Our Favourite Things
Hopes for the world
by Gordon and Ronni Lamont (revised, originally published in 2007)
Suitable for Whole School (Pri)
Aims
To consider our favourite things and our favourite hopes for the world.
Preparation and materials
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Have available the song ‘My favourite things’ from The Sound of Music and the means to play it during the assembly. A version is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGABqdbtQnA. It is 2.25 minutes long.
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Optional: you may wish to record the children’s answers in the ‘Assembly’, Step 2, in which case you will also need the means to do so.
Assembly
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Play the song ‘My favourite things’ from The Sound of Music as the children enter.
Ask if any of the children recognize the music and know where it comes from. Discuss the lyrics. Do any of the children’s favourite things match Maria’s?
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Ask the children to think of three favourite things. These can be anything: people, memories, pictures, food, games – anything that they think of as a favourite.
After some thinking time, ask those who would like to share their favourite things to do so. You may wish to ask the children to record their answers in some way. -
Play a mime game. Ask some children to come out, one by one, to mime doing or being their favourite thing. Tell the volunteers that they must be able to mime their favourite thing by using big movements so that everyone can see clearly.
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After the game, ask the children to be still for a moment and think about their hopes for the world. What would be their favourite things for the world? Would it be an end to hunger or war, for everyone to have good schools or something else entirely?
After some thinking time, ask everyone to listen to some of the music again.
Time for reflection
After the music, ask the children to be quiet for a moment while they think about their favourite things for the world. Ask them to think about how they might make these dreams come true.
Prayer
Dear God,
What are your favourite things?
Planets and stars?
Seas and rivers?
Animals and plants?
People . . . me?
Thank you for our favourite things.
Please help us to work towards making good things happen in the world.
Amen.
