Friday, 15 July 2016

Exploring Science and Faith (with children)

Last weekend, we held our second ‘Exploring Science’ event for children at the small parish church not far from our home. Two of the mums got together and gathered a range of experimental and display materials that would engage the children (4 – 11 in the main) and which could be managed by anyone with a willingness to do a small amount of background reading . This was to be able to respond to the most likely (and fairly predictable) questions that children or their mums and dads might pose.

On a Saturday afternoon when there were a considerable number of other attractions in the locality, we had about 40/50 children around. All had mums and or dads with them or an occasional grandparent, one of whom I overheard using the uniqueness of every bubble that filled the churchyard with our own individual uniqueness (referencing Ps 139). Then asking her grandchild who we might thank for that.

Below, you will find the cards which accompanied each experiment’s ‘station’ together with those from our first ‘Exploring Science’. Any 7/10 of them or more would make for an event where children would be engaged for an hour or more.

If you try this and would be minded to add a short worship session, the songs set out here are both easy to sing to well known tunes.
I’m Making Friends With Science
Awesome, Wonderful Creator

In the environment in which our children/ grandchildren are growing up, afternoons like these and similar events are important in showing that many church members ARE wanting to understand the sciences that help to show us the glory and the might of our God. Thank you Chris and Hollie for another excellent and  imaginative afternoon.