BUILDING A STRONG BAHA'I IDENTITY IN YOUNG CHILDREN:
A CONCRETE APPROACH
In order to provide direction, inspiration, and an energizing force in Baha'i parenting and teaching, it is extremely helpful to have goals to strive towards. So, with that in mind, what are the goals Baha'i parents and educators might strive to accomplish in raising their children? At the risk of oversimplifying this incredibly complex task of parenthood, I'd like to generalize and list them:
1) To bond our children's hearts to Baha'u'llah, The Bab, Abdu'l-Baha, and the beloved Guardian
2) To build a strong spiritual/Baha'i identity
3) To develop a strong character, well endowed with virtues
Fortunately, a virtuous character usually is the natural outcome of achieving goals one and two. So for reasons of brevity, I will focus primarily on bonding the hearts and building the identity in this particular document. Goals 1 and 2 are also very interrelated and tend to reinforce each other beautifully. (If you are looking for ideas to develop virtues using music, drama, arts and crafts, stories, and games, that document is still in handwritten form only, but I can share ideas verbally on the phone.)
First, I would like to briefly explain the rationale behind the approach I take: In 1982, I had the wonderful good fortune of being a Baha'i children's' classes assistant teacher with a Montessori teacher named Keith Boehme. (He inspired me so much, I have been teaching Baha’i children’s classes ever since!) He taught me several unorthodox approaches to educating children, all of which I have adopted in my own current classes with great success. The most powerful idea Keith taught me was that we need to convey Baha'i principles, values, concepts, and information concerning the Central Figures to children's' hearts. Attract their hearts. It is not so much the factual, rational information, its the spirit of the instruction, of the class, of the teacher, of the interpersonal atmosphere, the physical environment, and the beautiful, joyful experiences which touch and bond children's' hearts to the Baha'i Faith. These are the impressions which will remain with them, which will influence them most deeply and ground them in the Faith. It is a very similar process to teaching the Faith to adult non-Baha’is. It is essentially a spiritual process (which is facilitated by the concrete). How often the Baha'i Writings emphasize this aspect concerning teaching the Faith: It is not so much the words, its the spirit of the fireside, its not so much the intellect which draws people to Baha'u'llah, its the attraction of the heart to the unity, love, spiritual warmth and beauty present in the interaction. (See The Individual and Teaching compilation.)
The second most potent concept Keith taught me is that if one wants to reach children's' hearts, one must use concrete means. This not only increases the children’s receptivity, it also elucidates spiritual subtleties and truths, (as well as factual and intellectual information.) Children's' hearts are like sponges; they soak up spiritual concepts, but most effectively through the tangible.
To illustrate the power of the concrete in influencing people, just contemplate Christmas time in December in America. During every month of the year, however, our children are bombarded with physical (concrete) images via movies, billboards, store windows, books, TV shows and commercials, and posters. And it works; they do indeed become the reflection of the values and attitudes contained in these mediums.
The popularity of the current human and material idols of our culture and the values which they represent can also be attributed to the fact that they all appeal to the more developed, dominant, culturally reinforced, and more easily succumbed to, side of children (and adults): the ego-self. Precisely that side which the more delicate, subtle, tenuous, spiritual side, is supposed to help us overcome through Divine education. With the Baha'i Central Figures, and with God, it is far more difficult to be so concrete, so irresistible to children; so few visual aids exist and They do not appeal to the egotistical side of human nature, either.
But then, how on earth can we have Baha'u'llah seize possession of our children's hearts as completely as our cultures’ idols have succeeded in doing? Just think of, just imagine the spiritual intensity and depth of devotion Baha'i adults would possess if as children their hearts had felt this level of fascination and attraction towards the Baha'i Central Figures and God! How then, can we attract Baha'i children to Baha'u'llah and to God? How can we nurture that love, devotion, that longing, that possession of the heart toward the Baha'i Central Figures, which children are so capable of feeling given their ability to feel so deeply? How can we achieve this without reducing the Baha'i Faith's dignity, sanctity, and spiritual purity, without relying upon the powerfully culturally reinforced themes of sexiness, power, glamour, materialism--which make the idols of our society so attractive and seductive? We cannot, for example, pay our children to attend Feast or to pray. Nor should we, in my opinion, use attractive familiar concrete images from children's' media to lure them to loving and finding comfort in Baha'u'llah. (I see this technique used in Bible classes for Christian children. For example, a sign on a classroom door showed a smurf and said "Jesus loves you". To associate these Holy and Sanctified Beings with cartoon characters, I think, is irreverent.)
In this essay, I would like to propose that we ardently strive to make the Baha'i Central Figures and the Faith itself attractive to our children's' hearts, not their egos, via the concrete. We must not attract them through tantalizing the passions and their self-centered sides, as Christmas does, but through stimulation of their spiritual faculties via beauty, love, joy, happy warm feelings, attractive metaphors, and the five senses.
OK, enough of the theoretical stuff. Let's move onto the practical, the how to do it part....
Through my own experiences, I have found that one of the most efficient and beautiful opportunities to bond children's hearts to the Central Figures and create a strong Baha'i identity occurs on Holy Days and other Baha'i festivals.
Here are some general principles one might wish to follow when celebrating and observing, or teaching Baha'i concepts at any time, (all of which can bond the heart, build a strong spiritual identity, as well as deepen and clarify understanding.) To transmit through the concrete to the heart, attempt to adhere to the following approaches:
STIMULATE AS MANY OF THE 5 SENSES AS POSSIBLE. The imagery in the Baha'i Writings lends itself to this beautifully. Just browse through a prayer book, The Hidden Words, Gleanings, The Kitab-i-Iqan by Baha'u'llah or any Baha'i prayer or scripture books for children such as: Tablet of the Heart, or Baha'i Prayers and Tablets for the Young and see how frequently one encounters words such as:
· sweet(ness), bitter---taste
* · scents/fragrance, perfume---smell
· light/dark, radiant, flame, luminous, flowers, hearts (especially roses and hyacinths)---sight
· soft flowing, warmth, gentle or cool breezes---touch
· melodies, warble, rustling---hearing
The stimulation of the senses will also greatly increase how much a child pays attention and remembers. One can incorporate this experience into the environment such as by having sweet food (the most commonly used approach at all Baha'i functions, I must say), flowers, and candles. But don't stop there! Integrate this principle into the children's activities and materials themselves. For example:
The children reverently remove, one at a time, the soft red velvet letters of Baha'u'llah's name from a gold satin-covered, perfumed gift box. Then they gently place the letters in order on a royal blue satin scroll for everyone to see. Mention how Baha’u’llah’s teachings soften people's hearts as the children feel the soft red velvet letters. After carefully replacing the letters, the children gingerly pass the open rose scented, velvet-lined box to each other. Simultaneously, share the idea that Baha’u’llah is God's most great Gift to us for this day. Talk about how one should receive a gift, treat a gift, and how the sweet fragrance of his teachings are perfuming the world. (Original idea by Keith Boehme). See pages 30 and 321 Gleanings, and p.197 Selections from the Writings of The Bab, for quotes relating to fragrance and perfume.
TEACH SPIRITUAL AND ABSTRACT CONCEPTS THROUGH CONCRETE ACTIONS AND OBJECTS. We must be careful not to reduce the sanctity or import of the teachings. The goal is to illumine and elucidate by the use of metaphors and physical experiences. (The metaphors listed previously are full of possibilities.) In Chapter 16 of Some Answered Questions by Abdu'l-Baha, and in the book The Purpose of Physical Reality by John Hatcher, teaching abstract and spiritual truths through the concrete and the physical is much elaborated upon: "Therefore, to explain the reality of the spirit, its condition, its station, one is obliged to give explanations under the forms of sensible things ...." ”(`Abdu'l-Baha, p.84, Some Answered Questions). “The world of matter is an outer expression or facsimile of the inner kingdom of spirit.”(`Abdu'l-Baha, Promulgation of Universal Peace, page 270) “The spiritual world is like unto the phenomenal world. They are the exact counterpart of each other. Whatever objects appear in this world of existence are the outer pictures of the world of heaven.” (`Abdu'l-Baha: Promulgation of Universal Peace, page 10) So does it not make sense to use things from this world of matter to illustrate the inner kingdom of the spirit, the world of heaven?
(The use of the computer programs such as MARS (older version) or OCEAN can be of tremendous assistance is locating writings which use particular metaphors such as candles, flames, light, stars, darkness, sweetness, flowers, gardens, gems, hearts, mirrors, etc.)
Here are some brief examples:
To teach the beauty and application of virtues such as courtesy and kindness, make small little cards with one virtue written in gold on the inside. On the outside of the card place a pretty flower sticker or draw one yourself. On the inside flap draw or stick on a smiling face. Explain that like flowers, virtues bring joy and beauty to the world, and produce happiness in ourselves and others (hence the smiling face). You can also have a star sticker to symbolize that when we express virtues we shine spiritually like stars in the darkness of the world. Heart stickers can symbolize that the expression of virtues shows love for others and for God’s beauty. The children choose from an attractive basket or hat a card and then explain or act out the virtue written inside. Other children can try to guess which virtue is being demonstrated if the children are acting it out. Acting out a virtue turns it into a very concrete and practical behavior.
Another way to reinforce the beauty and expression of virtues is to buy glow in the dark stars. Every time child expresses a virtue, the parents put a new star on the ceiling, which represents how a child’s soul shines like a “brilliant star” whenever they express the attributes of God. Explain how beautiful they are when they shine with a virtue, how they can be a source of light to a world in spiritual darkness, etc. Imagine the impact this can have on a child as they drift off to sleep--gazing at a ceiling filled with glowing stars, each one representing a beautiful act on their part! Very young children can perhaps earn stars with simple acts of courtesy and sharing. Older children should have to work a little harder--in other words, every time they say “thank you” is not enough. In order to increase their repertoire, you might want to make a rule that the same act can not earn a star twice. Relate to quote on p. 305 Gleanings: “Let your acts be a guide unto all mankind .........It is through your deeds that ye can distinguish yourselves from others. Through them the brightness of your light can be shed upon the whole earth”-- Baha’u’llah.
Here’s one more way to reinforce the beauty of virtues: Have the children make candles using beautiful papers. Glue these onto a nice piece of 8½x11 paper. Use a gold foil or other shiny paper for the flame. Give them each a small red heart made out of special shiny or soft paper. They glue the heart onto the candlestick and then a photo of their faces is placed on the heart. This represents the candle of their hearts (a metaphor frequently used by Abdu'l-Baha and also by Baha'u'llah in the Hidden Words, Persian, #32). Every time a child expresses a virtue, either in class or during the week at home, a ray of light is drawn with gold ink radiating from the flame. In a finer tipped pen the name of the virtue is written in gold along the length of the ray. When the candle flame is completely surrounded with rays of light, an iridescent or glittery confetti is sprinkled over the rays and the activity is finished. The beauty of virtues and the idea that the expression of virtues makes our souls radiant and luminous is reinforced through this activity in a very visible way. (“The light of a good character surpasseth the light of the sun and the radiance thereof,” and “Well is it with him who is illumined with the light of courtesy” p. 36 and p. 88 Tablets of Baha’u’llah and “You must become the shining candles of moral precepts and spiritual ideals and be the means of the illumination of others. Clothe your bodies with the robes of virtues.”~`Abdu'l-Baha: Excellence in All Things, page 376, “.......man must strive that his reality may manifest virtues and perfections, the light whereof may shine upon everyone.” ~`Abdu'l-Baha: Will and Testament, page 13. are some examples of the many writings which relate virtues to radiance and light.) Also children love sharing how they expressed a virtue and they get recognition for positive behaviors. It also teaches them to be aware of their behavior and encourages the active and willful expression of virtues, providing practice along with the confidence that they are truly capable of being virtuous and radiant. See the books Divine Therapy and Divine Art of Living which are compilations containing many references to specific virtues, or look up “character” and “virtues” or individual virtues using a computer reference program.
Teach reverence by showing how to handle objects associated with the Manifestation such as prayer books and the letters of Baha’u’llah’s name (mentioned previously), how to behave in a place of worship, etc. Always insist children are not eating, chewing gum, etc. and that they sit up while reciting the Creative Word. I always write the Writings with gold ink, readers at holy day events have their Writings in a fancy font on a decorated card, and guests at feasts and holy days are always given the Writings on pretty papers with elegant borders. Books with prayers and Writings are held up between beautiful bookends in our classroom. Never throw prayer books or let children step on them. All these physical things reinforce the specialness of the Writings.
To illustrate the impact on the soul when one turns to God, prays, reads the writings, and obeys His teachings, as opposed to when one violates Baha'i principles or ignores the teachings, we can present the following metaphors: Vibrant, fresh flowers and wilted dead ones,--or 2 potted flower plants, both initially healthy, but then over the course of month, one receives plenty of sun and water, and one receives neither. Children's prayers by Abdu'l-Baha contain copious references to God's gifts symbolized by clouds, rain, showers, the sun, the light, and rays. Also, children are repeatedly referred to as plants and flowers in the prayers and Writings of Abdu’l-Baha. See references under Naw-Ruz for quotes relating the heart to a garden.
Another example is the use of a clean heart-shaped mirror to represent their hearts. (You can make one by inserting any shape mirror in between two cardboard hearts with a hole cut in the top one). Have children hold it to reflect a candle or the sun. Explain that their hearts are like mirrors. (Use quotes from Promulgation of Universal Peace by Abdu’l-Baha pages 14-15, Gleanings p. 262, and The Seven Valleys pgs. 21-22). When they pray, deepen, are loving and obedient, etc., they can reflect the beauty of God's light. They are radiant, luminous. But when they lie, hurt others, etc., the light of God cannot shine so brightly in their hearts. These behaviors act as a barrier to the Holy Spirit, to God's grace. Each child can give an example of un-spiritual behavior, and as they do, they create a dark smudge on a portion of the mirror with an oil pastel or dark crayon. This is done until the whole mirror is filled and cannot reflect any light. Then each child provides examples of spiritual behaviors, (praying, deepening, teaching, virtue expression, etc.) and as they do, they get to wipe a portion of the mirror clean until it is "pure" again. (Just make sure that the crayon or pastel wipes off before you do this--baby wipes are pretty effective.)
MAKE THE ACTIVITIES AND CONCEPTS CONCRETE BY MAKING THEM PERSONALLY RELEVANT TO THE CHILDREN. Do this by involving the children actively, asking them questions, asking for examples from their own experience, making associations and bridges from the unknown, (abstract-spiritual) to the known (concrete-physical).
For example: when talking about God's love, ask the children when they feel this. When talking about the power of unity, have them experience it in a way which is clear and meaningful to them. For example: have them each sing a different song at once; contrast to singing one song together. Have them attempt to lift a prone adult up by themselves, then together. Concerning patience, dramatize waiting for dinner.
USE CONCRETE POSITIVE ASSOCIATIONS WHEN CELEBRATING HOLY DAYS OR EXPLAINING BAHA'I TEACHINGS. This is what our media does, of course, when advertisers pair an attractive woman, a lovely nature scene, or romantic couples with a product. This is also what Abdu'l-Baha was probably doing when He held up a chocolate sweet next to a black boy's cheek for all to see. He wanted people to see the child's dark color as something positive, to associate it with something sweet and desirable.
When we serve yummies at Feast, we are utilizing this approach, too, but we can go beyond that: We can make sure our children associate Baha'i Holy Days and Feasts with joy, love, beauty, and stimulating thoughts. This is facilitated by prayer, conversations and interactions that promote unity and happy thoughts, genuine displays of affection, lovely and cheerful decorations, flowers, uplifting and pretty music, potpourri, interesting stories. We can avoid arguments, complaining, and grudges.
We can write the prayers young children have memorized with special gold ink, in blank books with attractive covers. The children can also decorate the borders around the prayers. See Sunflower Book #2 My Favorite Prayers and Passages for blank pages with pretty borders to color. I let my students and daughters use fabric decorating paints which have sparkles or iridescent shine for accenting the borders. They love doing this and it emphasizes how special the Writings are. Consider it a form of illumination! Older children can write their own memorized passages. (The candle of the heart activity on page 3 is also an example of using concrete positive associations to explain a Baha'i concept.)
USE SEVERAL DIVERSE CONCRETE MEDIUMS TO TEACH 1 CONCEPT. Different children learn best through different mediums and different sensory modes. Diversifying the mediums enables each child to absorb something. For example use:
· Music and stories---auditory medium
· dance, creative dramatics, formal drama, games---physical, bodily
· pictures, films, arts and crafts, symbols---visual
· discussion, questioning---auditory and verbal
· arts and crafts, the handling and placement of materials and objects in a structured way-(for ex. timeline items, the letters in the gift box mentioned previously)---tactile
· Scents and fragrant materials---olfactory
PRAY EVERY DAY FOR AND WITH THE CHILDREN. Be sure to make this time a positive experience, with pleasant associations. We turn off the phone. We often light a rose scented heart shaped candle, ("Let the flame of the love of God burn brightly within your radiant hearts,” --Gleanings p. 325 and “The candle of thine heart is lighted by the hand of My power, quench it not with the contrary winds of self and passion."--The Hidden Words, Persian #32). We also play pretty music such as Celtic harp and allow our children to choose some of the Writings and prayers. We have a special place that is clean and attractive to say our prayers in. Something else we did which made our children really look forward to prayer time was write the subjects of all our pilgrimage stories on little slips of paper. They were folded and put in a pretty pot. Every night each child got to choose from the pot a slip of paper and eagerly opened up the slip to discover the story. We then shared with them these wonderful gems from our pilgrimage. You can use stories from the history of faith or ones heard at conferences, etc., if you haven't been on pilgrimage.
Some concrete general ideas for the preparation of Holy Days designed to involve children as much as possible:
Clean and tidy up the house to show this is a special day--if this can be accomplished without tensions and arguments. (Remember, its the spirit of the atmosphere which is the most important).
Have family meeting, plan games, food, and other activities. Ask children what activities they would like. Plot the agreed upon activities on the calendar to provide orderliness to the upcoming busy time. We place special stickers or pictures on a giant family calendar so to accent its importance and increase the children's' anticipation of the celebration. For example: we use butterflies for Naw-Ruz, rainbows for Ayyam-i-Ha, and flowers for Ridvan.
Make refreshments together. Allow the children some say in the choice. Use an international children's cookbook.
Plan to serve food you do not normally eat. For us, popcorn, juice sparklers, and bakery delicacies are special.
Make decorations together.
Turn putting up decorations into a family event, with joyful Baha'i music in the background. For example, for Ayyam-i-Ha, we let our children choose which Festival Figures to put up and where to place them (within limits). These are cardboard figures of children from different countries dressed in traditional festival attire. They are very colorful, and there are lots of them representing many different countries. I also bought large letters, (gold for Ridvan because it is so special) and laminated them to declare Happy Ayyam-i-Ha!, Joyous Naw-Ruz! and Happy Ridvan! These we put up in our living room along with the decorations to emphasize the occasion and to encourage teaching opportunities.
With your children, go buy some international decorations from your local import shop. Paper garlands from China can be found in many party supply stores and catalogs. A beautifully decorated living room invites teaching opportunities, as well as inspiring the festive spirit for Ridvan, Naw-Ruz, and Ayyam-i-Ha.
Try to individualize each Holy Day by not using all the same decorations for each one. We have special objects we use only with certain Holy Days, such as green candles for The Bab (to emphasize His lineage to Mohammed), red candles for Baha'u'llah (red is considered to be a royal color, the color of kings, and He was the King of Glory), and butterflies for Naw-Ruz (the association with Spring, and the idea of the renewal and transformation of this spiritual springtime.) We also use lots of silk and real flowers in vases and in garlands for Ridvan, (the garden theme) and many, many candles to symbolize the light of Baha'u'llah's revelation. Long 9 foot different colored strips of cloth called silk essence from the local fabric store have myriads of uses for holy days, and we have used them to decorate and conceal in hundreds of ways. They are also used in costuming.
Children can accompany you to the florist and choose flowers. For Holy Days and Feasts only, I allow my children to go into my garden to choose and pick flowers. This is a big thrill for them, and since I reserve this privilege for Baha'i events only, it accents the importance and special-ness of these times.
In our family, to make it a little less demanding, (given the quantity of Baha'i Holy Days), we decorate elaborately only on Ridvan, Naw-Ruz, and Ayyam-i-Ha. Two of these events last many days, so the effort is more economical time wise, given the number of days it will be useful. On the other Holy Days, we also purchase real flowers, put out lots of candles, photographs of holy places related to the relevant Central Figure which are in really ornate frames with stands, use potpourri, and have 6 or 7 vases of silk flowers to adorn the living room with. It would be a bit overwhelming to decorate the entire house on any Holy Day so we choose to focus only on the living and dining rooms. Each family needs to develop their own unique expression of the special-ness of the Holy Day and of how it touches their hearts, of what it means to them.
If you enjoy perfuming your environment, try using simmering potpourri or an oil ring which is quick and easy to use: Buy some rose oil (or whatever you like) and drop 3 or 4 drops onto the ring with an eye dropper and place onto a lit light bulb in the room you want perfumed. It really enriches the positive associations, and is a wonderful symbol for the infusion and beauty of the fragrance of Baha'u'llah's revelation---one He uses over and over in His Writings. When one enters The Shrines of The Bab and Baha'u'llah, the fragrance of rose greets them.
Try to plan and provide experiences that are special and unique to Holy Days. For ex., we make it a point to build a fire in the colder months, (something we don't do very often) and gather round it and sing songs or read stories about the Central Figure Whose Day we are observing. We have four very lovely dishes given to us by a dear Baha'i friend who moved away, which we never use except on Holy Days. We might plan a special outing in nature or to a place which won't distract us too much from the purpose of the day.
Invite seekers or old friends from out of town for dinner. Allow children to have input into the menu, invite them to help prepare the food, or at least the table.
Plan a celebration and use some of the children's ideas where appropriate. Children usually love to make and deliver invitations. Say teaching prayers together before the event.
Keep a scrap book of photos of Baha'i events and celebrations in order of their occurrence. Write descriptions to go with the pictures and relate what happened on that day. Make the book as pretty as possible, using fancy stickers, colored markers, samples of programs, etc. Include pictures of the days of preparation too--the messy kitchen during baking, the wrapping of presents, the decorating, etc.
Buy children a new outfit for a Baha'i Celebration. Have the children dress up. This is a very concrete way to show respect and specialness.
Keep a list of successful activities from past celebrations so that you always have ideas ready and accessible each year. A lot of Holy Days can slip by unobserved because we are so busy and tired out, and do not have the time to invent new activities.
Prepare a tape of songs about the Central Figures or about topics related to Baha'i teachings such as peace, copied from your collection. Narrate it and embellish it with explanations and loving thoughts. Use it for bedtime listening. It will plant lovely ideas and images into the children's hearts as they drift off to sleep.
Create elegant cards using a computer. Use special computer paper and giant non-ruled index cards. Decorate one side of the card using markers, fancy wrapping paper, pretty stationary, whatever. Use a computer program to retrieve Writings. Print out on special paper, with fancy fonts. Cut out and glue Creative Word on the other side of the card. If you don’t have a reference program or a computer, photocopy onto pretty paper and then cut that out and glue onto card. Or you can print (or photocopy) the Writings out on fine paper with a border and have children decorate border with especially nice markers. Gold ink is special. Read at Holy Day Observance. Give as gifts. Each Writing can have its own card, or you can print a whole page of Writings. Children decorate the borders of every copy and these are the program which everybody receives.
When preparing a program, always try to have some form of music. Live is preferable, but recorded can also be very effective on a good sound system. There are several Baha’i songbooks available with lyrics that are suitable for all kinds of gatherings. Prayers and Writings can be recited to soft background music, sung, signed, said in different languages, and chanted. There are many wonderful Baha’i CDs and tapes with prayers, writings, and songs which promote Baha’i Principles. Reading stories to appropriate background music can also enhance the effect. Some of my favorite Baha’i recordings to use for Holy Days are: We Have Come to Sing Praises by the Baha’i Gospel Choir, On the Wings of Prayer by Mary Davis, (available only through Special Ideas, phone: 800-326-1197) Songs of the Ancient Beauty vol. 1, To the Glory of God by Eric Dozier, Music of the Baha’i World Congress, Lift Up Your Voices and Sing, volumes 1-3, Happy Ayyam-i-Ha with Bill Sears, Sacred Verses by Grant Hindin Miller, Selections from the Baha’i Writings by Paul Parrish, The Greatest Moments, We are Baha’is, and We are Baha’is Too, (all 3 by Jack Lenz), City of Love by Minarets of the West, and Immerse Yourselves by Joe Crone. Red Grammer’s Teaching Peace and the Van Manen’s Barley Bread and Reindeer Milk are both full of Baha’i concepts and are great for children’s parties and Ayyam-i-Ha. The Baha’i compilation on music entitled Baha’i Writings on Music contains many quotes supporting the use of music to increase spiritual receptivity and to intensify the impact of words.
In our Community, at large parties, contra-dances, etc., when the adults want to socialize or when the children’s activities are over, we have found it very helpful and much appreciated to have an arts and crafts table for the children. We provide a supply table with all materials neatly organized in trays and boxes which no one is to sit at; (it blocks access to the materials). Tables with chairs are provided on both sides of the supply table. Only children and involved adults should sit there. No food or drink is allowed on those 3 tables. Children are asked to not remove materials from tables, except their own creations. We supply glue sticks, scissors, pencils with erasers and a few sharpeners, lots of markers, (including skin color markers), many colors of paper-solid color and patterned, (including hair colors), photo copies of children around the world with Baha’i slogans such as “unity in diversity” or “we are all one family,” and pre- cut paper dolls and faces in 8 different skin colors. Kids can choose to just color on the photocopied sheets or decorate the paper dolls or design faces. It is also helpful to have samples of finished dolls as guides. (We have them all over our banners). The skin color markers, paper dolls and faces are all available through Holcomb’s Educational Materials Catalog. Phone: 800-362-9907, web address www.holcombs.com. I have the photocopies of the international children if you need them. Special Ideas catalog also sells an excellent coloring book with lots of Baha’i themed pictures. Phone: 1-800-326-1197. This activity is ALWAYS a BIG hit!
Here's an example of some specific ideas which we use during our family observance on most Holy Days. (We do this whether there is a community observance or not, mainly because many community observances are not geared towards children).
Turn off the phone--taking phone calls during observances and interruptions kill the reverent atmosphere and give children the message that this is not that important. Cue tapes, have books, camera, lighter, and all materials ready so as to avoid losing their attention and distracting from the beauty and dignity of the event. (This is also very important for community and public celebrations.)
We each choose a prayer. We try to use our loveliest, most ornate books for use on Holy Days only. For example, there is an incredibly elegant and highly illuminated Hidden Words that we reserve for Holy Days and Feasts. We read the Writings to beautiful background Celtic harp music. Music opens the hearts. (See Baha'i compilation on music to explore this further.) We tend to keep the Writings short in order to avoid boredom or frictions concerning sitting still and listening quietly. If the parents get irritated or up-tight about disruption, and the kids are feeling resentful, bored, and trapped, the spirit vanishes mighty quick. The importance of a happy, loving, pleasant atmosphere cannot be overemphasized in attempting to attract and bond hearts. (We don't want to expect too little, underestimate our children's capacity to sit still, nor make the program totally catered to their desires, either, however. If this happens, they will believe that they cannot behave and should not have to.)
After the prayers and Writings, we read a story related to the Holy Day. The book Nine Holy Days tells a story for each Day. Try to make the story as exciting and interesting as possible by drawing the children into it, and using actions or props to support the content.
Sometimes, we use something called a question box. It is a little wooden box decorated with ribbon, and stickers. Inside the box are tabs of paper with words written on them. Special words, such as Bahji, are written with gold ink. The names of the Central Figures are on tabs covered with velvet (red for Baha'u'llah, green for The Bab, etc.) perfumed, and written in gold also. (Original idea by Keith Boehme). The children close their eyes and pick a tab out of the box. The word on the tab will be explained if necessary, and an activity related to it will be shared. For example, a song, game, drama, arts and craft, or another story. Sometimes we just present a picture or an object that relates to or is a symbol of the word on the tab. For example, eighteen little green gems strung behind a larger darker green one to symbolize the Eighteen Letters of the Living following The Bab. An arts and crafts example: Prayer #21, p.14 of Prayers and Tablets for the Young can easily be turned into a picture rich in imagery. Try to use more than just paper and markers; use sandpaper for tree trunks, fabric for leaves, sequins for stars, notary seals for suns, ribbon for stems, cotton for clouds, mylar for streams, felt for grass, glitter for radiance, pretty stickers or flowers from flower catalogs for blossoms, frayed strands of satin for wind, rose oil for fragrance, etc. Since this book is probably out of print, here is the prayer, which can be illustrated in 3 separate scenes:
Panel One: O Thou pure God! Let these saplings which have sprouted by the stream of Thy guidance become fresh and verdant through the outpourings of the clouds of Thy tender mercy;
Panel Two: cause them to be stirred by the gentle winds wafting from the meads of Thy oneness
Panel Three: and suffer them to be revived through the rays of the Sun of Reality, that they may continually grow and flourish and burst into blossoms and fruit.
~ Abdu’l-Baha
(The question box and related activities seems to be appealing to the under age 10 child.)
Other activities include:
1) Perusing and discussing a homemade book made from a silk-covered photo album of pictures of places and important figures of the Faith. We have descriptions written in gold and included petals from the Shrines. We also put in an illumined tablet of Baha'u'llah's extracted from The Dawnbreakers.
2) On the more festive occasions, we play cooperative games and dance to Baha'i music as a family, (its more meaningful to young children if the songs are accompanied with actions, for ex., hugging when "love" is mentioned, holding hands for the word "together", i.e., pantomiming any concrete actions or objects. A more elaborate example: To the song “We are Building the Kingdom of God” on the To the Glory of God CD by Eric Dozier (gospel) we provided a box full of different colored and sizes of blocks (relate to diversity) and each block had a heart sticker on it. We explained that the Kingdom of God is not really a building, not really physical, but a world where diverse people’s hearts are connected through the love and teachings of Baha’u’llah. So knowing that the phrase “we are building the kingdom of God” is mentioned approx. 37 times in the song, we asked everyone present to choose a block and going around the room, when that phrase was sung, a person would get up and place their block on the coffee table, connected or touching at least one other block (unless of course one was the first). An elaborate block “kingdom” is created by the end of the song, and you hope nobody knocks it down with their addition. (We gave the younger ones the tip that large blocks do best on the bottom, smaller on top). The kids loved it.
3) We also have sharing time when we share thoughts like: What I like best about this Holy Day or about being a Baha'i, or how I can serve the Faith best, or what I love about my family, sister, etc.
4) If you think your children can handle it, provide them with a long stemmed lighter and let them light the candles. One of my children's favorite activities is blowing out the candles. Most young children get a big kick out of this. (Invest in a candle snuffer or teach them to blow gently or you will have wax all over your tables and walls!)
The Baha’i Distribution Service (BDS) sells many excellent children’s books for all ages on the Central Figures of the Baha’i Faith and many fine cassettes of children’s music as well. (Phone: 800-999-9019). Canada’s Unity Arts is also an excellent Baha’i resource and may have some materials that the U.S. doesn’t. (Phone: 800-465-3287). Brilliant Star Magazine is another excellent resource for stories on the Central Figures and so much more. (Phone: 800-999-9019 to subscribe, call the Baha’i Distribution Service to obtain back issues.) Another good resource is the Enlighten Curriculum by Lea Iverson. This is a 7 book set for K-6th grade. Also, the cassette Let It Be This Generation is extremely well done. One side of this tape is a moving and powerful narrative on The Bab's life, told from the perspective of people who knew him. His childhood, declaration, and death are described in extremely interesting detail. Not for kids under 7. Also, Louhelen and the BDS sell Core Curriculum story books on the Central Figures-the number of titles available keeps growing, so call them for more information. They are beautifully illustrated.
Here are some specific ideas for Ayyam-i-Ha and particular Holy Days:
(Many of the activities described for a specific Holy Day or Ayyam-i-Ha can be slightly altered to fit with almost any Baha’i celebration or Holy Day.) Always have Baha’i literature handy or if appropriate on a display table if you are expecting non-Baha’i guests.
Ayyam-i-Ha
Buy and/or make gifts together. Some ideas for gifts to numerous people are: Baha’i Wall calendars (good consolidation tool), cookies, homemade playdoh, homemade prayer beads, a card which lists the reasons the friend is loved, or lists all the attributes your family notices in that person.
Choose a day to be special wrapping, mailing or personal delivery day and bring gifts to (Baha’i and non-Baha’i) friends and visit old friends who you don't get to see too much.
Make Happy Ayyam-i-Ha cards, or invitations to a party.
Make decorations together. A favorite one for Ayyam-i-Ha is crumpling up or folding several times a coffee filter and dipping sections of it into different colors of food coloring (diluted just a little bit) in different bowls. Use as many as you can handle then flatten them out to dry. When dry, cover with clear contact paper, trim, and punch with a hole punch and string up as banner or vertical hanging.
Roast marshmallows in the fireplace or outside.
Open gifts around a fire, or in a circle, after sharing affirmations of the people present.
Read stories illustrating Baha'i principles or virtues around the fire.
Do a service project.
Have children make good deed coupons as gifts for parents or relatives, etc. The recipients can fill out the desired deed and redeem. Decorating the coupons with markers and stickers is fun.
Make a family video or cassette tape to send to a pioneering family or youth on a year of service.
With your children and their friends make a banner for your home, school, the local Baha'i center or party location.
Have children choose a "special place", mark it with a folded bed spread or other cloth. Place gifts, special foods, and beverages on it overnight for them to gleefully discover in the morning.
Send children on a treasure hunt to find their gifts.
Host a party for children, include cooperative games* (they teach unity in diversity). So many cooperative games can be metaphors for principles in the Faith and children love them. You can also try a treasure hunt, with the clues using virtue definitions or information from the Writings for answers. (If non-Baha’i children are present use clues to teach about the Faith which they can easily deduce.) For example: “Baha’u’llah came to unite the world . Go to an object that represents the answer (Globe) or "Courtesy means I make sure you're happy before I take care of me . Go to something that rhymes with me ." (Tree) "Perseverance means not giving up . Go to a place in the house where we can go up ." (Stairs) For Baha’i children: "The first 18 people to believe in and find The Bab were called The Letters of the Living. Go to where Letters are received in this house." (Mailbox). "The Bab said: I am the Lamp which the Finger of God hath lit. Go to one." (Lamp). Again, you can call me if you need help creating clues. Really emphasize courtesy and walking, otherwise you will have a stampede on your hands! Also, don’t just let children who find the clues read them--this encourages competition and pushing. Make sure every reading child gets to read one; ask the finders who have already read to give their clue to someone who hasn’t found one yet. Non reading children can open up the clue or hold it while it is being read, so they do not feel left out.
Make the treasure something meaningful, relate it to the Faith, for example:
1) Heart magnets (attract the hearts, or pure hearts attract the Holy Spirit)
2) children’s’ books illustrating the beauty of human diversity
3) heart-shaped boxes in which to keep $ for the funds, (to show our love for God)
4) glow in the dark sticker stars (talk about brilliant stars, shining with virtues)
5) Rainbow Bouncers (little plastic discs with a reflective surface on one side which when placed in sunlight creates rainbow splashes on the ceiling and walls.) Relate to Writings on unity in diversity, how the different colors combined make a rainbow beautiful, and how the world is more beautiful because of all the different colored people. (Available at Mr. Fubs Toy store in Yellow Springs, ph: 937-767-9430) Goes well with rainbow stickers which can be given to children in bags of many different colors. (Bags available from Nasco Arts and Crafts Catalog item #SBO1571, ph. 800-558-9595. Web address: eNasco.com . To make the bags even more attractive, you can paste on one sheet from Frank Schaffer’s Write Ons Note Pads #FS 46029 Friends design which shows different colored children holding hands on top of and below the earth with North and South America)
6) smile vials which are film vials decorated with contact paper, smile stickers & shiny stars, with little good deed or chores written in gold on ribbon inside, (when we do good deeds and serve others we shine, bring smiles and happiness to them and ourselves)
7) little crystal hearts (they radiate beautiful light when the light of the sun enters them, and our real hearts radiate God's light to others when His light enters)
8) a new prayer or Baha'i children's book
9) a new Baha'i children’s tape
10) a heart shaped candle to represent the candle of the heart, to be lit during prayers--with parents, --goes very well with Writings of Abdu’l-Baha on pages 24 and 26 in Tablet of the Heart
11) some glass or plastic rhinestone “gems” from your local arts and crafts or sewing store to represent the gems of divine virtue. Discuss what they symbolize, how virtues are like gems in a mine. Ask children to label each gem a virtue they would like to develop or parents and children can discuss which virtues each gem represent in each child. Parents can also take this opportunity to affirm their kids by sharing which virtue-gems are particularly “polished” in their children. Relate to Baha’u’llah’s words: “Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value...” Gleanings p. 260. (Even more meaningful if you have the gems in miniature heart boxes, b/c the best way to show love for God and others is through virtues). Heart boxes are really cheap after Feb. 14. Another nice addition to the gems is the gold cardboard "I am a Noble Soul” Crown of Virtues available through Special Ideas, 1-800-326-1197. Kids can paste their gems on the crown above the virtues named.
