Session 4: Making Chalices Part of Chalice Children In This Section Introduction From Chalice Children This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. — from "This Little Light of Mine," Hymn 118 in Singing the Living Tradition There are many beautiful ways to express religion. One of our ways is the symbol of the flaming chalice. In this session, preschoolers will make a play-dough chalice to... Session-at-a-Glance From Chalice Children Activity Minutes Activity 1: Free Play 15 Activity 2: Circle Rhymes Transition 5 Activity 3: Circle Time 5 Activity 4: Story 5 Activity 5: Play-Dough Chalices 15 Activity 6: Circle Games 10 Closing 5... Spiritual Preparation From Chalice Children Take time before the session and find a quiet place for reflection. There are many ways that people around the world practice and express their religion. Do you have any spiritual images or items around you, or can you imagine some of these items? Gaze at them either as real objects or in your... Opening From Chalice Children Description of Activity In the Chalice Children program, sessions begin with Activity 1, Free Play rather than a formal Opening. The chalice is lit in Activity 3, Circle Time. Activity 1: Free Play From Chalice Children Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Name tags Variety of free play options, such as toys, a puzzle, a story book, manipulatives, dramatic play props, and markers and paper Preparation for Activity Make name tags for the children you are expecting and set these out with a few blank na... Activity 2: Circle Rhymes Transition From Chalice Children Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Circle Rhymes posters Preparation for Activity Make and display Circle Rhymes posters (see Posters for Chalice Children, under Resources in the Introduction). Description of Activity Introduce the songs and chants you will use throughout the program. Activity 3: Circle Time From Chalice Children Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice-lighting words, written on newsprint Chalice with tea light flame or other preschool chalice option (see Suggestions for Preschool Chalices section, under Resources in the Introduction) Feelings chart (see Posters for Chalice Children, under... Activity 4: Story From Chalice Children Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Story book Preparation for Activity Obtain this book: A Cup of Light by Pamela Baxter (2010). Include this book as many times as is appropriate to help young children understand the symbol of the chalice. Children of this age like repetition as... Activity 5: Play-Dough Chalices From Chalice Children Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Modeling clay in a variety of colors, enough for at least an adult hand-sized ball for each child Materials for decorating chalices, such as feathers, sequins, and chenille stems (pipe cleaners) Small white paper plates, one for each child Black... Activity 6: Circle Games From Chalice Children Activity time: 10 minutes Preparation for Activity Familiarize yourself with the games and songs listed in Posters for Chalice Children, under Resources in the Introduction. Display posters you have made. Description of Activity Gather in a circle on the floor. Play the games and sing the songs. Closing From Chalice Children Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Taking It Home handout Markers or crayons Preschool chalice Optional: Envelope Optional: Hole punch Optional: Yarn or ribbon Preparation for Activity Copy the Taking It Home handout for each child. Bring the "lit" preschool chalice to the activity... Leader Reflection and Planning From Chalice Children Reflect on these questions and discuss them with your co-leaders: How do we feel about what went on during this session? Why? What was the best part of this session? Why? What preparation do we need for the next session? Taking It Home From Chalice Children This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. — from "This Little Light of Mine," Hymn 118 in Singing the Living Tradition IN TODAY'S SESSION . . . the theme was, "The chalice is our special symbol of our Unitarian Universalist faith, which we share with Unitarian Universalists everywhere."... Find Out More From Chalice Children Read the history of the Flaming Chalice on the UUA website. The Tapestry of Faith curricula have a few different "flaming chalice" stories. Do a keyword search in the Tapestry of Faith programs; select "children" as the age group to search.... PREVIOUS: Find Out More UP: Chalice Children NEXT: Introduction Download all of Chalice Children (Word) (PDF) to edit or print.