Pick one of the easier activities for the kids to do as they come in to the room. This is very helpful for some kids with the transition process. Simple hands-on activities work well here.
Welcome!
Have everyone sit in a circle. Invite everyone to get a steady beat going by tapping on legs ...
Oam, everyone ~ celebrate everyone. Say it with a loving heart. Oam, Rainbow Seekers ~ celebrate Rainbow Seekers. Say it with a loving heart. (repeat with kids’ names instead of everyone and group name).
OR use a welcome song like this one to the tune of Skip To My Lou
Welcome, welcome everyone ... sing 3 times and then ... Welcome to our circle. Repeat with each child’s name, such as "welcome, welcome our friend Skylar".
Chalice Lighting:
Light the chalice and lead the group in our opening words: (do as a "repeat after the leader" thing.)
We gather with thinking minds
We gather with loving hearts
We gather with helping hands
Sharing Circle:
Let each child pick a faith stone and put it in our special water-filled "sharing bowl". If time and interest allows, invite each child to answer a one word question as they put the stone in ... what is your full name. (This is a first step towards doing our "joys and sorrows" sharing circle.)
UU affirmation:
"We are Unitarian Universalists ~ with minds that think, hearts that love, and hands that help." (point to head on "minds", cover your heart on "hearts", and hold out your hands together on "hands".)
Introduction of the UU "gem" we will discover today:
Our names are special. Everyone in the world has his or her own name.
Read one or two picture books related to the theme.
Here are some options to pick from …
A My Name Is ... by Alice Lyne * Alphabet book that present different kids from different countries. Cool presentation for young kids.
The Old Woman Who Named Things by Cynthia Rylant Story of a woman who names things that are special to her. The woman is old and has outlived all of her friends, so for fear of loving someone or something that will die before her ... she only is willing to name (make special to her) things that are certain to outlive her. Until she meets a dog and decides that the love she shares now is worth the risk of loss.
Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel * When the eldest son fell in the well and most of the time getting help was spent pronouncing the name of the one in trouble, the Chinese, according to legend, decided to give all their children short names.
A Perfect Name by Charlene Costanzo * A sweet tale about hippo parents who search for a name for their baby and then share a wonderful "naming ceremony".
Boy Without a Name by Idries Shah and Mona Caron A Sufi teaching tale of a boy without a name who visits a wise man and acquires both a name and a wonderful dream.
The Sneetches and other Stories by Dr. Seuss * Includes several short stories that may be relevant to the principles. In it is "Too Many Daves", which is a silly tale about the value of individual name.
Sing one or two songs related to the theme.
Such as …
sing any "name game" song
such as ... BananaFana chant sample: Davis, Davis, bo bavis banana fana fo favis, fe fi mo mavis, Davis!
Willaby Wolloby Woo Willaby Wolloby Woo, an elephant sat on you Willaby Wolloby Wee, an elephant sat on me. replace elephant with another small animal "stuffed toy" and use the kids names in the song/chant.)
Sing adapted version of "Paw, Paw Patch" as the named child hides under a scarf...
Where, oh, where, oh, where is Skylar? Where, oh, where, oh, where is Skylar? Where, oh, where, oh, where is Skylar? Let’s go find her now!
Or let the kids pick their favorite traditional songs to sing with their names in, such as "Mary had a little lamb", "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep", or "Frere Jacque".
Do one or two activities related to the theme.
Naming: Talk about why people name their babies and anything special to them. Maybe share stories of why some of the kids in the group got their names.
Storytelling game: Using finger puppets, have each child take one of the animals. Start a story sharing the animal’s name and one simple thing he/she did (like this is Sarah and she went swimming). Then go around the circle and let each child build on to the story by saying the name of their animal and something he/she did with the other animals.
UU child dedication: re-enact a UU naming ceremony with dolls. Let the kids have different parts of the ceremony. (Ceremony elements can include singing a song for the dolls, lighting a candle in their honor, naming them, and have each child give the dolls a flower.)
Craft: Make wooden "name" plaques. Use sticker letters and other decorative stickers on wood pieces to make take home plaques. (Most of the kids will need help with spelling their names.) Put modge podge glue and a light sprinkling of sparkles over it.
Closing Rituals:
Optional Silent meditation:
Invite the children to take a rock from the basket to look at as they pretend to become the rock. Have them go back to their carpet squares and then physically demonstrate the actions as you say, "I invite you to pretend to be your rock. Move your body to become really small and strong like your rock. Close your eyes and be quiet and still just like your rock. (Wait a few seconds of silence). Now carefully open your eyes and become a tree that might be growing near your rock. Slowly grow taller and taller. Let your arms be branches that the wind is gently blowing. Stretch up high and let your hands be the leaves dancing in the wonderful breeze. Now imagine you are a boy or girl climbing down from the tree. Carefully sit down and rest a moment. Think about the adventures you had today."
Friendship circle:
Using a colorful ball of yarn, create a friendship circle. To do this, start the circle by saying "goodbye" to the child next to you and roll the ball to him/her while still holding onto the yarn yourself. He or she will say goodbye to the next child and roll the yarn ball along while still holding on to it. This will continue on till the circle comes back to you. Then say, "Throughout this week, remember you have a circle of friends here at First Parish."
Chalice:
Extinguish the Chalice and say (as the children repeat after you):