12) World Unity craft bags which are the bags mentioned above (in #5) with a set of multi-skin colored miniature paper dolls called Creative Cut-Outs--Calendar size--(Available at school supply stores such as F&S School Supply in Kettering, Ohio, 937-294-1224). Put a package (there are 31) or part of a package of these paper dolls in a Rainbow Bag with a picture of the earth. I use a single sheet from Carson-Dellosa’s Novel Notes #CD9203 Earth design. Even though its not round, it includes all the continents. Its an oval shaped note pad with 50 sheets. (It is available at Holcomb’s School Supply in Dayton, Ohio, phone 937-433-4653). They also make a round one which shows most of the continents. It is item # CD-9376. I ask the children to make a World Unity Poster by pasting the earth sheet on a poster, detailing the dolls, pasting them touching hands encircling the earth, and then decorating with unity/peaceful images.. It helps to have a sample, and even better, examples of people in traditional or native attire to spark ideas. (Call if you need help locating anything I mention in this compilation).
13) Unity in Diversity Art Bags make a great party favor for a party with the same theme. I use the Rainbow bags (see#5, above) and inside I put 10 or more different size and different colored pom poms, 10 or more different colored Wikki Stix (strips of yarn coated in colored wax) and 10 or more diverse pieces of Wonderfoam, which are different shapes cut out from a soft, flat foam. All kids need is a little imagination and glue, and maybe paper, to create a work of art. I explain to the kids that good art is simply taking diverse colors and shapes and unifying them into one beautiful or interesting creation, which is what we should all strive to do in our daily lives with people. These art materials are usually available at most school supply stores such as Holcombs, or through Nasco Arts and Crafts catalog. (see #5) To make the bags even more attractive, you can paste on one sheet from Frank Schaffer’s Write Ons Note Pads #FS 46029 Friends design which shows different colored children holding hands on top of and below the earth with North and South America)
14) Blank Cardboard Puzzles can be purchased from Nasco Arts and Crafts catalog. (see #5) You can get them in sizes ranging from 4” X 5 ½” to 81/2” X 11”. The smallest size costs about $6.50 for 24 puzzles. Kids use markers to create their own design. Before giving them out you can ask “How many of you have ever worked on a puzzle? Ever notice how each piece is different and unique, but each piece is important b/c each contributes to making the puzzle whole and complete. The idea is to connect or unify all the separate pieces so we get one complete picture. People are kind of like puzzle pieces-each person is unique, different, and important b/c each contributes to our one world to make it more beautiful and complete. When we all unify and connect hearts like puzzle pieces, we will have one beautiful, unified world.” Encourage kids to make pictures on the puzzles with Baha’i themes such as unity in diversity, one world, one human family, etc.
15) Rainbow Scratch Art Paper. We often use the rainbow as a symbol for unity in diversity in our Ayyam-i-Ha parties. I don’t care that it’s also the symbol for Gay Rights, etc. Most kids don’t know this, and nobody has ever complained at our parties and we have a lot of homosexual activists here in Yellow Springs, OH. There are books and children’s songs about humanity consisting of Rainbow People, and we use one of the songs in our group singing. (I don’t have the name of the recording, just a copy.) Nasco Arts and Crafts Catalog (see #13) carries white and black papers, which when scratched, rainbow colors appear. We show the kids a matted example of a lovely scene of rainbow human shapes created from the paper and encourage them to create their own at home. We do not give out the sharp sticks the catalog sells for this purpose b/c that is asking for trouble in large groups of children. We roll up the Scratch Art paper with a rubber band and a notepad paper with a picture of a rainbow and diverse kids on it. (Carson-Dellosa's item # CD-9362-available through school supply stores such as Holcomb’s (www.holcombs.com). We place it in a pretty bag with rainbow stickers, some of which come from Special Ideas Catalog, phone # 800-326-1197)
Some of these gifts are more appropriate for Baha’i children only or are too expensive for large groups. These gifts can also be given at the end of the party without the hassle of a treasure hunt. Call me if you need ideas for meaningful party favors for a mixed group.
Do virtue skits: Provide list of virtues on large sheet of paper or dry erase board and tabs of paper with virtues written in gold on them. Divide children into groups, with each group having an adult leader. Each group chooses a virtue with or without seeing it first. Go off into separate groups for 15 minutes. Reconvene, and perform skits. Props and words optional. Audience guesses what virtue. (Ask them to wait until skit is complete before guessing to show respect to performers.) Relate to Ayyam-i-Ha (Days of Giving) by pointing out that the best gifts we can give to the world and to others are our gems of divine virtue. These gifts make the world more beautiful and joyful more than any material gifts. This activity is more suitable for more intimate settings-very large groups of 50 or more would take too long.
Try to have live music and singing, or at least some taped music to dance or sing to or do actions to. It is helpful to have the words on handouts or on a poster or easel to encourage participation in singing.
Loving Hands by Jean Marks and Susan Engle, Feast at My House by Marie and Roger Gervais, and the Happy Ayyam-i-Ha recording with Bill Sears all have great Ayyam-i-Ha songs on them.
Serve fruit smoothies as drinks, relate to unity in diversity. Bananas, strawberries, raspberries, or frozen fruit combinations, vanilla yogurt, honey, and canned fruit juice make good ingredients. Children can mush them together in a large bowl. Put in blender. Store in zip-lock freezer bags if necessary.
Using the Brilliant Star 3/4/93 recipe, make different “skin “ colored cookies. We made circles, and used icing squeezed from pastry bags to make faces. Also, the recipe was very bland, so I suggest increasing the spices, flavorings, butter, and sugar. Basically, we just used a really good foundational vanilla cookie, and used the Brilliant Star recipe for guidance on how to get the different skin colors and different flavors. The flavors are peanut butter, chocolate, vanilla, berry, and ginger-spice. Children love decorating the faces. When we served them at the party we talked about how we are all different on the outside ( the colors and facial features) and have different personalities ( the flavors), but we are all the same essence--spirit (flour, butter, eggs, and sugar).
Two very excellent resources for writings on unity in diversity and oneness are The Power of Unity and Behold Me, both of which are compilations.
A format for parties that has worked well for me is as follows:
· Welcome and Introduction to explain the purpose of the event.
· Kindly share ground rules.
· Prayers and/or a few Writings, (more Writings if a Holy Day) recited, (soft background music and/or sign language enhances the effect) or sung live or on recorded music.
· Songs and Activities (games, dancing, treasure hunt, dramatic presentation, whatever)
· Presentation of gifts (students to parents, children to children, or host to guests, whatever)
· Closing song and Prayers
· Refreshments (cover food with cloth if it is full view during program or do not put it out until near the time, or you will have parents arguing with whining children).
For any Holy Day and Ayyam-i-Ha celebration, students or your own children can be assigned roles of greeters at door, coat takers, program givers, writings givers, opening welcome, readers, performers, servers, gift distributors (use trays and insist that guests remain seated!) and cleaner uppers. It is wise to review manners and hosting etiquette shortly before guests arrive. Rehearse how to: read one’s writing with eloquence, greet people, make guests feel welcome, engage a loner in conversation, hold one’s body during prayers, Writings and performances, etc.
(If you need more ideas, or need assistance in choosing/finding cooperative games please feel free to call me at 937-767-7079)
Prepare a presentation together for school. Include cooperative games in the program and use them to discuss the power of unity. Present a class gift, teacher gift, and treats. Again, call me if you need ideas; I have done several school presentations which were really well received.
Naw-Ruz:
Listen to or sing songs, read poems and stories, do finger plays and creative dramatics all on springtime. Relate to the Baha'i concept that we are in a spiritual springtime. Explain that “the souls of people are like gardens. The Messengers of God are like the gardeners of humanity’s hearts. (“The gardeners of the world of humanity are the Prophets of God.” ~Abdu’l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 194. The holy Manifestations are the ideal Gardeners of human souls, the divine Cultivators of human hearts. ~`Abdu'l-Baha: Promulgation of Universal Peace, page 466)
(Also see Promulgation of Universal Peace pages 295 and 353 for more detailed quotes on the Messengers being Divine Gardeners.)
Whenever a new messenger comes to the world, He creates a spiritual springtime in humanity's hearts. (References to seasons and religions: Gleanings, p. 167,196, Promulgation of Universal Peace: pages 10, 38-39, 54-55, 126-7, 153, 271, 278, Some Answered Questions pages 74-76 and Baha’i World Faith pages 351-2) His teachings plant spiritual seeds in the hearts of people and He wants us to do the same with ourselves and others. (Sow the seeds of My divine wisdom in the pure soil of thy heart......~Baha'u'llah: Persian Hidden Words, #33) I ask what are these seeds? (His words, His teachings, laws, principles, etc). We must take care of the garden of our own and humanity's hearts like a real garden: we must nurture it by weeding out prejudice, fear, racism, apathy, materialism, hate, doubts, idle fancies, etc. The Holy Spirit, and other human beings are not attracted to gardens full of brambles, thorns, slugs, weeds. Caring for heart gardens takes a lot of patience and perseverance. Spirituality, like flowers, take time to grow. Seeds need to germinate in the soil and soul. It takes prayer, love, good deeds, sacrifice, deepening in and obedience to God's teachings.
A useful and attractive visual aid for this is a heart shaped tin, glass bowl, or box (available at cooking supply stores or around Valentines’ Day), filled with dirt, topped with moss (its a lot prettier than dirt) and filled with diverse small silk flowers which have been put on green wire stems (available at most craft stores-the original stems most silk flowers come with are too flimsy). You can decorate the box or tin with ribbon, stickers, and faces of diverse peoples. A game can be played with kids, in which the heart starts out empty. You describe a virtue or a scene and a behavior, and kids try to guess which virtue. The one who gets it right, gets to “plant” one of the flowers (to symbolize that virtue) in the garden of the heart. I have found that kids often share a virtue I did not have in mind, but is definitely portrayed in the actions I described. Having a poster with the virtues for kids to refer to is helpful. Examples of the scenes:
Its the Baha’i fasting period, and I really want to eat that chocolate cake sitting in front of my face but I do not. (steadfastness, self control, obedience, and patience.) I did not accept detachment b/c it is not being detached to lust after something!
I gave a presentation at school, got an A+ on it and everybody loved it. My older sibling assisted me in preparing it. When others praise me and tell me how fantastic it was, I thank them and share that my sibling helped me. (humility, honesty, justice)
You got a brand new puppy and its his first few days away from his mother and litter. Your best friend suddenly invites you to his/her beach house for the weekend. It would be a lot of fun. A neighbor is willing to watch the puppy, but you say no and stay home with your new pet, who is crying a lot. (caring, sacrifice, faithfulness, loving, responsibility, wisdom)
You are a new student at a new school and desperately want to be included and liked. It is mid year and every body has already made friends. As far as you know you are the only Baha’i in the school. A group of kids approach who have somehow got wind that you belong to this funny sounding religion. They ask very loudly and somewhat tauntingly, if you are a Bahooee. You are very tempted to say no, but instead, say, “well, not a Bahooee, I am a Baha’i, and it is my religion. It is very beautiful. Would you like to know about it?” (courage, honesty, detachment, loyalty, self-respect, tact, and sacrifice b/c you may be giving up being popular.)
Some relevant quotes in which the human heart is related to as a garden or as a place where flowers blossom, can be found on pages 46, 61, and 211 of the Kitab-i-Iqan, #s 3 & 33 Persian Hidden Words, and pages 29-30 Tablets of the Divine Plan: message to the Northeastern States at Naw Ruz, dated 3/26 1916 ( 1959 edition, reprinted 1975), & Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 294
Put up decorations which relate to the spring theme. I use lots of butterflies and tie them into the idea of spiritual springtime means spiritual transformation. The butterfly is a great symbol for transformation. I relate the wings to spiritual qualities or virtues, which enable our souls to soar towards God. Caterpillars transform into winged butterflies, humans transform into spiritual beings with soul-wings which are the virtues. Baha’u’llah and Abdu’l-Baha frequently refer to the wings of the soul or the heart. We grow spiritual wings when we transform ourselves with virtues. Children can make butterflies with clothes pins and tissue paper (there are even shimmering tissues available at arts and crafts stores), pipe cleaners for antenna (and legs if you want), plastic eyes-or use markers, glitter glue, metallic markers, small gems, sequins, metallic confetti, etc. for decorating wings, or one can find unfinished wooden butterflies in the spring at some arts and crafts stores, using different shaped wooden wings and spring loaded clothes pins.
Loving Hands by Jean Marks and Susan Engle, and Feast at My House by Marie and Roger Gervais both have great Naw Ruz songs on them.
Have a New Year party, invite non-Baha'is.
Ask each member of the family to devise New Year spiritual resolutions and have a family time to share these goals. For children, I gave them ideas such as: “memorize a new prayer every month, say my memory verse every day, say prayers every morning, read the Creative Word twice a day, stop calling my sibling names, be kind to someone lonely every week, do my chores w/o whining, share with someone the beautiful teachings of my religion every week, not sass my parents, pick up my bedroom every day w/o being asked, do my homework every day with excellence, obey my parents, not lose temper w/ my sibling, practice a virtue I am particularly weak in every day, etc.” I urged them to ponder this and take it seriously. I also encouraged them to set a goal that is somewhat measurable and certainly one that is practical and realistic.
The goals should be written down on pretty paper, perhaps a small strip, rolled up, sealed with a flower sticker, and placed in a heart shaped box. Assess progress in a few months, perhaps on a holy day. I feel that goal setting and follow through are extremely important skills for life. This approach to growth and development is most fundamental in our religion and used constantly in our administrative order. So is evaluation of efforts. We need to train our children now to set goals and follow through, and evaluate their progress with honesty. So many virtues are fostered in this process: high resolve and determination, discipline, excellence, patience, honesty with self, perseverance, etc.---not to mention the virtues inherent in their particular resolution which may be cleanliness, or obedience or sacrifice or courage, etc. Their resolution hopefully is challenging enough to stimulate growth, but not so complex or demanding that it is impractical and doomed to extinction. A child’s goal should not depend on your time or energy in any way, so they can rely only on God and themselves to achieve it.
As a family or community, share the highlights of the year. This can be very uplifting. It can be as elaborate as a slide show with music, a fancy chart with illustrations or just oral sharing. It can be personal achievements, Baha’i events, declarations, and spiritual growth.
Make New Years cards and send; give to teachers, co-workers, etc.
Make “spiritual springtime” picture or mural using Stickers of rainbows, earth, rain, clouds, suns, birds, frogs, bunnies, peace symbols, smile faces, sparkly hands, musical notes, flowers, butterflies, bugs, hearts, etc., stickers or just markers or materials from nature or cut from catalogs and magazines. Encourage children to somehow express the change in the garden of humanity’s hearts. I gave my students lovely heart stickers and tiny paper dolls along with other stickers of things in nature and asked them to convey that unity and love were beginning to grow, that the world was in a spiritual springtime.
Ridvan--the Most Great Festival:
Make luminarias with the family or with your students. These are small white or brown paper bags with sand in the bottom containing a candle. Trim the tops in a fancy way and decorate the bags using markers to represent the world, a natural scene, or an individual. Use gold ink to write a relevant quote on the bag such as those below, light the candles, and line your porch or walkway with them. It creates a very attractive effect. (Keep writing and design several inches above the bottom b/c the sand will block the illumination effect. Especially if the sand is moist, an extra layer of paper cut from about 2-3” of the bottom of an extra bag is a good idea. The bags can also be used inside, lighting each night of Ridvan for prayers, for example.) Relate to the light of Baha'u'llah's Revelation illumining individuals or illumining the world of humanity: “O SON OF BEING! Thou art My lamp and My light is in thee. Get thou from it thy radiance and seek none other than Me.”--Baha'u'llah, Arabic Hidden Words, # 11. “.....the Day-Star of Thy presence hath shed its radiance upon Thy people.”--Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations, page 241. “Illumine my inner being, O my Lord, with the splendors of the Day-Spring of Thy Revelation, even as Thou didst illumine my outer being with the morning light of Thy favor.”--Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations, page 251 and “The light hath shone forth from the horizon of Revelation, and the whole earth hath been illumined at the coming of Him Who is the Lord of the Day of the Covenant!” --Baha’u’llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, pages 133-4. "The whole earth is illuminated with the resplendent glory of God's Revelation." ~Baha'u'llah: Gleanings, page 96
Have children choose 12 flower seedlings. Plant one each day during Ridvan. Relate to the garden of Ridvan. Read them the beautiful quote on pages 320-21 in Gleanings about a Flower which symbolizes Baha'u'llah or His Revelation. Also see The Hidden Words for more flower metaphors.
Allow children to choose 12 roses for the living room.
Every Ridvan I allow my children to each choose one special candle from a store. They really relish this and so we have a lovely collection of special candles just for Ridvan. We also use twelve floating candles of different colors. Three of them are red rose candles which are reserved for the 1st, 9th, and 12th, days of Ridvan. They float in a glass bowl with blue colored water. Every night one more candle is lit, until on the 12th day all are lit. Relate water to the Tigris River Baha’u’llah crossed to enter the garden of Ridvan.
Make or decorate candles with decorating S. Melt rose oil into the wax if you are making the candles. If little fingers cannot manipulate the wax, have them make candle holders from clay or playdoh, decorated with beads, sequins, etc. Tie into the idea that Baha'u'llah's life was like a candle; He sacrificed Himself to give humanity the light of His Revelation. At Ridvan was when He first revealed His Light to the world. Read Baha'i quotes with light or candle imagery in them, especially ones referring to the Light of His Revelation, or that we should be like lights shining in darkness. The Baha'i Writings use these metaphors constantly. See page 20 for a short compilation of candle quotations if you need it. Play or sing songs which talk about Baha'u'llah's light such as "Shine Your Light on Me, Baha'u'llah" from the We Have Come to Sing Praises Baha’i Gospel Choir CD. Goes great with poem called “The Candles” by Janet Bixby, p. 30, Brilliant Star Magazine, Jan.-Feb. 1985, and with the song “Light the Candle” on the Special Times children’s cassette, available from the Baha’i Distribution Service.
At a community or family observance, in a dark room, have children light all the candles during the song “See the Light” from the World Congress CD. (It is best to rehearse who lights what, and have the kids somewhat choreographed in their movements, or you get swarms at one candle, etc.) Before beginning the song, say something like: “Whenever a new Divine Messenger appears, His Revelation brings a powerful new light to the world. His teachings ignite and illumine the souls of humanity and gradually transform civilization. The lighting of the candles symbolizes the spiritual effect of Divine Revelation on the human world.”
Tape 12 (or 19 for the Fast) red paper hearts on a wall, and child places notary seal on a heart each day after reciting a verse. Older children can be encouraged to memorize one a day, thereby earning the notary seal which symbolizes not only the light referred to in the quote, but also it can also be representative of the illumination the heart receives whenever it is exposed to and retains the Words of God. You can also cut the seals to look like a flame. Some of the following quotes with light and heart metaphors could be used: “Let the flame of the love of God burn brightly within your radiant hearts.” Baha'u'llah, Gleanings, page 325. “.....kindle within your hearts the everlasting torch of divine guidance.” Baha'u'llah, Persian Hidden Words, # 35. Look up “light,” “illumine,” or “flame” along with “heart” on a computer reference program for more relevant quotes. There are lots of them!
Do a dramatization of people going into the Garden of Ridvan: Have children pretend to get dressed and cleaned up, anoint them with rose oil, give them loose cloths to wrap around themselves perhaps, have the room filled with freshly cut flowers, including some roses, lots of candles, have lovely mysterious music on, pretend to get into a boat and row across the Tigris river, note swans, fish, anchor the boat, smell the flowers, notice the nightingales singing, butterflies, pick and place real roses on a special cloth in Baha'u'llah's pretend tent, say prayers, reverently leave the tent, etc. Elaborate as much as you wish, (without anyone playing Baha'u'llah, however.) I had pink, red, and white candies which were rose shaped on a plastic stem laying on a brass platter in the “tent”. I told my students that these represented the roses Baha’u’llah gave to the friends in Baghdad as gifts. After placing their real rose on the cloth and saying a prayer, each student took one. Relate sweetness to Writings that use this metaphor to convey God’s love, His revelation, or His Laws. Some examples can be found in Gleanings p. 84-85, 320, 343, Prayers and Meditations pages 82-83 and The Kitab-i-Aqdas p. 20).
Do an arts and crafts afterwards relating to a garden. Here is a description of 2 such a possible art activities, the first one was taken from a parent letter written to explain what my students did during a special Ridvan class:
I read the students the following quote:
Arise, and proclaim unto the entire creation the tidings that He Who is the All-Merciful hath directed His steps towards the Ridvan and entered it. Guide, then, the people unto the garden of delight which God hath made the Throne of His Paradise. ~Baha'u'llah: Gleanings, page 31
I gave them the option of writing the quote in gold on their finished picture or using ones which I had printed on paper. They could cut it out as a thin strip using fancy trim scissors and paste it on the picture. The students were given the following materials with which to create their picture: Many different kinds of flower, heart, bug, butterfly, bird and animal stickers, plus miscellaneous stickers of crowns, candles, sparkly hands, musical notes, and smilely faces, gold notary seals, thin strips of blue mylar for streams or a river, white or different shades of blue card stock, metallic markers in gold and other colors, regular markers, irridescent glitter, regular and fancy trim scissors, and glue sticks. I showed them a picture that one of my former students had made the day before to inspire ideas, but encouraged them to be totally unique and creative. I explained that the notes could symbolize the birds singing, the Nightengale of Paradise (a metaphor for Baha'u'llah in the Baha'i Writings), the divine melodies which Bah'au'llah often refers to which I think mean His Revelation and teachings, and that the glitter could be used to show radiance and luminosity coming from Baha'u'llah's tent in the garden or symbolizing the light of His Revelation, and the crown could symbolize His station as the King of Glory. The only restrictions I gave them was that they must make room for the quote and to not use animals that one would not find the real garden of Ridvan, like a sheep, cow, or dog.
A more elaborate and expensive project is to create a miniature Ridvan garden: Provide an attractive container which is at least 2 inches deep and let children fill with sand or dirt, (potting soil is too fluffy with the peat moss to hold stems) top with moss (available from arts and crafts stores, Walmarts, or JoAnne Fabrics-- moisten moss to flatten if too bushy or use real moss from outside), provide decorative smooth and shiny miniature rocks, (bags of decorative stones are available at Frank’s nursery’s and crafts), decorative potting bark, lots of miniature silk flowers-(cut apart from the bunches and made shorter with wire cutters), tiny branches topped with deer moss for miniature trees (it comes in formed bunches-available from JoAnne Fabrics) or provide cut up, tiny leafed silk or plastic plants to look like trees, tiny animals, a small clay or ceramic container which can be sunken in and filled with blue food coloring and water, or use shiny blue cloth cut into a meandering stream shape to simulate a stream or the river Tigris, a small cardboard rectangle folded in half with pretty fabric glued on it to represent Baha’u’llah’s tent, and perhaps a miniature rectangle of cloth for a rug inside the tent. This activity is beloved by all children and adults. Read story about the significance of the Ridvan garden first, and invite kids to create a beautiful image of it.
Description of Ridvan Metaphor Table
(suitable only for classroom or family, or small community gathering)
Create a special Ridvan table: Cover table with pretty tablecloth (I use vinyl simulated lace because it’s washable). Scent the room with rose oil. (Relate fragrance to quote on p. 321 in Gleanings.) Place lots of beautiful candles in elegant holders (with silk flowers at the base, perhaps), fresh cut flowers and objects which can be metaphors for spiritual truths or for Ridvan all over the table. For ex., a clear glass heart with flowers and a rose inside of it, moon and star metallic confetti, glow in the dark polyester glitter (it makes the table sparkle in a subtle way in the light, like light on snow), brass star garland (stars linked by a gold string,) pretty little mirrors, floating candles (mentioned above), candy roses, etc. Read a story about Ridvan and Writings using garden, flower, candle, and light metaphors. (For ex., Hidden Words Persian 3, 32 & 33, and Kitab-i-Iqan p. 46.) Then take children to the table and after giving a few examples, challenge them to find as many metaphorical/symbolic meanings as possible represented on the table with the objects. For ex: The glass heart with the flowers inside relate to any quote which has the heart as a garden metaphor, such as those mentioned above. The moon reflects light of the sun-- we should reflect light of God, the light of His teachings. (“...Human realities are those souls who, like the moon, take light from the sun....” ~Abdu’l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 154.) Baha’u’llah also refers to truthfulness as a moon (Compilations of Compilations volume 2, p. 332) and prayer as well (The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 40). Stars shine in darkness-- we should be brilliant stars shining in the darkness of ignorance. (“Ye are the stars of the heaven of understanding...” ~Baha’u’llah, p. 196 Gleanings, plus many, many Writings use the star metaphor). Mirrors symbolize the Manifestations as perfect Mirrors (see Gleanings p. 74 and the Kitab-i-Iqan, pgs. 99-100), They reflect the light of the Sun of Reality flawlessly and people are also like mirrors, but we need polishing (Gleanings p. 262 and Baha’i World Faith p. 218, or Promulgation of Universal Peace pgs. 14-15). Stars on a string symbolize community, or that when we act like “brilliant stars” i.e. virtuous, we are unifying. (“The brightness of the fire of your love will no doubt fuse and unify the contending peoples and kindreds of the earth . . .” p. 88 Tablets of Baha’u’llah.) Glow in the dark glitter represents shining in darkness, being luminous and radiant (lots of quotes relate to this). Candles represent Baha’u’llah’s sacrifice to give the light of His revelation, or enkindlement of the candle of the heart. A heart shaped candle goes with: “Let the flame of the love of God burn brightly within your radiant hearts.” -~Baha’u’llah p. 325, Gleanings. (Also The Hidden Words, Persian #32, plus many other Writings use this analogy). A heart shaped oil lamp also goes well with the quote on p. 325 of Gleanings, and also ties into the second part of this quote: Feed it with the oil of Divine guidance...... Flowers evoke garden of Ridvan or are a symbol for the soul which needs the light of God’s teachings, the showers of His mercy and bounties (see Baha’i children’s prayers and tablets by Abdu’l-Baha for relevant quotes). A crystal bowl with 12 floating flower shaped candles, 3 of which are extra special, of course symbolizes the 12 days of Ridvan, and the 3 holy days. The water can symbolize the river Tigris, or one can relate the water to a quote such as: “Blessed the sore athirst who hasteneth to the soft-flowing waters of My loving-kindness.”, ~Baha'u'llah: Tablets of Baha'u'llah, page 16. Sweets go with: Cause me to taste, O my Lord, the divine sweetness of Thy remembrance and praise. I swear by Thy might! Whosoever tasteth of its sweetness will rid himself of all attachment to the world and all that is therein, and will set his face towards Thee, cleansed from the remembrance of any one except Thee. ~Baha'u'llah: Prayers and Meditations, pages 82-83. They love this activity b/c its like a riddle or detective game and are naturally good at it. I have a compilation of quotes ready that relate to the metaphor table, which I refer to if kids need inspiration for finding metaphors.
Next, ask each child to choose a candle they would like to light. (Make sure you have a long fire place or grill lighter to prevent burns). Have them think of a friend they would like to teach, and that this candle represents the candle of that person’s heart. (There are heart shaped candles available.) Then turn off the lights, put on some Baha’i or mystical music and begin lighting all the candles. This should be done in a dark room, if possible, for effect. Children love this experience. After all candles are lit, stand around the table holding hands and sing “Shine Your Light on Me Baha’u’llah” from the Baha'i Gospel Choir CD We Have Come to Sing Praises or “Light the Candle” from the Special Times children’s cassette, which also has quotes in the song extremely relevant to this activity. Before or after the candle song read the poem called The Candles, p. 30 Brilliant Star, Jan. 1985. Blow out all the candles, discuss how spiritually dark the world is and how each one of us has the duty of spreading the light of Baha’u’llah’s revelation all over the world, (see p. 12 Tablet of the Heart and Tablets of the Divine Plan for quotes using the analogy of light and teaching) or how each one of us has the light of God in us, (Hidden Words, Arabic #11) and we need to shine this light on others by being loving, kind, etc. (Gleanings p. 305: “Let your acts be a guide unto all mankind .........It is through your deeds that ye can distinguish yourselves from others. Through them the brightness of your light can be shed upon the whole earth”). Talk about how others may try to put out our light, but we will be steadfast. Explain how Baha’u’llah’s teachings and principles bring light to the world, then present them with a basket full of glow sticks. Each child has to name a teaching, law, or principle that illuminates the souls of humanity, or that guides us in the darkness of these times, and then they get to choose a glow stick. If they run out of principles, so they don’t start just copying each other, have them recite any writings or prayers of of Baha’u’llah’s, noting that His words bring light to our souls. Then turn out the lights and play and sing to the old spiritual “This Little Light of Mine”. Raffi has a fun version on his Rise and Shine recording. (The glow sticks are available from Oriental Trading Co. Catalog, ph. 800-228-2269 or www.orientaltrading.com ) They will have a wonderful time dancing and waving and tossing their glow sticks in the air. The room must be quite dark for this to work.
Ideas for public/community celebrations:
Give children soap hearts after relating them to the writing on p. 67 in Gleanings about Manifestations using Their Revelation “for the cleansing of every longing heart and receptive spirit from the dross and dust of earthly cares and limitations.” You can also read that quote and the 3 following ones and ask children to guess what the gift is: 1) Hidden Word # 59 Arabic, 2) “Cleanse from your hearts the love of worldly things..”--Gleanings, page 275, and 3) “....love of God and spiritual attraction do cleanse and purify the human heart.”--Selections from the Writings of `Abdu'l-Baha, page 202. They seem to enjoy guessing and then dipping their hands into a sack or some receptacle and retrieving their gift. Its always best to share the writings before handing out the related gift--otherwise children’s attention is focused on what is in their hand, not what’s coming out of your mouth!
You can also give the children rhinestone gems (see page 11 #11 gift). Relate to Baha’u’llah’s announcement at Ridvan by using the quote on p. 287 in Gleanings: “The Purpose of the one true God, exalted be His Glory, in revealing Himself unto men is to lay bare those gems that lie hidden within the mine of their true and inmost selves.” The quote on p. 299 (1st full paragraph) in Gleanings supports that these gems are virtues. If you need the specific dialogue that accompanies this presentation, call me. It involves audience participation with question and answers, relating the gems to virtues and people as divine mines.
When Baha’i and non-Baha’i children take home a concrete object from a Holy Day celebration they have something to reinforce their fond memory of their experience and of the knowledge they acquired. Here’s a detailed description of a gift presentation using the garden of the heart metaphor which was used for the 12th Day of Ridvan in 1997, with a group of about 100--with approximately 30 children: (The dialogue was oriented more towards adults).
“The Baha’i Teachings frequently use nature and the phenomenal world to explain spiritual truths. An example of this is comparing the spiritual effect of a new Divine Messenger to that of springtime and the souls of humanity to that of a garden. Thus, Baha’is believe that the coming of Baha’u’llah has generated a spiritual springtime in the garden of humanity’s hearts and that spiritual seeds are being planted in hearts and minds through the spreading of His teachings. Like gardens in spring, souls are gradually being renewed, revitalized, and re-adorned with fresh blossoms. Baha’u’llah often refers to these blossoms as virtues: He talks about the “hyacinths of knowledge and wisdom”, the “tulips of understanding”, the “myrtles of unity” and the “rose of love.” He says: “In the garden of thy heart plant naught but the rose of love.”. So, as a Ridvan gift for all the children, we would like to give each of you a little perfumed rose to wear over your heart--to remind you of this spiritual springtime and also that whenever you show love, its like having a rose bloom in the garden of your heart.” (Distribute miniature roses with little pins in them. The roses can be found at any fabric store, they come in many different colors, and are glued to a small green ribbon. We put tiny pins on the back and a drop of rose oil on each one. We put them all in a beautiful engraved silver heart-shaped box from India. It had a hinged lid and was lined in purple velvet. When I opened the box, the scent of rose filled the area.) Then I said: “And finally, we would like to invite everybody here to choose any real flower from any of the vases to take home with you when you leave tonight. Now we’ll close with a final quote from Baha’u’llah and then let’s enjoy each other and the refreshments. Thank you. “ (With a few modifications this presentation could be used for Naw-Ruz also.)
“O friends! It behoveth you to refresh and revive your souls through the gracious favors which in this Divine, this soul-stirring Springtime are being showered upon you... How high the reward of him that hath not deprived himself of so great a bounty, nor failed to recognize the beauty of his Best-Beloved in this, His new attire. “ ~Baha'u'llah: Gleanings, page 94
A nice touch during this presentation to provide a concrete visual illustration: Have a child stand next to the presenter while holding a heart-shaped tin or box which is decorated For ex: glue a red ribbon around the outside, paste different colored children’s faces on notary seals and paste these on top of the ribbon encircling the heart, with flower stickers in between the seals. Fill the heart with dirt, then top with moss. Take many different kinds of small silk flowers and put them on strong wire stems (available in the silk flower section of craft stores.) Arrange them in the heart.
This presentation was the last part of an hour long observance which included several musical selections, (“See The Light” from the World Congress CD, during which children draped in silk cloth gracefully lit all the candles in the room, (this has to be rehearsed) and “I Have Found Baha’u’llah” live with the children and a guitarist, a Hidden Word solo, reading scripture--printed in a fancy font on rose bordered paper for all the guests, a short dramatic presentation by my students using the Gift Box (mentioned earlier in this compilation), an expressive reading of The Wonderlamp story-poem --the illustrations of which we had made into slides, A Baha’i Youth Workshop Dance called Progressive Revelation, and my students in a choreographed dance to “In This Day Baha’u’llah” from the Baha’i Gospel CD We Have Come to Sing Praises”. It was quite an elaborate affair, even non-Baha’is were moved to tears, and the children will remember it for a long time! If you ever need suggestions for a Holy Day program, feel free to call me.
Instead of rose pins you can also provide ½ of a miniature heart box (Heart boxes are really easy to find and cheap after Valentine’s Day. I used gold leaf coated ones that I got for 75 cents --75%) off) Make perfumed green playdoh using rose oil and a standard playdoh recipe. The fragrance is stronger if you put it in after the playdoh is done cooking and cooled. Estimate how many children will be at your celebration and make sure you have ½ box for each and figure out how much playdoh you will need to fill each half to the top. Buy a myriad of diverse miniature silk flowers-they usually come in bunches so you will have to use a wire cutter and cut them apart. Place the flowers in large trays because kids love to sift through the diversity, put the playdoh in plastic ziplock bags to keep soft and transfer to a more attractive container before the event. Also have heart boxes in pretty basket or an attractive larger box. Say same dialogue as above except say “So as a Ridvan gift for all the children, we would like to give each of you a little golden heart box to be filled with little flowers to remind you that the garden of your hearts are all in a spiritual springtime because Baha’u’llah has come and planted the seeds of a new revelation in them.” You can simplify the wording if necessary or adapt to be acceptable to your non-Baha’i guests. We had over 20 seekers and none of them complained! The children loved filling their heart gardens with playdoh, which smelled like roses, and then “planting” the designated number of flowers. The older ones even made patterns and designs with their flowers. (Can be used for Naw-Ruz also.)
