Tapestry of Faith: Love Surrounds Us: A Program on the UU Principles and Beloved Community for Grades K-1

Opening for Session 2

Activity time: 10 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • Ribbon sticks (or wrist ribbons) in a container (Session 1, Opening)
  • Chalice, candle, and lighter or LED/battery-operated candle
  • Red cloth for centering table

Preparation for Activity

  • If you have not previously made ribbons sticks or wrist ribbons for each child do it now as per instructions in Session 1, Opening.
  • Spread the cloth on a centering table. Place the container filled with ribbon sticks and the chalice, candle, and lighter on the cloth.
  • Check ribbon sticks to be sure all ribbons are still safely attached.

Description of Activity

Invite children to find their ribbon sticks and then come sit together.

Welcome the children. Have each child say their name and wave their ribbon stick above their head. Remind them that they will learn all the UU Principles and that each Principle will have a different color. Introduce red as the color that represents the first Principle. Have them say the first Principle together: "We believe each and every person is important."

Do the opening chant together:

Group chants "Love surrounds us every day. The Principles show us the way."

Leader says "______ please, put your ribbons away." (Child named returns their ribbon stick.)

Guide children, as they are named, to return their ribbon stick to the container and then return to the circle. This is a way to acknowledge the presence of each participant. If the group is large, say only several names, then direct the others to put away their ribbon sticks all together.

When all ribbon sticks are returned to the container and the children are in the circle, light the chalice. Lead the group to say together:

Love surrounds the chalice and we are included by the light of the chalice.

Including All Participants

Help attach wrist ribbons (Session 1, Opening) to children's wrists, legs, or fingers, and later, help remove them, if any children are physically unable to use a ribbon stick.