More ideas for Remembrance

At our lunchtime collective worship club we talked about Remembrance in preparation for the actual collective worship next week.

We made large poppies from tissue paper to put on our collective worship board.

Cut out 4 large heart shaped pieces

 Hold the petals together in a rough poppy shape by scrunching the bases

Secure the base of each petal together using a green pipe cleaner to make a stalk

Stick a black dot or button in the centre or draw on with black marker pen.

I cut out red petal shapes and each child took some from a bowl as they arrived and sat down.

We listened to Emilie Sandie’s version of Abide With Me from the Olympics Opening Ceremony and I invited them to place their petals on the card to make a cross.

We then lit a candle to represent our prayers for peace. The children decided we should put the poppy petal cross on our reflective area.

I think that this would work with any age group.

More Remembrance ideas can be found here:

http://www.pinterest.com/barbarameardon/remembrance-with-children-and-families/

Submitted by Barbara Meardon

Who? What? Why? When? Where? How?

If you are anything like me, when you have told your children a bible story you really want them to remember it and hopefully also remember what it has to do with them. An obvious way that most of us do this is by asking the children questions to reinforce the teaching. This is a very small idea to bring a different dimension to asking questions. A die with a question word on each side; Who? What? Why? When? Where? How? The children take turns at rolling the die and either you ask a question using the word they roll or they have to think up the question and ask someone else. Another way is to write the question words on a piece of paper and flick tiddlywinks to chose the question - this can get silly!
Dice available from amazon - link below.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Question-Dice-Pack-Five-Where/dp/B007ZQH8XE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1382007323&sr=8-2&keywords=question+dice

Presents for a Real Christmas

We’re all busy at this time of year and sometimes you just need something that will work with all ages or in school. Here is a simple interactive idea that went down well in both church service and collective worship in school but I’m sure it would also work really well at Messy Church, Sunday School or an after school club.

With my thanks for all the work you do with children and families especially at Christmas 
  

blessings 

Barbara Meardon

Adviser for Work with Children and Families for Salisbury Diocese

barbara.meardon@salisbury.anglican.org

* * *

Wrap four Christmas presents and hide/place them round the church/school hall:

A beautiful candle

A Flying dove cut out of card or a model

A balloon blown up

Lots of fair trade chocolate hearts

I started by talking about the giving and receiving of presents at Christmas then explained that God’s great gift to us at Christmas is Jesus and the gifts that he brings to us . . . Explain that there are four parcels hidden in the church/hall.

I sent children off to search for the first parcel, perhaps point them in the right direction. The first parcel is found and unwrapped.  Inside is a beautiful candle.  Ask a child to light it from the Christmas or Advent candle - 

I wonder what this candle reminds us about Jesus – that Jesus brings light to the world.

Set the candle on a small table.

I then sent the children off to search for the second parcel, pointing them in the right direction.  It was found and unwrapped and inside they found the flying dove decoration.  I held it up for all to see and asked: 

I wonder what  the dove is a symbol for? – The Holy Spirit, peace – Jesus brings peace to the world.

I set it on the table but you could hang it on the tree if there is one.

I sent the children off to search for the third parcel, pointing them in the right direction. The third parcel is very big.  The children found it and unwrapped it carefully.  Inside was a blown up balloon that popped out as they unwrapped it.   

I wonder when we have balloons? – we are celebrating Jesus’ birthday - Happy Birthday Jesus! The balloon is filled with air – it took energy to blow it up – Jesus brings us life.

I finally sent the children off to search for the fourth parcel, pointing them in the right direction. The fourth parcel was found and unwrapped.  Inside were red foil-covered chocolate hearts (if possible use fair trade and provide enough for everyone in the church) –  

I wonder what gift that Jesus gives us all is represented by the hearts?  Jesus brings us love.

I finished by getting the children to give out the chocolate hearts - a gift from Jesus – but you could invite them up to the from or the altar to receive them.