Children’s Circle
In Children’s Circle, children are honored, their imaginations are encouraged, and their learning free from doctrine or the burden of “right” answers. Children’s Circle elicits wonder and recognizes play as an essential component of learning. It is a place they will know themselves to be loved, valued, and respected.
“Play is the highest form of research.” - Albert Einstein
What Happens in Children’s Circle
Children’s Circle welcomes children of all ages. The children are greeted at the door and welcomed into the room where they will find an activity. Once all the children have arrived, they are invited to take a seat in a circle and the storyteller begins. Using books or simple gender-neutral wooden figures, the storyteller tells a story and invites the children into wonder. There are no right answers. No prescribed learning. Instead children are invited to ask questions, to share their thoughts and feeling, and to engage the story in the way they find meaningful. After hearing the story, the children are invited to play and create. Art supplies, a sand tray, and other the story-telling supplies are offered for children to engage the story they heard through creative means. Children’s Circle is child-led so their choices and insights are honored and encouraged.
Safety
The Circle Hbg is has a child safety policy, which includes:
Those working with children are required to have background checks.
There are two adults in the classroom at all times.
Parents are invited to stay with their child, if they would like to do so.
Children’s images are used on social media only with parental consent.
Children’s names are not used on social media.
The Foundations of Children’s Circle
Children’s Circle draws from Montessori based Godly Play, designed by Jerome Berryman, an Episcopal priest and educator, and Spirit Play designed by the Unitarian Universalists. Both of these methods of teaching are child-led and value the insights of children, ritual, and storytelling. The Circle Hbg’s Children’s Circle includes stories from the Hebrew Scriptures, the Christian Scriptures, and other religious and cultural traditions, including pagan celebrations of the seasons and solstices. The Children’s Circle also uses materials from Tell Me the Truth about Racism and Living in A Fragile World: A Spiritual Exploration of Conservation & Citizenship Using the Methods of Godly Play.