Bramble the Wombat sat on a nearby rock, his paws resting thoughtfully on his robust belly.

‘I have a riddle for you all,’ he chuckled.

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‘A riddle?’ questioned little Luna the Koala.

‘Yes! A riddle is a little puzzle made with words. I will give you some clues, and you need to guess the answer!’

‘Oooh,’ cried Percy Platypus, ‘please give us a riddle to solve!’

‘I am very small,’ Bramble began. ‘I can carry things much larger than myself, and I have six legs. What am I?’

The friends were silent for a moment while they considered the riddle.

‘An ant!’ cried out Moss the Tiny Bush Mouse.

‘That is correct, little one,’ Bramble rewarded him.

“There once was a man in the Bible named Samson who gave the Philistines a riddle,” said Bramble. “Let’s see if you can solve this one! The Philistines couldn’t work out the answer without the help of Samson’s wife. I wonder if you can?”

Bramble looked around at all his Listening Wood friends and recited Samson’s riddle:

“Out of the eater came something to eat,
out of the strong came something sweet.”

“Can you guess the answer?” Bramble asked.

The friends sat very quietly, thinking hard.

You see, Samson had once found a lion and later discovered that bees had made a nest inside it and honey had formed there. The lion was the eater and the strong one in Samson’s riddle and the honey was the something sweet to eat.

The Listening Wood friends enjoyed that riddle and all shared a chuckle together.

Ember Echidna, who had been listening quietly, suddenly gave a little rumble. She looked down at her tummy and smiled. ‘I have one more riddle for you,’ she announced. ‘I am not a lion, but I can growl. I am not a drum, but I can rumble. When I make this sound, it means it is time to find something delicious to eat! What am I?’ The friends giggled as Ember’s tummy gave another loud grumble. ‘Your hungry tummy!’ cried Percy the Platypus. The friends all laughed and laughed as Ember finally admitted ‘Okay, I think It’s time for me to find my dinner!’ and the whimsical bush creatures made their way home for tea.

This story was written for the Listening Wood Mums Membership, a weekly Bible program created to help mums teach their little ones about God at home.

Each week, you’ll find a simple Bible story woven together with seasonal activities, songs, crafts, verses and gentle rhythms connected to a weekly theme, all designed for children aged 1–6.

This bible passage was chosen to align with National Wattle Week (first week of September) in Australia.

As a post reading activity you may like to wet felt wattle with your 1-6 year old child. For more detailed instructions and additional activities please see September’s Letter from the Listening Wood linked below.

The Listening Wood

September’s Letter from the Listening Wood

🌼 Opening Reflection…

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10 days ago · The Listening Wood 🌳

There are 3 tiers of membership to The Listening Wood

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Monthly paid: access to stories + monthly rhythms (including weekly themes, activities, book lists, song lists, circle time and nature table ideas) + community support and chat

Annual paid: access to all of the above at a discounted rate

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One chilly winter evening, as the two friends shared Vegemite sandwiches beside the Listening Wood creek, a crisp breeze rustled through the eucalyptus leaves. Above them, butterflies fluttered lazily in the fading golden light.

“Luna, why do butterflies change so much?” Percy asked, watching one gently settle upon a wildflower.

Luna thought for a moment before replying. “It’s amazing, isn’t it? How something can look so different after it’s changed. A caterpillar disappears into its chrysalis, and then suddenly, it emerges with beautiful wings. God works in mysterious ways, bringing about change in the lives of His children, too.”

Percy gazed thoughtfully at the butterfly. “How do you know so much about God?” he asked.

Luna was delighted to be having such a wonderful conversation with her new friend. She smiled warmly and replied, “Why don’t you come along tonight and hear the Lantern Story at the Listening Wood? Bramble Wombat always has such fascinating stories to share from his ancient, leather-bound book. It’s where I learn about God each night!”

Percy smiled and nodded, and together they wandered slowly up the moonlit path towards the Listening Wood meeting place. Many of the bush friends were already gathered beneath the spreading Coolibah trees, nestled together against the cool winter air. The lanterns glowed softly among the branches, casting warm pools of light across the forest floor, and everyone settled quietly as Bramble Wombat opened his ancient book.

Tonight’s Lantern Story was about to begin. Bramble carefully opened the bible and read aloud

The an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, ‘Stand up and go south. This is a desert.’ So Philip stood up and travelled that way. When Philip got there, there was a man from Ethiopia who God had put in his path to meet. THe man was sitting in his golden chariot and reading the Bible. The holy spirit said to Philip, ‘Go and speak to that man, the Ethiopian’. So Philip obeyed. He ran toward the man and heard him reading aloud from the book of Isaiah in the Bible. Philip asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ The man replied, ‘It is hard for me to understand what these words mean, without somebody here to explain it to me. Would you be so kind to help me understand the Bible today?’ Philip was thrilled to have the opportunity to teach this man about God and quickly went and sat beside him. They opened up the Bible together and Philip helped the Ethiopian man understand the words of God. Philip told the man all about Jesus and the wonderful things he had done. The Ethiopian man was so inspired that he asked Philip to baptise him. They came across some water on their journey, and there they performed the baptism. The Ethiopian man was welcomed into God’s family and the angels in heaven rejoiced that day.

