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Ready to Begin Your Godly Play Journey?

Are you ready to nurture the innate spirituality in the children of your community? Curious about adopting Godly Play and supporting a deep sense of wonder and faith in young hearts? Let’s get started.

WHAT IS GODLY PLAY?

We invite children to explore and discover the God they already know, creating a deep understanding that they are deeply loved.

Godly Play is based on decades of work by theologian, author, and educator Rev. Dr. Jerome Berryman. This method is a way for children to practice and explore their spirituality. It helps them see and feel God's presence in their lives.

Godly Play invites children to engage with Scripture and spiritual experiences to help them listen to God and respond in their own creative and genuine ways. Instead of teaching children what to believe, Godly Play helps them discover their own spiritual wisdom. Children naturally lean towards spirituality, and our role is to support their journey of discovery.


At the core, Godly Play is a method to invite children to feel close to God and experience God's closeness to them. Through stories, wonder, and play, we create meaningful experiences that nurture their spiritual lives, recognizing their importance, skills, and potential.

  • Godly Play is a creative, imaginative approach to Christian formation and spiritual guidance.

  • Godly Play has a Montessori foundation with 40+ years of research and practice.

  • Godly Play values process, openness, discovery, community, and relationships.

  • Godly Play models the worship life, stories, symbols, and rituals of Christian congregations.

  • Godly Play allows practitioners to make relevant and personal theological meaning.

  • Godly Play nurtures participants to larger dimensions of belief and faith through wondering and play.

Steps to Start Your Godly Play Program

Starting or restarting Godly Play will change the way you and your parish view and interact with children,  and likely each other. It’s an amazing spiritual journey requiring time, energy, patience, and love.

Your next steps

1. BEGIN YOUR RESEARCH

2. PLAN YOUR TIMING

  • Preparing a successful Godly Play program takes time and careful planning. From your initial research to the full program implementation, expect the process to take between 4 months to a year. This timeline includes setting up your space, gathering materials, and training your team. Preparing thoroughly will ensure that your program is well-organized and ready to welcome children into a nurturing environment.

3. GATHER SUPPORT

  • Building support within your church community is critical for the success of your Godly Play program. Share your vision and stories of Godly Play at meetings and events to generate interest and enthusiasm. This is the most important part! Tell those who listen to you that the story you tell is only one part of the overall Godly Play program.  Use printed materials and handouts to explain the goals and benefits of the program. Fundraising may also be an important part of your efforts.

    Request congregation members to purchase specific stories.

  • Ask for donations of baskets, small boxes, and materials from local stores.

  • Engage artists and woodworkers in your community to create or build items.

  • Organize community meals to support training sessions.

  • Seek Synod, Diocesan, or other governing body support. These groups often have lending libraries of materials or have funding available for training scholarships or underwriting.

4. INVEST IN TRAINING

  • The success of your Godly Play program relies on well-trained leaders. We recommend that all adults in the Godly Play room attend Core Godly Play training before beginning to teach Godly Play. Core training equips Storytellers and Doorpersons with the skills and processes to lead Godly Play sessions with children. 

  • Investing in trained adults leads to an energy and enthusiasm that can result in more successful fundraising. Ultimately, this creates a thriving program led by adults who understand the work of mentoring children's spirituality and its importance in the church and the world.

5. INVEST IN TRAINING

  • Set Up Shelving: Use beautiful, accessible shelving to display materials. Options include wood, Montessori vendors, or IKEA’s Kallax series.

  • Gather Materials: Invest in high-quality, durable materials. Consider using Godly Play Resources materials so they last you a long time and support the Foundation’s mission A full list of supplies is available here.

  • Stock Art Supplies: Provide children with professional-grade art supplies to enhance their creative expression and show respect for their work.

6. LAUNCH YOUR PROGRAM

Once everything is in place, you’re ready to begin your Godly Play sessions. Remember, this journey is about nurturing the spiritual lives of children, building wonder, and creating a community of faith and discovery.

For more detailed guidance and resources, visit our Training and Materials pages. Welcome to the Godly Play family, where we honor and celebrate the spiritual wisdom of children! And as Founder Jerome Berryman is famous for saying…

"The only thing left to do is begin!" 

You are opening doors for others to discover the God they already know and to understand that they are deeply loved. Start your Godly Play program today and become part of a worldwide community deeply dedicated to nurturing children's spirituality.