Christian Play Areas: Liturgical PlayDolls These wooden dolls' house dolls have been dressed up as priests, with changeable vestments for the different seasons of the church year. They have been given a simple white alb with a robe belt, and each has a set of chasubles and stoles to be changed depending on the time of year.  In addition to the standard green, purple, red and white, other variants have been included: yellow and gold for Christmas and Easter; blue for Advent; sack-cloth for Lent. They are part of a large set, which includes both male and female priest dolls, and a variety of ages and skin colours. The set also contains children dressed in albs to represent servers.  It would even be possible to make a choir of children and adults wearing cassocks and surplices. Dolls dressed in normal clothes represent the congregation. Children can use these dolls to re-enact elements of the liturgy, such as the Eucharist and baptism, and in doing so develop their understanding of the sacraments.  The dolls' vestments were made by Rosemary Farren of St Bene't's Church, Cambridge. They are used each week by the children in the Younger Children's Group. Liturgical colours Baskets of different coloured felt shapes and ribbons can be used to help children experience the different seasons of the church year: Advent and Lent: purple; Christmas and Easter: white and gold; Ordinary time: green. We use a variety of shapes - circles, diamonds, rectangles and flames. For Pentecost we use red, orange and yellow flames and gold coloured ribbons. |