(Inspired by WEB edition Bible Acts 8:26-40)

The bush friends sat in thoughtful silence for a moment, considering all they had just heard. What a privilege it is to have the opportunity to teach others about God, little Luna pondered. She had enjoyed inviting her new friend Percy Platypus along to the gentle gathering tonight and made a commitment to praying for him and his faith journey. So beneath the sparkling sky and swaying gum trees, Luna whispered a prayer of thanks to her maker.

This story was chosen to align with 2026 Australian Book Week.

The Ethiopian man is encountered sitting in a chariot, reading from ancient parchment paper.

As a post reading activity you may like to create parchment paper as a craft activity with your 1-6 year old or build a chariot out of recyclable materials. For more detailed instructions and additional activities please see August’s Letter from the Listening Wood linked below.

The Listening Wood

August's Letter from the Listening Wood

🌿Opening Reflection…

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a month ago · 1 like · The Listening Wood 🌳

Welcome to Spring, we made it! I don’t know about you, but we had such a beautifully mild winter where I live. I actually really enjoyed getting out into the winter sunshine with the babies and making the most of the lower UV. I hope winter also treated you and your family well.

This monthly rhythm gently invites you into a new season and a new month. The thing I love most about September is the wattle! It starts blooming everywhere where I live, with September 1st actually being Australia’s National Wattle Day. This theme will be incorporated throughout our stories this month. 🌿

🌸 This Month in the Listening Wood

This month we:

• Find wattle in our local area (and learn about its indigenous uses

• Welcome Lady Spring with traditional waldorf rhythms

• Learn about our Native Bees and explore some beautiful picture books

• Involve the children in some rhythmical Spring Cleaning!

We will be centring our days around these wonderful Bible stories

• Samson’s riddle (Judges 14:5-18)

• Joshua and the Battle of Jericho (Joshua 6:1-27)

• The promised Land - A land flowing with milk and honey (Exodus 3:7-8)

• Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42)

🌾 Our Weekly Rhythm

Week 1 · Wattle Week
Week 2 · Welcoming Spring
Week 3 · Bee Week
Week 4 · Spring Cleaning

🕯️ Your Seasonal Table

Gentle guidance for creating a nature-inspired space

This month, you might place:

• A soft green silk to welcome the fresh growth

• A felted Lady Spring to mark the arrival of the new season.

• Fresh flowers gathered from your garden or nature walks in small vases

• A little flower press for preserving some of Spring’s treasures.

• A sprig of real wattle or a small felted wattle

• A felted whale if you live along the east coast migration route

• A tiny maypole with felted fairies dancing around it

• A selection of beautiful Spring picture books:

  • Spring by Gerda Muller

  • Pippa and Pelle in the Spring Garden

  • Spring Story from The Brambly Hedge series

  • Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring

  • Flower fairies of the Spring by Cicely

You could also add a small wooden bowl for children to place their own discoveries from nature walks throughout the season. This gives the table a little life of its own, with new treasures appearing as Spring unfolds. 🌱

Natalie Trusler provides wonderful sewing patterns for both the felted whales and the fairies around the maypole. See pictures above.

Click here to access her sewing circle: https://gathered.natalietrusler.com/~access/a5c3297

Week 1 - Wattle Week

📖 Story + Hands

Story: Samson’s riddle (Judges 14:5-18)

Storytelling (Imagination + Wonder)

🐝 Circle Time:
Explain to the children the concept of a riddle.

Provide some examples of age-appropriate riddles

I am yellow and grow in the sun. Bees love me. What am I?
🌻 A flower!

I have wings and I buzz. I make honey. What am I?
🐝 A bee!

I have colourful wings and love flowers. What am I?
🦋 A butterfly!

Introduce a little peg or felted doll called Samson.

Explain that Samson was given a riddle to solve.

Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet

With the children, come up with some ideas about what the answer to this riddle could be.

Have a little toy or figurine lion and smear some honey on it’s tummy. Have a little bee buzzing around the lion. Show that the answer to the riddle was that the lion was the eater that was strong, and the bees and the honey were something sweet to eat.

Explain that Samson was very clever and very strong and solved the riddle in todays bible story.

Hands:

🐝 Making Honey Sandwiches

🧺 Help your little one use a little wooden or plastic practice knife to butter some bread and spread on some honey.

🐝 Springtime Picnic

🧺 Take a picnic mat and your honey sandwiches outside in the sunshine with some iced tea and juice and enjoy the first flavours of Spring.

🐝Felted Wattle Sprig

Creating our own little piece of Spring

🧺 Invite the children to make a tiny felted wattle branch to add to their nature table.

🧺 The children can gently roll tiny pieces of yellow wool roving into little balls, wet them with warm soapy water and roll them between their palms until they begin to felt.

🧺 Attach to a small brown wool -felted stem or stick foraged from the garden

For younger children: You could simplify this further by giving them a small branch and allowing them to wrap yellow wool around it, and/or adding a few felted yellow balls that you’ve prepared beforehand.

