Tapestry of Faith: Love Connects Us: A Program on Living in Unitarian Universalist Covenant for Grades 4-5

Closing

Activity time: 5 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • Taking It Home
  • Mish-mash hearts made in Activity 2
  • Hole punch and yarn

Preparation for Activity

  • Download and adapt Taking It Home and copy as a handout for all participants (or, email to parents).

Description of Activity

Say in your own words:

The session is almost over and we will now work together as a community to clean the meeting space.

Ask everyone to first clean up their own area and the materials they were using, and then to clean another area or help someone else. No one should sit in the circle until the meeting space is clean.

When clean-up is done, ask the participants whether they would like to take their mish-mash hearts home with them as a reminder of today's session or would like to add them to the wall hanging. Invite anyone who would like to add their mish-mash heart to the wall hanging to punch a hole in it, loop a piece of yarn through the hole, and attach the heart to the wall hanging.

After everyone who wants to add a heart to the wall hanging has done so, bring participants back to the circle. Invite them to begin the closing ritual by crossing their arms in front of their body before taking the hands of the people next to them. Say "We are tied together in the spirit of love when we... " and invite volunteers to say a word or phrase to complete the sentence.

When everyone who wishes to has shared, open the circle by having everyone, while still holding hands, turn to their right, so everyone is facing out and no longer has their arms crossed in front of their body. (Be mindful of participants' physical mobility; use this closing activity only if you are sure all children can comfortably participate. As an alternative, simply invite the entire group to hold hands.)

Distribute copies of Taking It Home you have prepared. Thank and dismiss participants.

Including All Participants

If a child is unable to prepare and hang their own mish-mash heart, pair them with another participant who can help them punch the hole, string the yarn through in a loop, and/or tie the heart to the wall hanging.

A child who has mobility or balance issues can participate by sitting in a chair or wheelchair and having other children maneuver around them. This ritual does involve close physical contact, and children who are uncomfortable being touched may wish to opt out.