How Many Coins?
It's good to share
by Helen Bryant (revised, originally published in 2016)
Suitable for Key Stage 1
Aims
To consider the importance of sharing what we have with others.
Preparation and materials
- You will need some chocolate coins to hide around the room prior to the assembly, giving consideration to any children who have allergies.
- You will also need some food such as an apple and some bread, and some warm clothes such as scarves, coats and hats.
Assembly
- Ask for a few volunteers to take part in a treasure hunt. Explain that the volunteers will have one minute to find as many coins as they can.
You may wish to add a few rules such as no running, or play music while the hunt is taking place.
Say, ‘Ready, steady, go!’ to start the hunt. - After one minute, ask the volunteers to return to the front and count their coins. Ask them if they would like to eat their coins . . . but tell them not to yet!
- Ask all of the seated children to pretend that they are hungry and cold by rubbing their tummies, looking sad or shivering, for example.
- Show the food and warm clothes to the children.
Explain that the food and clothes could be used to stop some of them feeling cold and hungry. However, if anyone wants to have them, they will need to buy them from you with gold coins!
Ask if anyone has any ideas about what to do. Hopefully, someone will suggest that those who collected the gold coins could buy the clothes and food from you and give them to those in need. - Explain that those who have coins could share them with other people, or they could buy some clothes and food and distribute them to those in need themselves.
Tell the children that this is true on a bigger, worldwide scale as well as in school. Many people in the world have little food and are in desperate need of clothing. - Most world religions emphasize the importance of looking after the poor.
- Christians believe that they should care for others and share what they have with those in need.
- Hindus believe that everyone has a duty to care for those in need as part of following the righteous path, or dharma. Hindus believe that, if they do so, positive karma is created. This karma will enrich the soul and mean that they will achieve a better reincarnation in their next existence.
- One of the Five Pillars of Islam is Zakat, which involves Muslims giving 2.5 per cent of their wealth each year to benefit the poor.
Time for reflection
There are many people who need help in the world today. There are people in remote places who don’t have fresh water to drink, people who live in areas of famine and refugees from many countries. These are just a few of the difficulties that people face.
Encourage the children to think about how they might be able to help others. Perhaps they could get involved with a fundraising event, or donate some of their pocket money to charity. They could also look closer to home for ways of helping others, such as opening a door for someone who is struggling, or caring for someone in the playground who is alone.
Often, when we help others, it makes us feel great too, so everyone’s a winner!
Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you that we are so fortunate and have so much.
Please help us to remember that many people are hungry, many people do not have homes to live in and many people are sad.
Please help us to look for ways in which we can help.
Help us to be generous people who always think about others.
Amen.
Song/music
‘Sharing song’ from the TV show Sesame Street, available at: https://youtu.be/ewhwY5-EP38 (1.31 minutes long)
