• A large, brightly colored plastic bowl

This activity helps participants think about the love in our world and in our lives that surrounds them and which they surround.

Gather children in a circle, on the floor or in chairs. Look into the bowl and say:

This bowl needs some love. I think I will put in all the love I feel for my _____ (e.g. parents, the world, animals).

Hold the bowl for a child next to you and ask "What's in your love bowl?" Encourage each child to pretend to place in the bowl something for which they feel love. Model that the bowl is getting heavier and heavier with all the love in it. When all participants have put their love into the love bowl, process together, using these wondering questions.

• I wonder where the love is that we put in the bowl?
• I wonder why we cannot see the love in the bowl?
• I wonder if we can ever put in too much love in our love bowl?
• I wonder what ways we can share the love in our love bowl?

Have participants pass the love-filled bowl and take out love for themselves that they will continue to share when they leave the group. Say something like:

Now we are going to go around and share the love we each put in the bowl and take some out to give away to our family, our friends, our pets, the earth, and whoever and whatever else is important to us. As Unitarian Universalists, we remember that love surrounds us and we can surround others with love, too.