One year, using the heart garden described previously, I gave a 15 minute child oriented presentation which elaborated on how our hearts are like gardens, how the Messengers are like the Divine gardeners of the human heart (Promulgation of Universal Peace, pages 295, 353, 466), and that when they come, They plant new spiritual seeds (Their teachings) causing new flowers to bloom in the garden of humanity’s hearts. (There are many writings relating the coming of a new Messenger to spiritual springtime such as Some Answered Questions page 74, Promulgation of Universal Peace pages 10-11, 54). Also using the Writings, I related those flowers to virtues (an excerpt from the Persian Hidden Words #s 3, 33 & 78). (The Kitab-i-Iqan page 46 also supports this concept, but it is not as child friendly a quote.) A child standing next to me was holding the empty heart garden, (except for dirt and moss) another one was holding a heart shaped box full of silk flowers on short wire stems. After the explanation, I described the expression of a virtue, and a child in the audience would raise their hand and try to guess it. If correct, that child would come up to the front of the room and choose a flower to plant in the heart garden and stick it in. Kids really got involved in this, but you have to be careful to keep it positive if a child answers incorrectly. Some audiences may need bigger hints, even providing the first letter sound of the virtue’s name. Here is the gist of the dialogue:
“Baha’u’llah wrote many, many books. In these books, He often said that the hearts of people are like gardens. He did not mean the heart inside of us that beats and pumps blood. He meant our ______?” (Talk about gardens, ask who has ever planted one, if they start out beautiful, how much work they are, etc. show heart garden tin) “Baha’u’llah’s teachings also explain that the Messengers of God are like the Gardeners of peoples hearts all over the world.” (Talk about gardeners and the functions they perform). “So, whenever a new Messenger from God comes to the world, that Messenger’s teachings, His Words, plant spiritual seeds in the hearts of people.“ (Have child plant some real seeds, but explain that spiritual seeds are invisible but the result is visible, such as unity and good deeds). “Slowly, these spiritual seeds grow and then new flowers blossom in the garden of people’s hearts, their souls. Baha’u’llah said: “.....Sow the seeds of My divine wisdom in the pure soil of the heart, ......that the hyacinths of knowledge and wisdom may spring up fresh and green.....” Persian Hidden Words, #78 (Show a real hyacinth flower, pass it around for children to smell, explain that here Baha’u’llah says that knowledge and wisdom are like a hyacinth.) “What might be some other spiritual flowers that can grow in peoples’ hearts?” (Virtues-at this point the guessing game begins, with you describing the expression of a virtue -except love-save that one for later---which would be meaningful to a child from their daily life, then call on someone who has raised their hand. Have a list handy of concrete virtues. If they are basically right ---some situations you describe will reflect more than one virtue, for example generosity also involves sacrifice and detachment--- that child gets to choose a silk flower to plant. After the flowers are gone, or it is obviously time to move on, say something like:) “So what this means is that when a new Messenger like Baha’u’llah comes, His teachings cause a spiritual springtime in the souls of humanity b/c virtues begin to blossom like flowers in the garden of our hearts. Gardeners also remove weeds. Baha’u’llah tells us that His teachings can remove the weeds in the hearts of people. What are some weeds in the hearts of people?” (prejudice, materialism, selfishness, etc.) “In closing, can you tell me the name of the virtue that is the answer to these 4 clues: The world needs a lot more of it, if everyone practiced it every day all day, we would have no war, fighting, or people hurting other people in any way, you all have given and received it, and its a four letter word.” (=Love, and whoever you call on and gets it right, gets to plant a tall rose in the center of the heart tin, which you have kept separate from the supply of flowers. As they are doing so, you can say something like:) “In one of His books, Baha’u’llah talks about the rose of love. (Persian Hidden Words, #3) The rose is considered by many to be the most beautiful flower on earth, and the Ridvan Garden was full of them. Followers of Baha’u’llah gave Him so many roses from the garden of Ridvan the pile in His tent was too big to see across! And during Ridvan, Baha’u’llah sent roses to His friends in the city of Baghdad. So, as a Ridvan gift for all the children and youth, we would like to give each of you a little perfumed rose to wear over your heart, to remind you that a new spiritual springtime has begun with the coming of Baha’u’llah, and also, that whenever you show love, its like having a rose bloom in the garden of your heart.”
The above presentation gives a more educational, less formal feel to the holy day, and should not be used with groups over 50. I don’t do it often, b/c we generally have a very elegant and structured program for our big public Ridvan celebration. But there are always 3 holy days in Ridvan, and for the other 2, we usually have more casual and intimate observances-which are more appropriate circumstances for this kind of activity. A home or classroom venue are ideal.
Also instead of rose pins or heart gardens you can give out 4 inch glow sticks and relate to the light of Baha’u’llah’s revelation illumining the world. There are hundreds of quotes which relate to this. I always wrap the sticks in pretty paper to make them more elegant. If your event is not at night, this might not be a good idea, unless you can darken a room. At one Ridvan the children gleefully opened their light sticks, traded for their favorite colors, and then danced to “This Little Light of Mine” in the dark waving their sticks wildly. Some children even did impromptu choreography together. (A nice version of this song is on Raffi’s Rise and Shine recording) The Oriental Trading Company Catalog sells light sticks. They are a bit cheaper in bulk, but if you buy them individually you get a greater variety of colors. Call 800-228-2269 to order or Glow Magic at 877-456-9624.
Day of the Covenant:
Say Tablet of Visitation. This is also beautifully done on the Wings of Prayer cassette, (see p. 7).
Have children memorize passages from Tablet of the Heart, especially ones mentioning Abdu'l-Baha. Let them share their new verses and write them in gold ink, let children decorate borders. (Pages from the Sunflower Book #2 "My Favorite Prayers and Passages" can be copied and used for this purpose. They have a variety of borders surrounding a blank space for the Writings.)
Dance to songs about Abdu'l-Baha from the Happy Ayyam-i-Ha, Artists for the Arc, or Loving Hands tapes, use musical instruments, point to picture of Him when His name is mentioned in the songs as part of the dance. Or have your children or students choreograph and perform for the Holy Day.
Discuss who Abdu'l-Baha is and why He is so special and important, what His name means. Mention His station as Center of the Covenant, infallible interpreter, and perfect exemplar. Talk about covenants and promises.
Read stories or poems about Him. Ask children what virtues He expressed in the story. Brilliant Star Magazine May 1985 issue has a beautiful poem about Abdu’l-Baha.
Children love this arts and crafts activity: Provide an abundance of miscellaneous materials and illustrate in 3D any of the Writings from Tablet of the Heart children’s book, which is an incredibly beautiful compilation of Abdu’l-Baha’s Writings which are really relevant to children’s daily lives.
Give the children situations to act out, behaving as they think Abdu'l-Baha would. Or, do the virtue skits described on page 10, noting that Abdu’l-Baha was the perfect example of virtues in action, that we are to strive to be like Him and that He said that the purpose of our lives was to acquire virtues (Paris Talks p. 177).
Talk about how Abdu’l-Baha gave us a wealth of guidance on how to live our lives, and how He particularly loved children and wrote many tablets on how to educate them so they would be spiritual beings and transform the world. Then hand out to everyone a sheet with 10-15 selections from Tablet of the Heart. Next, present a basket which contains these same selections on separate pieces of folded paper. Divide those willing to participate into groups of 2-4 children with an adult or youth. Each group chooses a piece of paper and in separate rooms develops a pantomime skit (props optional) and reconvenes in 10 minutes. (If the group can’t think of how to express their writing, let them choose another). Using the sheet with the selections, audience guesses which selection is being acted out. (Ask them to wait until the skit is done to show respect, and to read in full the writing so this becomes like a deepening also.) This activity has always been a big success.
Teach young children the following fingerplay, explaining how we should use our physical bodies to serve humanity and express virtues, relate to Abdu’l-Baha’s behavior: Two eyes to see nice things to do, 2 lips to smile the whole day through, 2 ears to hear what others say, 2 hands to put our toys away, a tongue to speak sweet words each day, a loving heart for work or play, 2 feet that errands gladly run, make happy days for everyone. (By Louise Oglevee).
Give children a bookmark with 4 stickers on it: A star to represent shining spiritually like a brilliant star when we are virtuous like Abdu’l-Baha, a butterfly to represent how we become spiritually transformed when we try to be like Abdu’l-Baha as a caterpillar does, a heart to represent the love Abdu’l-Baha had for all people, especially children, and how we should do the same, and a flower to represent the beauty we bring to the world when we are virtuous and spiritual like Abdu’l-Baha. Suggest that children put it in a book from which they are memorizing passages to help them grow spiritually.
On one particular Day of the Covenant we decorated our house with stars every where. Stars of all sizes and colors (including gold, silver, iridescent, & holographic) can be obtained from Stumps Party catalog (phone 800-348-5084). Kinkos and Office Depot often carry papers with the star motif. I just recently learned from Lights of Guidance than it is the 5 pointed, not the 9 pointed star which is the symbol for our Faith, so these stars are perfect. Any way, since both Abdu’l-Baha and Baha’u’llah use the star metaphor extensively, I decided to take advantage of this and go all out to create a magical atmosphere for our holy day. My twin sister and I decorated until wee hours of the morning and this was the end result: Flat stars on the ceiling and lampshades, fold out cardboard stars on the walls, luminaria bags with star shaped holes lining the outdoor walkway, star floating candles, 3 dimensional stars hanging from various places, the Writings on paper covered with stars, the programs had stars, plates, cups, and napkins with stars, star shaped plastic ice cubes, and for a gift for the children, small party bags with stars on the outside and all sorts of stars on the inside for arts and crafts (sequins, confetti, rhinestone stars in a film vial wrapped in gold contact paper, star stickers, puffy fabric stars, shiny cardboard stars, star tissue paper etc. Star items are always cheap and on sale after Christmas. The program heading after the title of the holy day was “Ye must shine as stars radiating the light of love toward all mankind.” Abdu’l-Baha, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 348 The program included prayers by Abdu’l-Baha for children to music, Writings about Abdu’l-Baha and Writings using the star metaphor by Abdu’l-Baha, short stories about Him, virtue skits (see pages 11-12), gifts for the kids, and of course refreshments. We talked about what it means to shine in darkness, that it is the virtues which make us radiant and luminous in this darksome world. We also pointed out that Abdu’l-Baha was the perfect exemplar of virtues-the stories reinforced this awareness. The skits were hilarious and touching and we all had a blast. The children loved the decorations-they oohed and ahhed as they came in and the whole evening was filled with cheerful and warm feelings.
Here are the Writings we used referring to Abdu’l-Baha:
Render thanks unto God, O people, for His appearance; for verily He is the most great Favor unto you, the most perfect bounty upon you; and through Him every mouldering bone is quickened. Whoso turneth towards Him hath turned towards God, and whoso turneth away from Him hath turned away from My beauty, hath repudiated My Proof, and transgressed against Me. He is the Trust of God amongst you....We have sent Him down in the form of a human temple. Blest and sanctified be God Who createth whatsoever He willeth through His inviolable, His infallible decree. ~Baha'u'llah, (referring to Abdu'l-Bahá)
Blessed, doubly blessed, is the ground which His footsteps have trodden, the eye that hath been cheered by the beauty of His countenance, the ear that hath been honoured by hearkening to His call, the heart that hath tasted the sweetness of His love, the breast that hath dilated through His remembrance, the pen that hath voiced His praise, the scroll that hath borne the testimony of His writings. ~Baha'u'llah, (referring to Abdu'l-Bahá)
He is, and should for all time be regarded, first and foremost, as the Center and Pivot of Baha'u'llah's peerless and all-enfolding Covenant, His most exalted handiwork, the stainless Mirror of His light, the perfect Exemplar of His teachings, the unerring Interpreter of His Word, the embodiment of every Baha'i ideal, the incarnation of every Baha'i virtue, the Most Mighty Branch sprung from the Ancient Root, the Limb of the Law of God, the Being "round Whom all names revolve," the Mainspring of the Oneness of Humanity, the Ensign of the Most Great Peace, the Moon of the Central Orb of this most holy Dispensation - styles and titles that are implicit and find their truest, their highest and fairest expression in the magic name Abdu'l-Baha. He is, above and beyond these appellations, the "Mystery of God" - an expression by which Baha'u'llah Himself has chosen to designate Him, and which, while it does not by any means justify us to assign to Him the station of Prophethood, indicates how in the person of Abdu'l-Baha the incompatible characteristics of a human nature and superhuman knowledge and perfection have been blended and are completely harmonized. ~Shoghi Effendi
I chose the following Writings with star metaphors because many can be understood by children and seekers not that familiar with Baha’i Writings.
The Writings and Words of Abdu'l-Bahá
God has crowned you with honour and in your hearts has He set a radiant star; verily the light thereof shall brighten the whole world!
All those who seek truth in the Heavenly Kingdom shine like the stars; they are like fruit trees laden with choice fruit, like seas full of precious pearls.
Let the love and light of the Kingdom radiate through you until all who look upon you shall be illumined by its reflection. Be as stars, brilliant and sparkling in the loftiness of their heavenly station.
It is incumbent upon you to ponder in your hearts and meditate upon His words, and humbly to call upon Him, and to put away self in His heavenly Cause. These are the things that will make of you signs of guidance unto all mankind, and brilliant stars shining down from the all-highest horizon, and towering trees in the Abha Paradise.
He whom the grace of Thy mercy aideth, though he be but a drop, shall become the boundless ocean, and the merest atom which the outpouring of Thy loving-kindness assisteth, shall shine even as the radiant star.
Erelong ye will, with your own eyes, witness how brilliantly every one of you, even as a shining star, will radiate in the firmament of your country the light of divine Guidance, and will bestow upon its people the glory of an everlasting life.
Strive, therefore, with heart and soul that ye become...... glittering stars on the horizon of Truth and may become the cause of the propagation of the light of the Kingdom...
Be ye assured with the greatest assurance that, verily, God will help those who are firm in His Covenant in every matter, through His confirmation and favor, the lights of which will shine forth unto the east of the earth, as well as the west thereof. He will make them the signs of guidance among the creation and as shining and glittering stars from all horizons.
O God, guide me, protect me, make of me a shining lamp and a brilliant star.
O my Lord and my Hope! Help Thou Thy loved ones to be steadfast in Thy mighty Covenant, to remain faithful to Thy manifest Cause, and to carry out the commandments Thou didst set down for them in Thy Book of Splendours; that they may become banners of guidance and lamps of the Company above, wellsprings of Thine infinite wisdom, and stars that lead aright, as they shine down from the supernal sky. Verily art Thou the Invincible, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
Bestow upon us the breath of the Holy Spirit, so that we may be assisted in Thy service and, like unto brilliant stars, shine in these regions with the light of Thy guidance. Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Wise and the Seeing.
The page references were removed to give the document a more elegant and less academic look.
Another theme you can use is candles. Abdu’l-Baha used this metaphor very frequently in His Writings, and the World Congress CD has a beautiful song about Abdu’l-Baha using the candle image.
Here are some related quotes:
Beg thou God to make thee a lighted candle, so that thou mayest guide a great multitude through this darksome world. ~`Abdu'l-Baha: Selections from the Writings of`Abdu'l-Baha, page 100
Every morning at dawn I supplicate the Kingdom of God and ask that you may be filled with the breath of the Holy Spirit, so that you may become brilliant candles, shine with the light of guidance and dispel the darkness of error. ~`Abdu'l-Baha: Baha'i World Faith, page 429
The world of humanity is filled with darkness; you are its radiant candles.
~`Abdu'l-Baha: Promulgation of Universal Peace, page 337
You must become the shining candles of moral precepts and spiritual ideals and be the means of the illumination of others. Clothe your bodies with the robes of virtues.
~`Abdu'l-Baha: Excellence in All Things, page 376
Like a candle must ye shed your light,.... Illumine the hearts of humankind.....In the darkness of the world be ye radiant flames.... Now is the time to serve, now is the time to be on fire.
~`Abdu'l-Baha: Selections from the Writings of`Abdu'l-Baha, pages 266-267
I pray in your behalf, seeking heavenly confirmations for you that each one may become a radiant candle, shedding light in the world of humanity. ~`Abdu'l-Baha: Promulgation of Universal Peace, page 320
It is religion, to sum up, which produces all human virtues, and it is these virtues which are the bright candles of civilization. ~`Abdu'l-Baha: Secret of Divine Civilization, page 98
So far as ye are able, ignite a candle of love in every meeting, and with tenderness rejoice and cheer ye every heart. ~`Abdu'l-Baha: Selections from the Writings of`Abdu'l-Baha, page 34
And here is yet another program used for the Day of the Covenant, geared mostly for Baha’is on the power of the Covenant:
Musical Selection:
When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation is ended, turn your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched from this Ancient Root. ~Baha'u'llah: The Kitab-i-Aqdas, page 63 (From Joe Crone’s Immerse Yourselves...)
2. O ye beloved of God, know that steadfastness and firmness in this new and wonderful Covenant is indeed the spirit that quickeneth the hearts which are overflowing with the love of the Glorious Lord; verily, it is the power which penetrates into the hearts of the people of the world! Your Lord hath assuredly promised His servants who are firm and steadfast to render them victorious at all times, to exalt their word, propagate their power, diffuse their lights, strengthen their hearts, elevate their banners, assist their hosts, brighten their stars, increase the abundance of the showers of mercy upon them, and enable the brave lions to conquer.
3. Hasten, hasten, O ye firm believers! Hasten, hasten, O ye steadfast! Abandon the heedless, set aside every ignorant, take hold of the strong rope, be firm in this Great Cause, draw light from this Evident Light, be patient and be steadfast in this wise Religion! Ye shall see the hosts of inspiration descending successively from the Supreme World, the procession of attraction falling incessantly from the heights of heaven, the abundance of the Kingdom of El-Abha outpouring continually and the teachings of God penetrating with the utmost power, while the heedless are indeed in evident loss.......
4. Were it not for the protecting power of the Covenant to guard the impregnable fort of the Cause of God, there would arise among the Baha'is, in one day, a thousand different sects as was the case in former ages. But in this Blessed Dispensation, for the sake of the permanency of the Cause of God and the avoidance of dissension amongst the people of God, the Blessed Beauty (may my soul be a sacrifice unto Him), has through the Supreme Pen written the Covenant and the Testament; He appointed a Center, the Exponent of the Book and the annuller of disputes. Whatever is written or said by Him is conformable to the truth and under the protection of the Blessed Beauty. He is infallible. The express purpose of this last Will and Testament is to set aside disputes from the world.
5. Suffer the friends to become firm in the Covenant and give the message of the Kingdom of Abha to other souls. Praise be to God that the believers in America are steadfast but the firmer they are the better that no one might be able to intrude and introduce disputes, for disputes destroy the foundation of God's Institution.
Musical Selection:
Earth and heaven cannot contain Me; what can alone contain Me is the heart of him that believeth in Me, and is faithful to My Cause. ~Baha'u'llah: Gleanings, page 186
(From Joe Crone’s Immerse Yourselves...)
7. His Holiness Abraham, on Him be peace, made a covenant concerning His Holiness Moses and gave the glad-tidings of His coming. His Holiness Moses made a covenant concerning the Promised One, i.e. His Holiness Christ, and announced the good news of His Manifestation to the world. His Holiness Christ made a covenant concerning the Paraclete and gave the tidings of His coming. His Holiness the Prophet Muhammad made a covenant concerning His Holiness the Bab and the Bab was the One promised by Muhammad, for Muhammad gave the tidings of His coming. The Bab made a Covenant concerning the Blessed Beauty of Baha'u'llah and gave the glad-tidings of His coming for the Blessed Beauty was the One promised by His Holiness the Bab. Baha'u'llah made a covenant concerning a promised One who will become manifest after one thousand or thousands of years. He likewise, with His Supreme Pen, entered into a great Covenant and Testament with all the Baha'is whereby they were all commanded to follow the Center of the Covenant after His departure, and turn not away even to a hair's breadth from obeying Him.
8. In the Book of Aqdas, He has given positive command in two clear instances and has explicitly appointed the Interpreter of the Book. Also in all the Divine Tablets, especially in the Chapter of The Branch - all the meanings of which mean the Servitude of Abdu'l-Baha, that is Abdu'l-Baha - all that was needed to explain the Center of the Covenant and the Interpreter of the Book has been revealed from the Supreme Pen. Now as Abdu'l-Baha is the Interpreter of the Book He says that the "Chapter of The Branch" means Abdu'l-Baha, that is, the Servitude of Abdu'l-Baha, and none other. ~`Abdu'l-Baha: Baha'i World Faith, pages 357-359
9. Today, the Lord of Hosts is the defender of the Covenant, the forces of the Kingdom protect it, heavenly souls tender their services, and heavenly angels promulgate and spread it broadcast. If it is considered with insight, it will be seen that all the forces of the universe, in the last analysis serve the Covenant. In the future it shall be made evident and manifest.
~`Abdu'l-Baha: Selections from the Writings of `Abdu'l-Baha, page 228
10. O my Lord and my Hope! Help Thou Thy loved ones to be steadfast in Thy mighty Covenant, to remain faithful to Thy manifest Cause, and to carry out the commandments Thou didst set down for them in Thy Book of Splendours; that they may become banners of guidance and lamps of the Company above, wellsprings of Thine infinite wisdom, and stars that lead aright, as they shine down from the supernal sky. Verily art Thou the Invincible, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. ~`Abdu'l-Baha: Selections from the Writings of `Abdu'l-Baha, page 259
Musical Selection: Look at Me, Follow Me (From the World Congress CD)
In conclusion, every parent or teacher can create experiences which are meaningful to their particular children or students using the imagery in the Writings. I tend to use flower, garden, light, star, candle, mirror, gem, and heart metaphors a lot. But you may be attracted to and find it easier to employ different symbols. (Water, wings and soaring, and sweetness are others). The key is beauty, joy, love, unity, and dignity in implanting the Baha'i reality and spirit into their hearts and souls forever.
Some excerpts from letters to parents about holy days and Ayyam-i-Ha:
Thank you for supporting all the extra activities surrounding this Ayyam-i-Ha event. I know from listening to former students who are now adolescents that they will never forget these experiences and that happy and warm memories of Baha'i life form a solid foundation for their Baha'i identity-- which will be tested as they grow older. The more interesting, beautiful, emotionally powerful, interactive, and joyful experiences we can provide our children in Baha'i contexts, the more this spiritual identity will be woven into the very core of their beings and personalities. The children are also learning practical skills such as speaking in public, cooking, art, cooperation and many other virtues, hospitality and hosting, goal setting, drama, etc. which can all be used in service to humanity and to God. By actively contributing to Baha'i events children feel empowered and valued as Baha'i community members, not just as passive recipients of their parent's religion. And that is what this Faith is all about: Developing the will, the potential, the skills, and the spiritual attributes of individuals so that they can transform themselves and the world. We want to raise children who feel that they can make a difference, who feel that their efforts and contributions are important and valued, who have the confidence and faith that they can be a catalyst for positive spiritual and social change. The more we actively involve our children in our Faith, the more personally relevant and meaningful their religion becomes. Yes, it takes a lot more work on our part to involve them in processes than to just do it ourselves for them or to them--but they just learn to be passive recipients and bystanders rather than creators and doers if we do not. It is also a lot less exciting and a lot more dull if one just watches from the sidelines rather than participates in the creation.
I want our children to love this Faith with a passion and to express this love in deeds. And they will love their religion if it is a means by which their inner beauty and their own unique endowment are expressed and developed and appreciated--because every child craves in their inmost being to grow into that God-given creation they were meant to be, to express and manifest those God-given attributes and gifts, to be loved and acknowledged for their spiritual beauty. Our culture does not generally do this, our schools often can not or do not, so it is up to the parents and the religious community to nurture the spiritual urges and spiritual inclinations of children.
In the Baha'i Writings it says that when we serve, we attract confirmations like a magnet. Confirmations inspire certitude and love of God and Baha'u'llah, which in turn inspires more service. Let's start our children on this cycle by giving them plenty of opportunities to serve.
Service is the magnet which draws the divine confirmations. Thus, when a person is active, they are blessed by the Holy Spirit. When they are inactive, the Holy Spirit cannot find a repository in their being, and thus they are deprived of its healing and quickening rays. ~Shoghi Effendi (Living the Life, page 23)
(About Ridvan:)......for children to put so much effort into a program and to witness adults who do also, to see how much attention was placed on the environment, how so many different people lent their skills and talents to help, is a very important consolidation experience. Hopefully when they are older and are designing programs, events like these will be their frame of reference and they will create even more beautiful Holy day celebrations which will touch the hearts of many people.
It is so very vital that our children and youth play an active role in community life and in Holy Day gatherings. It is these experiences which not only develop their skills, (such as hospitality, eloquent speech, reverence, discipline, self-abnegation, and grace) but also--contribute to their self worth, enable them to feel as though their abilities and efforts count and are valued, reinforce their Baha'i identities, and make their religion a living, vibrant, meaningful, and personally relevant central aspect of their lives. The music, the sweet tastes, the flowers, the candles, the dances, the rose scents, the richly colored fabrics, the extra special decorated cards they held as they read, the games and laughter, the personal affirmations, the gifts to take home, the excitement and anticipation, and the power of the Creative Word will linger in their hearts and minds and create deep and positive associations with their Faith. These strong and positive associations, these warm, vivid, visual, and dramatic memories nurture ineffable feelings of loyalty, assurance, love, and attachment to their religion which will be a source of certitude and steadfastness when they enter the tumultuous stage of adolescence, with all its seductive distractions and spiritually damaging situations and messages.
I feel confident to share this perception with you because of the feedback from my own 2 daughters, now college aged. Time and again they have shared with me their fond memories of Holy Days and Ayyam-i-Ha and how much they meant to them. They spontaneously reminisce about these occasions, and I know that by the look in their eyes and the smile on their lips, that these memories have played a major role in solidifying their Baha'i identities. They associate their religion with wonderful feelings and beautiful, fun experiences and events and automatically assume that their faith should be the focus of their existence. And of course daily prayer by Roi and myself and God's grace played a major role in this, but God confirms and assists us through our own actions, so let's keep acting in ways that beseech God to guide and protect our children!!! Let's never take the faithfulness of our children for granted, for as you are all aware, there are a million forces in our world which seek unwittingly or deliberately to undermine spirituality in children and youth. I pray every day for my daughters and my students, but I need the actions of parents to reinforce their spiritual growth. I am deeply grateful for your active support.
OTHER DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE FOR EMAILING:
My current email address is l.qualls@earthlink.net. I never charge for emailing, but I do request that you do not forward or make copies for distribution of my documents-just give others who are interested my email address and I will send what they want. I continually update and revise my documents and always want the most recent versions sent out, and also this way I get feedback. Also, if you want clarification/elaboration of any project or event or activity in any of these documents, I would rather that you call me at 937-767-7079--I hate typing and spend way too much time at the computer creating curriculum and doing LSA secretarial work as it is. Then I get neck spasms-so unless the answer is very short-please call instead of email if you want information in more detail.
You may find it helpful to request a copy of the following companion document: A COMPILATION OF WRITINGS USED FOR ACTIVITIES DESCRIBED IN BUILDING A STRONG BAHA’I IDENTITY IN YOUNG CHILDREN: A CONCRETE APPROACH.
This 39 page compilation contains hundreds of Writings which incorporate the metaphors I refer to so abundantly in this document. It is by no means exhaustive, but most of the metaphorical Writings were chosen because they are relatively more simple than others-though there are almost no Writings which don’t have big words in them. Part 2 of the document contains Writings our community has used at various holy days-most of which are appropriate with non-Baha’i guests in attendance.
A to-do list of hosting a public event with a lot of child involvement, which includes details like a supply list for decorating to steps in the planning process.
If you are interested in virtue development, I also can share a 4 page document outlining the theory and practice of virtue education in my Baha’i children’s class.
A games manual filled with over 150 mostly cooperative games which teach Baha’i concepts, many with supporting quotes.
I am currently working on a creative dramatics manual for teaching Baha’i concepts to children which is full of skits, puppetry, public performance ideas, and interactive drama ideas for kids. It should be done by 2004-- hopefully!
NEW WORLD ORDER GAMES MANUAL
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION AND TIPS: 3
HIGHLY ACTIVE GAMES 5
Unity Chase # 5
United We Stand, Divided We Fall #* 6
Snakes in the Grass * 6
Sacred Rain 7
Loyal Lips 8
True VS False ## * 8
Get Faith # 8
Love VS Hate # 9
Loving Service VS Corrupt and Selfish Desires # 10
E.R. (Essential Rights) # 10
Faithful Friends 11
Save Beamo Peace # 12
Flower Virtue Rescue 12
Faith and Firmness 13
United We Serve # 14
Let Me Refresh You # 14
Quest for Contentment 14
Bucket Brigade # * 15
Ver Ver Aras Lama # * 15
Rainbow Chase ### 16
The Shelter # 16
East meets West ## 17
Cooperative Yaks # * 18
Pulse Tag # 18
Streamer Tag # 18
Elbow Tag # * 18
Tube Tag # 19
Backwards Tag # 19
Go Tag ## * 19
Monster Mess # 19
Helpmate Tag # 20
Foxtail Toss * 20
Loose Caboose # * 20
Beamo Collective Stone ## * 20
Creature Capture # 20
Higher Nature Vs Lower # 21
Come Over to Our Side ## * 22
Support Me # 23
Not Eye to Eye # 23
No, You Take it! # 23
All on One Side # * 23
Collective Volley Ball ## * 23
Hoops and Spears 24
Group Soccer ## 24
MEDIUM ACTIVE GAMES 24
Search for The Bab 24
Seek the Seekers # 25
The Hidden Words 26
Hidden Words Treasure Hunt. 26
Graduates’ Treasure Hunt 27
Metaphor Hunt 28
The Knot # * 29
Balloon Maneuvers 29
Hoop Balloon Pass ## 30
Unity Ball # 30
People of the Mountain* 30
Chair Island ## * 31
Unity Toss #* 32
Stand Up # 32
World Rescue 33
Spirituality VS Materialism ## 33
Unity Lift ## 35
Log Roll ## * 35
Twisting Tubes ## 35
Technology VS Teachers # 36
Beamo Toss (Share the Teachings) # 37
Beamo Toss (Pass the Message) # 37
Beamo Toss (Peace is Coming) # 37
Beamo Toss (Food Distribution) # 37
Beamo Toss (Share the Teachings Variation) # 38
Loving Hands ### 38
Puzzle Pieces I ## 38
Planet Pass I, II, III ## * 39
Cooperative Juggle ##* 40
In the Dark 40
Dungeons and Dragons # 42
Log Pass * 42
Streamer Wrap # 42
The Shirt off Your Back ## * 43
Shoe Mates ## * 43
Love Pass ## 43
Service Relay ## 44
Horse and Rider 44
Balloon gauntlet ## 44
Balloon Relay Races # 44
Unity Body Parts 44
Floor Designs # * 44
Unity Rise * 45
Silly Bones * 45
Hop Along # * 45
Shoe Drop # * 45
Heart Motion 45
Collective Jump * 45
Ring Toss 45
Hula Hoop Pass # 45
Ridvan Roses 46
LOW ACTIVITY GAMES 46
Synchrony Straw Pass # * 46
Pass the Good Things # 47
Pass the Water of Life #* 47
Puzzle Pieces II ### 47
Unity Dolls ### 48
Diverse Face Game ## 48
Myriads of Mystic Tongues * 48
Peace? ## * 49
All of Us All at Once* 49
Hidden Progressive Revelation 49
Baha'i Charades 50
Sculptionary with Playdoh 50
Behind My Back # 50
Magical Clay # * 51
Baha’i Service Pictionary 51
Baha'i Pictionary 51
Blocked Communication 51
Rope Shapes 52
Sleeping Grump Board Game 52
Granny's House Board Game 52
Sky Travelers Board Game 52
The Spiritual Path 53
PARTNER GAMES 54
Tie the Knot* 54
Block Buddies 54
Toe Towers 54
Roll Over Variations 54
Leaping Lizards* 54
Equality of Men and Women Balloon Game 54
Tandem Two’s* 54
Feather Float 55
Balloon Maneuvers I 55
Balloon Maneuvers II 55
Mirroring* 55
Partner Back Ups* 55
Rock Me* 55
Pantomime Pairs 55
Round Robin Drawing 55
Round Robin Sculpting 56
MAINLY CEREBRAL GAMES 56
Perfect Principles 56
Baha’i Password I 56
Reverse Baha’i Password 56
Baha’i Password II 57
Searching for the Promised One 57
Round Robin Story 58
Together 58
Choices 59
Metaphor Madness 59
Casual Conversation * 59
What Holy Place is This? 59
Synonym Secrets 59
Baha’i Scruples 60
Arise 61
The Choicest Fruits 61
PARACHUTE GAMES 62
Save the World ## 62
Save the Word II ## 63
Remove the Barriers ## 63
Parachute Formations ## * 63
Wake Up Call ## * 64
RESOURCES 65
INTRODUCTION AND TIPS:
Do you ever need joyful, cooperative, uplifting, creative, educational and really fun games to play with your students or children? Teachers, parents, and caregivers of children and youth will discover a rich repertoire of games to promote unity in diversity, an awareness of our interdependence, many virtues, Baha’i concepts and so much more in this manual.
Just imagine the venues: children and youth classes, gym time, Ayyam-i-Ha parties, Holy day gatherings, family fun nights, birthday parties, scout meetings, camps, conferences, unit convention, summer schools, social portion of feast, and any party that has 4 or more people! Here are games that are appropriate for large and small groups, for Baha’i sponsored events with the public and games that are most suitable for Baha’is or near-Baha’is only. (Like games which teach the importance of teaching others about Baha’u’llah). Some of the games are wild, with lots of running and chasing, great for outdoors or a gym. Others are suitable for smaller spaces with less physical movement. Some are very loud and some are quiet. (For those of you who hold children’s classes in a library). Some are suspenseful and intense, others are silly and goofy, some are cerebral and thought provoking. Many are metaphors for Baha’i teachings, complete with supporting quotes. Here are over 150 games for all kinds of kids and adults-young and old, wiggley and shy.
Most of the games can be used for a wide age range of children and adults and youth love them too. All the games selected are child tested and have high enthusiasm ratings. (i.e. kids ask to play them again and again). Written by a teacher of Baha’i children’s classes for 20 years-I’ve made most of the mistakes for you and picked out only the winners for this manual. These games have been used in numerous Baha’i and non-Baha’i settings with a huge variety of kids in 5 different countries.
The games children love the most, of course, are the highly active and medium active ones. Many of the games have numerous quotes which relate to the theme of the game. I do not recommend using all of them when explaining the game-the kids will shut down. For many of the games I go into rather long elaborate discussions/speeches that explain the metaphor of the game. (The games were often designed to support a theme we were studying in Baha’i Children’s classes). While these verbal lessons can promote thought and insight, they can also be too much to absorb in one session. Always intersperse these metaphorical elaborations with action-- and be expressive and ask questions if you want kids to stay engaged and grasp the significance of what you are trying to convey. Also, it always helps to have children sit down and be relatively still before you explain the game. They will absorb your words much better. And if you want their full attention, wait until after you are done with the explanation and quotes before handing out any supplies. Insist on quiet while you are talking. Also, it’s important to know the rules of a game before explaining them to players.
I have to confess that some of the games are competitive and involve attempting to be first or get the most resources (for example water or points) for your team or yourself. I think these types of games have the potential to reinforce a materialistic, individualistic, prideful, and self-centered attitude. In order to counteract some of this, I always proclaim the no gloating or exulting rule and never praise or reward the winners. When I play these types of games with children I emphasize teamwork. Kids really can enjoy them unless there is obsessive keeping track of who is ahead or has more. Like sugar, use competitive games sparingly, knowing that they can create an unhealthy state--disunity.
Also, it is important to read your group and be sensitive to differences in cultural standards of touching and of public demeanor. If you are working with the public, and do not know your players well, go easy on games that involve a lot of close physical contact and silliness. Especially if the players don’t know each other very well or at all, they can be really threatened by some of the physical closeness or levels of uninhibited-ness that some of the games require. If you are working with teenagers or adults, know that many of them are not used to being playful and uninhibited or silly. Never force people to let down their shields. With more uptight groups, choose games that do not require them to be goofy or do unusual things. And always be aware of the whole sexual awareness thing in kids 10 and up-don’t pair boys and girls in physically intimate games unless they are really good buddies and know each other. Even then, remember standards of modesty. Being able to read your group and prescribe the appropriate game takes experience and a willingness to take risks and make mistakes!
Equipment Frequently Used in the Games: Hula Hoops Tuba Ruba connectable tubes Monster Masks Inflatable Earth Ball Parachute-24-30 foot (6-12 foot ones are only good for very small groups, and none of my games) Foam Balls-small and large Beamos-(basically giant frizbees made out of colorful stretchy fabric instead of plastic) Round Balloons Goal cones for marking boundaries, safety zones, and goal areas To purchase items referred to in this compilation, see Resources. It has board games, game equipment, and game books.
In this manual, the games are organized by categories. It was difficult sometimes to rate them, it is a subjective exercise. But generally any game that involves running or chasing of course was put in the Highly Active category. Medium Active games were ones that may involve large motor movement, but not as fast paced or wild. Low Activity, Partner, and Mainly Cerebral can be played in small spaces. And of course you need a parachute for that category.
Since parachutes are pricey (over $100.00 for a large one), I gave them their own category. That way if you don’t have one you can just skip that category. The Beamo games I noted in the title, but did not give them their own category b/c they cost under $30.00 and one can improvise and use other types of frizbees or even balls to play most of the Beamo games if one does not own any. If you use Beamos, always give kids practice time with them before you start a game.
The categories are:
Highly Active games Medium Active games Low Activity games Partner games Mainly Cerebral games Parachute games
This symbol # means it works best if you have at least 8 kids to play This ## means 12 or more is ideal This ### means 20 or more is ideal No symbol means game can be played with fewer than 8
The numbers ratings are not absolute. You can try if you have less kids than the specified rating. Often times, 6 kids can play a game rated #, its just not as exciting. Sometimes, for your particular group the # rating may be too low and your kids would enjoy it more with greater numbers. Also, use your own judgement if you have large numbers of kids-there are games that really won’t work well if you have too many kids, but I did not want to put limits on each game as well. The size of the space, the amount of equipment, the time allotted, if you have adult assistants, if turns are involved--- all these factors need to be taken into consideration in judging whether a game will work for your group. It just takes experience to be able to assess accurately.
About ages: For most cooperative games, a huge age range is workable b/c kids are supporting and helping each other. Competitive games limit the age range more. Use your judgement when it comes to age ranges-often the only limiting factor in a cooperative game is the physical ability of a young child or their mental ability to be able to understand the rules-or its too easy or childish for older kids. Many of these games involve tagging and hiding and seeking. Even 3 year olds understand those concepts. Most of the tagging and chase games involve pairing up-just pair up older and younger for each team and that can balance the abilities. It also tests the detachment and forbearance of the older kids who may be attached to showing off or excelling. Also, with preschoolers, monster masks should not be used.
