Tapestry of Faith: Wonderful Welcome: A Program for Children Grades K-1

Closing of Session 2

Activity time: 5 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • Wonder Box poster
  • Paper chain made in Activity 5 or Alternate Activity 1, and tape or glue stick
  • Copies of Taking It Home for all participants
  • Newsprint, markers and tape

Preparation for Activity

  • If you have not made a Wonder Box poster, cut and decorate a sheet of poster board to resemble a gift box. In each session's Closing, you will place an icon on the poster to represent the session intangible gift.
  • Find a place to display the Wonder Box poster in the meeting space for the duration of the program. If you will invite children to attach icons to the poster, make sure they can reach it.
  • Write the closing words on newsprint, and post.
  • Customize, print out, and photocopy the Taking It Home section for all participants.

Description of Activity

Gather the children in a circle. Show them the Wonder Box poster and explain that it looks like the Wonder Box because it is another place where we remind ourselves about our intangible gifts. Invite two volunteers to tape or glue the paper chain around the edge of the poster. You may say something like:

What if we tried to play a game without agreeing about the rules of the game? What would the game be like? What if the game kickball was played without any teams, or bases? How would you know if you were supposed to be a pitcher, a kicker or a fielder, or even how to play? How could anyone get points or win the game?

Allow some comments. Affirm:

When we agree on which rules to play by, then we are in covenant, and we can play fair, play safely and have fun. Being in covenant with others is an intangible gift we give and receive.

Tell the children you are happy and thankful you all could be together this morning. You may say:

Giving thanks for being together is a way to thank one another for sharing the intangible gift of covenant with us. Because we are in covenant together, we agree on how to be when we are here so we can all be safe, learn, and have fun. Let's say our closing words of gratitude together.

Invite the children to hold hands. Show them where you have posted the closing words. Ask them to say each line with you, and say the lines slowly:

We are thankful.

We are thankful to be here.

We are thankful to be here, together.

We are thankful to be here, together, now.

Then ask one child to very gently squeeze the hand of the person to their left, and have that person continue to pass the squeeze until the squeeze has returned to the person who started it. Tell the person who started the squeeze to signal that it has returned to them by raising their arms, still holding hands with the people on either side. When this happens, instruct everyone to raise their clasped hands, together. If you like, suggest a word for them to say at this moment, like "Good-bye!" or "Shalom," or the name of this session's intangible gift — covenant!

Extinguish the chalice. Distribute copies of Taking It Home. Thank and dismiss participants.