Programming

Children's hands are crafting with colorful beads

Would you like to find a supportive intergenerational community for your family? A community that reinforces your progressive values but does not tell your children what to believe about God or life after death?  That’s Prairie UU! In our Religious Exploration (RE) program, we care for children from 6 months old through high school. We aim to help each child feel valued as a unique individual. Our varied activities promote children’s social-emotional learning and independence, our Unitarian Universalist ideals, and respectful learning about the world’s religions. Our classes meet during our worship service, Sundays at 10 am.

What to Expect as a Visitor

On a typical Sunday, children should dress for messy activities or playing outside. Families begin the morning together in our Meeting Room at 10 am. Just inside the Meeting Room you can find busy bags with activities for anyone who needs to fidget. A few minutes into the service, children are invited (but not required) to come forward to hear a story. After the story, the congregation sings the children out to their classes.

You are always welcome to accompany your child to our RE area downstairs if you wish. Your children are also welcome to stay with you in the Meeting Room or to rejoin you there later if they wish. 

If your child has allergies or special needs we should know about, please talk to the Greeter inside our main entrance. They will share the information with our RE Director and volunteers.

Sunday Morning Activities

Most Sundays, children have the opportunity to enjoy learning activities with their peers and skilled, creative volunteer teachers:

  • Childcare is provided by our teen and young adult staff for ages 6 months through 4 years
  • Classes for 5 and 6 year olds have fun activities that explore the idea of growth and transformation
  • Ages 7 and up engage in a variety of activities as a team: performing skits for the congregation, doing fund-raising for human rights, and exploring their own unique values.
  • Ages 9 and up may choose to do table-top role-playing games

During the summer, our regular classes give way to fun all-ages activities and family field trips. Check our calendar to find out what’s planned for each Sunday.

Special Sundays

Some Sundays, children of all ages together come together for something different! Check our calendar to find out what’s planned each week. 

  • Cook & Learn – Our congregation has potluck lunches on the first Sunday of the month. On those days, our young people work together to prepare a dish to share, usually related to a religious holiday happening that month, and learn about the holiday from people who celebrate it.
  • Intergenerational Services – Several times a year, our young people participate with adults in Services upstairs in the Meeting Room. Our young people often contribute readings, skits, and music to our services. Youth, like other Prairie members, may do presentations on topics of interest in our services.
  • Holidays – We celebrate holidays together on Sunday mornings several times a year with parties. A beloved tradition is our December Nifty Gifty, where children craft gifts for loved ones from recycled materials.
  • Field trips are opportunities to learn about the natural world, about social justice work, about other religions, or just to have fun!  

Human Sexuality Education

Prairie UU offers the Our Whole Lives (OWL) program to provide age-appropriate education in human sexuality for children in early elementary grades, upper elementary grades, and junior high school. Find more information about sexuality education at Prairie here.