The Lord's Prayer

Today's session with lovely 3-4 year olds was on prayer but namely "The Lord's Prayer" So I had a nice book, which I used but I needed something for the children to actually get to grips with the prayer. So cue, Godly play inspired session (what a surprise!) I googled, but the two versions I came up with were not at all what I would have done but here's my version.

This is a very special box, it looks like a gift and very special present. (Open slowly)- It is a gift! A gift from Jesus, he told his friends that we could pray this prayer anytime and God will hear. These word's are like a gift from Jesus.
Our Father who is in Heaven, (place white fabric carefully down)

Hallowed by your name (move hands over fabric)

Your kingdom come (place crown half on half off white fabric)

Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Place globe above crown also half on half off white fabric)

Give us this day our daily bread (place piece of bread on fabric)

Forgive us our sins (place black felt heart on fabric, have a sad face)

As we forgive those who sin against us (Place a sculpture of two people together on top of heart)

Lead us not into temptation (place two pieces of felt one short straight black, one longer wiggly white strips, as path. Move sand cast foot between two paths then choose white. You could use a little person instead)

But deliver us from evil (trace your finger up the black path with a sad face)

The kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen (Place the candle down, light optionally or use a battery operated candle)

I then pointed to each part of the strip saying this part is saying "thank you" "please" "sorry" to lead us to next section. We could have done usual wondering and I had planned to do "what is your best part? but I felt on this occasion best not to, as I planned to pray for sometime with the children and attention only goes so far at this age.

Having said that, oh my goodness the children were AMAZING watching the prayer. Absoloutly transfixed, made me rather emotional.

We went on to do our own prayers, but before that we learnt The Lord's prayer with "simple" signs (makaton/ bsl) with a bit of creative licence on meanings

David's stones

For a craft relating to David that gave freedom to express as one felt led to but also from materials freely available in the environment we drew on rocks/ stones that were light in colour and regular felt pens worked just fine.

Notice the above stone has the pictures on from Jesus You're my superhero song on it, and this little girl taught me the Romanian words for each.

Jesus You're my Superhero

In relation to the David and Goliath story, we needed a couple of songs to teach the children that related. So with children's interest in superhero's (soooo many t-shirts with logos on) we decided "Jesus you're my Superhero" was a good option and allowed us to discuss that Jesus was better than all of them!!! He is powerful and wants to help us just like he did David.

So second use for the shower curtain, I drew pictures to depict each sentence in the song, using permanent markers. We pointed to this as we said the sentence in english and one person did the corresponding action, then it was translated into Romanian.
Then we sang with actions! A few children singing with actions in, "My best friend"

Jesus You're my Superhero, video

Lyrics

"He's the one who makes the sun shine

He's the one who that puts the moon in the sky
He's the one who hung the stars
One by one

He's the one who makes the birds sing
He's the one who makes your dreams so high
He's the one who makes me smile
Day by day

Jesus you're my superhero
You're my star, my best friend
Jesus you're my superhero
You're my star, my best friend

Better than Spiderman
Better than Superman
Better than Batman
Better than anyone...."(add other favourite characters)

David and Goliath

So yesterday I identified my shower curtain and felt being essentials for my Romania trip! Here's one use, and in response to Tricia from Adventures in Mommydom here is one of the stories and how!

For the story of David and Goliath (which we did twice, in two locations, as you will see from the photos) We first started by choosing 8 boys, then lining them up in hight order. We then counted in english and asked to be helped to count in Romanian (I do know numbers now from every opportunity requesting to be told). I then took the smallest boy away from the crowd and began to tell the story of Samuel visiting Jessie's family in search of a new king. I touched each boy on the head and pointed using exagerated nodding and smiling, then pointed up and said "God said no..." shaking head and looking confused (this was translated each time, but by number 7 I think the kids got the message). Then I told the bit about how Samuel asked if there were any more sons, and how Jessie told him he was the youngest and he was with the sheep. I got all the children watching to be sheep, baa-ing, and brought the smallest boy to the line and with a confused expression and a smile pointing up I said "God said...yes" nodding. With translation I said the bible says "Man looks at the outside but God looks at the heart"

Then we told the piece in a couple of sentences about Goliath challenging the city and how David said he would fight Goliath because God had helped him fight off a lion (asked children to be lions) and a bear (more growling). David went to the king and the king gave him his armour.

Here's where the shower curtain came in, I simply cut out a tabard and drew lines to create armour with a permanent marker, added a strip of shower curtain to tie the middle and added a sword made of felt and a little bag made of felt.

But David said, "I'm not used to these, I will use my stone and with the help of....(pause for a response)" "Dumnezeu" (God) David would be able to defeat the giant. With one throw of a stone (a piece of scrunched up paper) David hit the giant and crash!!! David defeated Goliath!

I then recapped that God doesn't care what people look like, what clothes they wear, he cares about what's inside. Not our blood or our bones, but what we think, how we care about others and how we respond to God. And with God we can do amazing things.... We then sang, but I'll save that for tomorrow

Im back from Romania

So after my little trip to Romania, I'm back! And oh how I miss Romania the people, the faith, the passion for Christ and people!! I WILL be returning! Romania has always had a place in my heart now I have left that part of my heart in Romania and feel like I have to go back to get it!

Any ways, I didn't use any of the props I took with me but... did I did use three things I took to create should I need to make something

1. felt.
2. mini sewing kit.
3. a white shower curtain and permanent markers

So the problem was that the props I had taken could have been used for at least ten stories, but at the time I/ we didn't feel led toward these. And since there were a few of us we were in a position to act the stories out, this led to me quickly making props including on the side of a road (dirt track!). I would have liked to do Godly play, but it didnt seem appropriate at these opportunities and we were limited with resources, however the response to stories remained open for interpretation rather than end product orientated.

Children drawing their response to the story of the feeding of the 5000. (This is not a full view of room, but best angle when trying to not get full view of children's faces.)

Loaves and Fishes or should I say "piine" and "pesti"

There was so much food left over it filled 12 baskets!!

I would be interested if anyone has done Godly play with a translator?