The most complete Pagan Parenting guide is "Circle Round" by Starhawk Diane Baker and Anne Hill. Circle Round includes stories, crafts, chants, and ritual ideas for every holiday and also full moons and elements. While this book does not include fully scripted rituals, there are plenty of ritual ideas to inspire parents or clergy to create balanced intergenerational rituals, satisfying and meaningful for people of all ages. This book by far, is the most complete guide to celebrating Goddess-centered faiths with children. Also available is the CD "Circle Round and Sing" which features many of the chants found in "Circle Round".
More recently Pagan authors such as W. Lyon Martin have been publishing picture books for Pagan families. Martin's first book "An Ordinary Girl, Magical Child" explains about Pagan beliefs from the perspective of "Rabbit" a six-year-old girl. There are colorful pages on each holiday, explanations on spells, magic and a little about Gods and Goddesses, focusing on a duotheistic tradition. Her second book "Aiden's Full Moon Circle" features a boy who's attending a public Full Moon celebration at a campground with a coven for the first time. The Priestess invites him to help cast the circle and join in the drumming circle.
There are several coloring books and workbooks for preschool and kindergarten aged kids, such as "My First Little Workbook of Wicca" by Rev. Velvet Rieth. This book teaches about Wiccan words and holidays while providing writing exercises and fun coloring pages. This is a must have, if you home school or for providing an educational activity to kids while your organization is having an event or meeting.
Websites
“The Pooka Pages” is a free web based Pagan Youth magazine published and illustrated by Lora Craig-Gaddis eight times a year, for elementary aged kids. It features stories about Pooka, a black cat and his witch, Elsie. Elsie is the village healer who makes herbal potions. The stories also feature Nathan, a crow, and a fairy named Thistle. Other articles include book reviews, herbal recipes, tasty recipes for the holiday, and a child’s book of shadows. Best of all, the magazine is published in PDF format and can be easily printed and shared offline.
“Broomstix” is another free web based magazine; also published eight time a year, just before each holiday, but for a slightly older audience. It features articles on astrology, crystals and stones, interviews of Pagan Elders and authors, a little ancient Pagan history and historical sacred sites. Broomstix is not published in a printable format, and does require a higher level of reading skills than “The Pooka Pages”.
Organizations
If outdoor scouting programs are of interest to your family, but you would prefer to avoid groups that discriminate, you are in luck! Spiral Scouts is a co-ed scouting program with a philosophy of “religious tolerance and interfaith cooperation, personal responsibility, and ecological education and conservation, in order to help our children learn to grow into strong, competent members of society and citizens of the world.” Created by the Aquarian Tabernacle Church, a Wiccan church, Spiral Scouts is a co-ed scouting program open to all people of all faiths or none at all, with an earth based slant.
Family Wicca Tradition International is a unique tradition that, according to it’s mission statement, “presents a pagan tradition that leaves behind the dogma of practice and promotes family and individual spiritual identity, responsibility and legacy. “ It promotes the family as a child’s first coven and guides parents to be “Mother Priestesses” and “Father Priests”. Degree work and Initiation is available through their online correspondence class.
There are a growing number of resources for families looking to educate their children in their Pagan tradition. Hopefully these resources will aid you in sharing your faith within your family.
Blessings!
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