If there is an * after a game, that means that the basic structure of the game was found in one of my many cooperative games books. Most come from one of Terry Orlick’s 2 books (see resources). I sometimes changed the name and altered the rules a bit to accommodate a metaphor, or to create a more spiritual education climate. However, often the game was fine the way it was designed, and I would just insert a metaphor into it, or just forgo the metaphor thing. If you are confused with my explanations or have any questions, feel free to call me at 937-767-7079.
I have dreaded typing up this manual for years-but after so many phone and verbal trainings I succumbed-it was my big sacrifice during a fast. However, most of the games were extracted from parent letters which I wrote to inform them of what we did in class. Since I also have been asked for my lesson plans, I decided to use the parent letters to describe in great detail everything we did-knowing that these could someday be converted into a teacher’s curriculum. Thus, many of the games are written in past tense, describing playing with my students. But they get the rules across. Some were written for Brilliant Star Children’s magazine so they are written to children. It’s my compromise. I just could not bring myself, after weeks of typing, to go in and change all the verb tenses, etc. If I ever publish this, I will have to, but for now this will have to do!! Thanks to Judy Baker for being the one who finally nudged me over the edge to do it.
“For in essence, peace stems from an inner state supported by a moral or spiritual attitude, and it is chiefly in evoking this attitude that the possibility of enduring solutions can be found.”---The Universal House of Justice from The Promise of World Peace. I pray that these games help evoke this spiritual or moral attitude in the players. A request: I would love for these games to be shared freely and with as many people as possible. Feel free to do so. But--please do not copy this manual and send it to others w/o my permission. It is my experience with this and other documents that I continually and frequently revise, update, and improve them. If someone wants a copy just call me at 937-767-7079 or email me at l.qualls@earthlink.net and I will send you (if you want) and them the latest version via email for free or through the postal service for the cost of shipping and copying. Its OK to copy a few games from it-but not the entire thing or even large sections. Another reason I would like some control over its dissemination is b/c I would like to get some feedback from those using and sharing it. If you call or email me, then I can find out how the games and instructions are working for you. There may also be some copyright issues b/c I have described games from published books throughout this manual.
And finally, I do not recommend sharing this entire manual with people who are not Baha’is. Give them the resource list instead. There are just too many games and quotes that some may find threatening, and can easily be misunderstood. Someday, I will edit this document for non-Baha’is. However, most of the games in this manual can be shared and played with non-Baha’is. Even the explicitly Baha’i oriented games can be used in non-Baha’i settings if you remove the quotes, and/or adjust or delete the metaphor. Indeed, many of them originally were secular until I molded them into a Baha’i context. (The ones with a * all had their origins in cooperative games books which had no direct spiritual or religious content). Also, I have found that most of the metaphors are fine even for public school settings b/c they reflect universally recognized truths and principles, like unity in diversity, the danger of materialism, the need for international cooperation, etc. Just use wisdom when deciding what games, quotes and metaphors to use in each setting.
In all settings, remember to always say prayers for Divine assistance before playing the games.
HIGHLY ACTIVE GAMES
Unity Chase # I played evil using a monster mask. We discussed the idea that in order to escape evil, we must be unified. I explained that when people are disunified, bad things happen like war, violence, hurt, anger, and racism. These were the evils they were trying to avoid. This game involved tying pairs of children’s inside legs together with a cloth strip-not tightly. I told them to link elbows for more stability and cohesion. They were also encouraged to chant “inside/outside” as they walked to cue each other when to move the inside legs or the outside legs. I gave them a practice period. Those pairs that mastered walking or running in unity (if they didn’t they went really slow or fell down) were able to escape me. To make it fair, I tied my legs together so I could only jump with 2 feet. If kids were unified in their movements there was no way I could catch them. If I caught a disunified pair, they were frozen and yelled for help until a unified pair “healed” them by tagging them. It is important to emphasize that there is no unity if you are dragging or hurting your partner in trying to escape me, and I will certainly catch you in this situation. Also, once the cloth strips are used, they are quite impossible to untie. I have found that leaving them in a loop is fine, kids can just slip their feet in. The loops should be plenty big if the legs were not bound tight. Bigger feet may require shoe removal first.
I emphasize that the virtues of cooperation, respect, and courtesy are absolutely necessary to unity and to escape! You can not run in the opposite direction or too fast or you will hurt your partner. Point out the importance of unity and being aware of your team mate's pace and comfort. If you run too fast and make your partner fall you would be caught anyway--only by being totally unified and synchronized could they escape being tagged.
Variations: With younger children tying legs together is too hard and they hurt themselves. So here are some alternatives-which older children enjoy as well. The metaphor is the same (but you may need to dispense with the mask with kids under 6). 2 Kids can be placed inside a hula hoop and have to run that way. 3 kids inside one is harder. 2-3 kids can ride on broom sticks and have to run holding the sticks between their legs-teach them not to yank up on the sticks! The taggers can do the same to make it fair, but if the taggers are adults they will have no trouble catching the little ones, so what I do is stand back to back with another adult or youth, link elbows, and we have to gallop sideways-that really slows us down and makes it harder to tag since our arms are considerably shortened this way. As in the harder leg-tying version, the taggers would freeze those who they touched, but they could be unfrozen by others who were untagged. I practically always avoid elimination elements in my games b/c then once the child is tagged, the rest of the game is a drag and they only get to watch the fun from the sidelines. Those kind of games do not foster joy and unity.
United We Stand, Divided We Fall #* This game comes from Angola. So I asked where Angola was. It is originally called Numbers Safety but I renamed it. Being the metaphorically inclined teacher that I am, I added a lot of meaning to the game: I explained that unity is beautiful and pleasing to God in all its forms, but organized unity is the most powerful. For example, if one has a large picnic and every one is laughing and talking and having a good time and feel good about each other, or if you have thousands of people in a country who care about and love each other-that is fantastic. But if you take those same people and ask them to focus on a common goal, ask them to become organized into a work force or project, they will accomplish great things. (In the Baha’i faith, systematic implementation of Baha’u’llah’s spiritual principles and teachings is done through the local, national and international administrative order He designed-i.e. His teachings are expressed through organizations with goals as well as individually.) So I said, in this game you all each stand for a nation. Kids were asked to name a nation they would like to represent. (Some need work on the difference between nations, continents, and states!)
I then explained that I would call out numbers and the “nations” (individual kids) were to form a group of that number as fast as possible. The numbered groups represented organization. I also told them that I would not always call out numbers that the group was divisible by, so someone might never be able to escape the chaser unless one kid saw that a fellow nation was tiring and give up their position so that nation could rest with the group. The chaser would be me, and I explained that I would be wearing a monster mask. I showed them the mask and explained that it is very ugly b/c it stands for evil, disunity, greed, selfishness, violence, and most relevantly, terrorism. I emphasized that organized unity protects us from these destructive forces. I also told them to really work together and not run off by yourself or climb a tree, b/c you may be ruining the chances of a group who needs you. I pointed out the boundaries of the play area and urged them to be aware of how your actions effect others. I also explained that if I touched an individual or group of the wrong number, they were frozen and only a group of the correct number could rescue and unfreeze them. Every one in a group must be connected by linking elbows or holding hands or touching hands to shoulders. It is basically, a “united we stand, divided we fall” concept. So if I call out a “3” then only those in groups of 3 are safe. At the beginning of each round, the kids have to spread out, so there is suspense in getting together as the chaser closes in. I told them that the nations are spread out all over the world, so they must be too! I also shared with them this quote by Baha’u’llah:
The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established. ~Baha'u'llah: Gleanings, page 286. I explained to the kids that Baha’u’llah goes on to explain in this quote that only by obeying the teachings He has given us can humanity achieve international unity. The whole purpose of His mission was to guide humanity to world unity.
We had a blast with this game, and they got better and better at working together at each session of number calling. The higher numbers were the hardest.
Snakes in the Grass * The quote that goes with this game is: Characterize yourselves with the characteristics of the people of divine morality. Shun all manner of vices as you shun a poisonous snake...... ~`Abdu'l-Baha: Excellence in All Things, page 376
First I demonstrate the act of shunning. Then I explain that we are all on a journey towards God, but it is easy to become addicted to things or pick up habits that can interfere with and sidetrack that journey. I called these things vices and we talked about the meaning of vice. I explain that vices poison our souls, as a venomous snake would poison your body. I asked the kids for examples, which they readily and accurately supplied, such as addiction to material things, drug abuse, backbiting, the habit of putting one’s self first, resort to violence when angry, alcohol, etc. The snakes in the game represent these vices. I also explained that one of the purposes of religion is to warn and protect us from vices and guide us safely through life.
Children took off their socks so they would not slip and one child laid down in the middle of the room on his/her belly. That child was the snake and she could not get up on her knees or leave a certain defined corridor. The goal is to leap, jig jag, run, etc. past the snake w/o getting touched (poisoned-addicted to vice). I explain that the distance between the starting point and the safe zone past the snakes is a year in your life and the goal is to get through each year w/o being poisoned by a vice-snake. If you get touched you have come in contact with the vice and gotten poisoned and you become a snake too and join the first one in the snake corridor. I emphasize that the snakes can’t grab, pinch or scratch and the runners must be careful not to step or jump on the snakes. The kids had to learn to work together and run as a group b/c then the snakes were not all focused on one person. They learned to take advantage of a snake being distracted. Obviously, the game gets harder as the number of snakes grows, and the winner is the last one to become a snake. But as with all my games, I never exalt a winner or make a big deal out of it.
Also, it is important to explain that you wait until all have gone through to run again. When all children have either reached the safe side or have become snakes, a new round begins and kids run back again the opposite way. The snakes rotate to face the new direction from which kids will be coming each time. It does not work if kids are running back and forth from different sides, unless you are playing outside and have enough snakes to face both directions. I prefer to have everybody wait to run back until all have crossed, otherwise chaos can easily ensue. It also inspires kids to go quickly if they know that if they wait they may be the last one running and all snakes will be focused on them alone. The width of the corridor will depend on how many kids you have starting as snakes and running. Just experiment.
Sacred Rain First we discussed how one’s environment effects how we feel and can uplift or depress us. For ex., a beautiful, clean and well-kept garden would cheer one’s soul and remind us of the beauty of God and inspire one to pray and give thanks. A polluted, filthy, chaotic, and messy environment makes us feel uncomfortable and we want to leave. If we can’t, we will begin to feel depressed and anxious. Likewise, having pollution in our hearts makes us feel crummy and purification of our souls is incredibly uplifting. We know how to clean up a room or a yard, but how do we clean up our souls? So I asked kids what is one of the most powerful ways to cleanse and purify the human heart or soul? The answer comes from the following quote:
This is why, in Holy Scriptures, the counsels of heaven are
likened to water, even as the Qur'an saith: `And pure water
send We down from Heaven,'....... the Teachings which come
from God are heavenly outpourings of grace; they are rain-
showers of divine mercy, and they cleanse the human heart.
~`Abdu'l-Baha: Selections from the Writings of `Abdu'l-Baha,
page 146
I emphasized with the students that the teachings from God are like pure rain showers from heaven and they cleanse our hearts when we study and obey them. We talked about how real rain refreshes and cleanses the earth and living things.
Then I showed them some extraordinarily beautiful giant rain drops (4-5 inches tall and about 3 inches wide) which I had made. I had used sticky backed holographic silver sheets which I was lucky to find at an arts and crafts store. There are several patterns, and I chose the ones that reminded me of water. They are amazingly lovely in light-reflecting multitudes of colors and the patterns change depending on one’s angle. They really do look somewhat mystical! The kids “oohed” and “aahed” over them, so I knew they were cool. (Also, I had stuck them onto cardboard and then cut them out so they would be more firm.) I told the kids that these drops represented the teachings of God and that’s why they were so beautiful.
I told them that one of the most important tasks they have in life is to find the teachings of God and cleanse their hearts with them. This will protect them from the defilement, corruption and spiritual pollution of the world. I explained that I was going to hide these lovely raindrops outside in the commons and in the acre of woods included in the commons. They would not be behind or under anything, they would be in plain sight, but you would still have to look closely to notice them. I was going to wear an ugly monster mask, and I stood for spiritual pollution, defilement, materialism, --all those forces in the world that corrupt us and that are manifestations of the lower nature. I would count to 10 and give them a head start. They were to run outside and locate the Divine Teachings as fast as possible. I would chase them and I could freeze them if they did not have one of the drops. But all was not lost. Another soul could find another drop and unfreeze you by giving it to you. But one could not give up their own raindrop-they had to find an extra one.
I had hidden several more drops than children, so in case some were not found, at some point, the game would still be able to end b/c every child would have one. Since the game will end when everyone is steadfastly holding the drop over their heart, it is important to not give them too much of a head start or to hide the drops in too obvious locations. I stuck them in branches and laid them on the ground, but one still had to look a little bit to notice them, since we were playing on an acre of wooded land.
The other rule was that in order to be safe from me, you had to hold the drop over your heart, to symbolize that you had the teachings “in your heart”. If I saw you gesticulating with it in the air or holding it to your side, I could grab it away from you and freeze you-the lesson being: never let the teachings out of your heart b/c the corruption of the world is very powerful and can pollute your soul so easily. This is one of the reasons why Baha’u’llah exhorts us to read His Writings 2x a day. It was fun to sneak up on a child who was distracted and grab the raindrop. (I then put it out of play by putting in my pocket). But it was also heart warming to see how eagerly all the students came to the rescue and searched for more divine teachings to liberate that child. (This is also another reason to have a few extras hidden.)
I also tried to tempt them to surrender their raindrop with promises of fame, fortune, swimming pools, horses, etc., just like the devil would tempt a person to sell their soul. But even though they teased me by stepping away and removing the drop away from their hearts, they never handed it over for material gain.
Loyal Lips This game is really just another version of Sacred Rain, which I altered a bit to go with our study of the virtue of loyalty or faithfulness. Also, either version is a good game to play for lessons teaching the importance of reading the Writings. First I reminded them, using the same quote from Sacred Rain, that the verses of God are like cleansing rain:
This is why, in Holy Scriptures, the counsels of heaven are
likened to water, even as the Qur'an saith: `And pure water
send We down from Heaven,'....... the Teachings which come
from God are heavenly outpourings of grace; they are rain-
showers of divine mercy, and they cleanse the human heart.
~`Abdu'l-Baha: Selections from the Writings of `Abdu'l-Baha,
page 146
Then I read them the following quote:
Recite ye the verses of God every morn and eventide. Whoso
faileth to recite them hath not been faithful to the
Covenant of God and His Testament, and whoso turneth away
from these holy verses in this Day is of those who
throughout eternity have turned away from God.
~Baha'u'llah:
The Kitab-i-Aqdas, page 73
This verse makes it clear that to be truly faithful/loyal to the Covenant of God, one has to recite His verses regularly.
So, I told them that I would again wear a mask, and represent the lower nature. This time I chose a devil mask, since in the Baha’i Writings it says that the devil is a metaphor for our lower natures.
The new rule was that in order to be safe from me, you had to hold the drop up to your mouth, (as opposed to your heart as in Sacred Rain) to symbolize that you were reciting them daily. All the other rules/tips are exactly the same as in Sacred Rain.
True VS False ## * This game is a great way to review concepts and challenge kids to think quickly. Two teams of equal numbers line up facing each other--fairly close. One team are the "falses" and one team are the "trues". If I make a statement that is true such as "Baha'u'llah came to create world unity", the trues chase the falses and try to tag them. If I make a statement that is false, the falses chase the trues and try to tag them. If one is tagged they have to go over to that side. Cones are set up which indicate the safety area where you can no longer be tagged. These cones are set up equal distance from each team. The game ends when all or the majority are on one team. For a unit on God, one could make the following statements: “There is only one God” or “There are 3 Gods”, or “God has sent us only one Messenger” or “Christ is a Messenger from God” etc.
Get Faith # When there are over 10 kids, one needs 2 people
to play the “bad guys”. I usually use rubber masks, but they
are hot and do not stay centered during running so vision is
constantly lost. So this time a student and I wore little
ugly plastic children’s masks which just cover the face with
an elastic band in the back, as opposed to a full hooded
mask. I explained that one of us is pride, ego, and
selfishness, and the other is greed, materialism, prejudice,
cruelty, (aspects of the lower nature, etc). Then I
presented tongue depressors with 9 pointed stars made out of
foam glued to them with gems in the center of the stars.
(One can also use 2 notary seals stuck together over the top
of the stick). I explained that the sticks represent the
teachings of Baha’u’llah, firmness of faith, and
spirituality. If you have this we cannot imprison you, we
can not chase you. But if you do not, we can invade your
soul and imprison you. (The Baha'i teachings often refer to
the ego-self and lower nature as a prison, and explain how
materialism, the absence of virtues, etc., degrade and
capture and imprison the human soul. For example: O MY
SERVANT! Free thyself from the fetters of this world, and
loose thy soul from the prison of self. Seize thy chance,
for it will come to thee no more.
~Baha'u'llah: Persian
Hidden Words, # 40)
The "prison" was a sewer cover--I pointed out the relevance. If you don’t happen to have a sewer cover handy, use a rope, cones, or hose to delineate the prison space. So next all the children except my bad guy helper line up at one end of a rectangular playing field. Then my helper and I stick the “faith sticks” in the ground at various distances throughout the playing field, some are a little over the half way mark in the direction of the lined up kids, and some are almost 2/3rds the way up to the other end where we will be stationed. Then my helper and I stand at this other end, masks in place on our faces, and I shout "GO!" And we run towards the children as they run toward the sticks, frantically trying to get one before we get to them. Thus, the goal is to get Baha’u’llah’s teachings, faith and spirituality (represented by the sticks) before we poison and imprison you.
I always make sure there are at least 2 or 3 less sticks than players so that the game stays lively. (Because once everyone has the sticks, the game would end b/c we can’t chase them. With little kids, like under 6, you may want to play with the same number of sticks b/c there will always be kids caught before they can get a stick even if there is a stick for every child. A round would end when all have sticks-i.e. every one has successfully been freed from prison by the delivering of a stick w/o getting caught. Also remember that younger kids can be really scared of masks, so allow them to look at and touch the masks before playing and do not use really scary realistic ones.)
So if we tag anybody without a stick, they go to prison. Those that have sticks are safe. One of us guards the prison-remember we can not chase the others with sticks (=teachings of God, faith and spirituality) --but I explained that even those people of strong faith can fall by getting "too palsy, too close to bad things" that they become corrupted, that they can lose their faith and spirituality. Baha’u’llah alludes to this in several passages such as this one: Beware! Walk not with the ungodly and seek not fellowship with him, for such companionship turneth the radiance of the heart into infernal fire. ~Baha'u'llah: Persian Hidden Words, # 57 Watch over yourselves, for the Evil One is lying in wait, ready to entrap you. ~Baha'u'llah: Gleanings, page 94-(Abdu’l-Baha has explained that we do not believe in the devil-it is a metaphor for our lower natures. See Promulgation of Universal Peace pages 287 & 294).
So--I told them that if they get too close to one of us bad guys, even though we can not pursue them, we can touch and poison them and take their faith away--in which case they have to drop their sticks and go into the prison (of ego- self and the lower nature) with the others. (Also, without this component, the game would not be nearly as challenging, b/c all the kids would have to do is hand sticks to those in prison. It makes it much more exciting if they have to avoid being touched.) So the only way to rescue those who are in prison is to avoid being touched when attempting to deliver a stick, Once a person receives a stick they can run away- but they better move fast b/c the lower nature monster can nab them if they are close and do not need to be chased. Before the game, I encouraged them to cooperate so that they work as a team-it is much harder for the guard to prevent rescues if rescuers are coming at him/her as a group. I also encouraged them to notice when a “faithless” person is being closed in on during pursuit and to run beside that person and give them faith and spirituality (i.e. a stick) before I touch them. You can make a rule that if a player with a faith stick gets touched, that stick is out of the game for good-I put them in my pocket. Or you can say they just have to drop it on the spot and others can try to get to it and pick it up off the ground-- which means there will be less kids to chase b/c more will have the protection of faith and spirituality.
I think this quote by Shoghi Effendi goes well with this
game, especially the rescuing part: “Now is the time,....
for the American believers, .....to proclaim ...... their
capacity and readiness to rescue a fallen and sore-tried
generation that has rebelled against its God and ignored His
warnings, and to offer it that complete security which only
the strongholds of their Faith can provide.”
~Shoghi
Effendi: The Advent of Divine Justice, page 48
Love VS Hate # This game is played exactly as the one above, but is geared towards non-religious settings. Instead of 9 pointed stars, you use cardboard hearts glued to tongue depressor size craft sticks. They represent love. Any helpers and myself wear monster masks and we represent hatred. You tell the players that they have to possess love to ward off hate. Tell kids that if hate gets you before you have love, you go to misery motel-b/c when we feel hatred we make ourselves and others miserable. Other team members try to rescue those in misery by giving them love. But as in the above game, even though hatred can’t chase you if you have love, if you get too close to hatred, it can destroy your love. In real life, if we hang around people full of hatred and anger-it will rub off on us and eventually poison us too. So if you get too close to hatred while trying to free someone in misery motel-or you just aren’t paying attention and back into one of us monsters of hate, we poison you and take away your love and into misery motel you go. That heart symbol is then removed for the rest of the game-which means there are always victims to chase b/c at no time does every one have love. As in the Faith version, we start off with fewer heart sticks than players just to keep things lively. Scatter the heart-sticks on the gym floor or stick in the soil if playing outside as you would the faith sticks. Then the monsters dash towards the kids who are dashing towards the heart sticks. If you have more than 10 kids, you will need 2 monsters of hate, and after the initial ambush, one will primarily guard the captives in the misery motel.
Loving Service VS Corrupt and Selfish Desires # This game was inspired by these 2 quotes:
Concern yourselves with the things that benefit mankind, and
not with your corrupt and selfish desires.
~Baha'u'llah,
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, page 29
For service in love for mankind is unity with God.
~`Abdu'l-
Baha, Promulgation of Universal Peace, page 186
This game is also a version of the Get Faith game, and can also be played in non-religious settings, but is more righteous sounding than the Love VS Hate version-so choose your version carefully. In this game, a helper and I wore ugly monster masks and we represented corrupt and selfish desires-that which inhibits selfless and loving service. We stood at one end of the yard. The kids lined up at the other end. Stuck in the ground and placed in between us at many various spots, were tongue depressor sized sticks which had large cardboard hearts glued on top of them, and these represented loving service. When I said “Go!” kids raced to grab a loving service heart stick before corrupt and selfish desires poisoned them by tagging them. If we tagged someone before they protected themselves with loving service, they had to go stand on a sewer, which represented the prison of selfishness. Once a child had a loving service stick, we could not chase them---but if someone with loving service got too close to us, we could poison them by touching them. I explained that even if we are practicing selfless loving service, if we get too close selfishness, we can be corrupted and lose our spiritual protection. There were enough heart sticks for everyone, (that is optional) and one of the goals of the game is to rescue others from the prison of selfishness by giving them a stick without getting poisoned yourself. In other words, one of us guarded the prison, while those with heart sticks tried to slip one to those in prison with out being tagged. One could entice us to leave the prison area to chase them if they dropped their heart stick, and others could run along beside them and hand it to them if they really cooperated. This game was a lot of fun and the kids really worked well together.
E.R. (Essential Rights) # I asked the kids what they thought E.R. meant, and of course they said “emergency room”. I agreed and we talked about what happens in an ER: People who are injured, sick, in pain, dying, in desperate need, etc. go there for help. The doctors there try to save their lives and ease their pain. Then I said that in many parts of the world , millions of people are starving or dying of thirst, wounded from wars, sick from disease, and in need of emergency care or they will die and many have no ER to go to.
Then I told them that often the reason they are suffering and need an ER is b/c millions of people are lacking E.R.s- Essential Rights. (We discussed what “essential” means, and I gave examples, such as flour is an essential ingredient in cookies, etc). We also talked about how essential needs are a subset of essential rights. Needs such as clean water and food and shelter people need to survive, and b/c we are all God’s children, we all have a right to have these needs met. But we also have basic, essential rights to other things that make life worth living and enable us to realize our potential. When people do not have access to these things, they suffer and /or bring suffering to others. These are things like education, religious freedom, etc.
So I asked the kids to brainstorm what they thought are 9 Essential Rights (ERs), which include basic needs. They were able to come up with 4 of them-the basic needs: Food, clean water, healthcare, and shelter. I prodded them to think of the last 5: religious freedom, education, earning a living with decent wages, loving family, and a clean and healthy natural environment. The first 4 needed no elaboration. We went over the last 5 (religious freedom, education, job security, loving family, and good environment). We talked about how not having a right to those 5 hurts people. For example, we talked about the Baha’is in Iran in relation to religious freedom, how ignorance and inability to read and write contributes to poverty, prejudice and fanaticism and even illness, how people all over the world want to work but when there are no jobs available, they are reduced to selling drugs or to crime to pay for food, how even if you have all 8 rights met but your family abuses or neglects you, you can become a cruel person, and how social scientists have shown how mammals and people in crowded filthy environments become violent and hurt each other- having access to fresh air, green grass, trees, etc., nourishes spirituality and happiness.
So I summed it up that no matter who you are, where you are born, or how rich your parents are, you have the right to those rights. Essential Rights are essential to peace and unity-if people do not have all of them, conflict and suffering are the result.
Then I presented to the class objects that represented each ER, and they were to guess which one stood for which right. They were: 1) Food--a small baggie with raw beans and brown rice 2) Water--thick silver 3 inch high rain drops (cut from disposable platters which have a mirror like surface on both sides) 3) Healthcare--empty plastic vials of homeopathic medicines 4) Shelter-small flat wooden squares with a triangle roof glued on, with 2 small colored sticker squares for windows and a rectangular one for the door (I made sure to point out that houses around the world looked very different-some being of reeds or mud, round, etc.) 5) Education-unsharpened bright colored pencils 6) Religious freedom-small shiny cards, the size of business cards, with a lovely pattern that say “Baha’is Believe in” and list the basic principles (available from Special Ideas catalog) 7) Clean and healthy environment-silk flower heads 8) Ability to earn a living---fake one dollar bills 9) Loving Family- red hearts with the words “loving family” written on them
Then I explained the rules: Each student was given a gallon size ziplock bag, and told to unzip it. I told them that out in the commons and in the woods in my back yard, the ERs would be scattered about on 9 blue cloths (my dinner napkins). They would not be hidden under or behind anything, but one would have to locate their position. On each cloth, one ER for each member of the class would be placed. For example, on one blue cloth, since there were 8 kids in class that day, 8 pencils would be found. On another, 8 raindrops, and so on. The same ERs would always be found on the same cloth. While the students stayed in the classroom, I dispersed the cloths and their ERs about, placing them on a bench, next to a tree, off to one end of the commons, etc.
I told the kids that I would wear a mask and represent conflict and suffering-and I could freeze you-but only if you did not have all 9 ERs in your bag. I would give them about a 100 seconds head start (this head start time will depend on the number of students and size of area to be searched). They were to try and collect all 9 ERs as fast as possible. They could only take one of each (= not taking more than their fair share-as unfortunately happens all over the world). If I caught you w/o all 9 ERs, you could not lie (it is tedious for me to go through each bag), you had to admit whether you had all 9 or not. If you got frozen, you were to yell for help and others should come to your rescue and ask what rights you needed. (= Caring for the human family, promoting the well being of our sisters and brothers, working for human rights, etc).
The other rules were that a helper could not carry more than one ER at a time back to a frozen person. A frozen child had to remain in the same place and could not be freed until he/she got all 9 ERs. I encouraged kids to consult and communicate-so that 2 helpers weren’t retrieving the same right for you thereby depriving another member of a right. Also, and this is very important-students alerted each other where the ERs were located. So even as they were being chased, a kid would yell out, “where is education?” and another would shout “on the bench in the woods!” Or if I was closing in on someone, another student would run along side and ask what they needed to escape me. They held little meetings while I was busy harassing someone else and shared information. Some free kids even gave frozen kids ERs from their own bags, even if they had all 9, to unfreeze them-- and then went to replenish--or frozen kids gave an item to a child at risk of being frozen so that he/she would have 9 and be immune from conflict and suffering, and then that immune child would then be free to bring ERs to the frozen child. It was wonderful to see the sharing, caring, negotiating, assisting, etc. that went on. And the kids on both class days asked to play it again, so I know it was a hit. (Though we did not have time).
Faithful Friends This is basically an outdoor, more active, daylight version of the inside in the dark “Dungeons and Dragons” game we play during the summer overnights. First I explained that faithfulness and loyalty are pretty much the same thing. Then I told them that in order to win this game, they had to show loyalty to each other in the face of danger. I would wear a mask and represent evil and the lower nature. They were to go outside in a defined area and hide. After about 30 seconds, I would begin hunting for them. If I caught (tagged) one of them, that person had to go willingly to the prison of the lower nature-my deck. I did not have to escort them, they just went-that way I could immediately resume hunting. (If there are more than 10 kids, there needs to be 2 lower nature monsters. But if there are 2 monsters, there needs to be a rule that the monsters can’t go onto the deck/into the prison to re-tag recently freed captives- otherwise the monsters have too much advantage. Also, if there is only one exit from the prison, one monster can’t continually guard it.) They then would alert others that they needed rescuing by yelling “Help!” The only way a person could go free was to be tagged by a student still free from the lower nature. Also, those on their way to prison were not eligible for liberation until they were actually in prison-on the deck. But once tagged, they could leave immediately and/or tag others in the prison to free them. I pointed out that there was risk in rescuing, but if no one showed faithfulness, the monster of the lower nature would win. I told them they would lose the game if I got more than half of them on the deck at one time. My deck happens to have two exits, one at each end, and it took the rescuers awhile to figure out that they should come to the rescue together and go to each end-that way I could not cover everybody. Also, those just freed and trying to leave the prison, were also game for me again, but if they worked together and chose opposite exits, I could not get them both. This game was a blast.
Save Beamo Peace # We played 2 versions of this game. For both versions I wear an ugly monster mask and represent war, conflict, violence, greedy weapon makers, etc. The children represent individual nations. We use 2 Beamos for this version. The children have to work together to keep the Beamos away from me. The Beamos represent unity, which I can “destroy” by touching them. This game demands a lot of fast paced cooperation-I chase after kids who are holding the Beamos. In the first version if I touch one in the air or on the ground or even if a child is holding it, it means I have ruined unity, and the Beamo is removed from the game. If both Beamos are removed, disunity has conquered the world. With a large number of children (over 15) this first version is most appropriate.
Version 2: The second version is played with only one Beamo and I can only intercept it in mid flight or if it hits the ground and I get to it first. But those holding it have only to the count of 3 to release it, otherwise they can just run with it or hold it indefinitely. The kids loved this game, but I had to several times ask those who had not thrown or caught a Beamo to raise their hands and then request that those students get more opportunities-otherwise the older, taller kids hog the Beamo.
Flower Virtue Rescue This game was designed to reinforce the notion that our hearts are like gardens, and we must protect the flowers (virtues) in them from our lower natures. Throughout the Baha’i Writings the heart is likened to a garden and flowers are likened to virtues. (See Hidden Words Persian #3 and # 33, and Gleanings page 303 for examples.) So for this game I wear a green monster mask with a vine coming out of the forehead, and vines (you can use silk or real ones) wrapped around my ankles and wrists. I represent the lower nature, filled with weeds (ego, selfishness, greed, materialism, prejudice, etc.) Each student is given 3 silk flower heads. (You can buy bunches for a dollar at a dollar store and pluck them off their stems). Those represent some of their virtues in the garden of their hearts.
Then I scatter 30 or so flowers around me, close by and stand guard over them. The goal is for the students to rescue as many of their virtues as possible from the lower nature-- w/o being captured by me.
(Watch over yourselves, for the Evil One is lying in wait, ready to entrap you. ~Baha'u'llah: Gleanings, page 94- Abdu’l-Baha has explained that we do not believe in the devil-it is a metaphor for our lower natures. See Promulgation of Universal Peace pages 287 & 294).
So they all converge around me, trying to nab a flower w/o me touching them. They can grab only one flower at a time. If I touch them, they have to toss one of their virtue flowers in my collection, or return the one they acquired while I was touching them. If I touch them 3 times they join me and become a lower nature monster also. The lower nature monsters do not go chasing after the kids-but stay with in a defined area to guard the flowers. A radius of about 5 or 6 feet is about right-depending on the number of players and flowers you have. The game ends when all the flowers are rescued or too many kids have been captured and the remaining kids can’t possibly get any more flowers w/o being touched. I also ask them at the end of the game to count their flowers and for each one, name a virtue. The goal of course is to get as many virtue flowers as possible. Having the most of material things is not praiseworthy but having the most “virtues” is!
Version 2: The metaphor is basically the same, but this time 2 students are each given an open heart box which represents the human heart or soul. Each heart box is filled with silk flower heads. Each of these students positions themselves at opposite ends of a rectangular playing field or gym. Each of the other students is given 2 flowers to begin with. (This avoids any student getting 0 virtues unless they are touched the first 2 crossings in a row.) I wear the same mask as above, and stand in the center of the rectangle. Students start at one end and try to run past me to get to the other side. If we are outside, they have clear boundaries on the sides so they can’t just run way off. If they make it to the other side w/o getting touched (poisoned by the lower nature) the student holding the heart box gives them one flower. If they get touched but have not reached the maximum touches you set-they still do not get a flower when they get to the other side. This rule is optional: for every time one is touched, he/she has to surrender a flower back into the heart box. (Kids have little bags to carry them in or they can have a location at the end of the playing field where they stash them. Their “storage area” should not be far from the end of the field, otherwise a lot of time will be spent waiting for kids to go to their areas to deliver their flowers. They can have a spot at either end, which means that they will have to carry only one flower across at a time.) The idea is that you want to get through each month or year (the crossing of the rectangle) w/o being captured by the lower nature-and you want to acquire as many virtue- flowers as possible. Once every body has crossed, they turn and run back the other way. If I touch them more than once, they join me in the center. It then gets harder for the other kids to get through-and I explain this by saying, when your friends and peers are captivated by their lower nature, it gets harder for you to develop more virtues and avoid getting dragged down with them.
You can make the game easier or harder depending on the following variables: width of the playing field, whether they start with some flowers before the first attempt to cross, whether one has to surrender a flower for each time touched, and the number of times you are allowed to be touched before joining the lower nature.
You can also play both these games with rhinestone gems, since gems are also metaphors in the Baha’i writings for virtues. (Gleanings 260 and 287). However, with the first version, they are kind of small to be able to grab quickly off the floor. The monster mask alone w/o the greenery will suffice for this version.
Faith and Firmness (The basic rules of this game are very similar to Sacred Rain and Loyal Lips). I tell the kids that their purpose in life is to __________? (acquire virtues- Paris Talks, p. 177). And, that we all have 2 natures, the lower which expresses greed, cruelty, selfishness, materialism, anger, etc., and the higher which expresses the attributes of God, the virtues, which He deposited in our souls. One of our major goals in life is to have our higher dominate our lower natures, to be more virtuous than animalistic. If we don’t develop or acquire virtues, our lower natures will take control of our personalities. Two of the most important virtues we can acquire which will assist us in the development of all our other virtues are religious faith and steadfastness. It is through the guidance of our religion (faith) and our obedience to that guidance in our religion (steadfastness) that we can acquire so many more virtues, and protect ourselves from our powerful lower natures. In keeping with the frequent metaphor I use that flowers represent virtues in the garden of our hearts, I use large silk flower heads to equal these 2 virtues of faith and steadfastness.
I inform the players that the flowers are distributed outside in the commons and wooded area. They are in plain view in that they are not under or behind anything, but one does have to search b/c they are tucked in branches or propped in a crack on a log, etc. I wear a monster mask and as usual, this represents the lower nature. I tell the kids that I will give them a head start of 10 seconds and that the goal is to acquire the 2 virtues/flowers before the lower nature (me) takes over you, and freezes you. If I touch you before you have 2 flowers, you have to stay frozen and yell for help until another player brings you the needed number of flowers (1 or 2) and thus liberates you. (This rescue can be likened to teaching the Faith and consolidation-b/c a soul is consolidated in the Faith when they are steadfast). A free player can’t give up one of their own 2 flowers to the frozen kid, they must find new ones. (For this game, it is impractical to have the kids have more than 2 flowers, b/c its impossible to count as one is chasing, etc. If you want the game to go longer or be harder, hide the flowers more thoroughly). Some quotes to support the premise of the game: (I equate “recognition of Him Who is the Eternal Truth” with having faith).
The first and foremost duty prescribed unto men, next to the
recognition of Him Who is the Eternal Truth, is the duty of
steadfastness in His Cause. Cleave thou unto it, and be of
them whose minds are firmly fixed and grounded in God. No
act, however meritorious, did or can ever compare unto it.
It is the king of all acts, and to this thy Lord, the All-
Highest, the Most Powerful, will testify....
~Baha'u'llah:
Gleanings, page 290
Blessed are the steadfast; blessed are they that stand firm
in His Faith.
~Baha'u'llah: Tablets of Baha'u'llah, page 123
O Lord, my God! Assist Thy loved ones to be firm in Thy
Faith, to walk in Thy ways, to be steadfast in Thy Cause.
