A Matter of Balance
Different types of balance
by the Revd Oliver Harrison
Suitable for Key Stage 2
Aims
To consider how amazing our bodies are and the importance of balance in life.
Preparation and materials
- You will need equipment to facilitate an egg-and-spoon race, such as spoons and small balls, marbles or beanbags.
- You will also need several lightweight books of the same size. These will be balanced on some of the children’s heads, so they may fall on the floor!
Assembly
- Ask the children what they think is the most amazing thing about our bodies.
Listen to a range of responses. - Share some of the things that you think are the most amazing about our bodies.
Point out that every person’s body is amazing; we can do things that it is impossible for robots or machines to manage.
Explain that as we grow up, we begin to be able to do things that we couldn’t do when we were smaller. One of those things is balance. - Ask the children to talk you through the stages that a baby will go through before they can run.
First, they will learn to roll over, then they will sit up, crawl, pull themselves up, walk with someone holding their hands, walk without any help and finally run. - Ask for some volunteers to come to the front.
Give each volunteer a spoon and a ball (or whatever you are using).
Tell them to have an egg-and-spoon race around the room. - Next, ask for some more volunteers.
Tell them to stand on one leg for as long as they can without falling over or putting their foot down. - Finally, ask for a last set of volunteers.
Give each volunteer a book.
Tell them to have a ‘balance a book on your head’ race. This usually works best if the book is opened and placed on the head like a miniature pitched roof. - Ask the children what they understand about the idea of balance in life.
Listen to a range of responses. - Explain that in our lives, we all need balance in how we spend our time and energy.
It isn’t good for us to play all the time and never get any work done. However, it also isn’t good for us to work so hard that we never have time for other people. We need a mixture of time with family and friends, and time on our own. We need a balance of being awake and getting plenty of sleep.
Ask the children whether they can think of any other kinds of balancing.
Time for reflection
In the Bible, Psalm 139.14 describes us as amazing, saying, ‘I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way.’
No matter who we are, Christians believe that God has made us with amazing bodies. They also believe that part of the balance of life is to spend time thinking about God and getting to know him. Another part is to care about other people. When we care about others and do things to help them, we receive happiness and satisfaction in return. The good that we do often balances with the joy that we feel.
Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for our amazing bodies and for all the wonderful things that we can do.
Please help us to be grateful.
Please also help us to have a good balance in our lives.
Help us to care about other people and to show love and compassion.
Amen.
Song/music
‘A whole new world’ from the film Aladdin, available at: https://youtu.be/eitDnP0_83k (3.09 minutes long)
