First: Welcome the children into the session. Say how happy we are to see them and how important they are for the class. Explain we will follow the letters of the alphabet in order to choose the volunteer for the opening prayer. So, the child’s name that starts with the letter A will do the opening prayer this time. Everybody will have the chance to collaborate as the weeks passed by.
After that, the Spiritist worker will introduce the “Raffle Box of Prayers”. In your turn, each child will open the box, choose one prayer and read it loudly for whole class. We will do it until all the kids have their chance to choose and read a prayer.
When the activity with the “Raffle box of Prayers” finishes the volunteer will collect the booklet “The Lord’s Prayer” with the children who was responsible in the previous week.
The volunteer can make up few questions, such as:
* What did you most like in this prayer;
* What could you learn during the week with the prayer and others
The children can also read the prayer for his/hers colleagues.
At the end, other child will be able to choose himself/herself to take the booklet home and bring next week.
P.S. At the end of the class the parents will be informed and also asked about their availability to bring the booklet next week.
Second: Prayer Activity - The volunteer will discuss with the children about the prayer “Prayer to My Guardian Angel” from the book LEARNING HOW TO PRAY - A BOOK OF PRAYERS FOR CHILDREN by Elsa Rossi. Each one will also receive a copy of the prayer.
Prayer to my Guardian Angel
My dear Guardian Angel,
I am very happy because I know that you protect me day and night.
When I feel sad, I think of you and I feel happier.
When I am home alone, I feel your presence and have no fear.
I know you were sent by God to take care of me and to protect me.
Thank you so much, my Guardian Angel!
Third: Invite the children to sing some songs together.
Extra activity: Extra Activity – Playing “Make-believe”
The volunteer will bring a box of accessories so the children can dress up and pretend they are part of their spiritual family. For example, one can pretend to be a guardian angel and that he/she takes care of the children. Then, the volunteer will ask them to switch accessories, so every child will have the chance to try a different one per time.
Fourth: Game - find and match the correct pair
2 big paper dolls will be stick on the white board: one made with a thick paper and the other with silk paper.
The volunteer will explain that all of us have our parental family (ask the children the name of their parental family). However we also have one spiritual family which is composed by our dear ones who are in the Spiritual World (ask the children who could be their spiritual family. Ex: our guardian angel, parents who is in the spiritual world, our friend Jesus, etc)
So, now we will play a very nice game which is called “find your pair”. The volunteer will bring a nice box with pictures of corporeal family, spiritual family and Jesus inside.
Corporeal Family - pictures of families that physically look like each other.
Spiritual Family - pictures showing children sharing the same interests or having the same behaviour/attitude, guardian angels, benefactors.
The children will be organized in a circle and each one of them at their own turn will have the chance to pick one picture from the box and add/attach the picture to a big board that will be divided in to sections: the corporeal family and the spiritual family.
During the activity, the volunteer can discuss with them how good it is to have these two families, and that we are always connected to our spiritual family by our thoughts and feelings.
Fifth: Story time - “theatre with puppets”.
Sixth: Activity –- Creating our corporeal and spiritual family: The volunteer will bring 2 big hearts made of cardboard that are linked to each other, and ask the children to draw their corporeal family in one heart and their spiritual family in the other. The volunteer will also bring some drawings of people in ‘tissue’ paper to represent our spiritual friends/family and pictures of Jesus with children.
During the activity, the volunteer could ask:
- about the story they just heard. Who was part of Clara’s corporeal family and who was the spiritual one?
- Who are their own corporeal family and whom they think is their spiritual family
- Ask for examples of people/friends they know that are not part of their corporeal family, but that they are friends with and they like each other a lot
- Who from the spiritual world can be part of our family, trying to remind them about our guardian angels, our benefactors, etc.
Seventh: Healing Theatre - Prepare the kids for the healing time.
Put one chair at the centre of the room and ask for two children to step forward at each time to take part of the activity. The volunteer will ask one of the children to seat in the chair and do a good or bad example of behaviour during the healing time. Then, the other children will have to choose between 2 signs: well done/right or a red cross/bad action. Two kids will have the chance to participate at a time.
Eighth: Closing prayer - One of the children will do a closing prayer. Explain we will follow the letters of the alphabet in order to choose the volunteer for the closing prayer. So, the child’s name that starts with the letter B will do the opening prayer this time. Everybody will have the chance to collaborate as the weeks passed by.
Suggested activity to be given as Homework
Class suggested being suitable for: Kindergarten (5 to 6 years old).
Spiritist volunteer: Juana Castro, London, linked to The Spiritist Psychological Society.