An introduction to Wet Felting

🐝Wattle Hunt

An Australian Spring nature walk

Can you find a tree dressed in gold?
Can you find a flower smaller than your fingernail?
Can you hear a bee nearby?
Can you find a fallen wattle flower?

Take your little ones on a wattle-spotting walk through your neighbourhood, local bushland or even on a drive with your eyes peeled for those great clouds of yellow.

Before you leave, show them a photograph of the wattle you’re hoping to find. Encourage them to notice:

🌼 the tiny round flowers

🌿 the shape and colour of the leaves

🌳 how big the tree or shrub is

🐝 whether bees or other insects are visiting

👃 what the flowers smell like

🌱 what is growing underneath it

Australia has an enormous diversity of wattles, and the Australian Government’s Wattle identification guide is a wonderful resource if you want to discover which species grows near you.

🐝Painting Wattle

Give each child a sheet of paper with a simple brown wattle branch drawn or painted across it. Then provide:

• yellow paint

• little cotton balls

• green paint

• perhaps a fine paintbrush for the leaves or glue some in foraged from a nature walk

Have them dip the cotton ball into the yellow paint and dab, dab, dab along the branches to create the fluffy clusters of wattle flowers.

“The wattle tree is dressed in gold,
Golden flowers, little and bold.”

🦁 Movement: Samson’s Strength

Set up a little Samson strength course outdoors. Invite the children to imagine they are Samson travelling through the countryside.

They might:

• 🪵 Carry a heavy basket of logs or sticks

• 🪨 Push a wheelbarrow filled with leaves or soil

• 🌿 Pull a rope or drag a large branch

• 🦁 Crawl, climb and leap like a strong lion

• 🏃‍♂️ Run between trees or garden markers

🚜 Digging for Honey: Samson’s Garden Adventure

Create a little mud-and-dirt sensory excavation inspired by Samson discovering the honey.

Fill a large tub, garden bed or patch of loose soil with:

• dirt or potting mix

• sticks and stones

• wooden bees or bee figures

• small toy digging trucks

• little scoops and shovels

• a few hidden yellow felt balls or yellow wool “honey”

• small baskets for collecting discoveries

🐝 Book List

• Wattle Babies by May Gibbs

• Barney Gumnut and Friends by

🐝 Song List

• Bop Bam Boom by Emu Kids

• The Wattle Tree”
  Tune: “The Mulberry Bush”

Here we go round the wattle tree,
The wattle tree, the wattle tree,
Here we go round the wattle tree,
On a golden Spring day.

Week 2 - Welcoming Spring

📖 Story + Hands

Story: Joshua and the Battle of Jericho (Joshua 6:1-27)

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None more so than Moss, the Tiny Bush Mouse. In fact, in his mind, he had decided August was the perfect month to go for a swim down in the Listening Wood Creek. He had had enough of the winter cold and was ready to return to the water.

He began to pack his swimming bag. In went his tiny mouse goggles, on went his little hand-knitted woollen swimmers, and into his swimming bag he tucked a soft linen towel no bigger than a gumnut. He busily hurried about his tiny bush kitchen, packing some yummy creekside snacks into a little beeswax pouch. Finally, he stretched a stripy woollen swimming cap over his head. He looked so cute!

Moss the Tiny Bush Mouse made his way down to the Listening Wood Creek. He carefully placed his swimming bag beneath a creaky old oak tree, found a big rock to scurry up, held his breath, counted, “One, two, three!” and jumped in.

“Ahhh!” Moss squealed. “It’s freezing cold!”

Just then, he felt something move beneath his feet. A platypus emerged!

“You jumped on my head!” said the platypus.

Quite in shock, Moss replied hurriedly, “Who are you? I’ve never seen you around the Listening Wood before!”

The platypus replied, “You can call me Percy. Percy the Platypus.”

Moss was so excited to have made a new friend that he quickly called for the other animals of the Listening Wood.

“Willow! Pip! Bramble! Luna! Ember!” he cried out.

The friends heard Moss’s cry and quickly came running to the billabong. They were surprised to see a platypus in the water.

Bramble the Wombat was the first to speak.

“Welcome to our little spot of paradise, dear friend.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” replied Percy.

The friends soon gathered on the bank as Tiny Moss wrapped himself up in his soft towel in an attempt to warm up. He was shivering. The water was not, in fact, warm enough yet for a comfortable swim.

Moss had learnt his lesson and committed to waiting a few more weeks before going for another swim!

Bramble asked the group if they would like to hear a story. The group cheerfully agreed, and Bramble launched into one of his jolly bush tales.

“A long time ago, there lived a man named Jonah. God gave Jonah a special job to do. He told Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and tell the sinful people there to turn back to God. Jonah didn’t want to do that job, and so he tried to run away from God. In his disobedience, he brought disaster on himself.

He tried to board a ship heading for a land far, far away called Tarshish. Jonah was trying to hide from the presence of God. However, this was pointless, as God is everywhere.