Give them Thy grace to withstand the onslaught of self and
passion, to follow the light of Divine Guidance.
~`Abdu'l-
Baha: Will and Testament, page 15
All the virtues of humankind are summed up in the one word
`steadfastness', if we but act according to its laws. It
draws to us as by a magnet the blessings and bestowals of
Heaven, if we but rise up according to the obligations it
implies.
~Shoghi Effendi: Bahiyyih Khanum, page 148
United We Serve # Four groups of four had their legs tied
together with cloth strips. (Groups can be as small as 2).
The two inside kids of course had both legs tied. Kids got
to practice walking for awhile, attempting to figure out
some sort of rhythm. A child who had a sprained ankle and
was using crutches stood at the far end of the yard. A
pitcher of water was placed at her feet. She held a cup. The
water represented the “water of life” which Baha’u’llah
often uses to symbolize His Revelation, His teachings. The
teams lined up across the yard from the child on crutches.
The goal was to be the first team to reach a thirsty soul
and give her the water of life by having a member pour it
into her cup. I pointed out that we are serving God and
humanity whenever we give others the beautiful teachings of
Baha’u’llah. I also emphasized that being first is not
important except when it comes to expressing virtues or
serving-then it really is commendable. I read them this
quote to go with the game: “May you serve the Cause of God
as one single, united force.” ~ Abdu’l-Baha, Promulgation of
Universal Peace, page 428 And here are some quotes to go
with the water of life theme: The sincere among His servants
will regard the precepts set forth by God as the Water of
Life.....
~Baha'u'llah: The Kitab-i-Aqdas, page 29
This new Revelation has in reality been the water of life
unto the thirsty.....
~Shoghi Effendi: Bahiyyih Khanum, page
188
Spiritual success can be won today, only by teaching the
Faith of God. The people are seeking, dying from spiritual
thirst. The Baha'is must disseminate the Water of Life
freely, so seeking souls may find eternal life.
~Shoghi
Effendi: High Endeavors, page 42
Let Me Refresh You # First children get into their bathing suits. Before beginning to play this game, I mentioned how both Baha’u’llah and Abdu’l-Baha very frequently refer to God’s teachings and blessings as a form of water-crystal streams, showers, ocean, etc. I explained that we often are afraid of these teachings b/c we are so attached to personal freedom and our own wills. But all of us are thirsty and need to be cleansed/refreshed by God’s holy water. (Just open up any Baha’i prayer book or The Hidden Words and you will encounter numerous such references.) Students lined up at one end of a rectangular playing field and one person with a giant cup of water was placed in the center. That person could only move along the center line across the width of the rectangle. Have cones to mark end zones and boundaries. When I said “Go!” all students made a dash to the other side trying to avoid getting wet. (There must be a rule to aim for the torso, avoid the face). If a person got a solid dousing, they too acquired a large cup of water (we had a giant bucket and hose nearby for refills) and had to position themselves in the line with the first person in the center. Then the group ran from the side they were on back to the starting side, and so on and so forth. Basically, it gets harder and harder to cross w/o getting wet as the center fills up with water cup wielding children. Children run back and forth at the same time, and wait until all have crossed over before running-on cue from me. Depending on the number of children playing and the width of the playing field, you can make a rule that those in the center can not run at all even along the center line but must pivot in place to get the others wet. Since water can be tossed pretty far using a cup, this does not make it too easy for the runners to escape. The quotes from the above United We Serve also go well with this game.
Quest for Contentment This game was created to reinforce our lesson on contentment and goes with the following quote: Put away all covetousness and seek contentment; for the covetous hath ever been deprived, and the contented hath ever been loved and praised. ~Baha'u'llah: Persian Hidden Words, # 50
We discussed the meanings of the words covetousness, covetous, and contentment. I had looked them up in a dictionary and this is what I shared with the kids: Covetousness: “To wish for enviously, or desire what belongs to another.” I gave examples of enviously coveting-thinking negatively of someone b/c they have something you don’t and which you crave. Covetous: “A strong craving or desire for wealth and possessions, or another’s wealth and possessions”. Contentment: “Feeling satisfied and happy with what you have or with your situation.” We also talked about who is more pleasant to be around-a contented person or a covetous person, and how covetousness is the source of greed, which is a mighty destructive force on our planet- environmentally, spiritually, and socially.
I had found some plastic strips the size of a standard bookmark with lovely designs at an arts and crafts store. I forgot what their original purpose is for. I cut them up into about 3 inch long strips about a half inch wide. On the non-patterned side I wrote in gold the word “contentment”. On the other side I placed some removable correction tape which did not cover the entire side, but was framed by the pretty pattern. I asked the kids to think of something or an activity which brings them contentment which they did not use in their pantomime skits earlier in the class. As each child shared what it was, that child then chose from the pile one of the strips and wrote their name on the tape with an apostrophe. So for example, a strip would say Anne’s on one side and Contentment on the other, thereby representing Anne’s contentment.
I told them that I would wear my typical monster mask and that I would represent the monster of _______? They got it- Covetousness. This game can be played outside (in which case one might want to make the strips larger) or inside. Since it was raining very hard outside, we played indoors. I told them the goal was to find their source of contentment-the strip-before I poisoned and froze them with covetousness. I explained that while they stayed in the classroom with the door shut, I would hide their contentment strips in the living room, dining room or play room. The strips would be in plain view, not behind, under, or inside anything, so there was no need to go looking in drawers, cabinets, or closets. The rules were as follows: You were to try and find your own source of contentment (the strip with your name on it) as quickly as possible and hold on to it. I could freeze you if you did not have your own strip. You could only be immune from me if you had your own and you could not touch anybody else’s. You could unfreeze another soul frozen with covetousness only if you had your own contentment strip. You should work together to inform each other where you saw their strips. I would give them a head start by counting to ten slowly. . I exhorted them to not run each other over in their attempts to avoid me, but to always think of each other’s well being. This game was really fun and made for some suspenseful moments when a child was informed of the location of his/her strip and I knew it and they had to make a dash for it with me hot on their heels. Others who already had their strips were there to help if the seeker got caught. They loved rescuing and informing each other. They quickly realize that it is in their own best interest to inform other’s of their contentment locations b/c then that person can liberate them if they get frozen.
(I imagine that if this game is played outside in a large space with lots of kids, a variation that might work could be that you when you find another’s contentment strip, you can deliver it to them, and everybody then just enjoys finding other’s and helping them. But I like the message that each of us must individually seek and find what brings us contentment, and that is our responsibility-not our parent’s or our friends’. I have not played the variation yet, so I don’t know how well it will go over. Kids might feel it is anti-climatic to have someone hand you your contentment, then the only thrill left is finding someone else’s’ or rescuing frozen souls.)
Bucket Brigade # * A relay game in which 2 teams line up a distance from a huge drum of water. Each team has a smaller drum bucket in front of the first person. The first person then runs to the huge drum and dips a bowl into it and runs with it to their team’s drum and dumps it then gives the bowl to the next in line. (Then they go to the end of the line). When the water level gets too low, they use cups. The goal is to have the most water in your team’s drum when all the water runs out of the central drum. We used a yard stick and each team always came within ¼ inch of the other. Version 2: Another version we played was also a passing rather than just a running game: The team buckets are placed at the end of the line. The first person in line runs to the large drum and dips the bowl, but instead of running to their teams’ drum, they run to new first person in line who would pass it down the line, and the last person would dump it, then that last person runs to the large drum, dips, then runs to front of the line, and starts passing. The quotes from United We Serve also go well with both versions of this game, if you relate the water to the water of life, which they must seek, obtain and share.
Ver Ver Aras Lama # * A game from Papua New Guinea and it
means "taking coconuts." We play it with Koosh balls b/c I
do not want to lug around and store coconuts! Maybe I should
call this game Hogs and Habitations but then maybe kids
won’t volunteer to be hogs to play. Before playing this
competitive game I read them the following quotes: Others
ere long will lay hands on what ye possess, and enter into
your habitations. Incline your ears to My words, and be not
numbered among the foolish. For every one of you his
paramount duty is to choose for himself that on which no
other may infringe and none usurp from him. Such a thing -
and to this the Almighty is My witness - is the love of God,
could ye but perceive it.
~Baha'u'llah: Gleanings, p. 261
Say: Rejoice not in the things ye possess; tonight they are
yours, tomorrow others will possess them. Thus warneth you
He Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
~Baha'u'llah:
The Kitab-i-Aqdas, page 33
(I always try to explain or get the kids to explain the meanings of the quotes I read, plus define the big words. I do not expect every student to understand every quote, and Baha'u'llah makes it very clear in numerous Writings that just exposing the human soul to the Creative Word has a spiritual impact and inspires growth and transformation, even if there is little comprehension. Of course comprehension is preferred, but these kids are young and the words and concepts are often very sophisticated.) Anyway, 5 koosh balls are placed in the center of a square which has 4 hula hoops at a distance as its corners. The object is to get 3 balls at the same time into your habitation (hula hoop). Each child has a hoop that is theirs and they begin by standing in it then all rush for the balls at once. The rules are you can not toss and you can take only 1 ball at a time--from anyone's hoop. You also can’t prevent anyone from taking from your hoop, so guarding what you do get is pointless It is a hilarious game to watch and once in a while a child succeeds, but it is rare because as you are going for someone else's balls they are going for yours!
You can use shoes or coconuts or whatever. If you want to make it more meaningful find 5 small things that people value as possessions: a large bulky necklace (a small one may get lost in the grass), a toy car to represent our real ones, a CD, a shirt or shoe, a stuffed toy, a computer disk, etc.
Rainbow Chase ### I ask the group “How many of you have ever seen a rainbow? How many colors are there? What are they?” We talked about that’s why a rainbow is so beautiful--the diversity of colors in a unified arc. Diversity also makes the world more interesting and beautiful. If every one were the same how dreadful it would be. Diversity is not only beautiful-it is necessary. Our civilization could not survive if everybody had the same skills and talents. We need carpenters, doctors, farmers, etc. Optional if time: I ask the kids to lie down, close their eyes and take them through a visualization exercise: (The following is a summary-I go into more dramatic detail when actually doing this) They are in a meadow which has a path that forks. They choose the left side and it takes them to a garden full of thousands of flowers that are all red and all tulips. In the sky is an arc of red. Further down the path one finds thousands of people in a group-all the same skin color, outfit, hair type, eye color, size, shape, etc. You head back down the path to the right fork, and come to a garden full of thousands of different types of flowers and colors (name colors and a variety of flowers) and a rainbow is overhead. Near the garden are thousands of people of all colors, costumes, sizes, shapes, hair styles, etc. Ask kids which path they would rather take.
Then kids dip their hands into a sack and pull out a segment of ribbon. Each segment is one of the colors of the rainbow. Then I got into costume-a ghost gown, white gloves, white pants, shirt, and white shoes and socks and four white masks with long white ribbons flowing out from the forehead. I was the monster of sameness and the only way to be safe from me was to form groups of 7 people with 7 different colors. To be safe in a group, members must be touching by holding hands or linked elbows. (With young kids, call it “creature of sameness” and let them see and touch the masks before you put them on. Also, depending on the age of the kids and the size of the group, you can say that groups of 4 or more of different colors are safe.)
Always demonstrate what you mean before starting the game. Show how if two of the same colors are in a group, that group can be frozen by the monster of sameness, or show how if the group has too few members, it is also not safe. Remind them not to ruin the safety of a group if you are being chased by joining a group that already has your color. Also, groups may not form until the monster has appeared- otherwise there is not much thrill and chasing if the groups are already formed and safe by the time the monster comes out. If a child or inadequate group is frozen, they should yell for help and only a group of diverse colors of the correct number can free (unfreeze) them by touching that child or any member of the group. At first, many kids will often just enjoy the thrill of the chase and not make serious attempts to unite as a group. So I would just go for 2 or 3 kids who had the same color ribbons and freeze them so no complete groups of 7 could form. (Only groups of 7 diverse colors could unfreeze someone). Finally, after a few rounds of "losing" they will form an invincible group and succeed in freeing all the "frozen" kids.
While changing in costume, it helps if an assistant does the visualization story and plays a song on the beauty of diversity. Vitamin L’s Walk a Mile cassette has the perfect song called “People are a Rainbow.”
The Shelter # This game was inspired, but is different from, a game described in Brilliant Star Magazine, Nov./Dec. 1992 p. 5 I just happen to have a Baha’i neighbor who built a real tee-pee in our common space, but any shelter-a tent, a cloth draped over chairs, etc. will do. A nice touch is to put a photo of Abdu’l-Baha on a silk scarf covered stool inside. I shared with the students the following quote from Baha’u’llah about Abdu’l-Baha, as quoted by Shoghi Effendi in a lengthy section on the station of Abdu’l-Baha as described by Baha’u’llah:
"We have made Thee a shelter for all mankind......,"
~Shoghi
Effendi: World Order of Baha'u'llah, page 135.
First we had a discussion about what constitutes a shelter, and what Abdu’l-Baha may be sheltering us from-things like prejudice, disunity, schism, ego, lower nature, greed, etc. His example and guidance protected us from the storms and destruction of those forces and tendencies. So for this game, I wear a monster mask, and I of course symbolize the storms of lower nature, disunity, etc. Kids hide throughout our property. I count to 50. They are to remain hiding until I find them-they can’t all run to the shelter while I am stalking others-otherwise the game would end quickly w/o much suspense. When I find a child, they can run to the shelter-but if I catch them, they also put on a mask and go hunting. The game ends when all are either “storms” or in the shelter.
East meets West ## This game was inspired by the extremely numerous references in the Baha’i Writings to the future relationship between the East and the West. Here is just one of them, written in the early 1900’s:
In these days the East is in need of material progress and the West is in want of a spiritual idea. It would be well for the West to turn to the East for illumination, and to give in exchange its scientific knowledge. There must be this interchange of gifts. The East and the West must unite to give to each other what is lacking. This union will bring about a true civilization, where the spiritual is expressed and carried out in the material. Receiving thus the one from the other the greatest harmony will prevail, all people will be united, a state of great perfection will be attained, there will be a firm cementing, and this world will become a shining mirror for the reflection of the attributes of God. We all, the Eastern with the Western nations, must strive day and night with heart and soul to achieve this high ideal, to cement the unity between all the nations of the earth. Every heart will then be refreshed, all eyes will be opened, the most wonderful power will be given, the happiness of humanity will be assured. ~`Abdu'l-Baha: Paris Talks, pages 21-22
I did not read this quote but paraphrased it and elaborated that according to the Baha’i Writings, there will not be peace and security until the East and the West get along and work together. Also, it is very clear from Baha’i Writings that each hemisphere has weaknesses and strengths, and each can learn from the other. For example, (in general) the West has better equality of women and men, more democratic practices, freedom of speech and religion, fairer trials, etc. but also has more vulgar media, excessive materialism, more murder, etc. The East has more emphasis on reverence and daily practice of one’s religion, more obedience to and respect for parents, more modesty, but it also has less tolerance for the right to practice one’s own religion, lack of education and respect for females, brutal and widespread violations of human rights, etc. I told the students that when the East and the West become united and have the openness and humility to learn from each other, the whole world will become a better place for everyone-but there are major barriers such as deep seated prejudices, long standing blind imitations of the past and attachment to unhealthy traditions which need to be broken or changed. I explained that these barriers are symbolized by the blocking each team will do to prevent the other team’s ball from getting through. The goal is to kick your hemisphere’s ball-which represents the good things from your culture/hemisphere-- into the goal of the other team’s-which means your hemisphere/culture succeeded in uplifting/educating the other one-by breaking through the prejudices and barriers.
To begin this game, students form teams of 3 or 4 (or many more if the group is really large) by holding hands or linking elbows. Both the East and the West have 2 teams (if there are more than 16 or so kids, more teams can be formed). Goals are placed as in soccer, at opposite ends of a rectangular playing field. Each hemisphere gets a ball, and they should be soft (to avoid injury) and of different color so the teams can keep track of their own ball. In the beginning, the teams of each hemisphere line up facing each other in the center of the playing field. I explain that each child is a nation belonging to that hemisphere, and they must stay linked to symbolize unity. If the ball is kicked by a person who has broken off or by anyone on a team in which a person is disconnected, it is a foul, and goes back to the center. In both games, kids/teams can move all over the playing field, and some decide to hover near their goal to protect it. The game begins with the dropping of both balls in between the East and West teams who are facing each other, eager to get their culture-ball through to the other side.
Quickie Version:* If you want to dispense with all the metaphor here is a simpler, faster version: Two equal teams line up facing each other. Team members link arms and try to get a foam ball in-between the legs of the opposite team to score a point. Points are not given for balls that go around the end of the line or over the heads of the players. A really fun game if you can avoid getting kicked!
Cooperative Yaks # * In this game we first talk about how Yaks work together to form a circle with their horns facing outward, encircling the sick, old, and young, when wolves try to attack. So I gave all the kids a segment of yarn which represented tails. They tucked them in their pants with the instructions that they must have about a foot dangling out. One child played the wolf who did not have a tail for identification purposes. At the beginning of the game everyone spreads out and the wolf begins to chase. If he grabs your tail, that means you have been caught--and you become a wolf. The best way to protect yourself is to form a circle with 1 or more kids facing out. The wolf is not allowed to slide his "paw" in between to get the tail--the tail must be fully exposed to be snatched. Saturday’s class worked in unity so much that for the first time ever (and I have played this game dozens of times over the years with hundreds of kids in all sorts of camps and conferences), the wolves could not win by completely eliminating all the yaks. And the yaks are not allowed to just spend the whole game in a circle-I told them they must go graze independently b/c in the wild the yaks would starve if all they did was remain in a circle. The wolves gradually got better at ambushing, but it took some consultation to learn how to hunt as a pack and use cooperation to snatch a yak tail. Also, yak tails should never be tied on-this of course results in rope burn for the wolves and ripped clothes for the yaks. Girls wearing dresses are a problem--there is no place to tuck the yarn. Try taping the yarn tail on.
Pulse Tag # This game comes from Brilliant Star children's magazine, on p. 22-23, Special Edition 1992. It is all about how the human heart pumps food and oxygen to the body via the blood to make the body healthy and strong, and how when we teach Baha'u'llah's teachings, we are like spiritual hearts pumping spiritual food to the body of mankind. Then each child chose a spiritual principle or teaching from the Baha'i Faith such as "we are the waves of one sea" or "unity in diversity". Next we went outside and played a "share the message" tag game in which one child was a teacher and chased the others. When he or she tagged someone, he/she would say his/her message. The tagged person then also became a teacher who could tag, and they had their own message to say. The game ends when everyone is tagged with a message. After the game we all took our pulses again to see how much faster and harder the heart was beating, making the analogy that when we teach Baha'u'llah's teachings we are helping to pump stronger spiritual energy into the world-- and the harder we work, the more gets pumped!
Streamer Tag # This game requires a high degree of unity and synchrony: Pairs are connected by holding onto a 2 foot or so segment of crepe paper party streamer. The "it" pair is connected also. The idea is basically tag but pairs could be frozen three different ways: if the pair ripped their streamer while running, if they were tagged by the “its”, or if they let go of the streamer while being chased. A pair remained frozen until an unfrozen pair came to the rescue by having each person of the unfrozen pair touch one of the frozen pair-in other words both frozen kids had to be touched by one of the unfrozens. To be tagged only required that one be touched. If a pair’s streamer ripped in half, they got a new one from the unfrozen pair who would come to the streamer depot to get new ones and locate the frozen pairs (who are yelling “help, help”). If the taggers ripped or separated, they had to stop and get a new streamer or re- connect. Especially if the taggers had to get a new streamer, this provides an opportunity for others to rescue frozen pairs b/c the taggers are not chasing them if they obtaining another streamer. It took a lot of cooperation and other-oriented awareness to run and escape as a unit. Pairs could not hold hands (thereby nullifying the effect of the streamers). I encourage kids to communicate with each other to reduce rips and harmonize their directions. It was a major challenge, but fun for all of them.
Elbow Tag # * Some kids were linked in pairs by the elbows. They always had to run with their free arms’ hands on the hips, thereby forming an open triangle. Some kids were singles, and they could be tagged and frozen by the tagger. The only way to be immune from tagging was to link elbows with a pair-you could not be chased if you were in a pair. However, if a pair had a child link on the right side, the left side person had to release-only pairs are allowed. If a pair had a child link on the left side, the right side child had to release. It took some practice for the kids to think about running along side a person being chased so they could find rest and safety. Also, free kids could not form new pairs, otherwise the game would come to a stand still if even numbers of kids are playing. If uneven numbers are playing and all but one paired up, there would not be enough chasing b/c once in a pair, you can’t be chased. So the same number of pairs had to remain as in the beginning so there were always free and paired units. Frozen children could be unfrozen by a linked pair. You can make it metaphorical by saying that the linked pairs represent an Eastern and a Western culture or nation, and they are only safe from war, terrorism, violence and conflict (the tagger) when they are in linked in unity. The tagger can wear a monster mask to symbolize terrorism, war, etc.
Tube Tag # Pairs of kids are placed inside 3 Tuba Ruba (the name of a game by Milton Bradley) tubes which are connected to form a circle. I deliberately assigned slower children to be with faster children, as this would provide more opportunity for practicing cooperation and unified movement. I explain that this game is simply an exercise to teach unity, cooperation and synchrony-if you do not work in harmony and don’t communicate or adjust your speed and direction to match your partners’-you lose. Those that think about how their movements are effecting their partner and talk to each other about direction and strategy, will succeed. The rules are that, if while running, you break the tubes apart, you are frozen until a “still connected” group has the opportunity to tag you and unfreeze you. They may be busy trying to escape the taggers. If a pair gets tagged they are also frozen and can’t resume running until a free and connected group “unfreezes” them. If the taggers break their tubes while in pursuit, they just have to stop and reconnect-but that gives the free pairs a chance to unfreeze the frozen pairs. The frozen pairs who became frozen due to breaking their tubes are advised to reconnect their tubes immediately so they are ready for when a free pair whizzes by and unfreezes them-a pair cannot resume running until their tubes are reconnected. A round ends if the taggers freeze every one or when it becomes clear that the taggers can’t possibly win. Then the role of tagger rotates to a new pair.
One can also play this game using a figure 8. Each pair takes 4 tubes and connects and twists them into a figure 8 and each child puts one of the loops around his or her waist.
Backwards Tag # Kids in pairs holding hands were chased by one pair, and if tagged had to be frozen until a free pair tagged them. The one catch is that everyone, including the taggers, has to run backwards the whole time! It was quite humorous!
Go Tag ## * This game is a semi-cooperative tag game in which kids form 2 lines, back to back in a squatting position. One child is selected to be the chaser and he/she can run only in one direction while trying to catch a runner who can run in both directions around the line of kids. The chaser can tag anyone in the line to continue the chase, and then takes the position in the line of the person tagged. This is game that requires a lot of interdependence, strategy, and timing. If the runner is tagged, the tagger gets to be the runner-if he/she still has any breath left! If not, they can choose someone new to be the runner and I will choose the new chaser. If you have only 12 kids, and they are lined up back to back, that means the lines in each direction are only 6 kids long. This is a pretty short line to be taking curves on. The players should either put a little space between them to lengthen the 2 back to back lines, or make one line, alternating directions they face, rather than be back to back. This makes it a little harder for the chaser, b/c then they have to make sure that they choose only a player who is facing in the right direction to continue the pursuit.
Monster Mess # I went outside and placed litter (just paper crumpled into a ball) around the acre of commons. For each child, one tan and one bright pink piece of paper was laid out. (So if there are 10 kids in a class, 20 pieces of paper would be distributed around the woods.) Some were put in low tree branches or on a bench, but most were on the ground. The tan was chosen b/c it was somewhat more camouflaged than the bright pink. None of the pieces were totally hidden from sight. I wore a mask and declared myself to be “Monster Mess”. (You can also make it more comical or less scary for little ones by wearing a piece of garbage.) I would give them 10-15 seconds head start to the outside play area. They could escape being frozen by me if they had picked up and were holding 2 pieces of litter, one in each hand. The rules were that you could not be frozen by Monster Mess only if you had one of each color in your hand. If you got frozen, others could unfreeze you by giving you one their colors. If you were frozen b/c you had no paper, they could give you either color, but if you were frozen b/c you had only one color, they had to give you the color you did not have. In either case, the rescuer is risking their own well being b/c as soon as they free you, they are vulnerable to freezing since they now have only one color. This is b/c another rule is that you can’t carry more than 2 pieces at a time. So it is best to locate a piece you can retrieve before you rescue-but there are no guarantees someone else won’t have gotten it by the time you return. It is important to note that, a frozen person who has no litter at all can be unfrozen by the generous donating of just one piece of litter-but then both the donating person and the rescued person immediately become game for the monster b/c you must have 2 different colors to be safe. So kids should not unfreeze a person who has no litter right next to the monster. The game ends when all kids have both pieces of litter. But since kids can only carry 2 at once, the game stays hopping for quite a time, with a lot of team work and strategy. Near the end, I was guarding the last child to not have both pieces, and the only way she could get free was for some hot-shot rescuer to toss or hand her his/her paper and make a mad dash away from me to the last piece of paper- which nobody else could touch since you can only have 2 pieces at once in your hand. Kids worked together as informants and it was great to see the cooperative rescue efforts.
Helpmate Tag # To illustrate the "helpmate" concept we played this game: I was IT and the kids spread out. As usual, I could wear a mask which symbolized suffering or disunity. If I tagged you, you were frozen. The only way to avoid freezing was to hook up with a member of the opposite sex. A unified pair of male/female could unfreeze a single person. It took them a while to really work together--at first, while I was chasing someone and closing in, they would run right past a child of the opposite sex rather than hooking up, and often, a child of the opposite sex would not run towards to rescue another child in danger of being frozen-they would either just stand there or run away. But finally, they got the hang of it and really looked out for each other.
Foxtail Toss * This game involves the use of a toy called a Foxtail which is basically a ball with a nylon tail. You can make your own by sewing a tennis ball into a sock or sack. Teams of 2 had to stay connected and try to catch it (only by the tail) after I flung it up in the air.
Loose Caboose # * In this game pairs hook up with each other and each pair tries to latch on to the back of another pair while all the time avoiding being latched onto. It is pretty darn funny, and a great way to “hook up” kids who do not normally cling together. I always deliberately pair up children who are not real close friends because I feel very strongly that cliques and exclusive groupings are not good for children or for the unity of the class. Anyway, the goal is to be the last in the train that is inevitably formed. The kids at the beginning of the train are trying to hook up behind a pair that is trying to hook up to the train’s end pair and it gets pretty wild. I also use this game to emphasize that being last is better than being first for a change-for the truly spiritual and selfless person does not strive to be first in line or first to get things, only first to be virtuous. Putting oneself last is therefore a mark of selflessness in certain contexts.
Beamo Collective Stone ## * Two teams of equal numbers are created. There are bases (you can use cones) as in baseball, a team in the outfield, and a team that are the “batters”. Most of my students are not able to bat a ball and so we used the giant fabric Beamo frizbees. In this game, balls can be used w/o a bat-they can be thrown or kicked, but the kids love these giant frizbees and they are much easier to catch. This game does keep score and is competitive but as in most team sports, demands a lot of cooperation from team members. Unlike some team sports, however, even the slowest, youngest, less coordinated play as much and are as important as the more athletic. I do notice more negativity when we keep score and competition always seems to bring out the worst in some kids, but this is also an opportunity for practicing humility, detachment, and good sportsmanship- which they will need in most other game settings as well.
Anyway, this is how it goes: The outfield team decides on a sequence of tossing the Beamo-that makes the passing of it much more efficient and less chaotic. In other words, one always tosses the Beamo to the same person and receives it from the same person regardless of who catches it first. The “batting” team lines up at home plate and the first person sends the Beamo sailing. Getting caught in a tree or going directly to their right or left (where there are no outfielders) results in a foul and the player just keeps throwing it until they get it going-this never takes more than 2 tries. The outfield team tries to catch it-and even if they do so in mid air this is not an out. While the Beamo is in motion the original thrower is running the bases-but to make it more challenging they have to completely circle each cone (or base) rather than just running by it. Meanwhile the outfield team is tossing/throwing it to each and every one of its members. It can not be handed, it must be tossed. When all members have received the Beamo, the last one yells “Stone!” and the runner must stop frozen wherever s/he is. Then the last player to receive the Beamo throws it back to home plate and the next thrower gets a turn. If the prior thrower did not make it home, they will with the next toss, and a point is scored for each member circling home plate. Teams switch side when each member has tossed.
The maximum # of points for each turn is of course the number of team members. Most of the time, if the spacing of the bases and the # outfielders is well balanced, all but the last “batter” make it home. The only way to not end up with a tie score is if one team scores a home run and the other does not-and everybody made it no farther than between 3rd and home no matter how good their toss was or how clumsy the outfielders tossed to each other. Once in a while the batting team gets a break and one of the outfielders tosses the Beamo way beyond their team mate, therefore giving the tosser/runner more time.
Creature Capture # This game goes with our unit on kindness to animals. Slightly more than half of the children are animals. They choose a nose from an animal nose pile and put it on. The rest are humans. (You can also have a basket with the same number of little cards as players, and on ½ of the cards a human nose is drawn, on the other ½, an animal nose. Kids choose blindly and for the first round they are whichever nose they chose.) I explain that animals, even in the wild, need people to protect them. They need people to preserve their habitats, outlaw poachers, etc. and domesticated animals of course need shelter, food, water, medicine, etc. So in this game, I am the animal hunter, or catcher. The only way for an animal to escape captivity or the pound is to out run me or if 2 linked children rescue it-since it often takes groups or families of people to care for animals. So I chase the kids around the yard with a net and try to (gently) put it over their heads. If I catch one, that animal has to go into the pound or captivity. (The deck) Since there are slightly more animals than people, and since 2 people can be occupied freeing an imprisoned animal, there are always plenty of animals for me to harass! Also, only 1 animal at a time can pair with 2 kids to be immune from capture. In summary: the captured animals can be released by 2 linked children, and 2 linked children can hook up with an animal being pursued to protect it and then I can’t capture it. Children got to switch being animals and people.
Higher Nature Vs Lower # I first explained how all religions have repeatedly reminded us how spiritual goals, accomplishments, qualities, etc., are far more important and desirable than material and physical. It is the spiritual things which will benefit us after we die, while the material do not accompany us. Material things can often interfere with spiritual growth, and most religions warn us about this in very clear language.
(Just a side note-Baha’is are not ascetics-we do value material things but see them as a means to grow and develop rather than as an end in themselves. It is not bad to have material things as long as one is not over attached to them, uses them to exalt oneself over others, or makes them the purpose of life. But when it comes to choosing between a spiritual value and a material one, from a spiritual perspective the choice should be obvious.)
For several years in Baha’i children’s classes, we have discussed the Baha’i teaching that human beings have a dual nature---the lower, animalistic, selfish side, which is dominated by ego, lust, and impulse, and the higher, spiritual, angelic, and divine, which is an expression of the soul. It is in control when people are loving, selfless, compassionate, sacrificing, etc. Life is really a struggle between these two natures, with the goal of having the higher self dominate and control the lower-which never completely goes away. The Baha’i teachings explain that satan or the devil is not a real living entity but a symbol of the lower nature. Christ used this metaphor to impress on simple and concrete people how dangerous their lower nature was to their spirituality. Anyway, Abdu’l-Baha, (Baha’u’llah’s son who He appointed to be the authoritative interpreter of His Writings and our Exemplar) explained it this way:
In man there are two natures; his spiritual or higher nature
and his material or lower nature. In one he approaches God,
in the other he lives for the world alone. Signs of both
these natures are to be found in men. In his material aspect
he expresses untruth, cruelty and injustice; all these are
the outcome of his lower nature. The attributes of his
Divine nature are shown forth in love, mercy, kindness,
truth and justice, one and all being expressions of his
higher nature. Every good habit, every noble quality belongs
to man's spiritual nature, whereas all his imperfections and
sinful actions are born of his material nature. If a man's
Divine nature dominates his human nature, we have a saint.
~`Abdu'l-Baha: Paris Talks, page 60
Wherever there is suffering and injustice in the world, we will find without exception, that the lower nature has prevailed. The converse is also true.
Any way, back to what was explained to your children: I told them that life is full of choices and that the goal of life is to make choices which are guided by our higher selves, our souls, and to avoid ones which are from our lower side, our egos. So with that in mind, I gave one child a hideous mask to represent our lower nature, and one an iridescent star garland crown and white silk cloth to represent our higher, more angelic nature. The angelic nature child was also given a pouch which contained an exotic mixture of luminous, iridescent, sparkly confetti and glitter which looked truly ethereal and unique. All the other children were then equipped with a small heart shaped box which represented their souls. I would read 2 choices, then point to a side of the lawn marked by cones which represented each choice. Children would then walk to the side representing their choice and stand facing away and close their eyes. On a cue they were to turn around and see which nature was standing in front of them. If it was the higher, each child was given a pinch of the “angel dust” to indicate radiance and spirituality in their soul. If it was the lower, they tried to escape and correct their “mistake” and run over to the higher side, and receive “illumination” symbolized by the angel dust. I gave the children a chance to get it right because life is that way-how often do we surrender to our lower side, see the error of our ways and grow spiritually? However, if one was touched by the lower side, they could not continue to higher side and get the dust, symbolizing that they gave in and did not try to be better-which also happens in real life. But each round started over with each choice, so no one was bereft of spirituality for long! I knew ahead of time that many kids would choose the lower nature choice just for the sheer joy of rebellion and of being chased by the monster-lower side. And this is indeed what happened, even though they risked not getting angel dust in their soul-boxes. (Most were able to escape being touched anyway). The important thing though, is that they witnessed several examples of higher verses lower choices, and hopefully this will make an impression on them. We rotated the higher and lower nature roles, so most kids got to play one or the other, and no one was the “bad guy” for long.
Harder Version: If you want to be more strict, you can say that if you choose the lower nature choice, when you run back over to the higher nature side, you do not get any angel dust even if you didn’t get touched-and if the lower nature does touch you before you get there, you have to pour out into a container what angel dust you do have. Thus, the stakes are now higher if you make the wrong choice.
Here then are the choices. (Some of which had no moral implications whatsoever, which I explained would happen with a few, that they were merely a matter of personal taste. These were always choices between 2 material or physical attributes, rather than between spiritual and physical. In this case, no lower or higher nature-person would be present when they turned around).
Would you rather:
be a cockroach or a slug? be a lonely King/Queen or live in a very poor but happy family? be good looking or kind- hearted? be happy or rich? be too short or too tall? be married to someone who is physically gorgeous but has a negative and shallow personality, or to someone who is physically unattractive, but has a wonderful personality? be beautiful and mean or ugly and kind? be a liar or a mute? be a thief or an amputee? be famous or an unknown servant to humanity? *be smart or a good friend? have a huge TV and VCR all to yourself in your own room, or go on pilgrimage to the Holy places of your religion? be rich or loving? **sacrifice your life for a great cause or live a life of luxury?
*The Baha’i Writings extol education, but also warn that intelligence without virtue is dangerous. It is preferable to have both, but it is better to be virtuous and dull, than intelligent but immoral-because the virtuous one will benefit society, while the smart but immoral damages society.
Training in morals and good conduct is far more important than book learning. A child that is cleanly, agreeable, of good character, well-behaved - even though he be ignorant - is preferable to a child that is rude, unwashed, ill- natured, and yet becoming deeply versed in all the sciences and arts. The reason for this is that the child who conducts himself well, even though he be ignorant, is of benefit to others, while an ill-natured, ill-behaved child is corrupted and harmful to others, even though he be learned. If, however, the child be trained to be both learned and good, the result is light upon light. ~`Abdu'l-Baha: Selections from the Writings of `Abdu'l-Baha, pages 135-136
**I explained that sacrifice of life can mean death, or it can be giving your life to a cause and everyday sacrificing for it.
It is important to note with the children that in real life, all these qualities listed above are not mutually exclusive, for ex., one can be rich and loving. I do not want them to be prejudiced towards wealthy or physically attractive people. Also, just because someone is poor or physically unattractive (by society’s’ standards), does not mean they are virtuous!!!
Come Over to Our Side ## * In this game 2 rows of equal number of children line up facing each other, about 2 yards apart. In a line on the ground between them are placed about 20 very light foam balls, about the size of baseballs. When I say “Go!” they dash for the balls and try to hit someone on the other side (below the neck). If one is hit, they have to come over to the other side and join that team, until they are hit again. If one catches a ball thrown, then the person who threw it goes over. Hitting the neck or face are not allowed, even though these balls are super light and soft-I just think that it encourages disrespect. It is basically a fun game that encourages kids to not develop “us” and “them” mentalities and to view everyone as a potential teammate, desirable to have on one’s side. It is a chaotic and silly game, in that children are constantly chasing balls, throwing, and switching sides.
Support Me # Then I gave them a speech about how sometimes in a marriage, the man supports the woman either emotionally or financially or physically, and sometimes the woman is the stronger and she does it--and that in most good healthy marriages the support goes back and forth, depending on the burden. So for the next game I had the little boys ride piggy back on the bigger girls, and the little girls ride piggy back on the bigger boys. To make it more enticing, I made it into a race--which I normally do not do. A few kids balked at the idea, but eventually everyone got into it and had a good time, with some fabulous spills!
