New Curriculum Helps Very Young Children Learn About God

Wee Wonder "Age Appropriate" For Two And Three Year-Olds

Can two year-olds learn about God?

Yes, says Linda Martin, who has worked in the field of early childhood education for 38 years.

"It's a known fact that very young children know things no one has told them," says Martin, adding that "toddlers can hear the words 'God loves you' and understand the meaning of it by the way in which it is said and displayed to them."

Helping two and three year-olds learn about God's love is the goal of Wee Wonder: Sharing God's Love With Twos, a new curriculum from Mennonite Publishing Network (MPN).

"The premise for Wee Wonder is to provide an environment of wonder and awe that will nurture that relationship, and help them draw closer to God," says Eleanor Snyder, who directs Faith & Life Resources, the congregational resources imprint of MPN.

Through play, Bible stories, prayers, songs and other activities, very young children are encouraged to explore God's world, she says, adding that churches can use the curriculum to "nurture young children in a loving relationship with God."

At the same time, Wee Wonder aims to "foster a sense of belonging to a faith community," Snyder says.

"Two year-olds are just beginning to expand their world beyond home and family. The experience in a Wee Wonder setting helps them know that they are part of a larger world where God's love can be found."

But Wee Wonder isn't just for church, Snyder notes. "It can also be used in Christian day cares, or anyplace where people want to communicate about God with small children."

Snyder hopes that Wee Wonder can "help young children explore God's wonderful and awesome world within a safe environment of a Christian community. How we teach the Biblical story to our very young children has a strong impact on their future spiritual growth and formation."

For Martin, who attends the Salford, Pa. Mennonite Church, and who served as a consultant for Wee Wonder, the new curriculum is exciting because "it is user-friendly and very age appropriate . . . in order for the children to grow up to create a better world for the future, it is vital for them to start learning about God's love for themselves and others at an early age, at the very beginning of their church experience."

Click here to read an interview with Wee Wonder creators Chrissie Walls and Lori Steiner Jans about the thinking behind the curriculum, and about the unique ways that two and three year-old children learn about God.

Wee Wonder will be available this summer; the complete curriculum costs $159.99 USD/$183.99 CAD. Items are also available individually. Click here for more information.