Pause for Thought: More Rain!
Rain matters
by Rebecca Parkinson
Suitable for Whole School (Pri)
Aims
To consider the importance of rain.
Preparation and materials
- You will need the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (Pause for Thought: More Rain!) and the means to display them.
Assembly
- Show Slides 1-4.
Ask the children, ‘What do all of these things have in common?’
Listen to a range of responses. - Explain that all four pictures show things that are associated with rain.
- We might wear wellies in the rain.
- We might use an umbrella to keep ourselves dry.
- We might wear a raincoat or something waterproof to keep the rain off.
- The clouds contain rain. - Ask the children what type of weather they like best: sunshine, snow, wind and so on.
- Point out that people often moan about the rain. They think of rain as something that makes them cold and wet and stops them spending time outdoors.
- Ask the children to think of good things to do with rain.
Listen to a range of responses. You may wish to record them. - Point out that rain is essential for life! Plants need rain to help them grow.
Show Slide 5.
If plants don’t have any water for a long time, they turn brown and die, and the ground starts to crack.
Show Slide 6. - Ask the children whether they can think of anything else that is good about rain.
Listen to a range of responses. - Point out that rain can be fun! Splashing in puddles can be great fun.
Time for reflection
Show Slide 7.
Explain that in April, the weather can often be rather rainy. April showers are expected. However, these showers are important because they provide the water that the spring flowers need to grow and blossom. Without the rain, the May flowers would not appear.
Sometimes, our lives can feel full of sunshine and joy. At other times, we can feel sad, as if the rain is falling in our lives. It’s important to remember that even during sad or bad times in our lives, we can still be learning and growing. The difficult times can produce something good and beautiful, just like the May flowers.
Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for all of the seasons of the year.
Thank you for sunshine and thank you for rain.
When our lives feel sad or difficult,
Please help us to remember that after the rain, the sunshine will come.
Thank you that even in hard times, we can grow and develop.
Thank you that you are always with us.
Amen.
Song/music
‘April’ by Jack Hartmann, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKpB8v3Ndz8 (1.27 minutes long)
‘April showers’ by Frank Sinatra, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9sn8CRFVmg (2.51 minutes long)
Extension activities
- Ask the children to watch the rain falling. Encourage them to make drawings or paintings that depict the rain.
- Ask the children to design a game to play on a rainy day, which reminds the players of the importance of the rain.
