Resources

Especially for Christian parents, Care for the Family’s Kitchen Table Project supports and equip families to nurture their child’s faith at home. As toddler group leaders, this is something we can help families to develop within their own homes. https://kitchentable.org.uk/

A fantastic guide to toddler groups just starting up, as well as established group leaders and their teams. View it here.

A free resource designed to help your church toddler group think through its vision and develop its potential, and is full of ideas about how you might engage with the parents and carers who attend your group more effectively.

Although it can be read alone, it’s designed to be worked through with your team, and there are questions for your group to consider and spaces to write the answers.

There are four short sections: ‘Shaping the vision’; ‘Developing spirituality and faith’; ‘Engaging with parents and carers’; and ‘Sharing faith through toddler groups’.

As well as these, there are eight ‘extras’ with some great resources, including:

• Top tips for storytellers
• Music time
• Learning through play
• Worship – the under 5s way
• Sample toddler services
• ‘Building Blocks’ was jointly written by the Carer and Toddler Strategy Group, (grandly abbreviated to CATS!), a group made up of toddler group experts from across several denominations, who believe that toddler groups have an essential part to play in the life of the church and communities today.

The CATS group is making this resource available online absolutely free, as they want to see it being used across the country. You can download ‘Building Blocks’ from many websites, including Salvation Army.

We have a really helpful booklet on mental wellbeing to help support churches and toddler group leaders. View it here.