Lower School "Faith and Play" Brings Quaker Practices into the Classroom

As a Friends School, SSFS is committed to integrating Quaker principles and practices into the daily lives of our students. One way we do that with our younger students is through "Faith and Play" Stories. As shared on the Faith & Play Stories website,

"The Faith & Play Group took shape in 2005, as a working group of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and a project of Friends General Conference... In 2010, two members of our group were trained as accredited Godly Play trainers by a third Friend working for the Godly Play Foundation. Together, they developed “Playing in the Light” which is a core training for Friends using Godly Play and Faith & Play stories. One of those two early trainers continues this work today, and developed a companion training, ”Learning in the Light“, for Friends school educators. Trainings and workshops for Friends have happened in eight countries and across the US, from Alaska to Florida."

SSFS Lower School Learning Specialist Franni Cannizzaro has been trained in Faith and Play, and she brought the practice to our Preschool classroom on Sep. 10, 2026. Using the lesson's signature storytelling, simple materials, and a collaborative approach, the group learned about and shared their thoughts on the lesson "Gifts: A Story About the Gifts God Gives Each of Us." The preschoolers shared that they love to help, sing, and share with their friends as their gifts to the community this year.