You’ll find hundreds of prayer activities in our library that have been tried and tested in prayer spaces in primary schools and secondary schools, church schools and community schools, and in lots of nations too. These prayer activities are being adapted and improved all the time, and new ones are being created by local prayer space teams (and even by pupils), so keep visiting. (And if you adapt, improve or design any new prayer activities, please send them in so we can share them.)
Identity and self-image
Who am I?
Relationships and resolving conflict
How can I be reconciled with others?
Justice and the natural world
What difference can I make in the world?
Faith and big questions
What do I believe about life?
Seasonal events and celebrations, such as Easter or Advent.
Parables or stories from the Bible such as the Garden of Eden or the Lord’s Prayer.
Key life stages for school children such as exams or times of transition.
Make sure that the prayer activity can be explained in two sentences. Try to avoid abstract concepts and religious words.
Prayer is more than words. And we learn best by doing. The best prayer activities combine something to reflect on and something to do that symbolises a response.
Begin with something familiar that pupils will immediately relate to and can respond to. Don't start with a philosophical idea or a theological truth.
Make sure that the prayer activities welcome pupils of all ability, religious or cultural background, and learning styles. Prayer activities are sometimes challenging, but they should never exclude.
The best prayer activities give pupils confidence and practical ideas that they can take with them into their everyday lives.
The best prayer spaces provide opportunities for a shared spiritual experience as well as a personal one. Try to enable both.
Make sure that every prayer activity is rooted in the Christian faith, in the life and the teachings of Jesus… even if the connection isn’t obvious and explicit.