Children Program (6-12 years old) prepared by ĐH Tây Nam

Session IV: What Remains In Me?

Theme connection:

Talk with children about how St. Francis of Assisi was known for his great love of animals and for his Peace Prayer.  Remind that each of the children is called to do the more, the greater, the better for God and for others – like St. Francis.

Reflection Activity:  Prayer of St. Francis (adapted from ‘101 Crafts to help kids grow in their faith’ by Laurine M. Easton)

Materials:  Magazines for pictures of birds and animals, poster board, scissors, glue, copies of the Peace Prayer of St. Francis (1 per child)), paper punch, yarn.

Directions:

1. Cut out pictures of birds and animals from the magazines.
2. Glue the pictures and the prayer on poster board.
3. Punch a hole in the poster board.  Thread a piece of yarn through the hole and tie it in a loop for hanging.

Peace Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

where there is hatred, let me sow love

where there is injury, pardon

where there is doubt, faith 

where there is despair, hope

where there is darkness, light

where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console

to be understood as to understand

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.  Amen.

Theme connection:

As a way of saying thank you to all the friends that they have met and spent time with for the past few days, have the children make gift booklets for each other. Ask the children:

1. What gift have you received from another person in this room?
2. What has someone done this weekend that has touched you or moved you?

Art and Craft:  Gift Booklets (adapted from ‘101 Crafts to help kids grow in their faith’ by Laurine M. Easton)

Materials: Construction paper, flower seals, dry flowers, or pictures from magazines, yarn, scissors, felt-tip pens, scripture verses, inspirational phrases or poems, glue.

Before session:

1.      Cut construction paper into sections of 9” x 6”.  Use three section folded in half for each booklet.

2.      With a paper punch, punch holes near the fold.

Directions:

1.      Pull yarn through the punch holes and tie the yarn in a bow on the outside fold of the booklet.

2.      Paste a flower picture on the cover and then alternate pasting flowers, scripture verses, inspirational phrases or poems on each of the inside pages to make a gift booklet.  Write and decorate the name of the child on the first page of the booklet.

3.      Ask the children to rotate the gift booklet and each child will decorate or write 1 page of the gift booklet with pictures, wishes, thank you notes, …, for their friends.

Evaluation

·         Go over each day and ask children for feedback:

o   Which session they like the most?  Why?

o   Which session they don’t like?  Why ?

o   Suggession for improvements

Examination of Consciousness