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

Activity 1: The Wonder Box

Activity time: 5 minutes

Materials for Activity

Preparation for Activity

  • Print out Leader Resource 1 and place it in the Wonder Box.
  • To hear the correct pronunciation of the Chinese characters, "ren" and "ci," ask a Mandarin Chinese-speaker for help, or go online.

Description of Activity

Use the Wonder Box to activate participants' curiosity about today's intangible gift: sharing kindness, caring and respect in our families.

With the children still in a circle, show the Wonder Box and invite them to guess what gift could be in this big, beautifully wrapped box. Take some guesses. Then pass the box around for the children to open and find the Chinese characters, "ren" and "ci". Ask if the children recognize this language. Tell them it is Chinese and teach them how to pronounce both characters. Then say:

"Ren ci" is a Chinese way to say "kindness." Kindness is an intangible gift. It is like love, respect, and caring. You can't see it, but you know when it is there.

Tell the children:

Sometimes, at my house, the people in my family argue. Does that happen in your family? Do people yell sometimes or not share with one another?

Briefly allow some comments.

Including All Participants

Be alert to children's comments that indicate something may be going on at home that you need to share with your religious educator or minister. Keep confidentiality in mind, as well.