Session 16: Memories of Home

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

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Part of Creating Home, Kindergarten-1st Grade

In This Section

Introduction
From Creating Home

Memory is lodged in pictures and feelings in the cells themselves. Like a sponge filled with water, anywhere the flesh is pressed, wrung, even touched lightly, a memory may flow out in a stream. — Clarissa Pinkola Estes Home is a place of memories. Whether it is a faith home or a family home,…
Session-at-a-Glance
From Creating Home

ACTIVITY MINUTES Opening 5 Activity 1: Unique Name Design Signs 10 Activity 2: Foil Handprints 10 Activity 3: Story — The Memory Table 10 Activity 4: What’s in My Suitcase?…
Spiritual Preparation
From Creating Home

You began Creating Home by standing on a threshold and thinking about the children who would cross into the religious education space. Now try to focus yourself on memories of the children and specific incidents from your time with them. Answer these questions to yourself: What was the funniest…
Opening
From Creating Home

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice candle or LED/battery-operated candle Lighter and extinguisher, if needed Labyrinth Basket of name stones Newsprint, markers, and tape Preparation for Activity Write the chalice-lighting words on newsprint, and post. Memorize the…
Activity 1: Unique Name Design Signs
From Creating Home

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Large sheets of blank paper or pieces of poster board A thick, black permanent marker Crayons or color markers A variety of stickers and other decorations Construction paper, scissors (including left-handed scissors), and glue sticks Preparation fo…
Activity 2: Foil Handprints
From Creating Home

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity A roll of heavy foil A pencil with a dull point A small stack of old newspapers Scissors, including left-handed scissors Tape, glue, or a stapler Optional: Copies of Handout 1, My Hand Is Unique for all participants Preparation for Activity Set up …
Activity 3: Story - The Memory Table
From Creating Home

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of story, “The Memory Table” Optional: “The Memory Table” coloring sheet, and crayons Preparation for Activity Review and print out story, “The Memory Table.” Practice reading the story aloud to ensure you can present it effectively to your…
Activity 4: What's In My Suitcase?
From Creating Home

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity An empty suitcase Preparation for Activity Bring in a suitcase large enough to pack for a journey but small and light enough for children to pass around in a circle….
Activity 5: Cinnamon Dough Ornaments
From Creating Home

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Cinnamon dough for all participants (Leader Resource 1, Cinnamon Dough Recipe) Waxed paper and paper plates Rolling pins, cookie cutters, and a sharpened pencil Ribbon and scissors (including left-handed scissors) Preparation for Activity Make…
Closing
From Creating Home

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice candle or LED/battery-operated candle Lighter and extinguisher, if needed Labyrinth, with participants’ name stones placed on it Basket for name stones Optional: Index card or post-it, bold marker, and tape Preparation for Activity Review Hy…
Alternate Activity 1: Journey Meditation
From Creating Home

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Read Leader Resource 2, Journey Meditation so you will be able to smoothly lead the meditation Description of Activity This meditation can help children learn that both material items and thoughts can produce positive memories to comfort and sustai…
Alternate Activity 2: Taking "Creating Home" Home
From Creating Home

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Booklets made using Taking It Home Continuing the Journey Booklet for all participants A candle to give each participant Preparation for Activity Make a booklet for each child, using Taking It Home Booklet….
Alternate Activity 3: Memory Beads
From Creating Home

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Large, wooden beads Large, shallow bowls Jute or heavy string Scissors, including left-handed scissors Preparation for Activity Purchase a variety of large, wooden beads, 10 to 20 for each child. Fill shallow bowls with beads….
Alternate Activity 4: Word Wall Memory Page
From Creating Home

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity…
Taking It Home: Memories of Home
From Creating Home

Memory is lodged in pictures and feelings in the cells themselves. Like a sponge filled with water, anywhere the flesh is pressed, wrung, even touched lightly, a memory may flow out in a stream. – Clarissa Pinkola Estes IN TODAY’S SESSION… The final session of our Creating Home curriculum…
The Memory Table
From Creating Home

Seven-year-old Steven dragged his backpack down the unfamiliar pathway to his new house. School was over for the day, but Steven was not looking forward to going home. Yesterday a big moving van had brought all his stuff to 746 Maple Street and inside would be a mess of half-emptied boxes. This…
Booklet
From Creating Home

The 12-page booklet offers questions for family activities to extend the learning of many of the Creating Home sessions, questions for family discussion, and blank spaces for children to draw pictures related to the discussion. Each sheet includes two pages of the booklet. If you have access to…
Booklet Page 1
From Creating Home

See instructions for assembling the booklet. Printing This Handout Download a high-resolution copy of this Handout (PDF) for printing.
Booklet Page 2
From Creating Home

See instructions for assembling the booklet. Printing This Handout Download a high-resolution copy of this Handout (PDF) for printing.
Booklet Page 3 for Session 16: Memories of Home
From Creating Home

See instructions for assembling the booklet. Printing This Handout Download a high-resolution copy of this Handout (PDF) for printing.
Booklet Page 4
From Creating Home

See instructions for assembling the booklet. Printing This Handout Download a high-resolution copy of this Handout (PDF) for printing.
Booklet Page 5
From Creating Home

See instructions for assembling the booklet. Printing This Handout Download a high-resolution copy of this Handout (PDF) for printing.
Booklet Page 6
From Creating Home

See instructions for assembling the booklet. Printing This Handout Download a high-resolution copy of this Handout (PDF) for printing.
Leader Resource 1: Cinnamon Dough Recipe
From Creating Home

1 cup of ground cinnamon 1 cup of smooth applesauce white school glue, such as Elmer’s glue Gradually mix ground cinnamon into applesauce to achieve a dough-like consistency. The more watery the applesauce, the more cinnamon you will need. Add glue to thicken the mixture. This recipe will make…
Leader Resource 2: Journey Meditation
From Creating Home

(Once children are settled in a comfortable position, invite them to close their eyes. Read the meditation slowly, giving them time to imagine.) You are standing on a grassy hillside looking out over a large field. You see a bunny rabbit hopping in the field and there are bumblebees visiting the…
Find Out More
From Creating Home

A String and A Prayer by Eleanor Wiley and Maggie Oman Shannon is a wonderful little book that tells the ancient history of beading and how beads are used in prayer. To reinforce your own spiritual journey through Creating Home, read Memories of God: Theological Reflections on Life by Roberta C.