Session 7: The Gift Of Helping

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

Life’s most urgent question is: What are you doing for others? — Martin Luther King, Jr. This session introduces the intangible gift of helping, and teaches children that they can help people they have never met, as well as people they know. While helping is an intangible gift, helping produces…
Session-at-a-Glance
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity Minutes Opening 5 Activity 1: Wonder Box 5 Activity 2: Thread the Needle Hula Hoop Game 10 Activity 3: Story — The Gift of Giving 10 Activity 4: Making a Helping Hands Wreath 15 Activity 5: Singing “Children Helping Children” 10 Faith in Action: Help the Goat Climb the Mountain for Heife…
Spiritual Preparation
From Wonderful Welcome

The opportunity to help presents itself in many ways. We may give money, food, or clothing — or literally a helping hand — to someone in need. Sometimes we empower others to help themselves. Sometimes we meet the recipients of our help, and sometimes we do not. Sometimes we are the recipients.
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: Wonder Box
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Wonder Box (See Session 1 for instructions for the Wonder Box.) Leader Resource 1, Helping around the Earth Optional: Toy farm animals Preparation for Activity Print Leader Resource 1, cut out the picture of people holding hands around the Earth, an…
Activity 2: Thread-The-Needle Hula Hoop Game
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity One large hula hoop Optional: Enough hula hoops for every pair of children in the group Preparation for Activity Clear a space in the room large enough for the children to form a circle. Description of Activity In this game, the children need to…
Activity 3: Story - Passing the Gift Along
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of the story, Passing the Gift Along Optional: “The Gift of Giving” coloring sheet, and crayons Preparation for Activity Read the story and prepare to read or tell it to the group. Optional: Print the coloring sheet and copy for all…
Activity 4: Helping Hands Wreath
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Construction paper in various colors Scissors, including left-handed scissors, to share Color pencils Glue or glue sticks A large sheet of poster board Preparation for Activity Distribute scissors and color pencils at work tables….
Activity 5: Singing "Children Helping Children"
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of Leader Resource 2, Song: “Children Helping Children” Optional: A copy of the book, May This Light Shine : A Songbook for Children and Youth (Charlotte, NC: Unitarian Universalist Musicians Network, 2006) Preparation for Activity Print out…
Closing
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Wonder Box poster Picture of the earth with people around it (Leader Resource 1, from Wonder Box) Tape or glue stick Copies of Taking It Home for all participants Newsprint, markers and tape Preparation for Activity Display the Wonder Box poster (Se…
Leader Reflection and Planning
From Wonderful Welcome

Reflect on these questions and discuss them with your co-leaders: How do we feel about today’s session? What parts of the session worked well? What can we learn from the experience of this session? What preparations do we need to make for the next session?
Faith In Action: Help The Goat Climb The Mountain For Heifer International
From Wonderful Welcome

Materials for Activity Large sheet of poster board A copy of Leader Resource 3, “Climb the Mountain” Animals Color markers, glue sticks and scissors Preparation for Activity Draw the slope of a mountain on poster board….
Alternate Activity 1: Helping Hands Wreaths To Take Home
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity time: 25 minutes Materials for Activity Construction paper in various colors, four different colors for each participant with some extra Pencils, glue or glue sticks, and scissors, including left-handed scissors Optional: Color markers Preparation for Activity Set out pencils, glue or gl…
Taking It Home: The Gift Of Helping
From Wonderful Welcome

Life’s most urgent question is: What are you doing for others? — Martin Luther King, Jr. IN TODAY’S SESSION… The children learned about the intangible gift of helping. Although helping is intangible, the results of help are tangible. The children made a Helping Hands Wreath constructed of their…
The Gift Of Giving

Janeen K Grohsmeyer

From Wonderful Welcome

On Steve’s sixth birthday, many people gave him gifts. His mother gave him a chess set and promised to teach him how to play after dinner. His grandfather gave him a black rope that was twenty-five feet long and would be good for making forts and building bridges and all kinds of things….
Leader Resource 1: Helping Around The World Picture
From Wonderful Welcome

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

The song, “Children Helping Children,” by Dana Clark, appears in the book, May This Light Shine (Charlotte, NC: Unitarian Universalist Musicians Network, 2006). Used with permission.The author and copyright holder of this song, Dana Clark, can be reached at danapiano@sbcglobal.nether website….
Leader Resource 3: Climb the Mountain Animals
From Wonderful Welcome

Printing This Handout Download a high-resolution copy of this Handout (PDF) for printing.
Find Out More
From Wonderful Welcome

Beatrice Biira A July 3, 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/03/opinion/03kristof.html?_r=3&scp=2&sq=… York Times column by Nicholas Kristof provides an update on Beatrice Biira, who graduated from Connecticut College , and describes how Heifer, International’s programs have impact. International…