May Pole Celebration!

Okay, so I LOVE May day! Here is a photo I took of my Sunday school group enjoying singing and dancing round the May pole. I constructed the 'May Pole' out of paper towel rolls taped together with Duct tape, then covered in rainbow colors. For our classroom project we made May baskets to give to another member of the congregation.

I wish I could show you the children's expressions but I forgot to ask parents about posting a photo of their children. It was lots of fun. The pole stands supported by a garden stake I stuck into the ground. I taped over one end of the cardboard tube and left the other end open to slide it over the stake. It worked well, I think I'll save the post and May Pole for next year, to do it again!
I promise this is my last May Day post!
In PEACE
~~MM

Spirit Play Lesson: I Love the Earth

Spirit Play Story Lesson:
"We value our home, Earth, that we share with all living beings.
I Love You, Sun. I Love You, Moon
by Karen Pandell (adapted by Jennifer Howard)

Materials needed: Rug, place mat with shapes in another color of felt sewn on or outline drawn on; objects to represent: sun, sheep, leaf, tree, fish, dove, rock, bug, earth, stars, moon, and heart.

Jennifer's Notes:
*As the story is told, each object is placed on the corresponding shape on the outer circle. It is the story teller’s choice when telling the story to connect each object to the center heart or their own heart, before putting object down on outline. When practicing this story try it both ways and use whichever feels more comfortable to you.

*This lesson could be shared in silence using sign language only; providing it has been presented with language first.

*Wondering Questions (at the bottom) are intended to be asked but not necessarily answered.

Presentation:

(Lay out a rug, smooth out)

"Watch carefully where I go to get the lesson."

(Go to shelf and remove lesson basket.)

"Ah, here it is."

"See, this is a story about loving to valuing our planet, Earth, which we share.
In our classroom community we have three promises we make to each other about how we are going to treat each other, so that we all get along, and feel safe here."

[Optional: You could take time to review them "Be Gentle, Be Safe, Be Kind" OR you could continue, assuming everyone understand what you are referencing]

( Hold up the glass heart admire it and ask: )

"What does it make you think of? What does it mean?"

(after the children offer answers, place glass heart on top of its felt outline in the center of the circle, next pick up the glass sun touch it to center heart [or your own heart] and then place it on its outline)

"In this story, this heart means 'Love'"

"I love you, sun."

(Touch sheep to center heart and then on its outline)

"I love you, sheep."

(Touch leaf to center heart and then on its outline)

"I love you, wind, and the leaves that blow in the powerful wind."

(Touch tree to center heart and then on its outline)

"I love you, tree."

(Touch fish to center heart and then on its outline))

"I love you, fish."

(Touch dove to center heart and then on its outline)

"I love you, dove."

(Touch rock to center heart and then on its outline)

"I love you, rock."

(Touch bug to center heart and then on its outline)

"I love you, bug."

(Touch earth to center heart and then on its outline)

"I love you, earth."

(Touch stars to center heart and then on its outline)

"I love you, stars."

(Place moon in center on heart and then on its outline.)

"I love you, moon."

(Again touch each and name of the items, without picking them up, and then lastly the heart)

"I love you, ALL, and so much more, my beautiful universe.

I love you and you love me."

Wondering Questions:

I wonder how Earth loves us?

I wonder what you love on Earth?

I wonder how you can show ( rock, moon, Earth, etc.) that you love her?

I wonder how it feels to be loved?

I wonder how it feels to say “I love you”?

I wonder if the stars (earth, moon, sheep, etc.) loves the rock (sun, etc.)?

I wonder how it feels to be a part of Earth?

I wonder how we can respect all living beings?

Finger play: I am Special

Who Am I?

(Bring your hands palm up, to your shoulders)

I am me.

(point to yourself)

And I’m as special as I can be.

(Frame your face with your hands)

When I look in the mirror

(Look in the mirror)

I’m proud of what I see

(Place your thumbs under your arms)

‘Cause there’s no one in the world

(Shake your head)

Just like me.

(Point to yourself).

~~MM

Spirit Play Lesson: 3 Part Matching

Liturgical Lesson: Spirit Play

The 6 Sources of the UU Faith

Material list:

Rug, basket, six mute cards (just symbols), six cards with words, six label cards

Presentation:

Watch carefully where I go to get this lesson.

The roots of our beliefs are called our Sources.

There are six of them that Unitarian Universalists have chosen.

Place star with spiral mute card at the top left of the rug.

Our beliefs come from our sense of wonder. We learn by asking why.

Place human figure with heart mute card under the first one, leave a little space between the two cards.

Our beliefs come from the women and men of long ago and today whose lives remind us to be kind and fair. We learn by hearing their stories.

Place world religion symbols mute card under the women and men card, leave space.

Our beliefs about how to live together come from all the world’s religions. We learn from many cultures.

Place the cross, Star of David inside a heart, mute card under the world religions card, leave space.

Our beliefs come from Jewish and Christian teachings that tell us to love all others as we love ourselves. We learn from our past history.

Place atom symbol mute card under the Jewish & Christian teachings card, leave space.

Our beliefs come from the use of reason and the discoveries of science. We learn by using our minds.

Place tree mute card as the last one, leave space between it and the science card.

Our beliefs come from the harmony of nature and the sacred circle of life. We learn by knowing we are a part of nature and the cycles of life.

1.) For a younger children: This can simply be a matching exercise, ask them to help you find the corresponding cards and make pairs. No need to bring out the labels unless they want to try and match them also.

2.) For older children (who can read or identify letters): This can be a 3 part matching work. Ask them to match the symbols and then to match the labels, and read the labels out loud.

3.) For readers and beyond: After the 3 part matching is complete the following wonder questions could begin a discussion about our 6 sources and their importance to our faith.

Lesson plan: Earth Air Fire Water

A song activity

Material list:

Rug, basket with purple lining, rolled white felt

4 laminated cards that read: Earth, Wind, Fire and Water

3 felt arrows

a rock, a pinecone, a feather, a bird, a cardboard sun, a candle, a bottle of water, a sea shell.

The words to the song written out and laminated.

Presentation:

"Watch carefully where I go to get this lesson. Ah, here it is…one of the stories about living in connection with our planet"

Unroll white felt and smooth across the rug. Next find the 4 cards in the basket

and name them as you place them in the four corners of the white felt.

Earth, air, fire, and water.

Those words are from a song…do you know a song that begins with Earth, Air, fire and water?

Hum the tune to give them a clue. Once the children recognize the song then ask different children to help you place the items as you sing the song.

Let’s sing the song together.

Could you put something that represents ‘water’ in this corner when we sing “water”?

And could you put an item that represents ‘fire’ in this corner when we sing “fire”?

Etc.

Sing the song once through before laying objects. Once you are

Ready, sing the song a second time and add items as you sing