Tapestry of Faith: Wonderful Welcome: A Program for Children Grades K-1

Closing

Activity time: 5 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • Wonder Box poster (Instructions included in Session 1)
  • Image of an open door from Leader Resource 1
  • Tape or glue stick
  • Copies of Taking It Home for all participants
  • Newsprint, markers and tape

Preparation for Activity

  • Print out Leader Resource 1, Images of Invitation, and cut out the image of the open door to add to the Wonder Box poster.
  • Write the closing words on newsprint and post.
  • Customize, print out and photocopy the Taking It Home section for all participants.

Description of Activity

Gather the children in a circle. Show them the Wonder Box poster and explain that it looks like the Wonder Box to remind us about our intangible gifts. Invite a child to tape or glue the open door symbol to the poster. You may say, in your own words:

"Now when we look at our Wonder Box poster, we will remember that inviting someone is a wonderful way to show them welcome. We know the words to say to invite someone and make them feel welcome. And we know how good it feels when we open our doors to invite people in."

Tell the children you are happy and thankful you all could be together this morning. You may say:

Giving thanks for being together helps us remember that we are all, always, invited and welcome here. Let's say our closing words of gratitude together.

Invite the children to hold hands. Show them where you have posted the closing words. Ask them to say each line with you, and say the lines slowly:

We are thankful.

We are thankful to be here.

We are thankful to be here, together.

We are thankful to be here, together, now.

Then ask one child to very gently squeeze the hand of the person to their left, and have that person continue to pass the squeeze until the squeeze has returned to the person who started it. Tell the person who started the squeeze to signal that it has returned to them by raising their arms, still holding hands with the people on either side. When this happens, instruct everyone to raise their clasped hands, together. If you like, suggest a word for them to say at this moment, like "Good-bye!" or "Shalom!" or the name of this session's intangible gift - Invitation!"

Distribute Taking It Home handouts. Thank and dismiss participants.