movies inspire stop-action Lego shorts. Super Bowl halftime shows prompt…
MoreHelping Children Appreciate Diversity
Cleaning out my daughter’s closet, I found a shadow box she constructed in 1st grade. She and a friend set out to…
MoreExploring People Are Wild with Children
“Do they bite?” asked Marcus* when we spotted a family of mule deer during a camping trip. Our group was excited…
MoreCelebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Reading books about Martin Luther King, Jr. was more than an annual event when my children were young. We had several,…
MoreFamily Solstice Celebrations
When my children were young, a family friend invited us to a winter solstice party. There were sparklers and glow…
MoreMeditation On Light
The winter months can be hard. Short days and long nights leave us longing for more sunlight. Cold temperatures chill…
MoreSpiritual Exploration with the Webb Telescope
A friend's 5 year old daughter recently visited our local science museum, where she was mesmerized by the Webb…
MoreExploring Power & Perseverance with Minions: The Rise of Gru
The new Minions movie has much of the silliness you expect from the Despicable Me franchise. We watch as young Gru…
MoreExploring Lightyear with Children
As long time fans of Toy Story, my children were excited to learn Buzz’s backstory. They watched as Buzz and Alesha…
MoreExploring Magic Candies with Children
Imagine a bag of candies with the power to bring your sofa to life and give voice to falling leaves. Would you want to…
MoreCelebrating Self-Discovery
As the regular school year draws to a close, many extracurricular programs also pause for the summer. Teachers and…
MoreImaginative Play & Spirituality
“Do you have a minute?” asked my daughter’s preschool teacher. “Of course,” I replied, “Is something…
MoreTaking Flight with The Year We Learned to Fly
Cultural and spiritual heritages are often passed on to new generations through stories and teachings by elders.…
MoreCaring for the Earth Together
Blowing dandelion seeds, chasing fireflies, and watching caterpillars munch on milkweed - these were some of my…
MoreHelping Children Set Meaningful Goals
Purpose is an important aspect of a healthy spiritual life. Children have hopes and dreams. They want to make a…
MoreSpiritual Storytelling with The Last Cuentista
For a book lover like me, one bedtime story often turned into two or three as I tucked my young children in. But I…
MoreSpiritual Play with Bluey
My sisters and I often engaged in imaginative play when we were growing up. We came up with various pretend situations,…
MoreReimagining Spiritual Education
Most of the time, we think of the global pandemic as a terrible time for children and learning. School closures, fights…
MorePlay & Spirituality
Play is a central part of children’s lives and their spiritual journeys. When they use their bodies to explore the…
MoreDo Threats of Punishment Serve a Spiritual Purpose?
To Elf or not to Elf? Every December, parents on my social media feeds wrestle with this Christmas conundrum. More than…
MoreDo Children Believe in Halloween Ghouls?
When my oldest was four, she insisted on dressing up as Pluggie the Fire Plug for Halloween. A staple at neighborhood…
MoreHow Spirituality Shapes Imagination
The other day I spread out a play mat for a friend’s four-year-old son and gave him a few hot wheels. He started the…
MoreUsing Landscape Images in Spiritual Reflection
My youngest child loves Van Gogh’s Starry Night. In fifth grade, he picked out a t-shirt that had Albert Einstein’s…
MoreEarth Day Spirituality
Nature plays a significant role in spirituality for people of all ages. During the pandemic, many families have found…
MoreChildren’s Invisible Companions
Some children develop imaginary friends to keep them company. Others describe spiritual experiences that feature…
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