Tiger and Lame Fox

For the lame fox, I found a small plastic collie and removed ("cut off" sounds so harsh) his legs. I also added a water canteen and a small package so when the fellow decides to part with those items to let God provide for him, the storyteller can do something graphically to emphasize that part to the children. 

Felt is great, isn't it? I feel like I made Flintstones-style meat pieces...

Bowl of Nature Wonder

We live in Omaha, so it's not as if our children are growing up in a cement jungle, but we do introduce another way to approach nature in our Spirit Play classroom. If their homes are anything like mine, there are few opportunities to just sit down with a leaf or a stone and look at it closely. To study it. Magnify it.

That's what this bowl is all about.

I've put items in there that they may encounter often. And some they may have never encountered. Horsetail grass is a weed. If you look closely to the seed head, the "tail" has little serrated edges. They can certainly feel them. There are bones where they can see the internal structure - that they are not solid all the way through. And that "weakness" makes them stronger. Seashells whose patterns get more complex through magnification. The different parts of a feather. Geometry found in seed pods.

It's a great way for them to quietly explore the world, and share the wonder.

Altar of Exploration & Expression

This is one of the most popular items in our Spirit Play classroom. I wanted to do something like this so that kids could explore values, spiritual needs and other religions through tactile items. Children will take out the tray and start to explore the items, sometimes taking out 5-6 items to place on the altar area  that interest them. Some will talk with or ask the class adults about some of the items. What I have tried to instill in the adults is that if you don't know what something is, don't be afraid to admit it. They need to know that no one has all the answers. Old hymnals and a lovely glazed chalice with a flameless candle round out the top.

What I have is tray with several compartments - it's like a typesetter's tray. You could use a crafting bead tray or even a shallow bowl. Adults within the congregation have really enjoyed filling it up with items. I often go to put something away in here and find new additions! I have religious items from many different faiths (evil eyes, mini torah, hamsa, cross with 12 stations on back, chalices). A yo-yo. A compass. A key. A small glass jar of glitter. Items representing the 4 seasons. Items from nature and man-made. Dollhouse items are a great source of props for this, esp. for "books."

For what it's worth, the cabinet is an old TV cabinet that had a swivel top. Sometimes these odd pieces of furniture can be really useful. I never had a good place or use for it, until I found the perfect home for it in this classroom. I removed the swivel top and placed the tray on the VCR space. It's the right height for these kids. Plus, it has enclosed storage below for me to store upcoming lessons. When I need more space to store lessons or extensions, I can remove the doors and I'll have that.

Five Wise Guys and a Pachaderm

Last Sunday, we tackled that popular UU parable, The Five Wise People and the Elephant. I wanted to share this one with you because I used chess pieces for my figures, instead of peg people.

Here is an overview of the story:

And here is a close-up of the people. The Bishop figure was perfect for Buddha. I found this set at the local Goodwill for a $1. You can also ask members if they have a set (emphasize that a complete set is not necessary).

I also am quite happy with the plow. Chop sticks, some microsuede fabric, a piece of sculpted cold porcelain and paint. And a glue gun. (Always with the glue gun...) There. You have a plow.

My elephant is a method that I often have used for more complex figures - cutting microsuede into shapes. I did add some cold porcelain eyes and tusk. (You would look shocked, too, if you had all these strangers touching your various body parts...)

FYI - if you use a lot of fimo in your creations, try out cold porcelain. It's made of glue and cornstarch. Doesn't require cooking. I like it a lot.

Promises lesson extension

So, I was trying to figure out a fun hands-on way to add a variation to the other extension materials for the promises lesson. I also had these golf tees I wanted to use for something. BING-O!

You need a wood block and your rainbow golf tees. I would suggest making the block a little wider than I did, I just happened to have this one small piece on hand. I used a drill bit larger than the tees and drilled holes.

For the inserts, I found a symbol for each promise, the word for that symbol and the promise wording, laminated each list, and then cut them out, leaving a long "tab" on each one. It's kind of hard to see since it's clear. Alternately, you could use stick-on tabs for file folders. Then I took another piece of clear plastic that they could slide under and affixed that to the block. This way, kids can switch out each tab as they grow in reading skills or are looking for a greater challenge.

The "game" is that they have to match the color with the symbol. Each card has a different "order" and for us older folk, I put the control (answer) on  the back of the card.

Here's an alternative if you have room and are into mod podge/decoupage: Instead of laminating each list and having it switch out, just decoupage the list onto the wood and seal it up.

Buddha & Mustard Seed Medicine

Got my craft on and made these figures a couple weeks ago. They are just peg people. I painted them with a small brush and toothpicks (for the fine detail). We do not have a large class so, for now, these work for us. If it gets to the point where they are too small, they can be moved to a mobile "spirit play" box for families to take home.

I saw that some people made figures and boxes to represent the houses that the mother visits. I decided to stick with the original script where the mother figure addresses each child in the circle to ask if they have experienced any sadness, sickness or death. I think it pulls them in a little more and helps them reflect on the fact that we all experience those feelings and situations in our lives.

One thing I'd like to remind you is that sometimes a mistake while making a figure like this can be o.k. and work to your advantage. For example, while drawing the mother's eyes, I accidentally made a mistake. But I was able to cover it up with a tear, which helps convey the sadness that she was feeling.

Embrace those mistakes!

Loyal Dog & Loyal King

Created our materials for this story recently and thought it would be beneficial to post for some of you working on this story. Here's the final version:

The mountains are gray denim-printed flannel (but you could use any gray material - it's just what I had in my supplies bin). To create the texture of mountains, I used tape to mark off some uneven edges and then used a light "dusting" of spray paint at an angle. It created the shadow appearance.

The figures are all made of tongue depressors. Yes. Tongue depressors dressed in fine silks can be pretty fancy. Here's close ups of the family. I used a glue gun and various leftover fabrics I had laying around (actually, boxed up -- my office is not that messy)! The hair and beard is this wonderful black yarn that has a little curl to it.

One of my favorite figures for this story is the dog piece. Synthetic suede is so great to work with, and he's covered in it. Cut to shape and glued on top of a tongue depressor. Look at that cute little tail!

 

For Indra and Dharma/Yama, I went a little crazy with some beads and cut up tongue depressors. You can cut depressors with scissors so that makes them versatile. I painted Yama with a dilute navy to create that bluish color his skin is often portrayed with. The fabric draping his body is felt.

The kids LOVED these two. The golden paint. The jewels. It was very popular come work time.

I used my glue gun to sandwich the bent wire (paperclips) between to cones of cut depressors. Then I used the tip of the gun to make little dot patterns on the wood to suggest decoration. I also glued on some plastic crafting beads. Then I use some acrylic paints (gold, turquoise, brick) to add details bring everything together. Note: glue guns are very... webby. Get those cobwebs off before painting or you'll be picking off those little webs with wet paint.

Happy story telling!

Caring for our Shared Environment

One way I remind our Spirit Play participants that they are part of a larger web is by caring for our workspace. We act on the seventh promise when we clean up after ourselves.

I came across this child-safe cleaning solution that actually works great. The added oil really helps hide the vinegar smell. Peppermint, lemon, almond or lavender work well. I personally like the peppermint! I just use the peppermint oil for cooking/baking.

Vinegar Cleaning Solution

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup vinegar
• few drop of oil for fragrance

Pour into a spray bottle. I often recycle hairspray or smaller bottles for the small hands. Alternatively, you can often put the head of a spray bottle from windex/409/etc onto a smaller bottle, like a water bottle. Make sure it's stable for little hands to hold, though!

Spirit Play - Seven Promises Poster

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