Stephanie Varnon-Hughes
Spiritual Playdate is on a mission. Not to delivery any ideology, but to share a method for discovery and spiritual growth. In this episode of In Times Like These, founder of Spiritual Playdate Edwina Cowell shares her methods and the movement.
Parents and families are looking for hopeful, joyful, robust resources to introduce interfaith ideas and Big Questions to the children and youth in their lives. How do we answer questions about death, heaven, love, evil, or why other religious and ethical traditions are the way they are? Spiritual Playdate provides both a loose, flexible curriculum for parents and teachers, guiding questions and best practices, and fun resources. Behind the materials are a deep-seated commitment to the Golden Rule and positive interfaith engagement. If we play together, we can grow together. When we grow together, our communities are stronger.
(Photos Courtesy of Alana Swaringen)
Ways to listen to this episode:
- Apple Podcasts (iOS/Desktop)
- Stitcher (iOS/Android/Desktop)
- Spotify (iOS/Android/Desktop)
In this episode, we discuss:
- How parents and families can build interfaith literacy through play.
- Why dialogue and play are better than dogma and certainty.
- Key ingredients for building spiritual literacy in young people.
- Topics for natural exploration for parents and children.
- How to build interfaith and spiritual playdates in your own neighborhood.
- “It was always meant to be a dialogue WITH the kids.”
Sometimes parents feel like we’re not experts to teach our children about the Big Questions: God, love, pain, death. This curriculum specifically works to help adults talk with kids about big ideas and learn alongside them. You’re the grown-up, but you don’t have to have all the answers: you just have to have a willingness to learn.
It was always meant to be a dialogue WITH the kids. Click To Tweet
2. “I’m tired of sitting my kids down and telling them: This is what you believe.”
Young people often leave their religious homes when they become older. Why? One reason is that younger generations don’t like being told what to think. If religion and spirituality are meant to inspire us, why don’t we ask questions? Why do we embrace certainty? Let’s look for opportunities to admit that part of being human is not knowing, and being curious. Together.
I’m tired of sitting my kids down and telling them: This is what you believe.” Listen now: Click To Tweet
3. “When we allow ourselves to play and be open—we lift ourselves up.”
Spirituality is meant to be joyful. We are connected in a rich web of human experience. Many of us believe we are made in God’s image, or connected to a caring creator. Thinking about faith doesn’t have to be boring. Spiritual Playdate works to make these conversations fun. Playdates include music, imagery, playful ideas, and ways to build connections. Connections between ideas and different religions, and connections between kids, and kids and their parents. When we play together, we are lifted up.
When we allow ourselves to play and be open—we lift ourselves up. Click To Tweet
Mentioned on the episode:
- Spiritual Playdate: https://spiritualplaydate.com/
- Interfaith for Kids: Games, Meditations (Audio), Quotes, and more: https://spiritualplaydate.com/fun-extras/
- Nimesh Nimo Patel and Empty Hands Music: https://www.emptyhandsmusic.org/
How to connect with us:
Facebook: /SpiritualPlaydate
Twitter: @SpiritualPD
Instagram: @spiritualplaydate
You can connect with me on Twitter here: @SVarnonHughes.
And you can always connect with us at CLU on our Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts linked here.
Like the show? Help us spread the word by giving us a rating and review on iTunes!
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About the Podcast
In Times Like These explores the difficult spaces we humans navigate in culture and religion, in dialogue and doubt. We talk to voices from the field, in law, activism, civil rights, and from places of struggle and places of deep learning. In Times Like These, we unpack the most troubling issues of politics and faith we face, together.
In Times Like These is hosted by Dr. Stephanie Varnon-Hughes and is a CLU Live production by Claremont Lincoln University.
Claremont Lincoln University offers the following graduate degree programs:
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