Look at All the Leaves!
All different, but all special
by Rebecca Parkinson
Suitable for Whole School (Pri)
Aims
To consider that we are all different, but all special.
Preparation and materials
- Have available a collection of autumn leaves for display. If this is not possible, use the image available at: https://tinyurl.com/y7exjnht and adapt the questions slightly.
Assembly
- Hello! Aren’t you all looking amazing today? Such a beautiful room, full of beautiful people!
I wonder what you think of these leaves that I have here.
Show the leaves, or the image of them, to the children, taking the time to have a close look at them and talk about their appearance, names and so on. - Ask some volunteers to come and look at the leaves.
Ask the children, ‘Which is your favourite leaf?’
You may wish to have a vote for the leaf that the children think is the most beautiful. - I said earlier that you were all looking amazing. If I look round the room, you all look amazing, but you all look different too. Variety is wonderful, isn’t it?
- There is variety everywhere we look in the world: leaves, flowers, trees, animals, people . . . Variety makes the world a better place to live.
- Christians believe that God made the world and everything in it. Let’s aim to take care of every part of this beautiful world, whether we are caring for nature, caring for animals or caring for one another.
Time for reflection
Now let’s make ourselves really quiet and think for a moment. Perhaps we could look carefully at the leaves while we do this.
Let’s think about the beautiful world that we live in. Let’s be thankful.
Let’s think about ourselves. Let’s think about the things that we enjoy, the things that we are good at. Let’s be thankful.
Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for the beautiful leaves that we see all around us as we move through autumn.
Please help us to remember that just as every leaf is different, so are we, with our own personalities and talents.
Please help us to be thankful.
Please help us to be content with who we are today.
Amen.
Song/music
‘Tidal wave’ by Doug Horley, available at: https://youtu.be/hWfYpF40i8U (4.25 minutes long)
‘What a wonderful world’ by Louis Armstrong, from the film Madagascar, available at: https://youtu.be/4zxQ9_axkGo (2.43 minutes long, but you can start it from 0.29 minutes)
