Blowing Bubbles

An assembly from the Culham St Gabriel archive

Suitable for Reception / Key Stage 1

Aims

To encourage us to reflect upon the concept of trust.

Preparation and materials

• You will need to blow bubbles during this assembly, so you will need a pot of children’s bubbles with a wand included. If possible, have a range of equipment for blowing bubbles of different sizes.
  
  
• Optional: you may wish to display the words used for matching pairs in the ‘Assembly’, Step 2.

Assembly

1. Blow bubbles by using the pot of children’s bubbles and the wand.
   
   Encourage the children to describe the bubbles. Ask the children to close their eyes while you continue to blow bubbles near enough for them to be able to feel and hear the bubbles bursting around them.
   
   When the children open their eyes, ask them to tell you what they think you were doing when their eyes were shut. Encourage them to explain how they knew that you were blowing bubbles. Boost their sense of awe and wonder at how they knew something was there even when they couldn’t see it.
   
   
2. There are several things that we can’t see, yet we know that they exist. There is a range of reasons as to why we know that they are there.
   
   Ask the children to match up the following pairs.
   
   We know that:
   
   - night follows day
   - we will be picked up from school
   - someone is behind the voice on the telephone
   
   because:
   
   - we have experienced it
   - we trust our carers
   - we can hear the person
   
   
3. We can’t see God, but we can believe in his existence and presence around us. We can’t see God, but we can see and hear the wonders of his world around us. We can experience the love and security of being part of his family. We can trust in him and his existence.
   
   
4. Ask the children to make some suggestions about:
   
   - how they experience the wonders of God’s world
   - how they are learning to trust God’s care for them
   - how and where they hear examples of God’s creation
   
   Listen to a range of responses.

Time for reflection

Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you that you are always here with us.
Thank you that we see you in the beautiful creation.
We are amazed at the beauty of your world around us.
Let us show others your presence through the care and love that we give them.
Help us to trust you and remember you in all we do.
Amen.

Song/music

‘I have seen the golden sunshine’ (Someone’s Singing, Lord (A&C Black), 6, 2002 edition)

‘Peter and John went to pray’ (Mission Praise, 598)

Follow-up ideas

• Read about Peter and John healing the beggar in Acts 3. Peter and John could no longer see Jesus, who had gone to heaven to be with God, but they still trusted him. In fact, they believed so strongly what he had told them that they made a lame man walk.
  
  
• Share the children’s ideas, using their responses in the assembly as key words.
  
  - What are their favourite sights and sounds?
  - What are their favourite/most memorable experiences?
  - Who/what do they trust?
  
  Finish with some time to reflect on the ideas gathered and to offer thanks to God for our experiences and our caring friends and family.
  
  
• Read from John 20.24-29.
  
  Thomas had been a very good friend of Jesus, but he said that he could not believe that Jesus had come back to life unless he saw him for himself. Trusting is hard. It is hard to believe that something is there when we can’t see it. It is natural to doubt – even Thomas did. But, as the Bible tells us, trusting and believing can bring us real happiness.
  
  
• Children can make their own simple books with one page for each subtitle. They can then add their own choice of pictures and/or words as appropriate. Subtitles could include:
  
  - my favourite sights and sounds
  - my best memories/experiences
  - I trust . . .
  - my thankful thoughts/prayers
  
  
• Play ‘trust’ games with the children, in pairs or threes.