Not Eye to Eye # For the next game, I explained that women and men are not just physically different, we often view things differently and we tend to have different strengths and weaknesses--but that does not make either sex better than the other. I explained that science has proven that our brains our different, (Read the book called BrainSex) so it is no wonder that we do not see eye to eye on everything. But we still need to work together in unity. It is unity in diversity. So I put kids of the opposite sex who were relatively close in height back to back and had them link elbows. They were to gallop sideways, racing other couples. The back to back symbolized not seeing "eye to eye", but I am not sure they caught that.
The next 3 games require a badminton or volley ball net (although the first one can be played indoors with just tape or a table marking the center).
No, You Take it! # We first talked about how one of the
expressions of selfishness and materialism is to think of
ourselves first, to want the most for ourselves, and to
collect and consume more than we need. This game is about
behaving in just the opposite way. Blessed is he who
preferreth his brother before himself.
~Baha'u'llah: Tablets
of Baha'u'llah, page 71
I created 2 equal teams and placed them on the opposite sides of the net. Then I gave each side about 12 soft foam balls. The object of the game is to be the team that is the first to give away all their balls-to try and get all the balls on the other side with none on your own side. (You can also give each team their own color of balls, and the goal is to get only all of your color to the other side.) I gave the example of how an unselfish person would insist that someone else have the last cookie. So when I shout “Go!” everybody starts throwing their balls over the net. They are also allowed to kick them under. Soon chaos and mayhem ensue, as each team desperately tries to get all the balls over to the other side. A few times a team would come close to having their side devoid of balls (it helps to throw them far so the other team takes longer to get them back and to gather them up and throw in a large group so the receiving team is overwhelmed with many at once) but of course somebody always managed to get one over just in time. It was fun.
All on One Side # * This game begins with everybody on the same side of the net. A balloon is used instead of a ball b/c it is slower. One person hits it over then dashes under the net over to the other side to hit it back over to the side they just came from. That person stays on the new side, however. The person receiving the balloon then bats it over and does the same thing-quickly dips under the net to hit it back but stays on the new side. This continues until everybody is on the new side and there is no one left to hit it back to.
Collective Volley Ball ## * For this game we first used a giant beach ball, then a regular sized inflatable earth ball. It is fun either way. Two teams are created, one on each side of the net as usual. The goal is to see how many times the teams can get the ball back and forth over the net before it hits the ground. This requires a lot of cooperation. They need to be shown how to hit the ball up, not slam it down. I would count. It was hard, since some children just do not have volley ball skills. I believe 20 was our maximum.
Variations: Require that after each hit, the child who hit it slips under the net to the opposite team. Also, another variation is --if the kids are really skilled-- you can add an extra ball and see if they can keep 2 going. The more kids playing the easier this is. A third variation is to require that everyone on your side must hit the ball at least once before it can be sent back over. I judged that my students were not skilled enough to handle this one, since it requires a lot of control and aim.
Hoops and Spears I talked about how in many societies long ago, and even in many today, men are the hunters, women are the educators and helpers. In this game, we switched roles over and over, and as we did so, I asked them: "Is any of you superior or more important b/c of the role you are currently playing?" The roles were: Hula Hoop thrower and "spear" thrower. (The spears were old broom and mop handles). It is very important to emphasize safety for this game-no one ever throws a spear unless the area is clear of kids.
Version One: Children tossed the hoops high in the air, while others tried to throw their spear through them. Then they switched. I explained how both roles were necessary and complemented each other.
Version Two: I would throw a hoop high in the air, and 3-4 children would try to toss their spear through it at once.
Version Three: Then we did a rolling version on the driveway, with students on the side of the driveway rolling the hoops across the driveway while others tried to spear it.
Version Four: Next, everyone was given spears, and played catch in teams of 2 by using the spear to fling the hoop and the teammate attempts to catch it on his/her spear.
Version Five: And finally, a group of 3 would be chosen to position themselves across from me and then the individuals would attempt to hook the hoop on their own spear (as opposed to throwing it through) as I flung the hoop super high in the air.
Group Soccer ## Same as the regular game but everybody is linked in pairs, so 3 pairs holding hands formed each team. I deliberately paired the super assertive players with younger or less aggressive kids--now that was interesting. It was a test of detachment for many, but they all seemed to enjoy it.
MEDIUM ACTIVE GAMES
Search for The Bab I am the Lamp which the Finger of God hath lit within its niche and caused to shine with deathless splendour. ~The Bab: Selections from the Bab, page 74
First I share the above quote and then explain this game which relates to The Letters of the Living’s search for The Bab:
The Bab commanded that Eighteen souls had to discover Him on their own before any of them could tell others. This also reminds me of a Baha’i principle called the independent investigation of truth, it which we are to check things out for our selves, rather than relying on other’s views, to determine truth. So, I hid a lovely little oil lamp outside. It has green oil in it, since green is the color I use in teaching about The Bab. This is b/c He wore a green turban- only those who were descendents of Muhammad wore green turbans, and The Bab was a descendant. (I explained that lamps were oil back in those days, and had to be lit rather than turned on). The lamp symbolizes The Bab. I lit it and put it on a brass dish (for a pillar candle) and that on a silk green cloth. Under the cloth around the edges, I placed 8 (the exact number of students) gold cardboard stars on strings, to be worn as necklaces. They could easily be pulled out w/o disturbing the lamp. I explained that the students were to pretend that they were one of the 18 Letters of The Living in search of The Promised One. They had to spread out and not travel in groups, only as individuals. I told them to remember that Messengers often are found in places and ways people do not expect-that is why Christ said He would come as a thief in the night- thieves are not obvious, they hide, and people are unaware of them. If one is seeking a Messenger of God, they must show the virtues of thoroughness, perseverance, determination, and creativity by looking in unexpected places. I told them the lamp could be hidden anywhere in the yard area-- my front and back yard-but nobody else’s yards. If they found the lamp, they could take a gold star and put it on, but they could not tell others where they found it. The star symbolized the illumination of their souls upon connecting with the Lamp of God, the Messenger. I explained it must have been so hard for the first eighteen not to tell their friends who were also seeking. They had to show extreme patience, self control, and trustworthiness.
I also told the kids that if someone was around you, and you saw the flame of the lamp, to leave the area and wait until you were alone to approach it, otherwise you would give it away. Also, it made it less likely you would give the secret location away if you hid your star under your shirt until you were a distance from where you found it. After the last child found the lamp and donned the star necklace, I took them inside and told them the story of Quddus, the last of the 18 to find The Bab. The Bab told the others that Quddus had the highest station of all of them, and The Bab honored him by taking him on His pilgrimage to Mecca. I pointed out that in the spiritual world, being first is not necessarily important.
Due to weather, we had to play this game inside once and this is how that was done: I told them that the oil lamp (which symbolized The Bab) was inside, not outside, that it was under the roof. I told them it would not be in any drawer, cabinet, or closet. I hid it on a green silk cloth on an ice chest in the garage behind my husband’s car. (The garage is connected to the house.) I surrounded it with clear plastic rhinestone stars (one for each student) and you were to take one if you found it. The five pointed star is the symbol for The Bab and the teacher of the first seeker to find The Bab wrote the qualities The Bab would possess inside a five pointed star. Also, the idea is that when you find the Messenger, you become illumined spiritually, like a star shining in darkness. Last time I used gold cardboard stars on a string, but too many kids were clued when they saw another student donning the necklace. These rhinestone stars could fit secretly in one’s hand. They were not to tell others where they found it, just as the first disciples of The Bab were not allowed to say anything until 18 souls found Him on their own. Any way, it took quite some time for the kids to think about going into the garage but eventually they all did. The kids always love seeking games.
The third time we played this game, I told them the lamp could be hidden anywhere in the house or garage but not in any cabinets, closets, or drawers. If they found the lamp they would also see sparkly star stickers. They were to place one of the stickers on their foreheads or over their hearts. Others would notice and be encouraged. Then I did a really sneaky thing: They all waited in the classroom while I supposedly hid the lamp. I waited a few minutes then announced it was time to begin their search. After they had all dashed out to look for it, and were mostly downstairs, I took the lamp which I had stashed in the bathroom cabinet and placed it behind the end of the couch in the classroom. I put it on a brass dish (for a pillar candle) and that on a silk green cloth. On the cloth, instead of star necklaces as in previous games, I placed the sparkly silver star stickers. Anyway, one could not see the lamp from the door, you would have to go to that end of the room. Of course they assumed it was not in the classroom since they had been gathered there. It took some time for them to find it. When they got frustrated, I just reminded them to never give up and to look in unexpected places. Eventually they all found it.
Seek the Seekers # This is a twist on hide n’ seek, in that the “seekers” are hiding. I explained how The Bab commanded His disciples, The Letters of the Living, to spread far and wide and find and teach receptive souls. We talked about how seekers of truth often are hard to find. In 1844 in Persia, there were many souls who were seeking the Promised One, but they did not wear a flashing neon sign advertising that fact! Also, many of them hid their beliefs, b/c the majority of Muslims were fundamentalist and they persecuted those who believed a new Messenger was coming or had arrived. The Letters of the Living thus had to really search for the true seekers. I chose 2 children to be Letters of the Living. I explained that rarely does having the most matter or is a positive thing, but in this case, finding and sharing the message with the most seekers is spiritually a great blessing. (In both The Bab’s and Baha’u’llah’s writings, we are exhorted to find as many seeking souls as we can, and this brings great blessings to ourselves, to them, and to the world.) Thus, the idea was for each Letter of the Living child to find as many hiding seekers as possible. Each of these children were given a gold star on a necklace for themselves, plus one for each of the total number of hider- seekers-- (for the unlikely event that one child found all the hider-seekers, and the other child none). The 2 children then put all the necklaces on and we waited about 5 minutes until going on the search. The other children were allowed to hide anywhere on our property, in the commons, up in trees, or in the house or garage, (except closets and cabinets.)
When a hider-seeker was found, that child was given a gold star necklace to wear to symbolize enlightenment and illumination. (The necklaces tangle very easily unless you show the kids how to be sure to lift the top one off first for each child found.) Then that child stayed with the Letter of the Living child who found them and they looked for others in a group. I told them to stay with the group who had found them and seek out seekers as a group. This makes the game more cooperative, b/c many eyes are better than one, and b/c some of the hider-seekers saw where the others hid, the game moves faster. I explained that the group represents community and a larger community usually more effective than a small one. To keep them together, I gave each “Letter of the Living” a silky braided cord (with knots every foot or so, to prevent rope burn b/c they do get excited and tug) and they hold that at the front end, and the found seekers are to stay connected by holding onto a segment. The game ends when all hider-seekers are found. I also shared this quote with the kids before playing, and then asked them what the 3 characteristics were which promote success. "Teaching the Faith is......conditioned by......how much we have studied the Teachings, to what degree we live the Baha'i life, and how much we long to share this Message with others. When we have these characteristics, we are sure, if we search, to find receptive souls. You should persevere and be confident that, with effort, success can be yours." (Lights of Guidance, page 586) This game can also be played w/o the Letter of the Living theme, and be used for a unit on teaching about Baha’u’llah. The Hidden Words This is basically a hide and seek game. I explained that according to the Baha’i Writings, the purpose of Life is to know and love God, and we do this through studying and obeying His Messenger’s teachings. But first we must search very hard for the Messenger of God for our day and Age so we can learn those teachings. Since most people do not have the good fortune of being alive at the time a Messenger walks the earth, we need to search for Him by reading and examining written proofs. When we find Him, we are spiritually obligated to learn about God through that Messenger’s teachings in His books. We are also supposed to inform others about His coming and teachings-but in a gentle and respectful way. So, in this game, I hid the aptly named book by Baha’u’llah, The Hidden Words. I used a very ornate and illuminated copy. The idea was, when one found it, they stayed with the book, to symbolize steadfastness and faithfulness. When they saw others go by, they could make a slight sound or knocking or whistling, to attract them to the book, but they could not jump out and announce, which in real life would scare away other seekers-(it would be like proselytizing). When the entire class had found the book, that round ended. Sometimes we played it outside, and sometimes inside. When it was outside, I placed the book on a red cloth b/c it was green and very camouflaged, but also b/c it was more respectful than to lie it on the ground. The first round I hid it under our front porch-which was ideal b/c the entire class could fit under there w/o being seen, and it took a little effort to think about looking there. Then I hid it oldest daughter’s room. I told the class this was the only time they were allowed in all the rooms of the house, and the book would not be hidden in any drawers, cabinets, or closets, but in plain view. (Can you imagine the chaos that would create?!) On Sunday, I asked the kids to wait in the classroom while I hid it a second time in the house. I tricked them and hid it under my shirt and when they left the classroom, I placed it next to the classroom couch on the opposite side of the door. That one took a long time, b/c of course it did not occur to them that it could be in that room until I hinted that sometimes the Messenger of God’s teachings are found in the most unsuspected places!
Hidden Words Treasure Hunt. Various excerpts from Baha’u’llah’s Hidden Words were written in gold on different colored strips of ribbon and hidden according to the clue the prior ribbon provided. Some of the clues took some hinting, but most figured it out pretty fast. If a child found more than one clue, he/she had to give it to someone else to read, otherwise all the oldest kids would have dominated the hunt. Some kids are too young to read this level of script, so after all the older readers had their thrill of finding and reading one, these younger ones were allowed to be in the group who got to look in the correctly determined location first. Once they found one, then they had to let others who had not had the delight of extracting one go in front of the group. In any treasure hunt, it is important to stress no running or pushing, and to give every one a chance at being the one to spot the clue. We also had to discuss what each verse meant before moving on. Before we started I shared this quote by Abdu’l-Baha:
The Hidden Words is a treasury of divine mysteries. When thou ponderest its contents, the doors of the mysteries will open. ~`Abdu'l-Baha: The Importance of Deepening, page 197. Here are the excerpts and where they led: 1. Upon the tree of effulgent glory I have hung for thee the choicest fruits, wherefore hast thou turned away and contented thyself with that which is less good? (fruit bowl in kitchen) 2. ......forfeit not thy portion from My wondrous fountain, lest thou shouldst thirst for evermore. (drinking fountain in kitchen) 3. The candle of thine heart is lighted by the hand of My power, quench it not with the contrary winds of self and passion. (heart shaped candle in classroom) 4. Thou art but one step away from the glorious heights above ......(staircase) 5. Ye are the trees of My garden; ye must give forth goodly and wondrous fruits, that ye yourselves and others may profit therefrom. (indoor fig tree) 6. My calamity is My providence, outwardly it is fire and vengeance, but inwardly it is light and mercy. (fireplace) 7. ....thou wouldst find no rest save in submission to Our command and humbleness before Our Face. (bed) 8. Barter not the garden of eternal delight for the dust-heap of a mortal world. (outside garden) 9. .....enter the heaven of communion with Me. (classroom prayer book b/c prayer is how one enters the heaven of communion) 10. Make mention of Me on My earth.......(globe in classroom) 11. Neglect not My commandments if thou lovest My beauty....(The Kitab-i-Aqdas, the Baha’i book of laws.) 12. Thou art My lamp and My light is in thee. (lamp) 13. ......no man should enter the house of his friend save at his friend's pleasure.... (entry door) To the eternal I call thee, yet thou dost seek that which perisheth. (refrigerator, b/c it holds perishables)
In the refrigerator was a box decorated with roses. In the box was this verse, along with necklaces with gems on them to remind them that they are the real treasures and of their inner wealth of divine virtues and knowledge.
15. Ye are My treasury, for in you I have treasured the pearls of My mysteries and the gems of My knowledge. (the children themselves) I shared with the kids that I thought the last quote (#15) meant that they were treasures of God. We discussed what this might mean, what the pearls and gems might be (virtues, talents, skills, etc.) So the real treasure was them! But since I knew they would be disappointed if after all that work, they didn’t find a more traditional treasure, I had the box of gem necklaces. I told them to wear it as a reminder that they were treasures of God. I am real big on consistently providing a spiritual definition to children of what a human is, to counteract all the animalistic and debased definitions, images, and standards in the media and in our culture in general. After working w/ youth, I am frequently reminded how important it is that our children have solid spiritual identities, that they perceive themselves as noble and act in such ways that are befitting of such a lofty station: Were man to appreciate the greatness of his station and the loftiness of his destiny he would manifest naught save goodly character, pure deeds, and a seemly and praiseworthy conduct. ~Baha'u'llah: Tablets of Baha'u'llah, page 172. Too many youth have very low opinions and standards about what a human being is, and this is reflected in their behavior towards themselves and others. Noble have I created thee, yet thou hast abased thyself. Rise then unto that for which thou wast created. ~Baha'u'llah: Arabic Hidden Words, # 22. It is also interesting to note that at the opening of the Hidden Words, Baha’u’llah says: This is that which hath descended from the realm of glory, uttered by the tongue of power and might, and revealed unto the Prophets of old. We have taken the inner essence thereof and clothed it in the garment of brevity, as a token of grace unto the righteous, that they may stand faithful unto the Covenant of God, may fulfill in their lives His trust, and in the realm of spirit obtain the gem of Divine virtue.
Graduates’ Treasure Hunt One of the most exciting activities was this test of the graduates’ memory of past classes. The entire class participated by listening to the clues and following behind the grads, and offering suggestions if the grads were stumped. The clues led to the big pine tree outside that most of my students love to climb. Hanging a little more than 1/3 way up, were 4 cloth bags, (made by tying a section of silk my daughter brought back from India) tied with a ribbon to a branch, each one having the name of one of the grads written on a large gold star attached to the ribbon. The gifts inside were chosen from a selection by the parents of the grads at a previous date. They were wrapped with gold wrapping paper with stars on it, since the star metaphor is used so much in our class. Also inside each bag was a quote from the Baha’i Writings in a fancy font on special paper which related to the gift inside, rolled up as a scroll with ribbon.
Lua got Austrian crystal heart shaped earrings and her quote
read: My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly and
radiant heart, that thine may be a sovereignty ancient,
imperishable and everlasting.~Baha’u’llah India got a silver
bracelet made up of hands and hearts. The hands symbolized
service, giving a helping hand to others. Her quote
read:.....service in love for mankind is unity with God.
~`Abdu’l-Baha and Love ye all religions and all races with a
love that is true and sincere and show that love through
deeds.......
~`Abdu’l-Baha
Both Kevins got the same thing b/c that’s what their parents chose: A fancy pen whose barrel was half clear and sheds a blue light when turned on. Their quote was:
O SON OF MAN! Write all that We have revealed unto thee with the ink of light upon the tablet of thy spirit...... Sweeter indeed is this to Me than all else, that its light may endure for ever. ~Baha’u’llah The clues were as follows: (Clues were written on colored cardstock, folded into a tiny card with fancy trimmed edges and a flower sticker on the front, except for the last one which had a star, to symbolize illumination from spiritual knowledge-as demonstrated by successively completing the treasure hunt.) The italicized underlines are what they had to guess, the parenthesis are rhyming answers and where they had to go.
Baha’u’llah said: “The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens” Go to object which represents answer for next clue. (globe) Perseverance means not giving up. Go to a thing which helps us go up. (stairs) I am trustworthy when I do what I say I’ll do and not do what I’m not supposed to do. Go to a machine in this house that takes something out of the air that rhymes with the 1st syllable. (dust, electronic dust remover--- or feather duster if there is no machine-change clue to read “removes something that rhymes.....”) The first 18 people to find and believe in The Bab (Forerunner Prophet of the Baha’i Faith) were called The Letters of the Living. Go to where Letters are received at this house. (mailbox) Being happy and pleased with what I have and not demanding more is called contentment Go to something on the stairway wall which rhymes with the last syllable. (vent) You are being patient when you wait nicely without complaining. Go to a toy in the playroom which children sometimes use to pretend to be a patient. (doctor kit) In the Baha’i Writings it says: “Follow in the footsteps of Abdu’l-Baha” Go to a picture of the answer for next clue. (framed photo) One expression of humility is when we are able to admit we were wrong. Go to an object people use to play something that rhymes with wrong. (song/stereo) Go to a picture that shows where The Bab is buried. (Shrine of The Bab photo) To show caring is to be kind. Go to a thing in this room that rhymes with kind. (blind) When we express virtues such as courtesy, kindness, and patience, we make the world more joyful and beautiful just like flowers do. Go to some inside. (vase of flowers) To sacrifice is to give up something for the sake of unity or for others. Go to a place where you would find something that rhymes with the last syllable of the answer. (rice/kitchen cabinet) Steadfastness means not giving in to our lower nature. Go to a place where we can come in. (front door) One example of fairness is to make sure others get their turn. Go to an object where things get hot and sometimes do something which rhymes with turn. (burn/oven) Men are like one wing on the bird of humanity and women are the other. When both wings can fly equally well, in other words, when women have the same respect and are treated equal to men, we will have world peace-- according to the Baha’i Writings. Go to a picture which represents the answers. (poster in classroom of human figures riding a dove of peace, but any bird picture will do). Gratitude means showing and feeling thankfulness, contentment, and appreciation for what we have and for what others do for us. Go to a place that stores something that rhymes with the last syllable. (food/refrigerator) The Bab said: “I am the Lamp which the Finger of God hath lit.” Go to one. (lamp) Courtesy means I make sure you’re happy before I take care of me. Go to a living thing outside which rhymes with me. (tree with next clue obviously displayed b/c there are a lot of trees in my back yard!) According to the Baha’i Writings, the station of a faithful servant and true believer of Baha’u’llah in the next world is very high. Now each of you must go high to discover your reward. (climb up to treasure-gifts hanging on branches)
Metaphor Hunt We played this game at a 12th Day of Ridvan celebration at my house. It can be played on any Holy Day, since all 3 Central Figures use lots of metaphors in Their Writings. In some instances, it also may be more appropriate for a class setting than a holy day. But it needs to be light outside, unless you want to do it inside, which I think is less appealing. The dialogue was geared toward the older kids and adults, but the younger kids, and even pre- youth really loved the hide n’ seek part of this game. And the preschoolers were especially thrilled whenever they found something. I chose what I believe is referred to as the Tablet of Ridvan, from pages 319-322 Gleanings, which is entry CLI, and includes 5 paragraphs rich in metaphorical visual imagery. Since we were expecting many non-Baha’is, I left out the 4th paragraph, because it is a bit scolding. It was printed on rose bordered paper.
I went through the selection, hunting for metaphors. These are the words I found, and the objects I gathered to go with them: nightingales (2 pictures of a nightingale), sweetness (a small pretty bowl of sugar), bitterness (a grapefruit peel stuck on a stick-so it could be stuck in the ground), clouds (a wad of cotton), veil (a sheer scarf), birds (2 fake birds), Rose Garden (a rose), hearts (a lovely heart pillow and a rhinestone heart), fragrance (a vial of perfume), chains (a thick dog chain), hands (a plastic doll hand and cardboard one on a stick), cage (a miniature cage), nest (a bird nest), candle (a large candle), and moth (a fake moth made from feathers). I did not use “eyes” and “ear” b/c they were not being used to represent something else, i.e. they were not metaphors in this particular Writing.
Before beginning the program, I wanted to encourage everybody to really listen to the readings. All those old enough to read had their own copy of the writings. I said something like the following: “Before we begin, I need to prepare you for the activity following the program. Who can tell me what is a metaphor? Well, the Baha’i Writings are full of them. (I gave a few examples). Abdu’l-Baha explains in Some Answered Questions (p. 84) that b/c the spiritual world is so unknown to us, it is necessary to explain spiritual ideas, truths, and relationships using objects from the known, physical, material world. I think it’s important to recognize metaphors when they are used b/c if we don’t, they can confuse our understanding of the Messenger’s words and mislead us. This is why most people did not recognize Christ when He first came, and also why many have missed His second coming in Baha’u’llah. (Give examples of how in Christ’s time, people expected His throne and army to be literal, and how many refuse to accept Baha’u’llah b/c they are expecting Christ on a cloud, etc.) Please listen carefully to the readings and try to remember as many metaphors as you can. After the closing song, we’ll try to list them as a group, then I will explain the rules for the activity.”
After music, reading of the 4 paragraphs, and singing together, I brought out a dry erase board. Using the readings and also by memory, the whole group made a list which consisted of the metaphors I had found. I explained that they would be searching for the list outside. Because we had a whole lot of little ones who were ready to get up and move, I only very briefly defined the metaphor or elaborated on why I thought Baha’u’llah used it or what I thought He meant. For ex: elaborating on how chains trap us and hold us down, and how our lower natures and ignorance imprison us like chains. After making the list, I told the group that “when trying to understand a metaphor in Baha’u’llah’s Writings, its important to have humility-that is to know that maybe our understanding or idea or picture of what that metaphor means may not be what Baha’u’llah intended, or it has many meanings. Likewise, when searching for the metaphor objects outside, try to keep an open mind and not cling to a definite idea about what that object may look like. Remember, there are 2 of some things, and they may or may not be what you expect-the form or size they take may not match the picture in your mind-but you will recognize it when you see it.”
The rules were: If you find an object, bring it inside for all to see and place on the table. Only then may you go back out to search for another object. Each child may find only 2 (this keeps the older kids from hogging them all-but of course this depends on how many things you hide and how big your group of kids are.) If you have found your 2, you may assist a younger child who is wanting help-but do not take the pleasure of finding an object away from them-just guide, and let them be the ones to retrieve it. All objects are in clear view-none are hidden under or inside of anything, though some may be up off the ground. (I placed things sort of camouflaged, but just by being small and in the yard, one had to really search to locate one. I did not place them in the middle of the lawn, for example, but in nooks and crannies. The kids had a blast, and as each one triumphantly brought one in, all the adults inside applauded and oohed and aahed.
The Knot # * Stand in a circle, everybody reaches in and grabs hands of 2 different people who are not directly next to you, and try to untangle yourselves with out letting go of the hands you are holding. Consider the knot a conflict or "tangle" in a relationship, and the holding hands to the "bonds of unity", and that as Baha'is we should always strive to solve conflict and problems without breaking the bonds of unity, using consultation and virtues. Nine times out of ten players can successfully untangle themselves back into a perfect circle. A few tips: remember to be gentle and not squeeze too hard. Its OK to rotate your hands in the other persons’ as you maneuver your arms and legs as long as you do not let go. Be flexible and creative-you will need to be stepping over other’s arms, threading your way under other’s connections, wiggling through openings made by other’s arms and torsos, etc. Consult with each other and work together. This game works best with 6-10 people. More than ten is usually very, very challenging. Remember to hold hands of different kids, otherwise you will form your own little circle and the game will end very fast for you! A perfect circle may have some facing in and some facing out, and that’s fine.
Balloon Maneuvers People have different abilities and skills and all are important. Think of examples of jobs in which people contribute to the world by primarily using their brains, (like computer programmers) hands (like carpenters, artists, etc.) and feet (rainforest guides.) Get in a group of 3 and decide who will represent the head-- they can use their heads and shoulders. Then decide who gets to be the hand person---they can use their hands and arms, and the foot person can use their feet and legs. Each person shares a job that uses their body part a lot. Try to focus on occupations that are of service to others and help improve the world. It is important and far more challenging if you have the rule that the same person can’t hit the balloon twice in a row-it must alternate. If that is too hard then allow the feet and head people to hit it twice, but not the hand person b/c that is too easy for them. How long can you keep your balloon up as a group? When the balloon hits the ground, rotate who plays what parts. The smaller the balloon, the faster it falls-experiment. This game demonstrates unity in diversity.
Hoop Balloon Pass ## For this game it is best to have hula hoops. Two teams each form a line and the first person on each team gets a balloon. The balloons need to be the same size so they float equally well. If you want to give the game a religious tone, you can say that the balloons represent the message that The Bab or Baha’u’llah has come, and the goal is to get that message to as many countries or towns (the hoops) as fast as possible. Or the balloons can represent the teachings of Baha’u’llah. The second person in each line holds a hula hoop. The third person has no hoop, the 4th does, and so on, alternating hoop holders with no hoop holders. Teams must be evenly numbered and end with the last person not holding a hoop. When I say “Go!” the first person on each team attempts to bat the balloon through the hoop. They may not push or carry it through. If the kids are older, like 11 and up, you can make the rule that they get to hit the balloon only once, or twice maximum. Since I had kids as young as 7, I allowed unlimited number of hits-but no holding is allowed. The hoop person can maneuver their hoop to assist in the process, but once the balloon goes through, it can only be batted by the 3rd child, who attempts to get in through the 4th child’s hoop, and so on down the line, until the last person catches the balloon-or you can make the round longer by the last person having to bat it back up through the line, doing the same procedure only in reverse. If the balloon hits the ground at any time, it has to go back to the beginning. Kids like to alternate being hoop holders and batters. This is a highly cooperative game with the competitive aspect of a race. I never keep score, and highly discourage displays of exaltation by the winners.
This game can also be played w/o hoops in 2 ways: Kids can form the largest circle they can with their arms, but this makes the game quite a bit harder since the circles will be smaller. (Or, you can try bending willow branches for hoops). The other way is for kids to simply pass their team’s balloon down the line, allowing only 2 contacts per person. Here is how we did it: Each child could hit the balloon up to two times, using any body part they wanted. Holding or carrying was not allowed except when returning the balloon to the beginning. The balloon could not skip anybody and had to go down the team line in order. If the balloon hit the ground (symbolizing that teaching was not off the ground, or was “grounded,” the balloon had to be carried back to the start of the line. The first team to get their balloon to the end of the line was the winner-though I never emphasize this concept in class games.
Unity Ball # You need an inflatable ball for this one. It can be played indoors if its OK with your parents-it is best to remove lamps and anything that can be easily knocked over, from the room. If played indoors, (unless ceilings are really high) the group should sit down or be on their knees. It can also be fun to play on your backs using heads, feet and hands. In a small group, each child gets a chance to see how many times he or she can hit the ball up in the air by themselves, with no assistance from the rest of the group. (For large groups just invite a few to demonstrate). It is too easy to tap it only a few inches high-it must go several feet to be fair. Every body counts the number of hits. After every one has had a chance to do it by themselves, it is time to see how powerful unity is and do it as a group. Always remember to hit the ball up either underhand or pushing up with your fingertips as in volley ball-never slam or whack it down-remember the goal is to keep the ball up!!! Also, don’t forget to be courteous---let others have a shot- no hogging!! Again everybody counts. The all time record is 240! You will do much better if you stick together as a group and do not leave huge areas open and unattended-and you hit straight up as possible. Out of doors is harder b/c there are no walls to bounce off of and there is always more space than bodies can cover. Hopefully, the group number of hits will far, far, outnumber the individual hits and it will show how much more effective a group working together is than a lone soul. For world peace to happen, we need large numbers of people working together in unity- individuals can’t do it alone.
People of the Mountain* This game is the exact opposite of the old-world-order game “King of the Mountain” which rewards selfishness, hoarding, and power and control of resources for oneself. In that game, the goal is to prevent all others from getting on a boulder or object and to be the only one on it. It can get violent in that kids are pushing others off and away from the desired territory. You do not need a boulder for this one-sturdy chairs will do. It can be played outside or in. Just make sure no sharp edges on furniture are near the playing area. The number of chairs you use depends on the number of kids playing. You be the judge. The goal is to get everybody on the chairs-it should not be easy. Make sure you never place your fingers between the chairs. Chairs should be back to back , if more than two are used, you can place one on each end of the line too.
These chairs stand for a valuable mountain which contains fertile soil, water, timber, and a peaceful, happy, thriving community. Each child represents a tribe or ethnic group in need of a place to live. Remember Baha’u’llah’s teachings that one of the requirements for world peace would be the elimination of the extremes of wealth and poverty? Think about how all that is on earth belongs to God and that grossly unequal distribution of wealth causes conflict and suffering. The people with wealth (the haves) will never have peace and security so long as those in great poverty (the have-nots) are desperate to survive. Everyone wants peace and joy and everyone knows you can’t have that if you are busy defending your territory and shoving people off your turf. Aggression is not peaceful or joyful!!! Even if the haves own their wealth legally, they will always be in fear of invasion. Think of the illegal immigrant or refugee problem. “The inordinate disparity between rich and poor, a source of acute suffering, keeps the world in a state of instability, virtually on the brink of war.”-The Universal House of Justice, from The Promise of World Peace.
So in this game, the goal is to see how many people can share and enjoy the mountain. You succeed only if everyone is on the “mountain” and if only those who are seated have their feet on the ground. Some can stand on the bars below the seats or on the seats. It takes a lot of maneuvering and balancing and supporting and communicating. But laughter and joy should be the end product. You may want an adult to stand by to catch any one falling off the mountain!
Chair Island ## * This is a cooperative version of musical chairs-and a lot more fun. I have played this game for 10 years and with hundreds of children and it is ALWAYS a hit. Place the chairs back to back in a line and perhaps one on each end. Of course the number of chairs you use depends on the number of players. Use danceable drum music or something with a strong beat with no words. Encourage the players to dance as they encircle the chairs. You should point out what direction the kids are to go in as they move. As in the traditional version, chairs will be removed throughout the game-(the number removed each round depends on how fast you want the game to end). But no person is removed for having no chair-the kids just share space and hold each other on as the chairs get fewer and fewer, yet the number of kids stays the same. It is important to have some help running a boom box and an adult or youth assigned to remove chairs. When the music stops kids will throw themselves into chairs-so the best time to remove sets of chairs is after the music starts up again. The helper just slips into the group and pulls 1-4 chairs out. They can’t be removing chairs as the music is stopping b/c kids are diving for those seats.
It is very important that you tell the kids-better yet show them-not to hold onto the backs of chairs thereby putting their fingers between chairs. Also, not to place fingers between seats of chairs. Fingers will get smashed as kids move chairs as they maneuver their bodies. Encourage them to be flexible in how they use the chairs. Standing may be dangerous, though feet use less space than rear ends. Standing on the bars attached to the legs below the seats of the chairs and holding onto seated players works well. Also, some folding chairs have the dangerous tendency to fold up fast if the majority of the weight is placed on the back of the seat. Check this out and warn if necessary. Needless to say, the chairs need to be extremely sturdy. And the players need to feel comfortable with a lot of close physical contact-including sitting on each other’s knees and laps. Adults mixed with children are always a good combination- though often it is the tiniest child that takes the seat first and then the bigger ones have to sit on them!
Now here is the Island part, the dramatic part, which really gets their imaginations and giggles going. Some preschoolers may find it too scary. It adds to the drama if you have a shark nose. (Costume shops and toy stores and catalogs carry vinyl animal noses with elastic bands.) I explain that they all live on a gorgeous sunny island and I describe a classic postcard scene: Palm trees waving in the ocean breeze, clean white sand beaches, crystal blue or turquoise water, warm all year round, etc. I tell them they love living there mainly b/c they are spiritually enlightened (adjust your vocabulary to the age) and understand that they are all one family. Every body loves every body else and treats all the islanders, no matter how different they look, as brothers and sisters. But there are 2 big problems with the island: first of all there are earthquakes, and whenever there is an earthquake, a piece of the island, somebody’s property, falls into the ocean and is lost forever. Whenever the music stops-that means an earthquake has occurred. Chairs being removed are those parcels of land being lost to the ocean. The second problem is that out in the deep of the ocean there is a very hungry shark who would love to eat an islander. (I know sharks are not necessarily man eaters, my apologies to the environmentalists). Then I explain that since you are all so enlightened and realize that people are more important than property, you invite islanders who have no property-land (a chair), to share with you on yours. You love each other and definitely do not want them to be eaten by the hungry shark. Any child that is not seated or on the chairs in some fashion, or on another person, is shark bait. If a child is seated they can have their feet on the floor, but all others must have their feet off the floor-otherwise they could just stand next to a chair.
During the music I encircle the group, licking my lips, rubbing my belly, exclaiming how hungry I am and how that leg or arm looks so juicy, etc. I really ham it up as I dance-swim to the music. I need an assistant for the music so the kids don’t know when it’s going to stop (otherwise they will all just head for the chairs as they see me going for the boom box. Before beginning the game I have taught the boom box attendant a subtle cue.) There are always children who prefer to be pursued by the shark than to find safety on land, and I often catch them and drag them off to the deeps for dinner. Children are encouraged to rescue these rascals by leaping off their chairs and dragging them back towards land by their feet. We often have a hysterical tug of war-me pulling a child by the arms or carrying by the waist while a mob of kids pulls at the victim’s legs. I always eventually let that child go and he/she is triumphantly carried back to the chairs. But if no one comes to help (and that is rare-especially b/c I reveal the rescue option while explaining the game) I carry the kid far from the chairs and pretend to eat him. Then he/she helps removes chairs. I don’t want any child to be doing nothing for the rest of the game. It is important to explain ahead of time that they can’t hurt the shark in any way and point out the boundaries of “no return” -the area at which the water is too deep and the victim can’t be rescued. Don’t feel too sorry for these rare victims-they have plenty of offers for sharing land but prefer to show off and be pursued by the shark. End the game when it becomes obvious that the chairs will break or someone will get hurt. You be the judge.
