Tapestry of Faith: Chalice Children: A Program about Our Unitarian Universalist Community for Preschoolers

Taking It Home: Welcome

Love makes a bridge from heart to heart, and hand to hand. — "Love Makes a Bridge," Hymn 325 in Singing the Living Tradition

IN TODAY'S SESSION . . . we celebrated love as something inside us, as Chalice Children. We began learning the Chalice Children songs and games.

EXPLORE THE TOPIC TOGETHER . . . Share whom and what you love together. Read one of the suggested books for this session:

  • Keep Love in Your Heart, Little One by Giles Andreae, illustrated by Clara Vulliamy (2007). "It's the only sure way to be happy, The only sure way to be free. Believe in yourself and believe in your dreams, And you'll be what you dream you can be." A joyful tale of parental love and a child's boundless enthusiasm for life.
  • Love Is a Handful of Honey by Giles Andreae, illustrated by Vanessa Caban (2007). "Love is that warm cozy feeling you get when you cuddle your Mum, and love is that feeling of laughing out loud when somebody tickles your tum!"
  • Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids by Carol McCloud and David Messing (Bucket Fillers 101, 2006,). "Through simple prose and vivid illustrations, this heartwarming book encourages positive behavior as children see how rewarding it is to express daily kindness, appreciation, and love."

EXTEND THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Try . . . contacting a distant family member or friend and sharing the topic of the day—love—with them.

A Family Adventure. Draw hearts on a sidewalk in your neighborhood.

A Family Discovery. Explore "Love is the spirit of this church," Reading 473 in Singing the Living Tradition, and visit the blog, "Love Is the Spirit of this Church," in the Quest for Meaning blog site of the UU Collective. "Love is the spirit of this church" means that we are going to disagree and that we stay at the table even when the going gets tough.

A Family Game. Play the Chalice Children Games together.

A Family Ritual. Light a chalice before dinner together. Say chalice-lighting words, such as "We light this chalice for the warmth of love, the light of truth, and the energy of action." Talk about the idea of "Love is the spirit of this family."