Activity 2: Signing the Behavior Covenant
Part of Faithful Journeys
Activity time: 5 minutes
Materials for Activity
- A poster board or large sheet of newsprint with the behavior covenant rules the group generated in Session 1, Activity 1 (Note: Leave room for everyone's signatures at the bottom.)
- A variety of color markers
- Optional: Basket to hold markers
- Tape
Preparation for Activity
- If possible, find a place in the meeting space to post the covenant for the duration of the program.
Description of Activity
This activity gives the children ownership over the behavioral rules for Faithful Journeys and helps establish a sense of safety and community. Show the group the covenant. Lay it on the floor, in the center of the group. Remind the children that the covenant is a promise to one another to keep a safe, cooperative community in Faithful Journeys. You may wish to tell the children that making this covenant is a way to practice Unitarian Universalism's third Principle of accepting one another and helping each other to grow.
Read the covenant aloud. You may choose to sign it first, to model. Then invite the children to sign it as a promise to abide by its rules. Ask them to go two or three at a time to sign their names, using any color marker they wish. When all have signed, including the adults, post the covenant.
Tell the children, in your own words:
Anyone who feels at any time that the rules of the covenant are not being followed can ask for a time outside of our group activities to discuss it, either with the whole group or one of the leaders.
Including All Participants
If any child cannot get down on the floor, place the covenant on a table where all can reach it or bring the covenant to individual children to sign. Invite children who are physically unable to sign their names to choose another child to write it for them.