Here are resources to support running an all age Summer Forest Church event. Some are original and where resources are signposted or reproduced, we have endeavoured to give credit to the authors.
Nature Hunt
This is a lovely activity to enable those who require some quiet time or prefer less social activities.
All Age Prayers
Spider Prayers
(Adapted from an idea by Ruth Young)
Stand in a circle.
Each person says thank you to God for something good that day and then asks God for something they or the world needs for the next day.
Person holds their bit of wool/string and then throws the ball of wool/string to the next person.
Once everybody has prayed, it should, hopefully look like a spiders web.
Pop bottle bug hotels
Here is a link to a simple idea from Red Ted Art to recycle old pop bottles into bug hotels. Cut the top and bottom off the bottles before the session and tape any jagged edges to save little fingers.
Pop Bottle Bird Feeders
Here’s an activity from the Natural History Museum that creates bird feeders from old pop bottles.
Cut and prepare the plastic bottles beforehand to save little fingers.
Campfire snacks
You can use a fire pit for this activity. This activity is only suitable if you have an area in your church yard that has paving stones etc. or you are in an area with designated safe BBQ areas. DO NOT LIGHT FIRES UNLESS YOU ARE IN A DESIGNATED SAFE AREA WITH RESPOSIBLE, TRAINED FACILITATORS OF THE ACTIVITY.
Snacks could include:
Toasted Marshmallows
Chocolate bananas – Put some choc buttons in a banana, wrap in foil and place in the heat to cook for a few minutes.
Toasted bread (use long forks)
S’mores
Camp Fire Stew – Finely chop carrots, onion and potatoe and corned beef. Place in foil with a dash of water and a bit of an oxo cube. Seal up the foil so it looks a bit like a cornish pastie and then place in the heat for approx 20 mins or until the veg is soft.