Jonah soon learnt this lesson the hard way. God sent a great wind upon the ship, and there was a mighty storm on the sea. The storm threatened to overturn the boat and drown everybody on board. The crew were very afraid and all cried out to God, ‘Save us! Save us!’

They threw cargo overboard into the sea to try to stop the ship from sinking, but nothing was working. The storm was too strong! Jonah was deep down below in the innermost parts of the ship, lying fast asleep.

The ship’s master came and tried to wake Jonah. When Jonah saw the big storm that God had sent, he was very afraid, as he knew he had done the wrong thing. Jonah had disobeyed God.

He said to the ship’s crew, ‘Throw me overboard into the sea, and the storm will stop. For God is punishing me for my sin. God has sent this great big storm because I am trying to run away from Him and the special job He has asked me to do.’

The men didn’t want to throw Jonah overboard, for they knew he would drown. So they tried to row hard to shore. However, the storm grew angrier and angrier, and the sea was rough and loud. The crew were very scared.

So they took Jonah and threw him into the sea. Instantly, the storm stopped raging.

As Jonah sank down, down, down into the depths of the raging sea, he began to feel very sleepy. Suddenly, God sent a huge fish to save Jonah. It swallowed him up. Gobble, gobble, gobble! In went Jonah into the belly of a big fish.

The belly was dark and smelly, but he was alive and safe. He was wet and cold in the belly of the big fish and stayed there for three days and three nights.

Jonah cried out to God from inside the belly of the big fish. He turned back to God and repented of his sin. He cried, ‘I am sorry, Father, for I have sinned. I have disobeyed You and tried to run away from You and what You have asked of me.’

After three days, the huge fish, possibly a whale, spat Jonah up and out of its belly onto the nice, soft sand of a nearby beach.

This time, Jonah did not disobey God. He went straight to the city of Nineveh and told them the message God had given him. He urged the people to turn back to God.”

(Words inspired by WEB bible Jonah 1-3)

Back in the Listening wood, the afternoon sun was beginning to peek through the gum trees, the friends settled down beside the creek and began to get to know their new friend Percy Platypus a little better.

Percy told them all about his home beneath the reeds and the secret places he liked to explore beneath the water. He knew where the little freshwater creatures hid, which pools were deepest, and where the creek became quiet

And so the friends gathered a little closer around Percy, listening eagerly as he told them about the secret life of the creek. Moss, still wrapped snugly in his towel, decided that perhaps August wasn’t quite the right month for swimming after all but hhe was beginning to think that having a new friend who knew all the creek’s secrets might be even better than a swim.

As Bramble looked out over the fields, he thought about how tonight’s story was about a young boy who defeated a huge giant with a sling and a pebble the same size as a citrus fruit. Around him, his friends were gently beginning to take their seats. Willow was comforting little Pip in her pouch who was surely hungry for her soon-to-be dinner.

Bramble Wombat opened his ancient leather book and began to read about a small shepherd boy, a simple sling and a very, big giant.

“The Philistines stood on the mountain on one side and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side. There was a valley between them. A champion came out of the camp of the Philistines, his name was Goliath. He was very very tall, a giant! He wore a helmet of bronze on his head, a coat and shining armour on his body. He held a strong javelin between his broad shoulders, and a spear hung at his side. Goliath called out to the Israelites, ‘Who will come down and face me for a challenge!’. The Israelites were very afraid and could not find a man to face the giant’s challenge. Every morning and every night for 40 days Goliath would call out his challenge to the Israelites, but nobody dared answer. The Israelites shook in fright at the size of this giant!

Nearby on a green hill lived a gentle, young shepherd boy named David. He was out feeding his father’s sheep. David rose early the next morning and set off into town. When he came to the place where the Israelite army was camped he heard the giant Goliath’s voice boom down the valley, ‘Who dare challenge me?’. David looked around, confused why nobody would answer him. David said, ‘Why are you scared? Why don’t you go down and face the giant? For who is this man that he should defy the armies of the living God?’. David had great faith and believed nothing was too big or hard or difficult for the God. David was convinced that the Israelites had nothing to fear, for God was on their side.

King Saul heard of David’s great faith and bravery and called for him. Yet when he came, the king was shocked to see such a little boy! David bravely said to King Saul, ‘I will go and face the giant. I will fight for you.’ But the king just laughed. He said, ‘You are too young! A mere youth. You cannot go and fight a giant! He will squash you!’ But David was very brave and believed that God was on his side so he had nothing to fear. Again, David said, ‘I will go and fight Goliath. I am a shepherd and when a lion or bear comes and and takes one of the sheep out of my flock, I go after him and rescue my sheep out of its mouth. I have defeated both lion and bear, so I know I can defeat Goliath the giant because he has defied the armies of the living God. Yahweh, who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.’

So Saul said to David, “Go! Yahweh will be with you.”

Saul dressed David with his clothing. He put a helmet of bronze on his head, and strapped a sword to his side. But when David tried to move, the armor was too heavy for him as he was too small. David said, I cannot fight in this and took off all the fancy armor and weapons. David went into battle with nothing but a stick in his hand, his sling and five smooth stones that he had found by the gentle brook his sheep fed each day.

