Ideas to use
You will find on these pages a wealth of ideas for children's and all-age work. You can either use the search box above, or you can add some of the keywords on the left to find the right ideas for you.
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Crosses from around the world
The intended learning outcomes for this piece of work include that pupils should be able to recognise that the symbol of the cross has a variety of meanings and to discuss the symbol of the cross for Christians.
View ideaCreation - what makes something 'good'?
One of a series of Core Values assemblies with Bible stories
View ideaPlaces of Christian worship
The following outline looks at what makes somewhere a special place for Christian worship, how Christian worshipers feel about these places and how Christians experience God there
View ideaBarnabas the Encourager: making a difference
Ideas for working with the story of Barnabas, as found in Acts 4: 36-37 for an R.E. class session at Key Stage 2.
View ideaWhat Christians believe about the Trinity: a classroom activity
This classroom activity explores what Christians believe about the Trinity. It's hard to picture God! We can try to show what God is like. The icon painters used all sorts of techniques to show the unshowable. Here is a starter session on one icon.
View ideaAscension Day: a whole school assembly presentation
Ascension Day used to be celebrated much more than it is today. In the past some schools even had the day off! Coming on a Thursday, as it always does, it can get overlooked. However it does mark an important moment. It is the end of the earthbound ministry of Jesus; it includes the words of Jesus' commission to his disciples; and it also prepares the way for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The following idea is for a school assembly.
View ideaBooks in the Bible
This is a classroom activity to give an overview of the Christian's special book - the Bible.
View ideaBible anagrams
Anagrams have always been part of the regular diet of puzzles and crosswords. The following classroom quiz involves working out a series of anagrams of different Bible books. It could be a simple way into a lesson on the range and type of books that the Bible contains.
View ideaBible headlines - a classroom quiz
Have you ever wondered what some famous Bible stories might sound like reduced to such headlines or sound bites? This quiz of 'Bible Bites' is a guessing game based on characters and stories from the Old Testament and could be used to begin or conclude a lesson outline on the Bible.
View ideaBooks of the Bible - learning about chapters and verses
This is a lesson outline about how to get about the Bible and work out what is where.
View ideaFunny facts about Bible characters
The following activity could be used to introduce a session on the Bible. It has the added element of giving children a fun reason to look up verses from the Bible, making them familiar with using the contents page as well as chapter and verse references.
View ideaHeroes: Elijah and King Ahab
This lesson outline introduces the Old Testament character of Elijah and opens up discussion on what makes a hero.
View ideaJesus' baptism - water as a symbol
Jesus' baptism is a crucial moment as he receives his Father's reassurance of his identity before he faces up to the task ahead of him and starts his ministry.
View ideaThe Lord's Prayer: a reflective story version for Circle Time
A reflective approach to the Lord's Prayer in the style of Godly Play
View ideaPeople Jesus Met
This unit of work will look at different people or groups of people who encountered the teaching and ministry of Jesus. It will explore how their lives were changed and what the consequences were.
View ideaAngels, Angels Everywhere
The theme is the role of the angels in the Christmas story - both their significance and their symbolism.
View ideaTalking about Christmas - a Special Birthday
The theme is a special birthday - Jesus' birthday - and how Jesus' birth is remembered and celebrated at Christmas. The key concepts here are those of remembering and celebrating.
View ideaTalking About Christmas: the Giving of Gifts
The theme is the visit of the Magi (wise men) to the baby Jesus, the gifts they bring and their possible meanings.
View ideaTalking About Easter: Easter Eggs and New Life
The aims for this unit of work are that children should be able to identify and talk about signs of new life, respond thoughtfully to signs of new life, understand that eggs are given at Easter because it is a time when Christians celebrate Jesus' resurrection, understand that eggs are a sign of new life
View ideaTalking About Easter: The Cross as a Symbol
The intended learning outcomes for this piece of work would be that the children should be able to recognise that the symbol of the cross has a variety of meanings, to discuss the symbol of the cross for Christians, to know that for Christians the empty cross is the sign that the crucifixion of Christ was not an end but a beginning, to explore how different Christian groups around the world use the symbol of the cross to express faith within their culture.
View ideaTalking about Harvest: saying thank you
This is an outline for a series of RE lessons for a Foundation class on the themes of harvest and the importance of saying thank you
View ideaTalking about prayer: what helps people pray?
The following outline looks at different ways of praying within the Christian tradition. This could be part of a wider unit of work comparing and contrasting approaches to prayer between two major world Faiths. It will explore the importance of prayer to the life of a Christian and the variety of ways prayer can be expressed and experienced.
View ideaWater as a symbol - baptism
This unit of work is an outline for exploring its meaning for Christians and in particular the sacrament of baptism
View ideaOperation Christmas Child
A reflective storytelling approach to encourage pupils to think more deeply about giving gifts at Christmas.
View ideaA Wondering Cube
Traditionally, it's the adults who ask the questions and the children who answer them! But, in order to nurture an enquiring attitude to the Bible, it is good if children themselves can be encouraged to ask questions about a story for the rest of the class, children and adults, to talk about. This is a simple idea for helping that to happen - and, having made the equipment, you can use it with as many stories as you want, until it gets too tatty and you have to make another one!
View ideaRemembering Peace
This idea includes some thoughts as possible inspiration for a class group to present something special in an act of Collective Worship to mark Remembrance.
View ideaAbraham the Patriarch
Idea for an RE lesson on the story of Abraham's call by God to go to the Promised Land
View ideaNew Beginnings with Ezekiel
Ideas for an assembly and classroom follow-up on the story of Ezekiel and the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37)
View ideaA story for Harvest
The following reflective story presentation is a version of the parable recorded in Isaiah 5. The prophet uses this story about the planting of a vineyard as a way of speaking about God's gift of creation to his people and God's hope that their lives would produce good fruit. God wants them to wake up and be people whose lives produce the fruit of thankfulness and goodness in response to his great love for them. Sadly, his people's lives had instead proved a bad harvest of rotten grapes.
View ideaBible passages with a sports theme
The Bible uses the imagery of running a race in a number of passages to explore what the journey of faith is like. This idea draws together some of these passages.
View ideaThe crown of life: a cross-curricular lesson
Support material for lessons in RE/Art/Design Technology associated with 'royal' events in the life of the nation.
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