Family Planner

The family planner is a gift from the Uniting Church to families in South Australia.
It has been designed to give space for families to keep track of their busy schedule. It includes some useful phone numbers and websites to help you find them quickly and it also has the South Australian school term information. The planner also has 2 activities for children and carers to do together if time, energy and inclination permits!

For Churches

This family Planner is a great gift for families who are connected with your church. Simply print off the Family Planner just before the end of each school term and distribute it at the same time as Faith Family and any program or event information for the coming term. The family planner looks best and is most useful printed on white paper.

Download Family Planner

2009 Summer Holidays & Term 1 2010: Family Planner Summer holidays and Term 1 2010 (2.93 MB)

Activities

We have provided some activities as we have heard from many parents and carers that they want to talk about faith and spirituality with their children, but don’t know how to. We hope that these activities will help you to do that.

One activity is designed to be done at home and the other is designed for when you are travelling, be that walking, riding or driving! Please don’t feel pressured to do all of these activities, life is busy! Simply bring them in when you have time and the activity is something that you and your child(ren) will enjoy and get something out of. The activities have the age listed that they are suitable for.

Sometimes the activity will simply be for them to have draw, colour, scribble on the activity that you are mostly doing with them, or it might be that you have a discussion with your baby that they won’t be able to fully understand, but give it a go anyway as it will help you begin the process of open dialogue with your child. For each activity work out what they can do and enable them to do it, and you can enjoy doing the aspects that they can’t with them. All activities are simple and can be done with things you would find around the home or easily get in the supermarket or discount store. There are additional listed below but feel free to create your own unique version.

Term 1 Week 5: 22nd – 28th of February 2010

6m+ Using finger puppets, stuffed toys or your own pictures make up a mini show about avoiding temptation. You might want to include a scenario where the character says no to something they shouldn't have or to something they shouldn't do. Make it up as you go along and make the scenario relevant to their age. 

0m+ You could visit a playgroup . They may have special things happening for playgroup week. if you don't already attend one see: www.mrn.sa.uca.org.au/happenings/find-a-playgroup to find one near you.

Term 1 Week 6: 1st – 7th of March 2010

6m+ Blow some bubbles and say a prayer, when the last bubble pops say amen! You can do this over and over with lots of short prayers . For example "Thank you God for our safety. Amen." "God please protect those who live in poverty. Amen."  "God, please keep my family and friends, safe, healthy and happy. Amen" "God help our family to learn more about you. Amen" 

1y+ Find an area to clean up, you could get involved in the official Clean Up Australia Day event or do it in your own home. It may be the front yard, it may be a closet, it may be underneath the bed or more scary still, the garage! Remember to not pick up anything that is dangerous or sharp!  

Check out the kids page of the CUAD website: http://www.cleanup.org.au/au/Kids/activities.html.

Term 1 Week 7: 8th – 14th of March 2010

Women work really hard and often don't get acknowledged. 

1y+ Make a flower for a female that works really hard but rarely get rewarded. Wrap a strip of fabric or coloured paper around the straw to create a flower bud and attach it with tape or blue tac to stop it from unravelling. Then attach the leaf to the straw. You could make a few to make a bunch!

Term 1 Week 8: 15th – 21st of March 2010

1y+ Dress up in green and then create a St Patrick's Day hat use an ice cream container, cardboard for the rim and then green paper to cover it. To create a belt for the hat use a strip of black paper and a white, silver or gold rectangle piece (with a rectangle whole in the middle) for the buckle. Talk about how St Patrick's Day is a tradition of the Irish Culture.
An example and other activity ideas can be found at: http://crafts.kaboose.com/leprechaun-hat.html.

Term 1 Week 9: 22nd – 28th of March 2010

1y+ Join in earth hour by turning off your power for an hour. You may need to do it earlier as children may not cope well in the dark or staying up that late! An activity you could do in the day with no power is make a paper lantern.  
Earth hour Australian website: http://www.earthhourau.org.

Term 1 Week 10: 29th of March – 4th of April

6m+ Read the story of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. You can read it out of a bible in John 13: 1-17, a children's Bible or use the story below. Then wash your child(ren)'s feet. 1y+ Let them wash your feet if they want to!
Resource:  Jesus washes disciples feet story (132.15 kB)

6m+ Talk about the meaning behind hot cross buns and Easter eggs. Hot cross buns are a symbol of Jesus death on Easter Friday. Easter Eggs are a sign of Jesus coming to life on Easter Sunday. The story below called The Good Eggs may help you explain the meaning of Easter.  It will be available closer to Easter.  
Resource:  The Good Eggs (495.51 kB)