Resources to empower children to take action to look after God’s world

Here are some Children’s Ministry Ideas created by the Anglican Diocese of Auckland for Season of Creation to inspire action and reflection.

Care for Creation - Explore It from Salvationist UK. Children’s Discipleship Material for small groups, ages 7-12 years. Each session includes content for a 30-40 minute group meeting under the headings Start It, Sing It, Tell It, Action It, Pray It. There is also Explore It Ideas (For Me) and (Together), an additional resource to send home to families, to explore the theme further.

Planet Protectors: 52 Ways to Look After God's World - This is an ideal book for 7 to 9-year-old children beginning to read independently. It is also a brilliant resource for parents and guardians to open up conversations with children about environmental sustainability, and for primary schools, Sunday schools and youth workers teaching about the environment. Jam-packed with interesting facts, Christian theology and practical tips, Planet Protectors is an informative and empowering guide for children on helping the environment by living sustainably! In a lively, entertaining style Ruth Valerio and Paul Kerensa offer 52 fantastic ideas for looking after the world – from cycling more and choosing fair-trade, to taking shorter showers and recycling. Children will love taking up a different challenge each week and be inspired to join the fight for the planet’s future as they learn about why it is so important to care for the environment and God’s creation.

National Geographic Kids’ How To Save the Planet: A Kids’ Guide - provides a few top tips to help kids become an eco-hero.

Resources to help children find solace in nature (during COVID-19 and beyond)

Kids and Creation - a resource by Ruth Wivell and Jessica Morthorpe, produced by Uniting Earth.

Resources to teach children about our Kiwi environment

Online Nature Classroom - Kids Greening Taupō have created the Online Nature Classroom to connect tamariki to nature and help them to understand the importance of biodiversity. They will be able to learn about the unique flora and fauna of Aotearoa, and the important role that each species plays in the ecosystem. Each conservation theme is broken down into five days of activities. Designed by a teacher and an ecologist, each unit contains hands-on activities, inquiry questions, informative videos, and a fantastic read aloud book with a follow up activity.

Backyard Biodiversity is a joint initiative between Rotokare Scenic Reserve Trust and the Taranaki Regional Council. Through a series of fun videos, Rotokare and TRC environmental educators Ash and Emily will guide you on discovering, protecting, and enhancing backyard habitat for native species. Each video comes with its own task for students to accomplish for the week, be it building their own bug whares, lizard lounges, tracking tunnels, or conducting their own night surveys. Each episode also comes with additional resources for adults and children alike to read, explore, and engage with.

Zealandia has good nature activity ideas for children, youth and families and has some cool resources to go with these activities. Considering building a wētā hotel or creating the ultimate lizard garden in your backyard? Looking for a lesson plan to help you create a predator free environment? Or want to find out how you can become a Conservation Ranger? Activities and resources are added on a regular basis.

Resources to teach children about climate science

NASA's Climate Kids website tells the story of our changing planet through the eyes of the NASA missions studying Earth. Targeting upper-primary-school-aged children, the site is full of games, activities and articles that make climate science accessible and engaging.

Generation Carbon - A Carbon Almanac for Kids - A free ebook to help children learn (and teach others) about climate change.

Other Helpful Resources

Find out more about A Rocha’s Environmental Leadership Programmes for children and youth.

Nature Playgroups

Getting preschool children and their families to directly experience the natural environment is a marvellous thing in so many ways! It promotes a love and respect for the environment which research shows often endures throughout their lives. Jill Kayser, from Splice, which is a part of Methodist Northern Mission, ran a Nature Playgroup called ‘City Explorers’ in an inner city Auckland park during 2018. Check out this video of the City Explorers.

City Explorers recognises the importance of children playing, exploring and learning in a natural environment. Our playgroup takes place outside in all seasons (weather permitting). we meet every Friday morning in Albert Park, a beautiful “playground” of giant trees, green grass, flowers and more that invites children to be adventurous and explore! (look out for our pink Splice vests to find us.) City Explorers nature playgroup encourages “free play” rather than organising a structured programme. Children are given opportunities to do what kids have done for centuries—play with nature, climb trees, splash in puddles, make mud cakes, care, share and have fun. As they play in this amazing Auckland City “backyard” they build resilience, cooperation, perseverance, playfulness, risk taking, curiosity, empathy and a love for their environment.

There are other Nature Playgroups around NZ, such as the one operated by Play and Learn NZ in various locations around Auckland. They charge a small fee per session.

If your church is thinking of starting a Nature Playgroup, check out some tips from this blog by Lucy Aitken Read.

Children of God Storybook Bible by Desmond Tutu

A beautiful book of Bible stories, retold by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, re-telling over fifty of his favourite Bible stories for an audience of young readers. From classics such as the stories of Noah and the calming of the storm, to less-known stories such as Naboth’s Vineyard or Ruth, the Archbishop makes these time-honoured stories come to life in his own inimitable voice. The book is glorious and a great value package that will inspire a generation of children – and their carers. Many finest artists from around the world have contributed illustrations connecting Scripture with the multitude of ethnicities across the globe.

Read more…

We Need Each Other: Children and Adults in Creation Care - Children and adults need each other to learn about this wondrous world and how to care for it. We can’t afford to wait for another generation to take the lead – we need to work together now. Learn more about our shared responsibilities in caring for creation in this blog piece by Matthew Humphrey, Director of Theological Education, A Rocha Canada.