Hi and welcome to Pause & Play!

Do your kids spend more time in front of a screen than anywhere else?

Do you share the frustration of many parents that whenever you pick up a new DVD or book aimed at children you find an indication of something inappropriate or just not in line with God's Best in the blurb?

Do you find yourself wishing that you had access to a much wider range of wholesome entertainment for your family instead of always having to say 'we don't watch this', 'you can't play that', 'I don't care that it's rated PG, you're not going to see it'?

Well hopefully you've come to the right place. This blog will aim to do what it says on the tin and resource CCFH parents with suggestions of wholesome media (DVDs, websites, music, games, books etc) to try at home and encourage everyone in the family to pause and play with a godly focus. Some featured media will be overtly Christian while other review items might simply be mainstream programming or books that have a particularly encouraging message.

I hope you'll enjoy following the blog and will be able to get into using some of the media reviewed here. It would be great if as many people as possible could add their own experiences of using the media in a family setting and also contribute other recommendations for people to try. Please also indicate when you are happy to lend out recommended media to other CCFH families.

Happy Blogging All

26/04/2011

a-MAZE-ing what you find online

Hey guys

Thought we could do with a new post.

My latest discovery for something fun and wholesome for kids to do online was hiding in the 'Kidzone' section of Juniper Hill School's website (I was looking for Term Dates and got momentarily distracted - it's all very professional honest!)

Click here to go to Maze Race

Anyway, I've decided to turn my distractions into something productive for us all on Pause & Play:

This Maze Race game is fun (and slightly addictive!) and is a great example of how something perfectly ordinary can be used to prompt some spiritual reflection and discussion:

Kids use the arrow keys on the computer to control the green ball and move it to the flag before the red ball has a chance to get there (the computer is controlling the red ball).  You and your child could have fun trying to get to higher and higher levels or beat each other's personal best score.  As you do this, it is a great opportunity to reflect on how life can sometimes feel like a maze - every day we have to make choices and decisions, we have to decide what is a good thing to do and what is a bad thing, which is the right way and which is the wrong way.  In this game there is the added pressure that we are racing the red ball to the flag - in life there can be lots of outside pressures that stress us out too.  I found that if I wasn't careful, I would focus on what the red ball was doing instead of looking where I was going in the maze; that was a very easy way to lose - taking my eye off the ball literally!!  In life we have Jesus to help us choose the best way - we need to keep our eyes on him and not on the distractions around.

Perhaps you could do some 'wondering' with your child following the game, e.g.  I wonder what things have happened today/this week that have felt a bit like being in a maze?  I wonder what/who the red ball is in real life?  I wonder what the flag could be really, what are we racing towards?  It is good to allow your child to verbalise their wondering before imposing your own ideas, but remember to include your own thoughts in the conversation at an appropriate point too - it is great for children to know that it is not only them who face choices and confusion in life but that we are all journeying and having to make difficult decisions to try and follow Jesus every day.

Have an a-MAZE-ing playtime ;)

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