Version 2: If you do not have enough sturdy chairs- use hoops on the ground instead. It then becomes Hoop Island. Players have to have both feet inside the hoop. They can place others on their backs, hold up a stray leg of someone else, whatever it takes to make sure everybody is inside the hoops. This works really well and is just as much fun as with chairs. You can play it outside and use a drum or maracas for the music. Remove hoops one at a time right after each earthquake has ended, just as kids start moving again.
(If your group consists of kids mostly over 10 years old, the similar People of the Mountain game is more appropriate.)
Unity Toss #* You need two (preferably double sized/full) sheets and an inflatable or foam ball about the size of a soccer ball or larger. I assigned students in even numbered groups and asked each player to come up with a national identity. I gave each group a large sheet and explained that only by working together in synchrony and unity would they be able to toss a ball to each other using the sheet as the propeller. I told them that it would be a challenge and that at first they probably would not be able to do it, but if they persevered they probably would. I explained that the process of nations attempting to build world unity would also be extremely difficult and we would make many mistakes and have many failures but we should never give up.
Version one: I demonstrated how they had to stand around all the sides but one (the side the ball would be coming out of) and lift in unison the sheet so that the back side was higher and thrust the ball to the other team who would have to move as a unit to catch it in their sheet. I said the ball stood for peace. So that version just involved tossing it back and forth using the sheet.
Version two: The second version is harder and they could only do it once: The team makes the sheet very tight and lowers it onto the ground with the ball in the center. On the count of 3, they all have to thrust the sheet straight up so that the ball goes straight up (instead of to the side as in version one) then they need to run out from under it while the other team runs under it to catch it. Even though the 2 teams are placed very close together, the ball has to go up really high to provide time for the second team to move under it.
Version three: The third version involves being very aware of how your actions effect the whole and being a counter balance to others. Every body's actions effect everybody else's and you have to be acutely aware of how high or low and when to move your section of the sheet to prevent the ball from rolling into the center. A large pink circle in drawn in the center of each sheet. I said this stands for a conflict zone. The goal is to keep the ball of peace rolling around and around the world (the sheet) from nation to nation, w/o letting it pass into the conflict zone. This involves the kids having to go slowly, pay attention, and know when to raise or lower one’s section. You can also use an inflatable earth ball, and say the goal is to keep the world out war and conflict. The inflatable ball can be too light for the above 2 versions-though some have succeeded with it.
Stand Up # This game goes with a song called “Stand Up” from Jonathon Sprout’s Kid Power recording. The song is about standing up to make a difference in the world and it repeats the phrase “Stand Up” many times throughout the song. The game can be played w/o the song, but the song is perfect for, and inspired the game. First we talked about issues to stand up for (race unity, women’s rights, environment, etc.) and obstacles that get in the way (ignorance, insecurity, apathy, materialism, violence, greed, hopelessness, poverty, drugs, fear, etc.)
Then I ask kids to share something they would like to stand up for. In more educational or formal settings, I give them a stick on label that looks like a medal for an award and write their chosen cause on it and ask them to wear it over their heart. This way they take it more seriously and it is kind of a way of affirming their desire to make a difference. I also tell them to wear it over their heart to remind them that it is love that makes us care and enables us to suffer, strive and sacrifice to make the world a better place. For each child who is going to stand up, you need at least 3, perhaps 4 who will be their obstacles. The child who wants to stand up for something then lies down on the floor, hands and arms pressed against his/her sides. Carpeting is nice to have. Then 3 or 4 kids sit down next to the prone person, alternating sitting on the left/right of the prone person, with their legs bent over the person from their upper chest to their ankles. It is best to keep girls with girls and boys with boys unless the kids are under the age of puberty-there is a lot of physical contact. The legs represent the obstacles. The kids holding the person lying down cannot use their arms or hands. The person lying down who wants to stand up can use their hands because the hands represent the human spirit which is indefatigable and infinitely resourceful and irrepressible. But the person trying to break free can’t pinch or scratch or use any painful technique-they can only squirm and push. The kids holding him down with their legs just can squeeze and press. It is very challenging-and I always point out that standing up for a cause is full of challenge and struggle.
If using the song, I have all in their positions, they listen, and then when the appropriate words are about to be sung I go stand next to one of the prone kids, raise both my hands with my index fingers in the pointing position and then dramatically lower them when the singer says “Stand Up!” to point to the person to signal it is their time to break free. Also, in the more formal or educational settings, I ask each child who has broken free to stand on a chair which is in a row with other chairs. At the end of the game all the standers are standing on this row of chairs. I urge them to hold hands and raise their arms up to show victory. I also tell them that I put them up high to symbolize that they were able to “rise above” their obstacles. Kids love this game and everyone always cheers during the game and applauds very enthusiastically for each success and this is so affirming for them. If it becomes clear that a child will not be able to break free, choose a few bystanders to help free them-this demonstrates that we need community to support us in our efforts.
But a word of caution: Be careful who you do this game with. If you are working in location with kids who have had a rough life-know that it can really open wounds if a child has been held down and abused and then he/she is placed in the similar situation of being held down for the game. On the other hand it can be tremendously cathartic and healing. Know your group.
World Rescue In this game I told the kids they each represented a nation. Then I gave each student a yard stick and said this represents your government. I put them in two equal teams of 4 (3-5 can also work). I said their goal was to rescue the world from pollution, violence, and war. In order to do this they must work together. Each team got an earth ball. (I used 2 balls and 2 teams simply so more children could play at the same time). The goal was to carry the earth ball using only the sticks as support. Students had to learn how to put relatively equal pressure on all sides and place at least 2 sticks under the ball and move in synchrony. Each team came up with their own techniques and structures. They could use both hands but not touch the ball or use their bodies as support. I put on a monster mask and for the first round crawled after them. I, of course, symbolized war, pollution, and violence and the goal was to get across the yard to the safety zone (world unity) marked by cones, w/o me touching their earth ball. If I touched it, that meant that a war, fighting or environmental disaster took place. When they got better, I jumped after them with 2 feet together.
Variation: And finally, we tried a different version-Each team got in a circle facing outward and I put the earth inside and their backs held it in place. Again they had to move in synchrony to the safety zone while I pursued them.
Spirituality VS Materialism ## This is a game about how the forces of materialism and the forces of spirituality both can impact souls: I explained that materialism is one of the most potent forces in this world which weaken spirituality in humans. It can cause people to totally neglect and ignore their spiritual needs and goals. People can be come so focussed on obtaining material status and things that it consumes all their energy and thought, and they end up in a cycle of consumption that never brings them true happiness. People are often misled by advertising to believe that owning a certain product will bring them joy, only to find out that it is really temporary and shallow. The Baha'i Writings point out that Americans in particular are "submerged in a sea of materialism". Here are some quotes which inspired this game. Just share and discuss a few of them.
A new life is, in this age, stirring within all the peoples
of the earth; and yet none hath discovered its cause or
perceived its motive. Consider the peoples of the West.
Witness how, in their pursuit of that which is vain and
trivial, they have sacrificed, and are still sacrificing,
countless lives for the sake of its establishment and
promotion.
~Baha'u'llah: Gleanings, page 196
Thou dost wish for gold and I desire thy freedom from it.
Thou thinkest thyself rich in its possession, and I
recognize thy wealth in thy sanctity therefrom. By My life!
This is My knowledge, and that is thy fancy; how can My way
accord with thine?
~Baha'u'llah: Arabic Hidden Words, # 56
For material forces have attacked mankind. The world of
humanity is submerged in a sea of materialism.
~`Abdu'l-
Baha: Promulgation of Universal Peace, page 12
Consider to what a remarkable extent the spirituality of
people has been overcome by materialism so that spiritual
susceptibility seems to have vanished, divine civilization
become decadent, and guidance and knowledge of God no longer
remain. All are submerged in the sea of materialism.
~`Abdu'l-Baha: Promulgation of Universal Peace, page 221
Observe how darkness has overspread the world. In every
corner of the earth there is strife, discord and warfare of
some kind. Mankind is submerged in the sea of materialism
and occupied with the affairs of this world. They have no
thought beyond earthly possessions and manifest no desire
save the passions of this fleeting, mortal existence. Their
utmost purpose is the attainment of material livelihood,
physical comforts and worldly enjoyments such as constitute
the happiness of the animal world rather than the world of
man. The honor of man is through the attainment of the
knowledge of God; his happiness is from the love of God; his
joy is in the glad tidings of God; his greatness is
dependent upon his servitude to God.
~`Abdu'l-Baha:
Promulgation of Universal Peace, page 335
O YE THAT PRIDE YOURSELVES ON MORTAL RICHES! Know ye in
truth that wealth is a mighty barrier between the seeker and
his desire, the lover and his beloved. The rich, but for a
few, shall in no wise attain the court of His presence nor
enter the city of content and resignation. Well is it then
with him, who, being rich, is not hindered by his riches
from the eternal kingdom, nor deprived by them of
imperishable dominion. By the Most Great Name! The splendor
of such a wealthy man shall illuminate the dwellers of
heaven even as the sun enlightens the people of the earth!
~Baha'u'llah: Persian Hidden Words, # 53
Then I reiterated how materialism can infect us and make us spiritually "sick" by making us care only about material things. But I also pointed out that the spiritual forces are also at work in the world, and that we can be instruments of the Holy Spirit and illumine others by our actions and our own spiritual strengths:
Wouldst thou seek the grace of the Holy Spirit, enter into
fellowship with the righteous, for he hath drunk the cup of
eternal life at the hands of the immortal Cup-bearer and
even as the true morn doth quicken and illumine the hearts
of the dead.
~Baha'u'llah: Persian Hidden Words, # 58
.......fellowship with the righteous cleanseth the rust from
off the heart.
~Baha'u'llah: Persian Hidden Words, # 56
You must become the shining candles of moral precepts and
spiritual ideals and be the means of the illumination of
others. Clothe your bodies with the robes of virtues.
Characterize yourselves with the characteristics of the
people of divine morality.
~`Abdu'l-Baha: Excellence in All
Things, page 376
So I assigned one child to be a Baha’i teacher (for mixed groups or non-Baha’i settings you should use the label “spiritual teacher”, or “spiritualist”), and the other to be the materialist, representing materialism. The Baha’i/spiritualist will try to "illumine" as many others as possible, and the materialist will try to "infect" as many others as possible. The spiritualist wears a gold star around his/her neck, and the materialist wears a play money around his/her's. I again explained that these are the 2 major forces at work in the world today and because there are more people infected with materialism than illumined with spirituality, we have a very sick world indeed. But once the world has more people illumined with spirituality than infected with materialism, then the world will begin to heal and improve. This is the job of a spiritual teacher--to assist in the illumination of others while they themselves work on their own spirituality and virtues. I asked the kids to explain why I chose a gold star to represent the spiritual teacher and they had no trouble figuring out that it had to do with illumination and spiritual radiance. I also pointed out that spiritual people shine in the darkness, like stars, and the darkness is materialism, war, hatred, greed, etc.
The game is played thus: The spiritual teacher and the materialist each get one necklace of their kind, in addition to the one around their own neck, i.e. the spiritualist gets a star necklace, the materialist gets a paper bill necklace. They hide their heads and count to 50. The other children hide, representing uninfected and unillumined souls. At the end of the count, they both dash off to find souls. If a spiritualist finds you first, they put their extra necklace around your neck, and if a materialist finds you first, they put their extra necklace around your neck. Then each person, both the original spiritualist/materialist and the ones they find, must rush back to home base to get another necklace before they can search for any one else. In other words, you may never go looking for any one unless you have a necklace to give them besides your own, and every time you find someone and place a necklace on their neck, you have to go back to get another necklace. The game moves quickly, of course, because each person found then also becomes a seeker to illumine or infect, depending on who found them. The game ends when all children are found, and we determine whether the world was ruined or saved, depending on whether there were more spiritualists or more materialists. The kids really enjoyed this game, so I promised to let them play it next week too. You can have the rule that if found you are caught and can’t run, or you can allow children to try to escape the hunters.
Unity Lift ## This game is best played with little kids. A brave adult or large youth lies down on the ground. You ask kids for a volunteer who is very strong. Ask her to carry (not drag) the adult across the room. She will not be able to do it. Then ask for another child to help her. Then another, up to 4 or 5 kids. Frequently remind them that they must lift off the ground and carry.. Then invite the whole group to help. They should be able to carry if they position themselves well. I have never been dropped yet. It is reassuring to have another adult in the room who can guard your head, though. Make sure you tell them not to use your hair! Point out how much more powerful and strong they are as a group working together than alone. If the kids are bigger, just 2-4 of them will be able to carry the adult and the point will not be well made. No power can exist except through unity. ~Baha'u'llah: Consultation, page 93
Log Roll ## * Children all lie down on their stomachs in a row, preferably on carpet. They should leave about 9-12 inches between each other and their arms should be above them, pointed as if in a dive. There needs to be plenty of space at the end of the line b/c all bodies will be moving several feet. They are the rollers. One child gets to “ride”-He/she is the rider or cargo. That child lays down across the row of bodies, approximately along the lower backs. (Since kids come in different sizes, it is best to advise them to align themselves with lower backs next to each other, otherwise, the rider will be riding buttocks or shoulders, etc.) The rider needs to remain straight and stiff so their elbows and knees are not sticking the rollers. He/she should also be in the dive position with hands and arms straight out in front. When you give the cue, the first child begins to roll, and as soon as the second child feels the space between them narrow, he/she begins to roll, and so on down the line. They all keep rolling over and over until the cargo/rider is propelled off the last body. Synchrony and unity are important b/c otherwise you get a body clog or a huge gap which the rider can fall into. They need to practice when to roll-when you give the signal to start, kids at the end of the line should not begin until the earlier rollers reach them b/c they will go faster with no cargo to transport and thus a large gap will be produced by the time the cargo/rider reaches them. When the rider is done, he/she becomes a roller at the end of the line, and the first roller then gets to ride. Is there a possible Baha’i metaphor here? Community support-carrying/supporting the new member until he/she then becomes an active member of the community?
Twisting Tubes ## You will need connecting tubes for this game. The ones I used consisted of 4 Tuba Ruba (by Milton Bradley) games combined. If you can’t find this game in a toy store, try a hardware store. If you can’t find tubes that disconnect and re-connect, just buy two very long (like 25 feet) tubes used in construction. This game can be played in competition between 2 teams or just with one group. If competing, I always tell my students that being first is not praiseworthy or important-unless you are striving to be first to be virtuous and serve God and others. You can begin by dumping all the tubes in a pile and (if your tubes are in connectable segments) having 2 teams race to create one long tube consisting of 19 or so segments, (alternating clear and colored tubes so that a marble rolling through could be spotted more often.) When each team had completed their one long giant tube we played 3 versions of a cooperative-race. The kids really had to work together in unity to win, but it also had the competitive nature of a race. Each version got progressively harder. The goal was the same for all 3 versions: be the first team to get your marble from one end to the other and out.
The marble can represent one of 2 things, depending on what metaphor you want to use: it can be God’s love, and the tubes, people. I explained that passing God’s love onto others is not always easy, especially if you are tired, frustrated, or find someone to be irritating, etc. I also explained that God’s love does not flow where there is disunity-no one can feel His love when there are hurt feelings or anger, disunity, etc. And in the game, the marble (God’s love) really does not flow unless the team is really unified! I also will ask each child to give a concrete example of how they can pass God’s love onto others. Using a red permanent marker, you can even draw a heart on each marble to represent love. The second thing the marble can be is the pith of self, and the tubes are people. We talked about the meaning of “pith” and how it is really hard to get the pith of our selves out of the way so God’s love can flow through us to others. It is a daily struggle. It goes with a prayer written by a famous Baha’i that goes like this: “O God, make me as hollow as a reed from which the pith of self hath been blown, that I may become a clear channel through which Thy love may flow to others.” For this game, the marble was the pith of self. The 3 versions are as follows:
1.) The teams lay their one long tube on the ground. At the exact same moment, I drop a marble down each tube. Kids grab the tube and using timing and gravity, try to get the marble to the other end and out as quickly as possible.
2.) The game is exactly the same but children may not use their hands at all, only elbows, teeth, wrists, feet, ankles, legs, etc.
3.) Each team member wraps the tube one complete loop around any part of their body-torso, neck, arm, leg, or ankle, and may use their hands to move the marble, but may not unwrap themselves to do it. Those next to the person struggling with the pith of self, the marble, may help their other team member get the marble around their looped parts, but others in the loop may not leave their positions to assist.
Technology VS Teachers # Then we played several versions of the same game which were meant to be played outside, but it was sleeting. For the first game, I explained that although technology is good and it will assist in uniting the world, if people have technology without spiritual guidance and spiritual principles, it can have a negative influence and/or increase the harmful effects of immorality. I asked for examples of how people can use/abuse technology: people using cell phones to make drug deals, addiction to computer games, weapon making, etc.
So I assigned some kids to be pure souls on an isolated island. Then we had 4 teams of three. Two of each team kneeled down and I put a large pillow on their backs. Two of the teams were the spiritual traveling teachers or pioneers. The other two teams represented technology and they each wore a computer diskette hung around their necks with a wire necklace. Then I put the smallest of the three on top of each pair to ride like a horse. This child represented hardships. Spiritual traveling teachers face hardships (such as tests and difficulties, detachment, physical hardships, missing one's home, etc.) and the implementation of technology does too such as lack of electricity, poverty, language barriers, etc. The goal was to have the teachers reach the island of pure souls and touch each one of the souls before technology does, so that once technology was in place, it would be used to benefit humanity. So the two teams raced each other across my hard living room floor. It was a rather short and cramped race due to being indoors, but it was still really fun. We switched teams and riders a lot, but some of the bigger kids had to always be on their knees or souls on the island b/c there was no way the younger kids could support them on their backs. The teams really had to work in synchrony, otherwise the pillow and rider fell off.
Variations: Same concept but kids carried their "hardship" by the ankles and hands. And finally, teams carried their hardship by each person hooking an arm under the legs of a seated child, who held on by wrapping his/her arms around the shoulders of the carriers. The kids really enjoyed all these races very much.
These quotes inspired the above game, and the first one was discussed with the students:
.....material progress alone does not tend to uplift man. On
the contrary, the more he becomes immersed in material
progress, the more does his spirituality become obscured.
~Abdu'l-Baha: Paris Talks, page 107
No matter how far the material world advances, it cannot
establish the happiness of mankind. Only when material and
spiritual civilization are linked and coordinated will
happiness be assured. Then material civilization will not
contribute its energies to the forces of evil in destroying
the oneness of humanity....
~`Abdu'l-Baha: Promulgation of
Universal Peace, page 109
All this is the outcome of material civilization; therefore,
although material advancement furthers good purposes in
life, at the same time it serves evil ends. The divine
civilization is good because it cultivates morals.
~`Abdu'l-
Baha: Promulgation of Universal Peace, page 109
....until material achievements, physical accomplishments
and human virtues are reinforced by spiritual perfections,
luminous qualities and characteristics of mercy, no fruit or
result shall issue therefrom, nor will the happiness of the
world of humanity, which is the ultimate aim, be attained.
For although, on the one hand, material achievements and the
development of the physical world produce prosperity, which
exquisitely manifests its intended aims, on the other hand
dangers, severe calamities and violent afflictions are
imminent.
~`Abdu'l-Baha: Selections from the Writings of
`Abdu'l-Baha, pages 283-284
Beamo Toss (Share the Teachings) # The next game we played was with 2 new toys I acquired for the class. They are called Beamos and they are like giant frizbees, with foam edges, stretchy cloth, and a large hole in the middle. I explained that these Beamos represent the Baha'i teachings, especially unity in diversity, since they are made of several different colored cloth segments sewn together. They float quite nicely and slowly through the air. Anyway, kids practiced for awhile tossing them and diving into their holes. Then I lined them up in two lines with each child spread 10-20 feet apart. (Distance depends on age level). The goal was to be the first team to get the Beamo, the Baha'i teachings, to everybody in their line. The first child would pass and the second would try to catch it by pointing their hands as if in a dive and letting it fall onto them like a ring toss. Then they would step out of it and toss it to the next person in line. If a person could not enter through the hole, which represented being enveloped in the teachings, they had to toss it back to the person who threw it to them and try again.
Beamo Toss (Pass the Message) # This game is played almost exactly like the above except if dropped, the Beamo would go back to the beginning of the line, rather than to just the person who threw it to you. And the metaphor is slightly changed to fit the theme of the class: Since we were studying how the early followers of The Bab were to spread the message that He had come, I explained that for this game the Beamos represent that message-which is their duty to pass on to others so they can grasp it. Then I lined them up in two lines and the goal was to be the first team to get the Beamo, the message, to everybody in their line, down to the last person. The first child would pass and the second would try to catch it by pointing their hands as if in a dive and letting it fall onto them like a ring toss. Then they would step out of it and toss it to the next person in line. If a child could not catch and go through it, it was sent directly back to the beginning of the line. As they tossed it they were to say loudly: “He has come!!!” We played several times, reversing the direction of the tossing.
Beamo Toss (Peace is Coming) # This is played just like the
games above, but the message was changed to address the
anxiety the children felt about the September 11 tragedy and
the war in Afghanistan. The message this time is “Peace is
coming!” I explained how it is very clear in Baha’u’llah’s
Writings that world peace and world unity will be achieved.
But it is equally clear that it will be a long, evolutionary
process. This process is quickened by suffering and tragedy
b/c people become more open to spiritual guidance when they
are troubled. The Baha’i Writings also explain that the twin
processes of unification and disintegration of civilization
are going on simultaneously. Baha’u’llah repeatedly
describes how the old world order is being rolled up, how
the foundations of society are being shaken and dismantled,
clearing the way for divine civilization-which is gradually
developing every day through the spiritual power released by
His new revelation... I gave the kids the analogy of how if
you are going to build a new, beautiful house, the old one
must be knocked down and cleared away on the land first.
This is the game: I explained that these Beamos represent
the message that peace is coming-a message of hope that
inspires and empowers people, protects them from depression,
resignation, apathy and withdrawal. I said that the Baha’is
believe this b/c it is promised so clearly in our sacred
scriptures-and Baha’u’llah has provided the teachings and
means by which to create peace. So it is our duty to pass
this information onto others to give them hope and the tools
to create peace. Play it as the versions above and as the
Beamo is tossed, say loudly: “Peace is coming!!” Yet so it
shall be; these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall
pass away, and the "Most Great Peace" shall come....
~Baha'u'llah: Peace, page 157
Beamo Toss (Food Distribution) # This game is played exactly like the version above, but is more compatible with public school and non-religious settings. Just explain that each person represents a nation or different tribe and you are trying to get food relief to a population in danger of starvation. The Beamo is the food, and all must work together to get the food to the last person who represents the hungry population. Both teams compete to get the food relief to their hungry as fast as possible. You can point out all the news lately about how UNICEF or UN food convoys rely very heavily on the cooperation of antagonistic tribes and nations to get relief through to the people-if those involved in the transportation fight with others who are also on the route, the hungry people will perish.
Beamo Toss (Share the Teachings Variation) # I had the kids stand in a spread out group far back from me, and I explained that again, the Beamos represented Baha'u'llah's teachings. The goal was to get "deep inside" these "teachings" by leaping into the Beamo and go through it-- which is feasible b/c of the big holes. If one caught and was enveloped by the Beamo, they became a teacher and got to toss it to others. Kids were pretty good about not hogging and stealing the Beamo if it did not come directly to them. The kids really enjoyed learning to throw and catch these unique toys.
Loving Hands ### This game goes great with Jean Marks and Susan Engle’s “Loving Hands” song from their recording of the same name. The game is geared more toward 3-6 year olds. I begin by talking about how its great to feel love and caring and to tell others you love them, but its really more important to show love with actions. (Let deeds, not words, be your adorning. ~Baha'u'llah: Persian Hidden Words, # 5)
If you had a choice between a parent who told you constantly that they loved you, but never did anything for you, or a parent who rarely said they loved you but did things for you all the time, which one would you believe or want more? Its best to have parents who show they love you through actions and tell you they love you, but “actions speak louder than words.” Our hands are the perfect tools to show our love. How many of you have ever painted with a paintbrush? The paintbrush is a tool to show our thoughts and pictures inside our heads. Our hands are one of the tools to show what’s inside our hearts. God has given us hands as tools to do His will and we should use them in ways that are pleasing to Him. I explained that we can use our hands to bring sadness or happiness to others: For example, we can use our hands to grab something away from someone, or we can use our hands to give a gift or loving touch. So for this game, you are going to show love with hands.
The number of players will determine how many sets of hands you need to make. If there are 20 children there will be 5 sets. The hands are different skin colors and are available in school supply stores and catalogs. They come in different sizes, but for little ones, I suggest using the adult life size. Each set will have four hands. On each hand is a heart and on each heart is one of the letters from the word “LOVE”. A set is complete when there are 4 hands of different colors which spell “LOVE.” The hands should be laminated or protected with clear contact paper. Each team groups together at opposite ends of the room around a 11x17 piece of cardboard which spells the word “LOVE” on it. (If you use capitals on the hands then use capitals on the cardboard. Since players in this game are generally not strong readers, they will use this sign to match the letters to make sure they are spelling the word love.) Explain that when people of different colors get together to show love its especially beautiful and pleasing to God and that is why the goal of this game is for every team to have a set of different colored hands which spell “LOVE”.
To begin the game, (the teams are standing next to their own cardboard sign) each team member is given a hand, and make sure that within each team there are hands of the same color and same letters. When you say “GO!” they all run to the center of the room and start trading. (For smaller rooms, you can make this a low activity game by insisting that everyone walks). They will carry hands back and forth from their base (the piece of cardboard) until they have a complete diverse set which spells love. Kids may carry only one hand at a time. As in the Unity Dolls game, teams may need to continue trading even if their set is complete to enable all teams to succeed. Preschoolers find this game very challenging-the idea of trading and consulting with each other so that they are not bringing back the same letters and colors to their home base is quite difficult.
Puzzle Pieces I ## For this game I have cut into 4 straight segments various posters and pages from Tablet of the Heart -God and Me--Memory Verses Selected from the Writings and Talks of Abdu’l-Baha compiled by Leslie Lundberg, illustrated by Terry Ostovar. The illustrations are in color or black and white. And both the poster pictures and the book’s contain messages that promote unity and spirituality. The posters came from a school supply store. Those segments of course are much bigger than the books. To make the puzzles more sturdy, glue them onto cardstock or poster board before cutting them. They should be laminated after they are cut (if you laminate then cut, the edges will peel).
This version is more appropriate than version II (See Low Activity Games) if kids do not need to get to know each other-but it does have some competition in it. You divide the group into 2 teams-or if it is a huge group, more teams are fine. Have an even number of puzzles. Take one segment from each puzzle. For playing with 2 teams, each group gets one segment from ½ the puzzles. So if you are using 10 puzzles, each group gets 5 segments, one from each of their 5 puzzles. Make sure that each groups’ segments do not belong to segments that the other group has. Then take the remaining segments of the 10 puzzles, mix them up, place them face down in the center of the gym or long room, or in the grass. Each team is standing at the opposite ends of the room (or yard), where their 5 segments are lying face up on the floor. When you say “GO!” team members race towards the center and flip over segments attempting to locate ones that go with their puzzles. Players must flip back face down unwanted segments. The rule is that each team member may carry only one segment at a time back to match up with one of their original segments. They must also promptly return to the center any pieces taken to their side by mistake- those which do not match any of their puzzles. Team members need to communicate and help each other. And to keep older kids from dominating, you can make the rule that once you have carried a piece, you can’t do it again-but you can help look, then ask another team member to carry it back who has not done so yet. The first team to get all their puzzles complete wins. Discuss the messages on the puzzles if the setting and time allow it.
This is a competitive game so beware of engendering disunity. Also, especially if there are little ones playing and there are not enough segments for everyone to get to carry one segment back to the team’s home base, there is the risk that a little one will get in a huff b/c they did not get a chance to carry. You can also make a rule that only children under a certain age get to be carriers-the older ones are finders and help place the segments. If there are many more segments than children, then let everyone carry back one segment at a time as many times as it takes to get all the puzzles done.
Also, it sometimes happens that one team does not immediately return a non-matching piece or erroneously places it w/in a set. Then other members think that it is one of their original segments and start putting together pieces that do not belong to their original puzzles, thereby preventing the other team from completing their puzzle. Neither team can complete it b/c each team is holding onto some of the same puzzle. This problem is solved by putting a distinctive bright sticker on the original segments belonging to only one of the teams. The stickers go only on the first segments handed out at the beginning, not all the segments belonging to their puzzles. Otherwise it would be too easy, the team would just select all the segments with a sticker on it, and the other team would carry back all the segments with no sticker on them. Thus, as the puzzles become more complete, if one of them does not contain one segment with a sticker, they know they have the other teams’ segments and must promptly return them.
Planet Pass I, II, III ## * You need a ball for this- preferably inflatable, beach ball size. I call it Planet Pass b/c my ball is an “earth ball” and has the continents and oceans on it-and the countries are not shown-it looks like what astronauts would see from space. A great song to play during this game is Raffi’s “Big Beautiful Planet” from is Rise and Shine recording. You can get earth balls from some school supply stores, but often they show the geo- political divisions and are not nearly as beautiful. Try the web-site in the resources guide. I explain that we all have the duty to care for, respect, and protect our earth b/c we are going to pass this precious planet onto the next generation . (Little ones do not understand the concept of generation. You can explain it or just not use this metaphor). So I explain that each person in the game represents a generation, and each are going to do the best they can to pass the planet on w/o dropping it-which would represent not being careful with it.
There are many versions of this game. If you feel that a little competition would be more enticing and not disunifying, you can take each version and create 2 teams and turn it into a race.
Version one: Everybody sits down (girls with skirts or dresses can’t do this one) in a line, as you would on a toboggan. Then kids scoot a little to create some distance from each other and they lay on their backs and put their feet and legs up in the air. The teacher places the ball in between the feet of the first person in line, and the goal is to pass the ball all the way down the line to the last person just using the feet. One always passes to the person behind them and they rock on their back (no touching the ball with hands) and try to place the ball between the feet of the person behind them. If you want to continue and go the opposite direction, just have everybody rotate direction (remember the ball goes to the person behind you) and start with the person who was originally last.
Version Two: Kids stand in a line, and the goal is simply to pass the ball down the line w/o dropping it and w/o using hands and forearms. A lot of squeezing and contorting happens. Everybody helps move the ball-if 2 people next to each other are about to lose it, of course other people near them in line can use their bodies to support and guide the ball. People can also stand in a circle and do the same thing.
Version Three: Players form 2 circles. One is inside the other. The inside circle will thus need to be slightly smaller in number. The inside circle players face outward, the outside circle’s players face inward-so the players in each circle are facing the players in the other circle. Place the ball between 2 people in the 2 different circles. The goal is to have the ball do one complete rotation around and between the two circles. Players may not use hands or forearms. One way they can move the ball is to completely rotate their bodies between members of the other circle and this has the effect of moving the ball along.
Cooperative Juggle ##* This game is for older kids-they need to be at least 11. Get 6 tennis balls and a permanent marker. On one ball write a big “W” and this stands for work. On another write “R” and this stands for recreation. On another write “E” for education, then “F” for family, “S/E” for social--emotional, and “P” for personal. Then get a slightly larger and attractive, colorful ball and write “S” for spiritual. On this ball I wrote around the circumference the following words: prayer, deepening, obedience, sacrifice, service, teaching. For use with a non- Baha’i group you could write: Acts of kindness, building unity, service, promoting justice, caring for others, virtue development, and even prayer, (if not a public school).
You need at least 10 kids to play with these 7 balls or the movement will go too fast. Explain to the players that one of the biggest challenges in life is to be able to balance all the important aspects of their lives, and not neglect or “drop the ball” in any one area. It can often be a juggling act and it takes a lot of focus and concentration. You will definitely have problems if you focus on other’s faults and mistakes and not keep your attention on your own development. But if someone near and dear to us is having trouble, we may have to alter the pace or temporarily set aside one aspect of our lives to care for them. And the game shows this too. The most important aspect of all is the spiritual one.
So we all stand in a circle. I give the spiritual ball to someone and they toss it (emphasize slowly and underhand) to someone across from them. The person who catches it then tosses it to someone a good distance away (it does not work to toss it to players real close) and so on until every one has had a chance to catch the ball and it goes back to the first tosser. This pattern will be the only pattern used throughout the game with all the balls-in other words, you always receive any ball from the same person, and you always toss it to the same person. Then a second ball is introduced, and it begins to travel the same route as the spiritual ball, a few seconds behind. Players are exhorted to only focus on the person who tosses to them and the one they are tossing too. If they start to lose concentration and look at others or watch others who drop theirs, a ball will inevitably be tossed to them for which they are unprepared and they will miss it. This is the “mind your own business” aspect of the game and it goes nicely with the following quote from Shoghi Effendi:
Each of us is responsible for one life only, and that is our
own. Each of us is immeasurably far from being "perfect as
our heavenly father is perfect" and the task of perfecting
our own life and character is one that requires all our
attention, our will-power and energy. If we allow our
attention and energy to be taken up in efforts to keep
others right and remedy their faults, we are wasting
precious time. We are like ploughmen each of whom has his
team to manage and his plough to direct, and in order to
keep his furrow straight he must keep his eye on his goal
and concentrate on his own task. If he looks to this side
and that to see how Tom and Harry are getting on and to
criticize their ploughing, then his own furrow will
assuredly become crooked.
~Shoghi Effendi: Living the Life,
pages 3-4
Anyway, as each new ball is introduced, it gets harder and harder to keep all the balls flowing. If one is dropped, a person says “HOLD UP” and everyone freezes movement until the ball is retrieved and put back into play-otherwise, all the balls would end up falling as the person who is retrieving the dropped ball is not in position or ready. This correlates to the fact that sometimes we have to be flexible and alter our routines to assist others in need or trouble. The game can be really fun and intense. It is important to emphasize that the balls should be tossed underhand, slowly and to communicate with your receiver if you see they are distracted.
In the Dark First I asked them what might happen if they
went on a walk through an unknown woods at night w/o a
flashlight? They enjoyed thinking up a host of calamities
such as: falling in a hole, getting lost, poked with a
branch, running into a spider web, tripping over a log,
stepping in bear poop, falling in a river, bumping into a
tree, etc. Then we discussed how when we are born, we begin
our journey of life. Like a light-less traveler, we are
ignorant and unwise, we are in a kind of darkness-blind to
the spiritual reality all around us. Parents and teachers
can give us a little light, but we all need the light of
God’s revelation-which is a shining torch:.....kindle within
your hearts the everlasting torch of divine guidance.
~Baha'u'llah: Persian Hidden Words, # 35 So we went on to
talk about how life is kind of like a journey in the dark-it
is one big unknown-we do not know what is around the next
corner, and many of us avoid what is good for us and are
attracted to things or beliefs that are spiritually harmful.
We need a light to guide us through the darkness of our own
ignorance, the darkness of falsehood, vain imaginings, idle
fancies, etc......the one true God knoweth all things,
perceiveth all things, and comprehendeth all things, mortal
man is prone to err, and is ignorant of the mysteries that
lie enfolded within him.... ~Baha'u'llah: Gleanings, page
186 That which beseemeth man is submission unto such
restraints as will protect him from his own ignorance, and
guard him against the harm of the mischief-maker.
~Baha'u'llah: The Kitab-i-Aqdas, page 63 God's purpose in
sending His Prophets unto men is twofold. The first is to
liberate the children of men from the darkness of ignorance,
and guide them to the light of true understanding.
~Baha'u'llah: Gleanings, pages 79-80 In like manner, every
time the Prophets of God have illumined the world with the
resplendent radiance of the Day Star of Divine knowledge,
they have invariably summoned its peoples to embrace the
light of God through such means as best befitted the
exigencies of the age in which they appeared. They were thus
able to scatter the darkness of ignorance, and to shed upon
the world the glory of their own knowledge. It is towards
the inmost essence of these Prophets, therefore, that the
eye of every man of discernment must be directed, inasmuch
as their one and only purpose hath always been to guide the
erring, and give peace to the afflicted.... ~Baha'u'llah:
Gleanings, pages 80-81 The 2 quotes I shared with the
students were: Peace be upon him whom the light of truth
guideth unto all truth, and who, in the name of God,
standeth in the path of His Cause, upon the shore of true
understanding.
