FAVOURITE FOODS
- A HARVEST ASSEMBLY
By the Revd Alan M. Barker
Suitable for Whole School
Aim
To
recognize the different diets of living creatures and to be thankful for our
favourite foods.
Preparation and materials
- Introductory music: the song
'Food, glorious food'.
- You will need a variety of
animal's foodstuffs together in a bag, e.g. a dog's biscuit or bone, a tin of
cat food, wild bird seed, goldfish food, grass (cows, sheep, goats, etc.), hay
(winter feed for horses, etc.), dandelion leaves or carrot (rabbit), hazelnuts
(squirrel/mouse). Also a banana and a packed lunch.
- Optional: The children
could produce a 'menu' of their favourite foods and/or arrange a display of
harvest produce. The version of Psalm 104 (see below) could be arranged for
choral speaking.
Assembly
- Remind the children that Harvest
celebrations help us to be thankful for the food we enjoy. Draw attention to
the fact that various creatures each have their 'favourite foods'. Produce the
animal foodstuffs and invite the children to guess which creatures enjoy them.
Some extra clues can be provided if necessary - for example, you could do the
appropriate animal noises!
- Conclude with the banana, and
have some fun if it's suggested that this is the favourite food of a monkey!
('It's part of my packed lunch!!') Share with the children your choice of
sandwiches and favourite flavour of crisps.
- What are their choices? If
appropriate, write down their choices to create a 'favourites' menu. Have fun
singing 'Thank you, Lord, for this new day', substituting the words 'Thank you,
Lord, for favourite foods' and improvising verses e.g. 'Thank you, Lord, for
fish and chips'; 'Thank you, Lord, for Heinz baked beans'; 'Thank you, Lord,
for big beefburgers', etc.
Time for
reflection
Introduce a selection of
paraphrased verses from Psalm 104 which are in praise of the Creator. Explain
that they are a song saying 'thank you' for food. Ask the children to join in
the responses, or the piece could be adapted for choral speaking:
Praise the Lord, I tell myself
(everyone joins in) O God, how great you are.
You make
springs flow
and streams run from the hills.
They provide water for all
the animals
to quench their thirst.
In the trees
the birds make
their nests and sing.
Praise the Lord, I tell myself
O God, how
great you are.
From the sky you send rain
and the earth is
filled with good things.
You cause grass to grow for the cattle
and
plants for people to use.
Crops are grown and food produced.
Wine,
olive oil,
and bread to give us strength.
Praise the Lord, I tell
myself
O God, how great you are.
Lord, you have made so many
things!
The earth is full of your creatures.
All of them depend on you
to give them the food they need.
You supply it, and they gather it.
You provide, and they are satisfied.
Praise the Lord, I tell myself
O God, how great you are.
Creator God,
we thank you for
the smells and tastes of our favourite foods
and for the different foods
that other creatures eat.
Help us to be thankful
for everything
that we enjoy
and for the richness of the earth.
Amen.
Song
'Thank you,
Lord' (Come and Praise, 32)
'Autumn days' (Come and
Praise, 4)
'Let us with a gladsome mind' (Come and Praise,
8)
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