When he came near the Philistine, Goliath the giant laughed and cried, ‘Oh, Israel! You have sent me but a child! Look at this ruddy youth with a good looking face.’ The Philistine cursed David’s God, which made David very angry.

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin; but I come to you in the name of Yahweh of Armies, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have dishonoured. Today, Yahweh will deliver you into my hand and I will win this battle because I have God on my side. Everybody watching will know Yahweh does not need a sword or a spear for the battle is already won and he has already given you into my hand.’

When the Philistine stood up, and walked toward David, David ran at him He put his hand in his bag, took a stone and slung it. The small, smooth river rock hit Philistine in the middle of his head. Goliath the giant instantly fell on his face on the earth.

So David won the battle with only a sling and a stone because the almighty God of heaven was on his side.”

(Inspired by WEB bible version - 1 Samuel 17)

As Bramble finished up those final words, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a mandarin. He gently peeled back the tangy skin and a rich aroma wafted around the group. “David had nothing but 5 smooth river rocks, no bigger than the size of this mandarin” Bramble explained as he passed each forest friend a piece of the juicy fruit. “Yet because he had Yahweh the Living God on his side, he had nothing to be afraid of.” The group stilled. Bramble went on. “Next time you are afraid or scared I want you to remember David’s great faith and know that we are never alone. We always have the God of angel armies on our side. He is with us wherever we go: today, tomorrow and always.”

Thank you for reading The Listening Wood children stories. To listen to the audiobook version, please press the play button on the top right of the screen.

Some post reading activities for children aged 1-6 include citrus fruit printing, making homemade sun tea and a simple float or sink experiment with water play. For more play ideas connected to this week’s Bible story, please click ‘read more’ to see the activity details in this month’s Listening Wood program below.

The Listening Wood

August's Letter from the Listening Wood

🌿Opening Reflection…

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a month ago · 1 like · The Listening Wood 🌳

As she gazed out her window, she noticed that everyone was looking cosy in their winter woollens: possums wrapped in knitted pouches, birds tucked into nests lined with soft fibres.

Suddenly, Ember gasped.

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“Goodness gracious! Has a sheep wandered into the Listening Wood?”

A magnificently woolly animal was walking alongside the creek. Ember ventured out to get a closer look. As she approached, she realised it was, in fact, Luna Koala looking unusually fluffy!

“Luna!” cried Ember. “I thought you were a sheep!”

Luna shook her shaggy head and replied, “Baa?”

Ember laughed.

Luna asked, “Do you know if any of our bush friends are very good at haircuts? My fluffy coat has become enormous over the wintertime, and now I’m in need of a trim!”

Ember Echidna smiled. “I know just the person.”

She hurried over to the bush telephone and called Willow Kangaroo.

Before long, Willow came bouncing down to the creek. She brought with her a pair of antique bush shears, a natural-bristle brush, and a basket of ribbons.

Willow got to work giving Luna a haircut. The three friends laughed as they remembered how Ember had mistaken Luna for a sheep.

As Luna sat perfectly still, having her hair trimmed, she remarked, “Remember that story Bramble told us from his treasured old book about the Lost Sheep?

‘In a wide, wintery paddock beneath a soft grey sky, there lived one hundred sheep. A gentle shepherd watched over them closely, caring for every single one. He knew their little faces, the sound of their tiny bleats, and the look of their soft wooly coats. One day, one of the little sheep wandered away from the paddock and got lost. As the shepherd counted his sheep, he noticed one of them was lost. So he immediately left all 99 sheep to go and look for the one lost sheep. That was how much he loved his sheep. When he found the one little sheep he jumped with great joy! He was so happy to have found his lost sheep!’

(Words inspired by WEB bible Luke 15:1-7)

As the final woolly lock drifted gently from Luna Koala’s back to the ground, the friends quietly mused over Bramble’s tale.

Ember Echidna opened her little wooden wardrobe and offered her friends something to wear for tonight’s lantern story in the Listening Wood. Inside hung a linen scarf dyed with leaves, a knitted woollen vest made from soft local fleece, a cotton dress, a woolly felt hat, and a woven grass belt.

One by one, the friends chose their favourite natural fibres, With Luna Koala’s splendid new haircut and everyone warmly dressed, they agreed they were ready for a delightful night together at The Listening Wood.

They shared a wholesome laugh, the kind that only old friends can, and set off towards the warm glow of the story lanterns beneath the silver gum trees.

Nestled beside a clear, bubbling brook was Willow and Pip’s cosy gumtree home. Standing between two tall eucalyptus trees and within hopping distance to the stream stood their cottage. It was the sort of home that felt steady and peaceful, as if it had deep roots that reached down into the well-watered ground.

Every winter morning began the same way. Pip sleeping snuggly inside mama kanga’s soft pouch while Willow read her old and tattered bible by candlelight, trying to make the most of her morning with God before her little one awoke. The smell of warm porridge and lemon myrtle tea filled the cottage. The sound of the gentle stream outside their window, sang to them night and day.

