Get OWT!

The planning and preparation documents (including ‘Get OWT! in 10 Simple Steps’ above) are designed to help you create and deliver an effective programme.

They provide the necessary space and tools to consider all essential factors before launch.

This series of Get OWT! sessions is all about exploring the Earth as a place where we belong and can feel at home.

Gary Snyder famously said, ‘Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.’ We share this amazing planet - our home - with millions of different creatures and plant life. Humans, plants and animals have wonderful ways to keep themselves and each other protected and safe in places where they belong.

These sessions can help families and young children think and talk about what is special about their own homes, and how God has created just the right homes for all the different animals too.

1. Home Sweet Home!

2. Busy Birds!

3. Wiggly Worms!

4. On the Farm!

5. In the Jungle!

6. Under the Sea!

How to use this resource

You could use these sessions over the spring and summer months with your regular toddler group if you’re feeling brave enough to venture outside. Alternatively, if you’re looking to begin something new, you could use them for an outreach activity in the summer holidays, or even some simple outdoor worship sessions for families with young children. 

Each session includes ideas for a story to share, with a focus on themes of belonging and home. There’s also a simple question, songs, a prayer or blessing and a Bible link, so you can begin or end in a way which fits your group.

Choose from the suggested activities, be realistic with what you can transport and set up, and feel free to add your own ideas and creativity. See the Get OWT! planning and preparation documents for more tips on planning your sessions.

To help create a sense of belonging through these sessions, you could create a way to welcome children and families, eg they could choose a special stone from a basket and write their name on it. Each week they come they could find their stone and place it on a table to show who is here. What else could you do to create a sense of welcome and belonging?

As a guide, the suggested activities have asterisks to show how easy they are to prepare and set up:

* This activity is simple to set up – gather the resources and go!

** This activity requires a bit of preparation, eg making play-dough or gathering a few different materials.

*** This activity may need some extra time to source, make or freeze things, or to gather resources, so plan well in advance.

Welcome to this Get OWT! series inspired by The Salvation Army’s mission priority to care for creation. Even the youngest children can begin to understand how precious our planet is and some of the ways we can look after it.

As grown-ups and children explore each theme and activity together, they can both be inspired to wonder about the world we live in and think about what they can do to look after it. The different themes connect with the biblical story of creation and with young children’s experience of the world around them.

1. Wonderful World!

2. Green and Growing!

3. Tree-mendous Trees!

4. Super Space!

5. Amazing Animals!

6. Marvellous Me!

How to use this resource

You could use these sessions over the spring and summer months with your regular toddler group if you’re feeling brave enough to venture outside. Alternatively, if you’re looking to begin something new, you could use them for an outreach activity in the summer holidays, or even some simple outdoor worship sessions for families with young children. 

We recommend starting with five or six activities. You can always add more as numbers grow, or if you think it is manageable. Be realistic with what you can transport and set up, and feel free to add your own ideas and creativity.

Each session outline includes activity suggestions. You can find the details of these and other activities on The Salvation Army Family Ministries Pinterest page.

As a guide, the suggested activities have asterisks to show how easy they are to prepare and set up:

* This activity is simple to set up – gather the resources and go!

** This activity requires a bit of preparation, eg making play-dough or gathering a few different materials.

*** This activity may need some extra time to source, make or freeze things, or to gather resources, so plan well in advance.

Below are some FAQs answered by Nick and Shelley Ward, the creators of Get OWT!. For more information, advice and guidance, read ‘Get OWT! in 10 Simple Steps’.

What does a session roughly look like?

We find it helpful to ask families to book in advance using Eventbrite to ensure we have enough resources, although there are often families who turn up on the day. We ask families to sign in and then enjoy the activities in any order they choose.

Some activities take place in and around the event shelter, while others could take place in the meadow or woodland area – for instance a scavenger hunt or trail.

We end the session with a story and singing, and then bubbles or parachute games. Even outside, it’s good to gather everyone together as you might at an indoor toddler group.

What if we don’t have a nice outside area to use?

You can make your venue work for you! Nature is everywhere, even in a very urban area. You might need to undertake a ‘recce’ to find out what spaces will be suitable, or work together with other people in your community.

We contacted our local authority to ask for permission to use the meadow and woodland. You might need to find out if you can attach resources to lamp posts, fences and gates. Private landowners often encourage people to explore the outdoors, so don’t be put off if the space you’d like to use is privately owned. Contact the owner and see if permission can be granted to use the space.

What happens if it rains or is very cold?

Our mantra is, ‘There’s no such thing as bad weather – only wrong clothing’.

We have journeyed with our families and they know we will be there unless the rain is torrential, the wind is dangerous or the temperature is very, very cold. Generally, families understand the value of getting outside each day and so we have trusted them to make the decision for themselves.

We will only cancel in exceptional circumstances.

Check out ‘Get OWT! in Colder Weather’ for more top tips on this!

Where do you find the resources you use?

If you want to follow our programme, you will find material on this page to get you started. The Salvation Army Family Ministries Pinterest page also features many activity ideas, including some specifically tied in with Get OWT!.

We get inspiration from children’s stories, nature and the world around us. If you’re stuck for ideas, don’t worry, as there are lots of resources online and several good books outlining outdoor activities. We sometimes ask families to suggest themes for sessions, and some parents, especially the creative ones, are happy to come up with ideas linked with the themes. We find this empowers the families and helps keep them included.

We would encourage you to get creative and come up with your own sessions!

Is there a faith aspect to GET OWT!?

Get OWT! provides the opportunity to nurture the wellbeing and spirituality of toddlers and their carers, whatever beliefs and background they have. In fact, the writer of Psalm 19 wrote that the created world helps people to discover and know God without speaking any words!

We have loved seeing families enjoy the elements, notice ladybirds on bushes and listen to birdsong. Toddlers are naturally curious and will marvel at things which adults often take for granted. When you choose your activities and location, try to make sure there are opportunities for families to slow down and encounter the beauty of nature for themselves.

In addition, each session on this page has a Bible story, song ideas and a prayer. Celebrations such as Christmas, Easter and Harvest can be particularly good opportunities to offer a faith story and activities.

Having The Salvation Army’s publications (Kids Alive! and War Cry) available for families to take home is another way for them to learn more about The Salvation Army and the Christian faith.