Wondering about Atheist Programs for Children

[KevinSim]

The first and third Wednesday of each month my grandson (who my wife and I are raising) enjoys going to Activity Day for Boys, an hour of playing games in our church's cultural hall with a dozen boys roughly his age, facilitated by two adults who do a pretty good job of finding fun things for them to do. Do atheists have programs like this for their young children? I'm aware that the Unitarian Universalist Church often functions as a sort of church equivalent for atheists, so maybe there are programs for kids through them. Is there anything else?

[honorentheos]

What kind of organization do you imagine atheists belong to that this even makes sense as a question? It's like asking if non-flat earthers have potlucks every fourth Friday?

[honorentheos]

I'm collecting dues for our non-badminton playing league to fund the monthly not playing badminton event. Kids are welcome where they, too, can not play badminton in a safe environment.

[Some Schmo]

Play dates are not unique to churches. Growing up, my daughter had lots of kids to play with, and at places with no agenda.

[Everybody Wang Chung]

I am a devout Latter-day Saint, and yet I do have doubts about what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches.

I'm aware that the Unitarian Universalist Church often functions as a sort of church equivalent for atheists, so maybe there are programs for kids through them. Is there anything else?

Kevin, are you afraid your doubts might lead you to Atheism? Is that why you are asking about programs?

[honorentheos]

Play dates are not unique to churches. Growing up, my daughter had lots of kids to play with, and at places with no agenda.

Yeah. I'm thinking do summer camps count if they have no religious expectation? Or do they only count if they require proof of atheism? Chess club? Little League?

[Marcus]

…Do atheists have programs like this for their young children? I'm aware that the Unitarian Universalist Church often functions as a sort of church equivalent for atheists, so maybe there are programs for kids through them. Is there anything else?

We don’t label their foreheads, so I’m not sure how many atheists, agnostics, and/or believers we actually have, but i’m on the Library Board in my small town, and we have a full schedule of activities. We do way more just try to find fun things to do for an hour twice a month, though. Here’s a sample of non-religious activities we have:

Once a month we have Lego night for kids and parents, during the school year we have a STEM-oriented club for young inventors that meets weekly, and we have craft activities for the younger set all summer long. We hold parties oriented toward youth for every possible Holiday, sponsored by various businesses in town. We have a book club for young readers that meets in our reader’s room as well as designated quiet reading times that are VERY popular with the middle school aged kids and their parents. We also sponsor early evening family movies in the Park monthly from April to August, which are very well attended. All of these are free, for atheists and non-atheists alike.

My kids are grown, but the school they attended still holds a weekly early morning children’s chess class taught by a local grandmaster who volunteers his time, and there is a track club for ages 8-12 in the afternoons, organized by a local doctor who runs marathons and wants to give back. There are swim clubs in my area for literally all ages, as well as recreational basketball, baseball and soccer for all.

The church at the end of my street has a kids choir and as far as I know, professing one’s religious position is not a prerequisite for participation. I know because I am friends with the pastor, who (gasp!) knows I am atheist and is still willing to be seen with me when I attend his ziti fund-raising dinner, or when we sit next to each other at school board meetings.

NONE of these activities in my town, library, schools or even churches require children or families to document their religious position in order to participate.

Where exactly do you live, KS, that you face such limited and restrictive opportunities?

[Everybody Wang Chung]

We don’t label their foreheads, so I’m not sure how many atheists, agnostics, and/or believers we actually have, but i’m on the Library Board in my small town, and we have a full schedule of activities. We do way more just try to find fun things to do for an hour twice a month, though. Here’s a sample of non-religious activities we have:

Once a month we have Lego night for kids and parents, during the school year we have a STEM-oriented club for young inventors that meets weekly, and we have craft activities for the younger set all summer long. We hold parties oriented toward youth for every possible Holiday, sponsored by various businesses in town. We have a book club for young readers that meets in our reader’s room as well as designated quiet reading times that are VERY popular with the middle school aged kids and their parents. We also sponsor early evening family movies in the Park monthly from April to August, which are very well attended. All of these are free, for atheists and non-atheists alike.

My kids are grown, but the school they attended still holds a weekly early morning children’s chess class taught by a local grandmaster who volunteers his time, and there is a track club for ages 8-12 in the afternoons, organized by a local doctor who runs marathons and wants to give back. There are swim clubs in my area for literally all ages, as well as recreational basketball, baseball and soccer for all.

The church at the end of my street has a kids choir and as far as I know, professing one’s religious position is not a prerequisite for participation. I know because I am friends with the pastor, who (gasp!) knows I am atheist and is still willing to be seen with me when I attend his ziti fund-raising dinner, or when we sit next to each other at school board meetings.

NONE of these activities in my town, library, schools or even churches require children or families to document their religious position in order to participate.

Where exactly do you live, KS, that you face such limited and restrictive opportunities?

Marcus, I wish we had your Library Board.

[Gadianton]

The first and third Wednesday of each month my grandson (who my wife and I are raising) enjoys going to Activity Day for Boys, an hour of playing games in our church's cultural hall with a dozen boys roughly his age, facilitated by two adults who do a pretty good job of finding fun things for them to do. Do atheists have programs like this for their young children? I'm aware that the Unitarian Universalist Church often functions as a sort of church equivalent for atheists, so maybe there are programs for kids through them. Is there anything else?

As the early Church got off the ground and rubbed the rest of society the wrong way, culminating in the pioneers moving west, how many families who originally found themselves in stable religious homes with programs for children ended up joining Mormonism, only to leave everything behind and go west, in many cases resulting in their children starving to death or freezing to death?

How many scientifically-informed atheists today are in danger of their children dying of starvation or the cold because a science authority loses it and treks thousands of miles on foot with barely any provisions to start a new life in the middle of nowhere?

[Res Ipsa]

Marcus, good on you for joining the library board.