Pause for Thought: Dreaming
What do we want to be when we grow up?
by Gill Hartley (video recording by Vita)
Suitable for Whole School (Pri)
Aims
To consider what dreams we might have for our future.
Preparation and materials
- You will need to have the means available to play the video below. It is 5.53 minutes long.
- You will also need the image found at: https://tinyurl.com/y8rvwnlz or the words ‘When I grow up, I want to be happy’ written or printed.
- Joseph and the Dreaming Pharaoh by Fiona Veitch Smith is available to buy from: https://spckpublishing.co.uk/joseph-and-the-dreaming-pharaoh
Assembly
Ask the children whether they know what they would like to be when they grow up.
Point out that many people have dreams about the future and that is good.
Show the words ‘When I grow up, I want to be happy’.
Explain that most people simply want to be happy, whatever job they do or however they live their life.
The video below tells the story of Joseph, a famous dreamer from the Bible. When Pharaoh put him in prison, Joseph dreamt of being let out, but it wasn’t until Pharaoh had some dreams of his own that Joseph was called upon to help and secured his own release from prison.
Time for reflection
It is good to dream of being happy when we are older: happiness is vital! However, Jesus pointed out something important about happiness.
Read what Jesus said about being happy, either from a modern translation of the New Testament or using the paraphrases below.
One day, Jesus said to his special friends, ‘I want you to be happy like me, so I will tell you what to do. You must care for everyone else in the same way as I have cared for you.’ (Based on John 15.11-12)
The people who are happy are those who long for justice, those who are kind and merciful and those who work for peace. (Based on Matthew 5.6-8)
Conclude by telling the children that whatever job people do or however they live their life, Jesus said that people could be happy if they:
- care about other people
- always try to be fair and just
- are kind and show mercy
- work to make peace
You may wish to use the following prayer.
Prayer
Dear God,
Please help us to work hard to achieve our ambitions and to become what we want to be.
Whatever we do or however we live our life, help us to remember the needs of others.
Help us to care about other people, to be fair and just,
To be kind and merciful and to make peace, wherever we are.
Amen.
Song/music
‘A million dreams’ from the film The Greatest Showman. A cover by One Voice Children’s Choir is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr9QjaB83YA (4.40 minutes long)
Extension activities
- You could try making a dreamcatcher to catch your own dreams. There are some instructions available at: https://tinyurl.com/y7acpruh (3.28 minutes long)
- Have you read the book The BFG by Roald Dahl? Why not try making a BFG dream jar? There are some instructions available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52xhSTjBea0 (2.01 minutes long)
- You could continue exploring the theme of dreams in The BFG by following the lesson plan available at: https://tinyurl.com/ycpxqy3t
