Decorate a table with flowers, a pretty tablecloth, and perhaps some candles and serviettes. Invite the children each to write their names on a small card, and put them on the table. (You can use this table at the end of the session if you want to eat together.)

Make a display of ‘surprise’ items. You could use a Jack-in-the-box, different musical boxes, nests of dolls and pop-up books. Make sure every child has a chance to experience the ‘surprise’.

For young people

Borrow a pop-up or dome-style tent and set it up in the middle of your meeting space.

Erect a gazebo in the middle of your meeting space and conduct the session under it.

Get hold of a potted ‘tree’ and position it in the middle of your meeting space. You could add a bowl of water and loaves of bread around the base.

Use lining paper to create a huge graffiti wall around the space where you meet (see Active prayers ).

Print or draw some speech bubbles on A4 paper. Write different exclamations such as ‘wow’, ‘NO WAY’, ‘Really?!?!?’, on the speech bubbles, and display them in the room in which you meet.