With very young children

Play materials: a play doctor’s set.

Mini Bible story with actions

Don’t worry

Jesus said, ‘Tell people about me.
Point to mouth.
Don’t worry when things are difficult.
Shake head.
I will help you,
Hold out hand, and bring it towards yourself.
and you can help each other.
Put your hand out towards another person.
Stand firm,
Plant feet on ground.
and you will help yourselves.’
Clasp your hands.

Repeat so the children can join in.

Coping with difficulties

You will need: a difficult game, puzzle or challenge, e.g. building a very tall tower, or transferring lots of objects, one by one, from one container to another.

Invite the children to tackle the game
or challenge. Offer them lots of help.
If they find it difficult, acknowledge the difficulty, and encourage them to work together.

Helping hands

You will need: a plastic cloth, a long strip of white fabric, e.g. old sheet, liquid paints on plastic plates, sponges, aprons, hand wipes.

Invite the children to sponge paint onto their hands and work together to create a handprint collage on the fabric.

Prayer

You will need: battery tealights, one per child, a dark cloth.

Invite the children to think of something they find difficult or scary, then switch their tealight on and place it on the cloth.