Session 9: The Gift of Mutual Caring

Beautiful orange sunset over a deep blue ocean. — Tapestry is Sunsetting

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Part of Wonderful Welcome

In This Section

Introduction
From Wonderful Welcome

We know from science that nothing in the universe exists as an isolated or independent entity. — Margaret Wheatley, American author and management consultant This session focuses on the intangible gift of mutual caring in the connections we can make with animals. While the gift is reciprocal in…
Session-at-a-Glance
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity Minutes Opening 5 Activity 1: The Wonder Box 5 Activity 2: Story — Leila Raises a Puppy 10 Activity 3: Animal Friends Pretend Play 20 Activity 4: Blessing of the Animals 15 Faith in Action: We Appreciate Our Animal Friends 60 Closing 5 Alternate Activity 1: Visit from a Guide Dog 60…
Spiritual Preparation
From Wonderful Welcome

Folk tales, sacred texts and contemporary stories tend to either glorify or demonize our relationship with animals. For good or for bad, humans and animals are connected, and when we have a special animal in our lives, that connection can be powerful. Examine your own relationships with animals.
Opening
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice and candle or LED/battery-operated candle Lighter and extinguisher, if needed Newsprint, markers, and tape Preparation for Activity Print the opening words on newsprint and post. Description of Activity Gather participants in a circle around…
Activity 1: The Wonder Box
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Wonder Box (See Session 1 or instructions.) A toy, stuffed dog (preferably, a guide dog dressed for work) and/or items representing care of a puppy Preparation for Activity Place the toy dog and/or other items inside the Wonder Box. Description of…
Activity 2: Story - Leila Raises A Puppy
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of the story, Leila Raises a Puppy Optional: “Leila Raises a Puppy” coloring sheet, and crayons Preparation for Activity Read the story and prepare to tell it. Optional: Print the coloring sheet and copy for all participants. Place coloring…
Activity 3: Animal Friends Pretend Play
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity time: 20 minutes Materials for Activity Copies of Handout 1, My Animal Friend, for all participants Color markers or crayons to share Preparation for Activity Place color markers or crayons on work tables. Print out and photocopy Handout 1 Optional: If you will ask children to play-act…
Activity 4: Blessing Of The Animals
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Toy or stuffed animals for all participants A copy of chalice-lighting words and words for blessing the animals Optional: Table or box, cloth covering, and an LED/battery-operated chalice Preparation for Activity In advance of this session, invite…
Closing
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Wonder Box poster Leader Resource 1, Guide Dog, and tape or glue stick Copies of Taking It Home for all participants Preparation for Activity Print out Leader Resource 1, Guide Dog. Cut out the image to attach to the Wonder Box poster. Display the…
Leader Reflection and Planning
From Wonderful Welcome

Take a few minutes and think about how this session went. Reflect on the children’s reactions to the story and the activities. Were any of the children already familiar with guide dogs? Did any of the children have allergies to animals, or bring fears or past negative experiences to the session?…
Faith In Action: We Appreciate Our Animal Friends
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity time: 60 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of Leader Resource 2, Vegan Dog Treats Recipe, which includes all materials, ingredients, and instructions for making the treats. Materials for Vegan Dog Treats gift packages Small gift bags Ribbons to tie bags, and scissors (including…
Alternate Activity 1: Visit From A Guide Dog
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity time: 60 minutes Materials for Activity Preparation for Activity Identify a guide dog training facility, an agency that places guide dogs with disabled adults, or a social service agency that may be able to connect you with clients who own a guide dog and would be willing to visit your…
Alternate Activity 2: Story - St. Francis and the Wolf
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of the story, St. Francis and the Wolf Optional: “St. Francis and the Wolf” coloring sheet, and crayons Preparation for Activity Read the story carefully. It comes from the Catholic tradition….
Taking It Home: The Gift of Mutual Caring
From Wonderful Welcome

We know from science that nothing in the universe exists as an isolated or independent entity. – Margaret Wheatley, American author and management consultant IN TODAY’S SESSION… The children learned about how animals are trained to help people with disabilities. They learned that animals’…
Leila Raises A Puppy
From Wonderful Welcome

Read or tell the story. Have you ever had to give something away that you really loved? This is a story about a little girl who gave away a puppy she really loved because she made the decision to help someone else….
St. Francis and the Wolf
From Wonderful Welcome

This telling of “St. Francis and the Wolf” was written by John Feister, editor of AmericanCatholic.org, based on the story recorded by Thomas of Celano during the 13th century. Read or tell the story. Perhaps the most famous story of St. Francis is when he tamed the wolf that was terrorizing the…
Handout 1: My Animal Friend
From Wonderful Welcome

Printing This Handout Download a high-resolution copy of this Handout (PDF) for printing.
Leader Resource 1: Guide Dog Picture
From Wonderful Welcome

Printing This Handout Download a high-resolution copy of this Handout (PDF) for printing.
Leader Resource 2: Vegan Dog Treats Recipe
From Wonderful Welcome

This recipe comes from the Gourmet Sleuth. After mixing all the ingredients and kneading, divide the dough into small batches. Have children work in groups of three to roll dough, cut shapes, and place biscuits on flat cookie sheets….
Find Out More About Session 9
From Wonderful Welcome

Children and Wildlife Not all animals are appropriate candidates for mutually caring relationships with young children. As Susan Gilchrist writes: It may be important to respect the feelings of animals and avoid causing them pain unnecessarily, but it is also important to see that wild animals do…