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This morning, Willow had her well-loved bible turned to chapter one in the book of Psalms. As she gently swayed back and forth rocking little Pip in her pouch she read,

‘Blessed is the man who does not walk with the wicked, or stand with the sinners, or sit with the scoffers. But instead delights in the Lord’s law, meditating on it day and night. He will be like a tree planted by streams of water, that produces its fruit each season, whose leaf does not wither and whatever he does will prosper.’ (Inspired by Psalm 1 WEB bible translation)

Pip began to stir within Willow’s warm pouch. Willow whispered, ‘Good morning there, little one. Let’s head out into the garden and sit by the stream.’ As she gently stroked Pip’s soft fur, the two bounced toward the water. ‘A garden needs water to grow - just like little hearts need God’s guiding words’ murmured Willow. Pip yawned and took in the beauty of their surroundings and together they watched the garden beside the stream, trusting that in the right season, it would bear fruit.

Where I live, August is our windy month. I wonder how it finds you - our final month of the 2026 winter season. While much of the world is wrapped in snow, our Australian winter looks more like frost sparkled across paddocks, black cockatoos on crisp mornings, the smell of eucalyptus and the treasured cool warmth of afternoon sun. This month, may your home become a haven of warm soup, gentle stories, muddy boots and cheerful laughter. May these simple moments become the threads that weave lasting memories for you and your children.

🍂 This Month in the Listening Wood

This month we:

• Cosy up with wool and natural fibres

• Enjoy some bakery play with an exploration of bush bread and damper

• Learn about whales as they pass the east coast on their yearly migration

• Dress up for book week as we celebrate rich, Australian children’s literature

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This month we will be teaching our children:

• The story of The Lost Sheep (Luke 15:3-7)

• The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)

• Jonah and the Whale

• Philip helps the Ethiopian man understand scripture (Acts 8:24-40)

🌾 Our Weekly Rhythm

Week 1 · Wool Week
Week 2 · Damper Week
Week 3 · Whale Week
Week 4 · Book Week

🕯️ Your Seasonal Table

This month, you might place:

• A soft blue cloth or silk to represent the ocean

• A felted or toy whale

• A simple candle (for warmth and rhythm)

• Verses printed on watercolour

• Found nature treasures (coastal banksia, stones, seed pods)

• Winter-based board books

Week 1 - Wool Week

📖 Story + Hands

Story: The Lost Sheep (Luke 15:3-7)

Storytelling (Imagination + Wonder)

❄️ Circle Time:
Lay a green cloth or playsilk down as rolling hills

Bring out some figurine sheep and a toy farmer.

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He began, ‘Did you know Luna, this reminds me of a story from the bible. A long time ago, in a land called Egypt, there was a king named Pharoah who was having some troublesome dreams. He dreamt that seven fat cows came up out of a river. They had been well fed, feeding on the lush marsh grounds. Then seven skinny cows also came up from the river and stood beside them. And do you know what they did! They ate the fat cows! Gobble, gobble, gobble! Kind of like how I want to devour that hot honey and sourdough loaf, Luna!” Luna the Koala giggled. Bramble went on. “The Pharoah was so distressed by the dream that he called for a man named Joseph who was there inside the kingdom jail. Joseph was brought before the king by his servants and commanded to explain the dream. Joseph explained that the dream meant that Egypt was going to have 7 years with plenty of food, followed by 7 years of famine. Famine is when there is not enough food in the land. The dream meant that the people of Egypt should save up food in their barns on their farms during the years of plenty, so that during the years of famine they would have enough food to get by.”

As Luna served up a slice of warm bread for Bramble the Wombat, she felt the joy of hospitality settle over her. She whispered a quiet prayer of thanks to God for providing her with a warm and cosy home that she could share with others. As the two friends enjoyed warm bread spread with golden honey and steaming cups of tea, Luna smiled, wondering what wonderful story Bramble might share the next time they met in the Listening Wood.

As Moss was wandering down his favourite bush path, he looked down and saw something glimmering in the winter sunshine. He saw colours of emerald, sapphire, golden yellow and scarlet and as he picked it up discovered that it was a tiny feather belonging to a joyful rainbow lorikeet. It looked as if somebody had painted all the colours of the bush onto one little gift. “What a wonderful treasure,” whispered Moss.

As he walked home he recalled Bramble’s story the other night in the Listening Wood. He told of man called Joseph and his colourful coat. Joseph had some amazing dreams. Moss liked to dream of the pretty treasures he found each day hidden in the Australian bush.

Joseph had a dad named Jacob and eleven brothers. They lived in a land named Canaan where sheep wandered across the fields in beautiful sunshine. When Jacob was 17 years old he was out feeding his flock with his brothers. His dad brought him out a brilliant, dazzling coat with all the colours of the rainbow on it. Moss thought about how it looked a bit like the beautiful feather he collected today from the rainbow lorikeet.

