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.
• Cut an 18-inch length of jute or heavy string for each child.

Description of Activity

Invite the children to find seats at worktables. Distribute the lengths of jute or string.

Tell the children they will think about some of their favorite activities from Creating Home while they make a bead necklace to keep at their family home.

While you bring the shallow bowls of beads to each worktable, ask the children to think of one activity they liked during Creating Home. Say:

Once you think of an activity, choose one bead to start your necklace.

Children may need some prompting. Remind them about some of the central stories they have heard, some songs they have sung, or games they have played in Creating Home sessions.

Help each child tie their first bead to one end of the string, leaving a few inches of string at the end. Continue to ask the children about activities they remember while they bead. It is not important that every child have one activity for each bead. It is important that the children enjoy the memories of Creating Home and have a necklace to remind them of the fun times.

Tell the children they may take their necklaces home. You may say;

Here is another way our faith home and your family home are connected.