Animal focus
I speak of penguins. Choose an animal you like and have a special connection to, perhaps an adopted animal at a zoo or rescue centre, or a pet. Adapt to fit your animal scenario. Keep it simple.
Materials:
- Bag large enough to hold all other items
- stuffed toy of focus animal
- photo of speaker with the animal (e.g. riding a horse, playing with a dog, feeding a llama)
- paper hearts (one for every child, and one for the speaker)
- display board (not in bag!) – ready to display hearts – and pushpins or blue-tac or tape
Good morning.
I have something in my bag.
What’s this? [stuffed penguin]
Do you know where in the world penguins live?
[Southern hemisphere: Africa, Antarctica, and Australia.]
I have something else in my bag.
What’s this? [photo of me tagging a fairy penguin]
Who’s in it? [Ana]
What am I holding? [fairy penguin]
I love penguins!
Some of you may know that I moved here from Australia.
In Australia, there is a colony of fairy penguins in Melbourne, the city where I lived.
I was part of a group that helped protect the penguins and keep them safe.
So, fairy penguins have a special place in my heart, and that’s who I put on my heart. [Show them my red paper heart]
What animal or animals are special to you? Who’s on your heart?
[Each child share, then put their heart in a basket Ana holds]
Animals are very special to us.
Let’s pray.
God, thank you for animals. Help us take good care of our own pets, and animals in the wild. Amen.
[Have two older children/youth help attach hearts to a display board.]
