Let’s Go Fly a Kite
Lots of activities to enjoy!
by Janice Ross (revised, originally published in 2015)
Suitable for Whole School (Pri)
Aims
To celebrate the things that we like to do for recreation.
Preparation and materials
- Have available the YouTube video ‘Let’s go fly a kite’ and the means to show it during the assembly. It is 1.14 minutes long and is available at: https://youtu.be/WyhJhf6Q7lg
- Optional: you may wish to display the new verses of the song in the ‘Assembly’, Step 6, in which case you will also need the means to do so.
- If possible, have a kite available to show the children.
Assembly
- Ask the children what they enjoy doing most in the world. Are there certain things that they enjoy doing most with certain people?
Listen to a range of responses. - Life can seem very busy. Sometimes, we want to spend time with the adults in our lives and they always seem busy. They have many responsibilities at work and at home. Perhaps they arrive home late because they have to travel a long way to work. Perhaps they have to work in the evening. They may have little time to stop and play.
Time together is very precious. Sometimes, we only have this quality time with the adults in our lives when we are all on holiday. It’s important to make the most of this time! - Ask how many children have seen the film, Mary Poppins. It is about a nanny who is employed to look after two little children whose home is very busy. The children’s father is quite a severe man who doesn’t stand for any nonsense and has never had much time for fun. He has an important and stressful job at the bank and some very strict bosses. The children’s mother is a busy woman who is involved in all sorts of projects, but particularly in campaigning for women to have the right to vote.
However, Mary Poppins is no ordinary nanny. When she first arrives at the children’s house, she flies in on an umbrella! Following this, all sorts of magic happens around her, and eventually Mary even works her magic on the children’s parents. At the end of the film, the family goes off to have some fun together flying a kite. - Let’s watch what happens.
Show the YouTube video ‘Let’s go fly a kite’ (1.14 minutes long). - Ask if any of the children enjoy flying kites and ask them to share some experiences of doing this.
Remind the children that, as well as kite-flying, there are many activities that we might enjoy with others. All of our families look different. Some of us have lots of adults around, whereas others live in a different setup. It’s good to be creative about what activities we can all enjoy together. There is a lot of joy in doing an activity with people we care about. - Tell the children that you have some new verses of ‘Let’s go fly a kite’ to share with them.
Read or sing the following verses to the tune of ‘Let’s go fly a kite’.
You may wish to ask the children to make up some verses of their own!
Let’s go kick a ball
Up against the garden wall.
Let’s go kick a ball
And send it soaring,
Up into the clear blue sky,
Just watch that football fly.
Let’s go kick a ball.
Let’s go ride a bike.
Let’s plan a summer hike.
Let’s go feed the ducks
And send them quacking!
Let’s go to a nearby zoo,
Take all the family too.
Let’s go ride a bike!
Time for reflection
Ask the children to think about their favourite activities. Which adults will join in with these activities or enable the children to carry them out?
You may wish to display a large kite in an area of the school and invite the children to write activities that they enjoy on the kite’s tail.
Ask the children to close their eyes and imagine that they are carrying out their favourite activity. In the quietness, ask them to say thank you for the adults or friends who help that activity to happen.
Encourage them to thank these people in person too.
Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for adults who help us.
For those whose work is stressful, we ask for your peace.
For those who cannot find a job, we ask for your hope.
For those who cannot provide food and shelter because of war, we ask for your help.
We thank you that you are our loving God who always watches over us.
Thank you for adults who watch over us and keep us safe.
Amen.
Song/music
‘Let’s go fly a kite’ from the film Mary Poppins, available at: https://youtu.be/WyhJhf6Q7lg (1.14 minutes long)
