• Choose one child to be the ‘liberator’ and ask them to wait on one side.
• Invite the others to move freely around the space. When you call out ‘Freeze’, they have to freeze in position.
• The ‘liberator’ then has 10 seconds (more or less, depending on the space and size of the group) in which to free as many people as possible, by touching them on the shoulder. Some people may have to wait longer than others!
• Repeat as desired, changing the liberator.

Serving together    10 mins W A

Consider how we can use our gifts for other people’s benefit

You will need: situation cards (template).

• Divide the children into small groups and give each group a situation card to talk about. How could they and the church community help this person/people? Encourage the groups to think of their gifts and how they could use them.
• Circulate the cards so that groups can discuss several situations and report back at the end.

Make

Cards of encouragement 10 mins W E

Cheer up people who are feeling overwhelmed
You will need: card, pencils, crayons/felt tips, collage materials, glue sticks.

• Talk together about how people can feel overwhelmed by things, e.g. illness, grief, all the jobs they have to do.
• Ask the children to think of someone they know who might be feeling like this. Invite them to make a special card for that person, to encourage them and let them know that they are being thought about.
• If appropriate, they could add a Bible verse inside, ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11.28).

Those in need 15 mins W S A

Think about your local community
You will need: a cork noticeboard, paper, pencils, felt tips, scissors, sticky tac, sticky notes, pens.

• Talk together about people in need in your local community, e.g. elderly, lonely, disabled, new arrivals, families in difficult circumstances, individuals struggling with illness or grief.
• Turn the noticeboard into a PRAYER BOARD by colouring in the individual letters of these words and sticking them at the top. These could be laminated later if desired.
• Invite the children to write prayers for people in need on the sticky notes and stick them on the board. Alternatively, they could draw pictures of practical things that could be done in response. Follow up one of the ideas if possible. 

Pray

Being still 5 mins E S

Have a time of quiet reflection
You will need: pictures of quiet places, e.g. mountains, beaches, lakes, church interiors, cushions, quiet music, e.g. ‘Veni Sancte Spiritus’ from Taizé. You may like to create a focal point with cloths and candles or other symbols.

• Talk together about how we all need times of quiet away from the busyness of our daily lives.
• Place the cushions around the space and invite each child to choose a picture and a cushion and spend some time sitting quietly looking at it, while you play the music. If you have children for whom this would be difficult, give them an abstract design to colour in, or some play dough to fiddle with.
• Close with a prayer:
  Lord, you know when we are tired and in need of rest;
  surrounded by noise and in need of peace.
  Come to us now,
  restore and renew us,
  and send us out into the world with the energy to serve you.
  Amen. 

Additional prayers

Sing

Key to abbreviations for hymn book titles

Under 5s    Jesus’ hands were kind hands; God Beside (Fischy Music)
Under 12s  Be still, for the presence of the Lord; Ev’rybody has a wobble from time to time (KS)
12+            More than oxygen I need your love (SoF2, TS); Quiet my mind, Lord (SoF2)