You will need: to print out a set of ‘food’ cards (see template), one per person.

• Ask the group to sit together in a circle. Explain that you are going to play a game where they must try to hear the different voice. Give everyone a card and ask them not to show it to anyone. Collect the cards back in.
• Explain that when you say ‘Go’ they must all say the name of what was on their card a few times until you say ‘Stop’. Tell the group that most of them have the same picture (apple) except for one person (banana). The aim of the game is to work out who that person is.
• Play the game a few times, redistributing the banana card each time. The game is harder if you say the word only once.
• Remind the group that sometimes it is hard to hear the truth because of all the other things around us.

Story

The Emperor's New Clothes (C 10 mins)

A chance for storytelling

You will need: a copy of a picture book version of The Emperor's New Clothes.

• Sit with the children and tell them you are going to read a story about someone who told the truth.
• Read The Emperor's New Clothes and, as you do so, keep asking the children what the truth is.
• Emphasise that it was a small child just like them who told the truth to someone very important. It doesn't matter how small you are, you can still tell the truth to people and sometimes you see things that others don't.

Make

Speak out poster (C 15 mins)

Posters of truth

You will need: large sheets of paper; a range of craft items including paint, shiny shapes, tissue paper, crayons and chalks.

• Create posters to encourage people to speak out and speak the truth. Decide on a range of slogans together such as ‘Speak the truth’ and ‘Hear this!’.
• If there are specific situations that the children want to focus on, encourage them to tailor their slogans to suit these.
• Provide paper and a range of craft items and ask the children to design posters to illustrate the slogans that the group has agreed on.
• Display the posters for all to see. If your session runs alongside a church service, at the end of the service, show the posters, encouraging the adults to speak out as well as the children.

Pray

Hear and speak the truth (C 10 mins)

A prayer activity

You will need: paper, one sheet per child, pens and tape.

• Before you pray, ask the children to write ‘Hear the truth’ on one side of the paper and ‘Speak the truth’ on the other. Roll each sheet of paper to make a cone and fix in place with tape.
• Show the children how to say ‘Hear the truth’ while holding their cone to their ear, and ‘Speak the truth’ as they hold their cone to their mouth. Explain they will use these lines as you say the prayer together. The leader saying the prayer will need a cone to indicate which line the children are to say. Say the prayer below together.

Jesus, you had the courage to say what needed to be said:
help us to speak the truth.
Many people didn't want to listen to what you said:
help us to hear the truth.
Today we still need people to say what needs to be said:
help us to speak the truth.
There are many people who speak for you but many don't listen:
help us to hear the truth.
Jesus, please help us to be people
who hear and speak the truth. Amen.

Talk

Who speaks out? (C 5 mins)

Reflect on the impact of our actions

You will need: charity campaign adverts.

• Sit together and talk about those who speak out for others. Begin with an example the children will relate to. Many of them will have a buddy system at school, or a person they can speak to if they are being bullied. Spend some time talking about speaking up for others.
• Before the session, collect a number of adverts for charities that the children will be aware of. These could be in print or on the TV. Show these to the group. Encourage the children to think about why the charities need to speak out on behalf of children or animals, or those who are suffering. If there are any relevant examples in the current news, share these with the children, if suitable for their age group.
• Finish by asking if there are any situations they are aware of where they should speak up for others.