Joseph was a man who had vivid dreams and was also able to glean wisdom from and interpret dreams. He was a dreamkeeper. It was a special gift from God. Joseph had two dreams he told his brothers about. In the first dream he told them that he dreamt they were out in the fields picking bundles of hay. He said that his own bundle stood talk and upright and his brothers bundles all bowed down to him.

Then Joseph had another dream. In this dream, he told his brothers that the sun and the moon and eleven stars all bowed down to him.

Moss the Tiny Bush Mouse looked up. The winter sky was deepening to velvet blue as evening drew near. He was beginning to see the outline of twinkling stars and even the silver moon rising. Moss hugged her little felt pouch close, wondering about Joseph’s mysterious dreams. Perhaps, she thought, Bramble would tell them the next part of Joseph’s story when the friends gathered next in the Listening Wood.

Ember found great joy in helping others through gifts found in nature. Deep down in her home, a little hollow snuggled beneath the roots of an ancient stringybark tree, she laid smooth river rocks, dried seed pods, baskets of eucalyptus leaves and shelves filled with tiny glass bottles of God’s good and natural gifts. If her friends were ever sick or in need of a soothing herbal tea, nourishing syrup or healing balm, Ember was sure to be there with a basket filled with homemade goodies.

This particular day, Ember was busy preparing her little tinctures when Bramble wandered in. ‘Good morning, Ember’ he mused. ‘Would you be kind enough to prepare some floral bouquets for this evening’s story at the listening wood? I’m sharing the parable of the wedding feast and we could really do with some living props scattered about to enhance the story.’ Ember quickly agreed and excitedly got to work drying posies of native wildflowers. The last time Ember went to a wedding, there were flowers everywhere! She decided she wanted to get the atmosphere just right. She spent the rest of the day wandering through the bush, carefully collecting banksia cones, gum blossoms and everlasting daisies. Back at her hollow beneath the stringybark tree, she busily arranged each tiny posy with soft twine, whispering a thankful prayer as she worked. She smiled to herself, knowing that every little bundle was a quiet reminder that God’s invitation is generous, joyful, and prepared with great love for all who will come.

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That evening, as the friends gathered in a clearing filled with wildflowers, Bramble began to speak. ‘Tonight friends, we have another parable to read together. Last month we learnt that a parable is a story Jesus told with rich imagery to help his friends imagine the Kingdom of God and learn lessons about kingdom living. Tonight’s story is about a wonderful wedding banquet. Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven is like a king holding a huge wedding feast. He sent out his servants with invitations for the guests, but those who were invited would not come. Again, he sent out his servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “I have prepared a delicious dinner. I have served my very best food and things are ready. Come to the wedding feast!” But they laughed and were mean and did not come. So the king told his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but my special guests did not come. So instead, go and invite as many people as you can find out on the streets to come and enjoy my great wedding feast.” So the servants went out and found as many people as they could find, both good and bad, and invited everyone to the wedding feast. Lots of people came and enjoyed the delicious food at the banquet and enjoyed a wonderful night. But one man came without putting his special wedding clothing on. The king said to him, ‘where are your wedding clothes?”. The man was speechless. So the king threw him out.

Bramble gently closed his Bible and looked around at the little circle of listening friends. “This parable reminds us of something very special,” he said warmly. “God lovingly invites every one of us into His wonderful Kingdom. His invitation is open to all who will come. But when we accept His invitation, He asks us to live in a way that honours Him. Just as guests at a wedding put on their best clothes to show respect for such a joyful celebration, we are called to clothe our hearts with love, kindness, obedience and faith. We will never be perfect, but each day we can ask God to help us become more like Jesus, living lives that are worthy of the beautiful calling He has given us.”

That night, after the friends had all begun to wander home through the bush, Ember stayed behind to clear up her beautiful wildflower displays. She pondered the words of tonight’s message as she gently gathered the little posies into her basket, breathing in the sweet scent of gum blossom and wattle. Ember echidna tucked the last bundle beneath her arm and quietly made her way home through the peaceful sleeping bush.

With July comes our coolest temperatures which means its more important than ever to get out into God’s good sunshine whenever we can. The Listening Wood has four themes for you this month to encourage you to wooly up and get out into your garden with your kids, turning your face toward the sun and soaking up God’s goodness towards you. It may be cold, but King Jesus is still on the throne.

🍂 This Month in the Listening Wood

This month we:

• learn about ice, snow and frost to get into the winter spirit

• cosy up and learn about farm animals with an encouraged visit to a local farm kindy or property where possible

• celebrate the abundant citrus crop that winter brings

• get out into the garden to do some planting of crops that require frost to blossom in Spring

We will be centring our days around these rich biblical truths and stories

• Joseph’s Coat and Dreams

• Skinny Cows and Fat Cows

• David and Goliath

• Psalm 1

  The Listening Wood provides mums with a monthly Christian rhythm to enjoy with their babies, directly teaching them Bible Stories.

🌾 Our Weekly Rhythm

Week 1 · Frost week
Week 2 · Farm Week
Week 3 · Citrus Week
Week 4 · Winter Planting Week

Week 1 - Frost Week

📖 Story + Hands

Story: Joseph’s dreams and coat

Storytelling (Imagination + Wonder)

❄️ Circle Time:
🌈 The Coat Ceremony

Dress your child up in a colourful coat made from bright play silks, scarves or something special from your wardrobe.

