Colourful me
To help children become aware of their different moods and explain that God’s love for them doesn’t depend on their mood.
by Janice Ross
Suitable for Key Stage 1
Aims
To help children become aware of their different moods and explain that God’s love for them doesn’t depend on their mood.
Preparation and materials
-
A purple spiky-shape for angry words.
A bright orange or yellow sun-shape for happy words.
A grey raindrop-shape for sad words. - Adjectives, like those below, to stick onto the appropriate shapes:
for spiky-shape for sun-shape for raindrop-shape
angry happy sad
mad cheerful lonely
bad-tempered excited anxious - The poem ‘Sometimes’ (see Reflection) to be recited or written on the whiteboard.
Assembly
If you have a small group or class, this first activity can be done as a Circle Time game.
For a larger assembly you may simply want to ask questions and request a hand response.
- Explain to the children that you are going to make certain statements. If the statement is true of you [each child], then you have to move seats with someone else who is on the move.
For example, all those with brown eyes, all those who like cabbage, all those who are good at problem solving, all those with long hair, all boys, etc. - Identify that some things about us are the same and some things are different.
It was easy to see these things because we all moved or put up our hands in response, and some of them are just plain obvious.
Sometimes it is easy to see in what ways we are alike, while other things are not so easy.
Is it easy to know how someone is feeling? Can you always guess when Mum has a headache; that your teacher is feeling sad; that your friend is angry? - Show the coloured shapes and explain that you have feeling words you wish to stick onto the appropriate shapes. Can the children help you place the set of adjectives? Some volunteers could glue on the adjectives.
Now ask for volunteers to come out, and to write or stick their names onto one of the coloured shapes.
(To ensure that you have a mixture of feelings represented will take a little research before assembly, but there will be some children whom you know will be excited about some good news; some who are a bit anxious about something; some who are feeling a bit ‘crotchety’. You could always include members of staff!)
Then ask: ‘Are these people always like this?’
Identify that we can all experience a mixture of different moods even within a day. - Most of us like the positive moods. These are the cheery ones that make us easy to be around. We can make others happy when we are in these moods.
Most of us don’t like the negative moods. These are the ones that make us difficult to be around. We can make others sad when we are in these moods.
But we will all experience all of these moods, perhaps even today. Just like the weather and the clouds, we are constantly changing.
Explain the following:
It’s OK to get angry at times. Everyone gets angry at times.
It’s OK to feel sad at times. Everyone feels sad at times.
It’s OK to feel worried at times. Everyone feels anxious at times.
You could test this theory by asking for a show of hands.
Who has felt excited today already?
Who has felt sad today already?
Who has felt angry today already?
Has anyone felt all three? - The one thing that will never change, even though our moods might, is that we are always loved by God. God knows us and loves us just as we are, and God is always there to share our moods with us.
Time for reflection
Listen to the poem ‘Sometimes’/or have this displayed on the whiteboard with someone reading it.
Sometimes
By Janice Ross
Sometimes I’m quiet
Like a curled-up cat,
Peaceful and content
On the fireside mat.
Sometimes I’m noisy
With a rat-a-ta-tat
And a bang of my drums,
Will you listen to that?
Sometimes I’m naughty,
I chuckle and laugh
At those who trip over
Or forget their lunch.
Sometimes I’m kind
As I know I should be,
Helpful and thoughtful
When you come for tea.
Sometimes I’m mad,
Or dreamy,
Or sad,
Or anxious,
Or shy,
I might even cry.
Sometimes my face
Is black like thunder,
How will you find me today,
I wonder?
Prayer
Dear God
We thank you that you know us very well.
Thank you that you rejoice with us when we are happy and that you are sad when we are upset and hurt. Thank you that you understand our moods and that you love us always.
Amen.
Song/music
‘I will bring to you’ (Come and Praise, 59)
