Here comes the sun!

To reflect on the pleasure of anticipation in looking forward to the changes summer will bring.

by Gill Hartley

Suitable for Whole School (Pri)

Aims

To reflect on the pleasure of anticipation in looking forward to the changes summer will bring.

Preparation and materials

• You might like to have some 'sun' songs playing as the children enter - two obvious choices would be the Beatles' songs 'Here comes the sun' (from Abbey Road), and 'Good day, sunshine' (from Revolver).

Assembly

1. Ask the children what time of year it is (answer: late spring). What season will come next? (answer: summer).
   
   
2. Ask the children to think about how summer will be different. What will change as spring turns into summer? Ask if they are looking forward to summer, and if so, why?
   
   
3. Sing a song about summer, such as 'I love the sun'.
   
   
4. After the song ask the children to close their eyes as you lead them through a guided visualization:
   
   Imagine a warm summer day:
   you're sitting in a park
   listen to the sounds around you
   the breeze rustling in the trees above your head
   people having fun, laughing in the open air
   children giggling and eating ice creams
   children playing football on the grass
   birds singing in the bushes
   smell the warm grass under your feet
   the flowers growing all around you
   feel the warmth of the sun on your back.
   
   Now imagine another warm summer day:
   this time you're lying on the beach
   listen to the sounds around you
   the waves running backwards and forwards over the shingle
   people paddling and splashing in the water
   children digging with buckets and spades
   teenagers playing rounders on the beach
   the call of seagulls over the sea
   smell the sun cream on your body
   the salty tang of the sea
   feel the sand between your toes.
   
   Now think back over those two days:
   decide what it is you like best about summer
   and try to remember what you decided as you open your eyes.
   
   
5. Ask if any of the children are willing to share what it was they decided was the best thing about summer. As you receive suggestions from them, invite a selection of volunteers (about 6-10) to come out and help you by contributing their 'best thing' to the prayer you're about to say.

Time for reflection

Put together a participative prayer. Have standing by you the 6-10 volunteers, each with a different aspect of summer to contribute. Explain to the rest of the children that you will introduce the prayer, then the first volunteer will say his/her 'best thing', and everyone will join in by saying 'thank you for' that thing. When all the volunteers have said something, you will finish the prayer.

Dear God,
Thank you for the summer and for all the things that we look forward to:

1st volunteer: (e.g.) Sunny days
Everyone: Thank you for sunny days.

2nd volunteer: (e.g.) Holidays
Everyone: Thank you for holidays.

(and so on, until finally)
Thank you for summer and for all the fun we can have.
Help us to remember everyone who cannot enjoy the summer as we can.
Amen.

Song/music

'I love the sun' (Come and Praise Beginning, 30)