Alternate Activity 5: One Body
Part of Love Will Guide Us, Grades 2-3
Activity time: 15 minutes
Materials for Activity
- Mural paper and tape
- Black markers
- Color markers, crayons, or color pencils
- Optional: Construction paper, scissors, yarn, glitter, and glue
Preparation for Activity
- Tape a large sheet of mural paper to the floor in a large, open space.
- Set out materials to color or decorate the paper.
Description of Activity
Participants work together to create one large picture of a body. Ideally, the body will contain aspects of everyone in the group.
Invite children, one at a time, to pose by lying down on the mural paper while you trace one part of their body. Position each child so that, all together, the tracings will form one complete body. If the group is large, trace individual fingers of some children, or trace more than one complete body, so every child is represented.
When tracing is done, invite everyone to draw and color the body’s hair and clothes. Ask the children to look at what others in the group are wearing and urge them to represent aspects of everyone’s clothing and hair styles on the body. Optional: Use construction paper, glitter, and yarn to show clothes, accessories, and hair.
Display the mural in your meeting space.
Follow up with these questions:
- How did each person contribute to this project?
- Where can you see a place where you (individually) are represented?
- In what ways does our picture make sense, even though it combines a lot of different people?
- What are other times when you are asked to contribute as part of a group? Can you think of a time when you worked together as a group on something, and could see your contribution in the end result?
- Do you like being part of a group? Are you willing to accept help from others? Why or why not?
Including All Participants
Before you start the activity, make sure participants are comfortable getting on the floor for you to trace them. Ask each person for permission to touch them before you draw the body part. If touching is problematic, or any children cannot lie on the floor, post the mural paper on a wall and have everyone draw a part of a body freehand.