Your child can play laying down and you can tuck them into an imaginary bed to role play Joseph having dreams.

This week you may like to ask your child about their dreams each morning when they wake up.

⭐ The Dream Silks

Lay two large silks on the floor.

One yellow silk becomes a field of wheat.

The children role play picking little sheaves of wheat (this could be cutlery, bundled paddlepop sticks or pipecleaners, etc)

You can then make the little sheaves of wheat bow down to a Joseph figure or doll in the middle (or your child in their colourful coat could roleplay the part of Joseph).

Explain that Joseph had two important dreams and this was the first.

For the second dream, place a golden silk in the centre (sun), a silver silk (moon), and eleven stars made from wooden stars, felt stars, or gold star stickers. The children move around Joseph in a simple circle dance.

🎵 Circle Song

A simple repetitive verse:

Joseph dreamed beneath the sky,

Stars and moon were passing by.

Golden wheat stood tall and bright,

God was with him day and night.

Hands:

🌿 Wet-on-wet watercolour painting

🌈 Joseph’s Colourful Coat

Materials

• Thick watercolour paper or cardstock

• Simple coat template cut from A4 paper

• Watercolour paints in rainbow colours

• Paintbrushes

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Bramble read his Bible every day …

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Ember Echidna brambled down the sandy bush path toward the Listening Wood. She was looking forward to hearing tonight’s lantern story. As she passed Moss’s garden, she looked inside admiring her neat garden beds. The tiny bush mouse had been busy all Autumn planting all sorts of wonderful things. At Easter time she planted daffodil and jonquil bulbs, to…

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We welcome winter as the weather cools and the days become dark and long. Think of this not as a gloomy time of year but rather a rhythmical slowing of days. Winter can be a time to cosy up indoors, light candles, rug up for brisk nature walks and teach our children that cold weather can be whimsical too.

🍂 This Month in the Listening Wood

This month, we try our hand at a small winter camping experience, sip hot cocoa by the fire while gazing at the stars, linger in sacred candlelit moments and celebrate winter’s arrival.

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In the Listening Wood, this looks like:

• Simple, repeatable rhythms

• Sensory, nature-based play

• Stories that point quietly toward truth

• A home that feels warm, ordered, and alive

We will be centring our days around these rich bible stories

• God’s covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12)

• This Little Light of Mine (Matthew 5)

• Baby Moses in a Basket (Exodus 2)

• The Wedding Feast Parable (Matthew 22)

🌾 Our Weekly Rhythm

Week 1 · Camping Week (to sit alongside June long weekend)

Week 2 · Candlelight Week

Week 3 · Teddy Bear’s Picnic Week

Week 4 · Winter Celebration

🕯️ Your Seasonal Table

(Gentle guidance for creating a nature-inspired space)

This month, you might place:

• A soft cloth in tones of white or blue for snow and ice.

• A simple candle (for warmth and rhythm)

• Found nature treasures (coastal banksia, stones, seed pods)

• Winter-based board books

• A felted whale if you live along the east coast migration route as June marks the beginning of whale season

Week 1 - Camping Week

📖 Story + Hands

Story: God’s Covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12)

Storytelling (Imagination + Wonder)

❄️ Circle Time: The Story of Abraham
Tell the story simply and orally, as if spoken into a quiet night sky. Keep it soft, rhythmic, and repeated over the week.

You might set a small scene:

• A cloth “desert” (gold, sand, or beige silk)

• A tiny figure for Abraham

• A handful of wooden stars or golden beads

Hands:

🌿 Craft and Painting

❄️ Wool felting: Star Promise Sky
Create a dark blue felt sky scattered with tiny white wool stars. As you place each star, talk about God’s promise to Abraham and the endlessness of the night sky.

❄️ Wet on wet watercolour night sky wash. You could use a wax resist method of drawing golden stars underneath with a gold or yellow waxy crayon.

🌿 Nature Play

❄️ Nature build: Abraham’s Tent

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‘Piiiiiippppp,’ Mama Kangaroo called out, ‘we really must be going!’

‘Just one more minute, Mum!’ replied sweet little Pip.

You see, she was utterly enchanted by the tiny work of seeds in Autumn. Pip had spent the earlier part of the day wandering the meadow, where the dandelio…

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The Listening Wood is a gentle monthly rhythm for families who long for slower days, seasonal wonder, bible stories told slowly and beautifully by whimsical Australian bushland creatures and adjacent early childhood activities.

Each month, you’ll receive a lovingly curated digital newsletter filled with simple, nature-rich ideas inspired by seasonal livi…

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Luna the Koala was on her way to meet the other for tonight’s lantern story in the Listening Wood. As she hurried along the fern-lined path, her silvery-grey fur carried the scent of cinnamon, cardamom and honey. She had spent the afternoon baking and had freshly made spiced plum cakes tucked into a gingham cloth gently under her paw. E…

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