Children are Welcome

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Members of the Religious Education Committee of Friends Meeting of Washington would be pleased to talk with parents about First Day School classes and other activities available for children.  For more information, use the website "Contact Us" page.

For resources as parents, see Quaker Parenting and Family Resources.

For resources as teachers of First Day School, see Quaker Teaching Resources.

Living Our Queries: The text for the Living our Queries Meeting focused on children.
 

Activities planned for Fall 2010 for children

10:30 AM Worship meetings- Children are welcome at these meetings.  We suggest that parents help their children in advance to understand as best they can the special nature of these gatherings and be prepared to participate as comfortably as possible.  We hope parents will take advantage of the options suggested below for their children. Parents are asked to avoid leaving any children unattended.

Youngest Children:

Child care is offered for children as young as infants during the 10:30 AM Worship meetings in the School for Friends Classroom, located on the ground floor of Quaker House, which is the red brick building next to the Meetinghouse on Decatur Place.  Some parents prefer to keep children (especially infants) with them in worship.

Younger Children:

After about 20 minutes of sitting in meeting beside their parents or other adults, most children ages 4 to 16 leave as a group to join First Day School classes.  We encourage children to shake hands with some of those who remain behind as they leave Worship.

Older Children:

Children ages 16 and up are welcome to participate in the entire Meeting for Worship or else go to the teenage group of First Day School at 10:50 AM.

First Day School Classes - 10:50 AM to 11:30 AM

• 4-7 year-olds ('Quakes') in the Children's Library on the first floor behind the Assembly Room
• 8-11 year-olds ('Junior Young Friends') in the Terrace Room on the second floor opposite the Library
• 12 and up ('Young Friends)' - in the Decatur Place Room on the first floor immediately to the right of the Decatur Place entrance

Junior Meeting for Business

Junior Meeting for Business is held on the fourth Sunday of every other month at 10:50 AM for children ages eight and older in the Decatur Place Room. The first fall meeting is held in September.

Baltimore Yearly Meeting Junior Young Friends page:
http://www.bym-rsf.org/quakers/youth/jyf/index.shtml

Baltimore Yearly Meeting Young Friends page:
http://www.bym-rsf.org/yf/index.html

Baltimore Yearly Meeting Young Friends Handbook:
http://www.bym-rsf.org/quakers/youth/YFHandbook.shtml


Summer Children's Activities

From mid-June to mid-September, Summer Children's Activities are held instead of First Day School, conducted each week by volunteers.

In the Spring each year, families may apply for Quaker Camp Scholarships. Please send an email to the RE Clerk with the following information: parents' name(s), names of child(ren) going to camp, what camp(s) they are going to, and how we should contact you. Alternatively, written applications may be submitted to the FMW office. Applications must be received no later than the rise of 10:30 worship on First Day, March 7th. If you have any questions, please use the website "Contact Us" page.



Other Resource Links
Baltimore Yearly Meeting Summer Camps: http://www.bymcamps.org/
Baltimore Yearly Meeting summer camps offer extended time in living, in living, functioning, Quaker communities that offer tenderness, loving concern, dynamic activity, laughter, respect, work, honesty, silence, and joyful noise

Baltimore Yearly Meeting Youth Programs Committee:
http://www.bym-rsf.org/quakers/committees/youth.shtml#fall2009

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Childrens' Religious Education Resource Page:
http://www.pym.org/education/children/index.htm

Friends General Conference Faith & Play and Godly Page Resource Page:
http://www.fgcquaker.org/faithandplay/

Friends General Conference Religious Education Home Page:
http://www.fgcquaker.org/religious-ed/home
includes links to Religious Education newsletter and teaching resources