~Baha'u'llah: The Kitab-i-Iqan, page 43
Through spiritual education He (Baha’u’llah) led the people
out of darkness and ignorance into the clear light of truth,
illuminated their hearts with the splendor of
knowledge,..... cultivated the virtues of humanity,
conferred spiritual susceptibilities, awakened inner
perceptions....... ~`Abdu'l-Baha: Promulgation of Universal
Peace, page 341 I really wanted the students to understand
that we all need God’s light to guide us in life and that
His Messengers are the brightest and best source of that
light-Their light protects us from getting hurt and hurting
others through the darkness of our own ignorance. Their
light enables us to see what is right and wrong, good and
bad and true and false, just as a lantern or flashlight
enables us to see the right path and avoid pitfalls. The
root cause of wrongdoing is ignorance, and we must therefore
hold fast to the tools of perception and knowledge. Good
character must be taught. Light must be spread afar, so
that, in the school of humanity, all may acquire the
heavenly characteristics of the spirit.....~`Abdu'l-Baha:
Selections from the Writings of`Abdu'l-Baha, page 136 So
then I explained, to illustrate all the above concepts, they
were going to go on an obstacle course in the dark that
represents the path of life. The obstacles represented those
things in life that harm us if we come in contact with them
and stumble over in the path of life towards God. The
obstacles represented things like lying, egoism, stealing,
drugs, greed, materialism, prejudice, etc. If we do not have
the light of God’s teachings, we can be blind to their
danger, not perceiving their influence and it is so easy to
get hurt by them. So each child was given 25 seconds to walk
through the obstacle course in the classroom beginning at
the closet door and ending at the wall on the opposite end
of the room. Even with the darkening quilted curtain, there
was enough light to vaguely make out the forms of the
obstacles so they had to wear sunglasses. I assured them
that they would not get hurt, but would know that they had
interacted with something harmful by the loud noise it would
make. So throughout the pathway I had place 7 different
sized cans and canisters with marbles in them, an aluminum
pot with a tambourine in it, a large clear plastic pretzel
barrel with bells in it, a maraca, some rattles, a basket w/
large clattery legos in it, a box with marbles in it, and a
large garbage bag filled with styrofoam (this does make a
noise when bumped into and its great for protecting toes
from table legs). Nobody was able to get through it w/o
bumping into or knocking over or stumbling over an object.
The kids outside the door found it hilarious to hear all the
noise. I hope they got the point. Then each child was
challenged to go through again with a giant flashlight-- in
under 10 seconds w/o touching anything. One child even did
it in 5 seconds! They loved this challenge. We processed a
bit afterwards about how just as the flashlight guided them
successfully through the course, the light of Baha’u’llah’s
teachings guides us through life to what is good and towards
God. I asked them “When you teach someone about Baha’u’llah,
what are you giving them?” After some discussion, they got
it-“a guiding light”, or “the light of Truth”. We ended with
a quote from one of their memory verses, which most of them
remembered: I am the guiding Light that illumineth the way.
~Baha'u'llah: Tablets of Baha'u'llah, page 169
Dungeons and Dragons # The students are wild about this game. As a matter of fact, former students always ask to play and bring their friends. The only problem is that for over an hour before and after the game the kids are in an often annoying state of excitement and have trouble focusing on other activities or going to sleep. This year Ben Upton, a friend of my eldest daughter, played the second dragon. He joined us at dinner so the kids could get to know him before he stalked them in the dark. They played outdoor games with him and really became very comfortable with him quite quickly. This game is basically a fancy version of hide n’ seek in which myself and Ben played snarling, growling, blood lusting dragons using glow cream for make up and glow in the dark gloves.
In total darkness, children hide in various places inside of our house. We can barely see anything, and so sometimes the best hiding places are right in the middle of the room or right next to the dungeon door. The dragons go hunting by groping and clawing around the walls and furniture. Hiders can move quietly and stealthily around when they see a dragon coming their way but they are not allowed to run. And once they are touched they are poisoned and must go zombie- like to the dungeon. The “dungeon” is actually upstairs, in our dining room/kitchen area. Others that are uncaught try to set them free by touching them. The imprisoned ones are supposed to yell for help so those hiding know they need rescuing. Scary music (from Alien 3) is put on the stereo for effect and to make it a little harder for the dragons to hear the breathing or movement of potential victims.
Before playing, kids were taken on a tour of the house to note good hiding spots and also areas they could bump their heads or get hurt via protruding objects. Then we laid down the rules-- like closets, outside, and the utility room and garage were off limits. Another rule is that hiders must wear shoes to protect their toes-which they greeted with dismay since most of them have white shoes. We also made a rule that if you are free, you may not hide in the dungeon. We have to do this b/c otherwise, a free hider goes and hides in the kitchen or dining room, or just pretends to be a prisoner (we can’t see or keep track of who we capture) and then just frees everybody every time we leave the dungeon area. We also told them to close their eyes if they saw a glove coming at them, to avoid getting poked.
I asked the students what virtues were needed in this game, and they were right on: The virtues of wisdom, (knowing when to move, good hideouts, and calculating the best time to free others, etc) courage, (It can be pretty suspenseful, especially when trying to liberate prisoners), honesty, (not leaving the dungeon if you haven’t been freed by another) and sacrifice (you risk getting caught when you free others).
If you want to make the game a spiritual metaphor, explain that the dragons are the beasts of ego/self, materialism, greed, racism, etc. -or in sum, the beasts of the animal lower nature. Humans often become prisoners of the lower nature. We are all capable of being poisoned by these forces, just as the hiders are by the dragons, and then become captives to these lower nature tendencies. And one of our main tasks in life is to avoid becoming captives of our lower nature and to rescue others from the lower nature also. But like any human, if we get too close to the beasts of the lower nature-we get poisoned and ensnared, even if we are trying to rescue others. Freeing captives from the dungeon is akin to teaching God’s Cause. The quotes that go well with this game are the same ones used in the Get Faith game.
Before the game, I shut all curtains to block out moonlight and unplugged all night lights. I straightened up rooms and removed items that they could fall over. While the children hid, Ben and I put on our glow paint in the kitchen with the help of a non-playing student and mirror, then charged up our faces and gloves with the lights. Children who found the game too frightening just watched the game by being a "dungeon nanny" in the dining room. The game ends when and if the dragons catch all the children or the dragons get too tired to hunt-this year it was when I nearly lost my voice from all the gruesome noises I made.
Log Pass * This simple game is played thus: Children try to walk past each other standing on a log without knocking each other off. It requires a lot of coordination and cooperation. The goal is to get to the end of the line, using the support of all those you pass, and trying not to knock them off. Then the next person in line goes on down the line until everybody has done it. I also call it the “Excuse Me!” game, b/c you are trying to be polite and move down the log w/o disrupting others so that they fall as you pass. The log or beam should be on the ground to prevent injury.
Streamer Wrap # Clump yourselves together and have a separate person tie one end of a crepe paper streamer to one person’s wrist then wrap and weave the streamer all over the group-around your necks, under your legs, around your torsos, etc. and then wrap the whole group several times and give the end to one person to hold. Now try to move across the room as a group without breaking the streamer. You need to be totally aware of how your movement is affecting the whole streamer. Now try to untangle yourselves without ripping the streamer. Again, you have to be very conscious of how your pulling on the streamer affects someone else’s segment. And finally, work together to untangle the streamer and to roll it back up, without ripping it. One major cause of conflict and violence in the world is that people do not think about how their actions affect others before they do them---or they do not care. (If this whole thing is too easy-try it with a roll of toilet paper instead!!) This activity goes great with the story called Swimmy by Leo Lionni. It is about a school of tiny fish which learn to swim in perfect unity in the formation of a giant fish so that they are not eaten. We discussed how they all had to go at the exact same speed and in the exact same direction to maintain their formation.
The Shirt off Your Back ## * I begin by explaining how often people engage in conflict over material things. Allowing the loss of unity for the gain of material advantage is not a value I want kids to have. So I shared some stories of how Abdu’l-Baha would give His bed to someone without one, how His wife was always making Him a new cloak which He gave away promptly and instead kept His old worn one. He requested the European Baha’i women who came to Akka to dress simply b/c their flamboyant hats, jewelry, and dresses exalted them in the eyes of the poor and made the poor feel poorer-it emphasized the extremes of wealth and poverty in the world. I told them of the story of when Abdu’l-Baha was in America and encountered a man with very tattered pants, and He stepped under a bridge and removed His own pants from under His robe and gave them to the man. Then I split the group into two and lined them up. The first person in each line puts on a large long sleeved shirt and turns to the person behind him/her and holds hands. The goal is to pass the shirt to the person you are holding hands with without letting go of each other’s hands. (This symbolizes unity). The person has to completely remove the shirt and the other one has to completely get it on-then they let go and the second person holds hands with the third person in line and so on, down to the last person. If you let go at any point during the transaction, the shirt has to go back to the beginning of the line. Teeth can be used. It is really a funny game, and the teams came within seconds of each other for the last person. This is a cooperative/competitive game, but I explained that it is not important to be first except in service to God and the expression of virtues. So the “winning” team is the first one to share the shirt with all those on their team.
Shoe Mates ## * Before beginning we discuss the meaning of “walking in someone else’s shoes” and during the game one can play the song “Walk a Mile” from Vitamin L’s Walk a Mile cassette. For hygienic purposes I handed out socks from a sock box of unmatched pairs and asked them to put them on over their own socks. Then we all stood in a circle and dumped our shoes in the center. To begin everyone picks up two shoes which are not their own and not matching and puts them on or partly on if they are too small. They do not have to be correctly on-i.e. a left shoe can be on a right foot or one can have 2 rights or 2 lefts. Then, while supporting each other with our arms and hands, we are to maneuver our feet so that pairs are side by side touching. They do not have to be perfectly aligned as you would find on a shelf- the outside edge of the shoes can be touching instead of the inside edges. It looks a lot like that old “Twister” game from Milton Bradley. It can be very funny and very hard-but with cooperation and maneuvering, a child who needs to pair up 2 shoes which are totally across the group can do it. For very large groups, you may have to let them change their place completely with someone else, but with smaller groups (under 12) they should try to maintain their basic position in the original circle which now has become a tangled mess. Physical flexibility is a plus!
Love Pass ## We played this game outside using helium filled heart-shaped balloons on a ribbon. I explained that one of the most important treasures we have of our inner wealth is love, and it is our obligation as spiritual beings to share and give that love to others as much as possible, even to those who it is difficult to love. I also explained that it is not important to be first to do anything except when it comes to showing love, service, and expressing virtues. It is good to be the first to show kindness or love to an excluded child, to give up your seat for an elder, etc. So in this game, 2 teams lined up and the person first in line was given a balloon and the goal was to be the first to pass it on to the last person in line-without using hands or forearms-which represented giving love to those who it is not easy to do so. Kids stepped on the ribbon string, used their knees, their stomachs, their teeth etc. We did lose one to the sky. This game can be played inside if the ceilings are high enough-otherwise the ceiling will hold the balloon if released and players can just re-grasp and there is no incentive to be careful,--- and no suspense.
Indoor Only Version: We took off the ribbons. We used the same 2 teams. The new rules were to pass the love down the line to others, but you could not grab or hold it or use both hands-you could only bat it with one hand or a foot-as much as you needed to. If it floated to the ceiling, the last person to hit it had to get it down by batting it and this was only possible if other team members held them on their backs or shoulders or lifted them up in their arms. The last person in line was allowed to grab and hold it. If a rule was broken or a child could not get it down from the ceiling, the balloon was taken back to the beginning of the line and they had to start over.
Service Relay ## This is basically a relay race game. Instead of batons however, teams had to carry trays with cups of water on them. (A tray with cups was chosen b/c it is such an obvious and concrete metaphor for serving others). There were 2 teams of 9 and they split up so 4 from each team was on one side of the yard and 5 on the other, which meant one child from each team had to go twice from the line with 4 in it. The first person on one side of each team was given a tray with 6 full cups of water. They walked as fast as they could across the yard trying not to spill any and handed the tray to the first person in their team’s line on that side of the yard. This went on back and forth, and the goal was to be first team to make 10 traverses. But being first in service is not the only goal, so is excellence, quality, carefulness, and thoroughness. Thus, after the race, each team dumped their cups into a pitcher and we measured it. So if one team was first, but had less water b/c they spilled too much, it would be a tie. In this case the teams finished at the exact same moment, and one team had a tiny fraction more water than the other, so technically they were the winners (but I am loathe to dwell on such labels).
Horse and Rider This is basically a balancing activity dependent on the unity of the horses and the agility of the rider. Two children get on all fours side by side and one shoe-less child stands on their backs, one foot on each back, and attempts to ride standing up while the 2 “horses” crawl across the grass or room. (Carpeting is really helpful if this is done indoors-move all furniture away from area in case of falling). The horses should go very slow and be very unified in their movements if the rider is to succeed. If this is too scary or hard, the rider can squat and hold onto the shirts of the horses. (Knees are not OK-they hurt the horses!)
Variations: The rider can lie on his/her stomach across each team of horses. You may need a team of three horses if the rider is tall-or the horse just put more space between themselves. There can be two riders, one on each horse, and they face each other standing up and hold hands and help balance each other. They can each put both feet on one horse, or one foot on each horse-one rider facing the front of the horses, the other the back. Its helps to spread your feet out for balance. Horses and riders should switch places-just like in Baha’i community life-sometimes we are supported by other members, and sometimes we support them.
Balloon gauntlet ## Kids try to run down the center of two lines of kids while those in the lines try to tag them with their balloons. They get to keep going through until they are tagged. The tagger gets to then run through.
Balloon Relay Races # Version One: In the first version pairs had to walk with a balloon between their stomachs without using hands and pass it to another pair at the other end of the living room who then had to move back to the start.
Version Two: ## Teams of 5 or more passing the balloon down a line using just feet, legs, and heads.
Version Three: ## An even harder version is kids can pass the balloon down the line using only kicks. Then back up the line using only heads and shoulders.
Unity Body Parts This game goes with a story from Brilliant Star Children’s Magazine, Nov./Dec. 1998 pages 16-18 called Ruby Red’s Dream. It is a bizarre and silly story about how a pair of lips seeks out assistance in the form of a nose, legs, eyes, and hands to obtain a chocolate chip cookie. After the story I assigned groups of 3 and they had to get attached and move across the room to retrieve a chocolate chip cookie for each of them. The hard part was that while all 3 had to remain attached and move as a single entity, they all had to use different body parts to move. We figured out 2 basic ways to do this: One child walked while holding a child by the ankles who used his/her hands, and the 3rd child held the ankles of the walking child and slid on his/her stomach, or one child got on all fours, one child rode him/her while placing his/her feet on the floor and the 3rd child held the ankles of the child on all fours and slid on his/her stomach. It was really hilarious. They also got lip stickers (ruby red awards) when they successfully completed the activity.
Floor Designs # * A group was to form shapes on the floor using their bodies together, such as a giant peace symbol or a heart. I challenged them to try to do it without using words, which proved most difficult, and then with using words-pointing out how much easier it is to have unity and to solve problems when we can communicate with each other. Kids also enjoy rotating being the director who gets to determine what shape will be made and when it is sufficient. Letters and numbers are also interesting to make with bodies.
Unity Rise * We all sat down with our knees bent and our feet on the ground, we linked elbows and tried to raise ourselves up as one complete unit using the support of each other.
Silly Bones * Kids are clumped together standing up. They are instructed to touch a nose, or an ear, or a head, etc. It cannot be their own, and once they do, they can't let go. They can use fingers, or any other part of their body such as foot or head to make the contact. They can't touch the same person twice. After about 3 or 4 contacts, they are hopelessly tangled and then they attempt to move across the room. Of course they fall apart, but that is part of the fun.
Hop Along # * This game comes from China. Teams line up in a row and the first person grabs the right leg of the person behind her with her right hand or elbow. It is important to get this pattern straight b/c it is a lot harder to balance if kids are picking up left legs with right hands or if some on the team are lifting right legs and some are lifting left. You can also do it with every one lifting left legs and holding with left hands. The important thing is that everyone is doing the same thing. The first person gets to walk on 2 legs and the last person of course is holding no leg. Kids should hold onto the shoulders of those in front of them with their free hand for balance. The tiniest children should be either last or first b/c they have 2 legs to walk on if they are first or no leg to carry if they are at the end. I made this game a race across the room, with the goal to be the first team to have the front person touch my hand. I always emphasize that from a spiritual perspective being first is pointless and unimportant or even self-centered in some cases-but to be first to love, share, care, be courteous, cooperate, is praiseworthy. But I never reward or glorify “winning” teams when I do use competition. This game taught that those who cooperate and are most unified will be the winners. If a team member falls or drops a leg, that team has to halt until they are all connected again.
Shoe Drop # * In this game children remove one shoe, drop it into the center of a circle, and while holding hands in a circle without letting go, pick up someone else's shoe, (not someone's next to you either) and pass it to the owner who has to put it on--all without letting go of hands.
Heart Motion Students were given paper hearts and had to touch someone on the stomach, nose, and back, keeping the heart in place with their hand, nose etc. I asked them to touch at least two people. That was really hard because once they used up their two hands they had to use legs, etc. to hold the 3rd heart in place. Then, after they were a tangled mess, I asked them to try to move a few feet as a group without dropping any hearts. It proved impossible--but very funny.
Collective Jump * One child at a time squats and grabs her ankles and tries to jump as far as possible. Where each child lands, another one begins his leap. We wanted to see how far as a class we could go, and to try to beat the distance of our first collective jump, which we did, just barely. You can play w/o holding onto the ankles---this makes the jumps much bigger.
Ring Toss You need rope rings and dowels for this one. We used rope rings from a ring toss game. They can be used in several ways: Kids would toss the rings to those holding sticks, who try to catch the rings on the sticks. Then kids tried to catch thrown rings on their feet. Then others would hold their feet or hands and guide them to catch the rings like a puppeteer. One child even held two different kids hands and guided them into the tossed rings. Students switched places so all got a chance to be "tossers" and catchers.
Hula Hoop Pass # Hook the hoops on the arms of children who
then hold hands in a circle and then attempt to pass them
around the circle without letting go as fast as they can.
Kids have to get their whole body through the hoop before
passing it, w/o letting go of the hands they are holding in
the circle. You can make this a race between two teams if
you must-the goal is to get all your hoops back to the
starting person first. It is more lively if more than one
hoop is being passed around the circle, that way more than 2
kids are engaged at one time. I said the hoops represent a
circle of friends and it goes with the following quote:
Bring those who have been excluded into the circle of
intimate friends.
~`Abdu'l-Baha: Education, page 293
Ridvan Roses For this game one needs to obtain real or silk roses. If you live near a Sam’s Club-they have the best prices for real roses I have ever encountered-usually 2 dozen for $12.00. However, they are thick with thorns, which will need to be removed. Playing with real roses is my preference b/c the texture and smell of them reinforces the impact of the game. The more senses one can stimulate in any lesson-the deeper it goes into the child. First create a tent of some form outside-or inside if you must play indoors. You can make it as simple or elegant as you desire, using a real tent, or just draping cloth in a canopy. Adorn the space with a pretty carpet, an oil lamp, entwine vines around the outside, use flowers in vases, pretty beads or garlands, peacock feathers, whatever. Then determine approximately how many kids will be playing and thus how many roses you will purchase-at least one for each child, preferably more.
Hide the roses about outside or inside if indoors. They should be visible but not obvious. Explain to the children about how roses were picked for Baha’u’llah’s tent as a token of love and that their goal for this game is to find roses to place in His tent. Decide ahead of time how many roses each child can find, and tell them that after they have found their alloted number, they can’t go looking by themselves anymore, but must hold hands with someone who has not found their alloted quantity and assist them. This prevents the natural hunter-types from finding all the roses first and younger children from feeling bitterly dissapointed that they found none. You want to make sure each child feels the thrill of discovery! The other rule is that as soon as you find a rose, you must bring it back to tent and lay it in a predetermined spot (place a pretty tray or scarf in the tent for this purpose). Players can’t gather up several before returning to the tent. This gives time to those with less visual discrimination skills to find some. When all the roses are found and placed in the tent, the game ends. Another way to end the game is to have a drum or gong or some sound to signal the passing of one day. The game concludes when 12 sounds have been heard, (one for each day of Ridvan). This adds a bit of excitement in that kids are now competing with time to find all the roses. You can slow down or speed up the intervals between sounds depending on how fast the children are locating the roses, b/c no one will object that one “day” was shorter than the other! I play the game so that whatever comes first-the passing of 12 days, or the finding of all roses, ends the game.
A nice way to end the game is to give the roses to the children to take home, explaining that Baha’u’llah gave away His roses to be delivered to friends in Baghdad. Ask them to think of people they would like to give them to, someone they are teaching the Faith to, someone who needs some loving attention, someone they want to thank for something, or to their parents in gratitude for all that they do for them. One may also use the game as an opportunity to discuss metaphorical quotes about roses, such as Persian Hidden Words #3, or the one on pages 320-21 from Gleanings.
LOW ACTIVITY GAMES
Synchrony Straw Pass # * Sit in a circle and put a straw in your mouths, and without the use of hands, try to pass a ring around the circle just using straws. One can not touch the ring or straw with hands at any time. The ring should not be so big that its too easy, nor so small that 2 straws can’t fit in it at the same time. It takes a lot of synchrony-knowing just when to lower and raise the straw. Synchrony is an expression of unity and cooperation-think of acrobats, synchronized swimming, dancing, etc. -it means moving and working together in a planned, harmonious way, like fingers on a hand. Unity and synchrony in relationships means adjusting one’s behavior to another’s and being sensitive to feelings. For example, you would not choose the day in which your friend got chewed out by the teacher to complain to her about something you don’t like in her behavior. Being “in synch” would mean that on that day, you would be especially loving and kind.
Tips for the game: Do not lower the straw until you are sure the other person has it hooked. You can lower and raise your bodies physically to use gravity. You can use straight or bendable straws. The bending of the straw makes the ring less likely to fall off, but it also makes it harder to get the ring off onto another straw! Think of the ring as representing God’s love, and that one of our main goals in life is to pass that love on to others so they feel it through us-and this is not always easy. People will annoy and frustrate us, and some people are difficult to show love to. 2 identical rings with hearts on them would be ideal equipment for this game. I used little brass heart lockets which I hung from each ring by a gold thread.
If you want to add a competitive aspect and you have enough kids, create 2 teams of equal numbers of kids sitting in a circle and of course the goal is to be the first team to get the ring around the circle back to the starting player. If the ring falls or someone uses their hands, the ring has to go back to the starting player-but it can go around either way-which makes sure that all kids get a turn.
Pass the Good Things # I used sparkly pom poms to represent “the good things”. I divided the group into 2 equal teams and each child got a really large plastic cup. Then each team got in a line and each player put the cup in their mouth and their hands behind their backs. The first in each line had a cup full of 19 pom poms, and I said that each pom pom stood for something that makes the world a better place- such as love, kindness, peace, respect, (the virtues). I said the goal is to fill each other’s cup on down the line- to pass these good things on to others. I pointed out that it is often harder to be unselfish, loving, kind, etc. to all peoples, than their opposites, so that is why this game would be hard. The goal is to be the first team to pass the good things to everyone and have all 19 pom poms poured into the last child’s cup.. I pointed out that being first is usually not important or admirable except when it came to expressing virtues-being first to show kindness or to give up your seat, etc. is definitely a plus. If a child drops his or her cup, the team has to start over. If your team is first but has fewer pom poms left than the other team, its a tie. This game is hard and demands a lot of contortions but it was fun. The children can’t use their hands and only mouths are used to tip the cups and catch the pom poms. If the group can’t be evenly divided by 2, then the front person can go twice by going to the end of the line.
Pass the Water of Life #* This is basically a wet version of the above game, except that it is not a race. Relate the water to the “Water of Life” (Baha’u’llah’s Revelation), and sharing that with others as best we can. I divided the group into 2 equal teams and each child got a really large plastic cup. Then each team got in a line and each player put the cup in their mouth and their hands behind their backs. The first in each line had a cup full of water. I said the goal is to fill each other’s cup on down the line-to pass these teachings on to others. I pointed out that it is often hard to share the teachings in a world so obsessed with unspiritual things, and so the game would be made hard by the inability to use any hands. The goal is to be the team to have the most water left in the last cup-it is not a race. This game is a challenge and demands a lot of contortions but it was fun. Pouring to the side is the best technique. If the group can’t be evenly divided by 2, then the front person can go twice by going to the end of the line. I shared the following quotes to go with this game- which are the same ones used for United We Stand and Let Me Refresh You.
The sincere among His servants will regard the precepts set forth by God as the Water of Life.....~Baha'u'llah: The Kitab-i-Aqdas, page 29
This new Revelation has in reality been the water of life unto the thirsty..... ~Shoghi Effendi: Bahiyyih Khanum, page 188
Spiritual success can be won today, only by teaching the Faith of God. The people are seeking, dying from spiritual thirst. The Baha'is must disseminate the Water of Life freely, so seeking souls may find eternal life. ~Shoghi Effendi: High Endeavors, page 42
Puzzle Pieces II ### For this game I have cut into 4 straight segments various posters and pages from Tablet of the Heart -God and Me--Memory Verses Selected from the Writings and Talks of Abdu’l-Baha compiled by Leslie Lundberg, illustrated by Terry Ostovar. The illustrations are in color or black and white. And both the poster pictures and the book’s contain messages that promote unity and spirituality. The posters came from a school supply store. Those segments of course are much bigger than the books. They should be laminated after they are cut (if you laminate then cut, the edges will peel).
To begin this game I ask “How many of you have ever worked on a puzzle? Ever notice how each piece is different and unique, but each piece is important b/c each contributes to making the puzzle whole and complete. The idea is to connect or unify all the separate pieces so we get one complete picture. People are kind of like puzzle pieces-each person is unique, different, and important b/c each contributes to our one world to make it more beautiful and complete. When we all unify and connect hearts like puzzle pieces, we will have one beautiful, unified world.”
This is a large group -get to know you-- mixer-ice breaker game. One must know how many people are playing and have the right number of puzzle segments. The leader and some assistants pass out the segments-making sure they are really mixed up. The goal is for people to find those with the other 3 segments and complete their puzzle. They are asked to stay with their group until all are done and learn the names of the people in their group and 1 or 2 things about each person. You can point out that the messages in the puzzle, if practiced will bring unity and joy to our world.
Unity Dolls ### For this game you will need to have little paper dolls of different skin colors. School supply stores carry them. Call me if you can’t find any. The number you make depends on how many players you anticipate having. I place the dolls in sets of five, and each set has dolls of different skin colors. On each doll in each set, I place a red heart or you can use a bright colored circle sticker, and write either “u” “n” “i” “t” or “y” on the heart or circle. So each set will spell unity and consist of 5 different colors. If you want them to last, laminate them or cover with clear contact paper. With older children, you can challenge them to play this game w/o speaking, and they really have to use body language and gestures to communicate. Then you can let them play again using words and point out how much easier it is when we can communicate- which is why Baha’u’llah taught that we must have a universal auxillary language to foster world unity.
Anyway, divide the group into teams of five. (The game can be played with groups that are not divisible by 5, it just means that some kids will start with 2 dolls instead of one). If there are under 20 kids, (4 teams) it may be too easy. Ask the team members to group together and then you hand each member a doll, making sure that within the team there are a lot of the same letters and colors of the dolls. The goal is to come to the center of the room and trade until your team has 5 different colored dolls which spell unity. It is important to point out that it may be that 2 or 3 teams have the correct combination, but one team does not- so the game has not succeeded until all teams have the correct combination. What this means is that even a team which has the correct combination may have to trade some more to enable all the teams to succeed. Its OK to switch dolls as long as the one the other team is giving you does not ruin your combination. You can make the game even more exciting by having them race the clock or a timer. The amount of time you give them of course depends on the size of the group. Five minutes should be enough for a group of 25. You can ask them to better their time and play again.
Diverse Face Game ## This is very similar to the above game but is more suited to smaller and younger, non-reading groups. For my particular version, I created 4 sets of 4 faces. In each set there was a dark brown, yellow, tan, and red face (though you can use less stereotypical colors- multi-cultural construction paper is now available which was not when I made this 16 years ago). Also in each set the faces are different sizes and shapes. For this game, there is really only one way the sets can be correct b/c the goal is not only to have 4 different face colors in a group, but also the faces must be different size or shape. I also created one green face with 3 eyes-that is an extraterrestrial and can go with any group. It is useful for odd numbers of kids or the birthday child can have that one. This is a good mixing game to get kids to interact. Each child gets one face and the game ends when everybody is in their group with 4 different colored and sized faces. Kids should be encouraged to learn each other’s names and 1 or 2 things about each other.
This is how I made the faces: 4 yellows: one long and skinny, one very large and round, one tiny and round, one medium round. I did the same for the browns, tans, and reds. Thus a correct set would be one very large round tan face, one medium round red, one long and skinny brown, one tiny round yellow. Another set would be one very large round yellow, one medium round brown, one long skinny red, one tiny round tan. You get the idea. Just make the sets I suggested and it will become clear how they fit together. The challenge is that not only must the faces be different colors in a set, they must not have 2 tiny rounds, or 2 long and skinnys. This game reinforces that diversity is good and desirable. I made it b/c I noticed that a lot of games encourage kids to match and find things that are the same. We want our children to think in terms of seeking out differences!
Myriads of Mystic Tongues * First I would share and as best I can try to explain the following quote: Myriads of mystic tongues find utterance in one speech, and myriads of hidden mysteries are revealed in a single melody; yet, alas, there is no ear to hear, nor heart to understand. ~Baha'u'llah: Persian Hidden Words, # 16 I told them that God speaks to us all the time in many different ways, but we often don’t hear or understand b/c we are too distracted or filled with material thoughts. Also, He speaks in human language through His Messengers, but we often don’t recognize the voice of God in Their speech b/c we don’t like what They say or we don’t believe in Them. We often don’t understand what He is saying b/c we are blinded by our own beliefs and prejudices. So with that, I explained that half the class will be the interpreters. The other half will be the mystic tongues. The “tongues” are taken into another room. I divide the tongues into 3 groups and give them a 3 syllable word and assign one syllable to each group. They are to sing that syllable only, and stand together. The first syllable kids stand first on the left, the second syllable group stand next to them on the right, and the 3rd syllable last on the right, so that they are physically in line with the way the word is said and written. I had told the interpreters that the word would be something to do with understanding God. The word was “Messenger” and so several kids sang “mess”, some sang “en” and some sang “ger”. They sing simultaneously and then the interpreters come into the room and try to decipher the word. It can also be played that only one child sings each syllable but its more challenging if 2 or more are singing each syllable. The ones singing the same syllable should stand next to each other and its important that the first syllable singers are first in line, second syllable are next, etc. otherwise it can be too difficult to decipher.
Peace? ## * Another game is a spiritual twist on a famous cooperative game called “tweetie” or “prui”. I renamed it “peace?” We discuss how there would be more peace in the world if people would listen to the voice of God within them. They could not hurt others if they were in touch with the voice of God. But we can not hear the voice of God very easily if we are too busy, noisy, distracted,--talking on the phone, playing video games, etc. So in this game, when everyone is quiet, we have peace, and the game ends. I also pointed out that we will have peace in the world when every one feels connected, when every one recognizes that spiritually we are one, we are connected like waves on an ocean, like leaves on a tree.
The game goes as follows: Everyone gets in a circle and closes their eyes. I walk around behind them and squeeze some one’s shoulder. That person is the peacemaker. I walk around several times so they can’t tell when I have chosen the peacemaker. When I say “Begin” everyone starts to mingle-keeping their eyes closed throughout the entire game. Everyone but the peacemaker is searching for peace and walks around the room holding their hand out asking “Peace?” The peacemaker, although they can wander around also, is totally silent throughout the entire game. If you find the peacemaker you know b/c they do not answer back. So you hold their hand or arm, or whatever you happened to touch first, and you also become quiet and do not answer back. If you are not the peacemaker, and you have not found anyone connected to the peacemaker, you always answer back with “Peace?” The game ends when everyone is connected and the room is quiet. It can be quite powerful to walk and encircle the sightless, connected, silent group while reading the following quote of Baha’u’llah’s: (It can be recited in a public school setting if you delete the sections referring to God.)
The utterance of God is a lamp, whose light is these words: Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship. He Who is the Day Star of Truth beareth Me witness! So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth. The one true God, He Who knoweth all things, Himself testifieth to the truth of these words. ~Baha'u'llah: Gleanings, page 288
All of Us All at Once* A dramatic cooperative game in which 2 different teams had to work together to design a machine, object, plant, animal, or whatever, using everyone’s body in the group. Then the other team had to guess. Kids have done car washes, swing sets, washing machines, roller coasters etc. in the past. The groups this time did a toaster (those were big pieces of toast I had to put in!) and an oven with a turkey in it. It was a giant turkey too! Its a good game to illustrate how individual parts are important to the functioning of the whole, unity in diversity, and even systems theory.
Hidden Progressive Revelation Then we played a hiding game, which is designed to teach children that although religious revelation is progressive and changing, there are eternal and non-changing teachings that one finds in all the religions, and which are relevant to all time periods, from Abraham to Baha'u'llah. Film vials were used and each vial contained a quote from one of the Founders of the major religions. Each quote expressed the golden rule--hence the quote was written on a strip of gold paper. Each vial was also wrapped in a different colored foil and had the name of the religion written on it. The first vial said "Abraham's Religion--unknown" on it. It was hidden so that it was visible, but not obvious. Then kids entered the living room, and who ever found it got to read the message inside and hide the next vial which had "Hinduism" on it. The first vial's (Abraham's) message was blank because I could not find anything in the Bible about the golden rule coming from Abraham--please let me know if you have a reference. If a child was not reading yet and they discovered the vial, they appointed some one else to read--but they still got to hide the next one. If a child found 2 or more, they chose someone else to hide it, because I wanted as many as possible to have that pleasure--which they really coveted! Vials were hidden in the order of the appearance of the Manifestation. Also, before opening the vial, kids had to try to guess Who the Manifestation was that revealed the religion written on the outside of the vial. (At the end of the game, I would call out a religion and kids would say Who revealed it, and then I would call out a Manifestation and they would try to guess what religion He founded.) Kids were instructed to hide the vials in a discreet place that was visible in the living room only and still it took several minutes for the others to locate it. They really loved this game!
Abraham: religion unknown--scripture lost--hence gold strip is blank Krishna, Hinduism, "Good people proceed while considering that which is best for others is best for themselves." Moses, Judaism, " And thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Zoroaster, Zoroastrianism, "Whatever is disagreeable to yourself, do not do unto others." Buddha, Buddhism, " Hurt not others with that which pains yourself." Christ, Christianity, "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." Muhammad, Islam " No one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself." The Bab, Babi “Regard ye not others save as you regard your own selves.” Baha'u'llah, Bahai, "Lay not on any soul a load which ye would not wish to be laid upon you, and desire not for anyone the things ye would not desire for yourselves." Unknown Future, blank.
Baha'i Charades Students had to pantomime The Garden of Ridvan, Mount Carmel, The Primal Point, The Dawn Breakers, The Siyah Chal Dungeon, The Gate, The Letters of the Living, The Most Great Branch, Tahirih, The Greatest Holy Leaf, The Guardian, Universal House of Justice, God, and Mount Carmel. In the Baha'i Faith it is not appropriate to impersonate or portray the Central Figures or God, so kids would act out the metaphor, not the person. Participants were told ahead of time that the subjects would be limited to people, places, and titles.
Sculptionary with Playdoh This is basically pictionary with clay. Teams can be 2-3 kids. When we did it, teams of 3 got a container of playdoh and a popsicle stick for sculpting. One member was the sculptor, the other 2 were the guessers. Each round, they switched. For every round, all sculptors went into a separate room and were shown the same word, such as cupcake, ribbon, or trash can. After all sculptors had seen it, they returned to their teams and I would say “Begin now!” and they would attempt to shape it. Words and sound effects and pantomime were not allowed. The goal is to have your team be the first to perceive what the object is-but all guessers can look at anyone’s’ sculpture.
I explained that this was a game to enhance their ability to communicate to others, to try to share your perceptions in ways that others can relate. I emphasized the use of detail and context (for ex. A bathtub looks like any other receptacle until you put a person or spigot in it, a ribbon looks like a snake until you tie it in a bow or put it on a head, a helmet looks like a bowl unless you put it on a head and add a body with skates or a bike.). I also pointed out the diversity of the sculptures, noting that everyone sees things differently. Children tend to be egocentric and this game helps them step outside their perceptions in an attempt to get their teammates to see the sculpture as they do. They really enjoyed this game and it was often a real challenge for them. B/c the sculptors had knowledge of what the object was, they tended to project this awareness onto their teammates and assume that their teammates could understand their creations no matter how crude they were. When children share stories or descriptions of events or of their religion with others, they tend to do the same thing-assume their hearers understand as they do. They leave out critical details and contextual information so that their hearers are not getting a clear understanding. Thus, this game teaches kids to step out of themselves and try to see the object from someone’s perspective who has no prior knowledge. We did not keep score, b/c inevitably someone will use their points to exalt themselves over others.
Behind My Back # This game is a metaphor for how the pictures we share of others get distorted as they are passed around, and that usually we are not getting the "whole picture" in gossip. It’s helpful to have a board you can draw the original on, but a piece of paper and marker will suffice. Players all sit down in a line. Just using her finger pressure, the leader draws a picture on the back of the last person in line, and then that person draws what they interpreted on the back of the person in front of them and so on up the line. The last person to get drawn on then draws on a dry erase or chalk board or piece of paper what they felt was drawn on their back. Then the leader draws the original picture for all to see and it is compared. It is always very different. This is a sensorial version of the classic game “telephone” in which a message is privately sent through and repeated by many players and then compared at the end to the original. A good design is a square filled with an "x" and a dot in two of the quadrants formed by the “x.” If the design is too hard, kids won’t enjoy it and will be frustrated and irritated. But if its too easy, and the end product is identical to the original, then the lesson will not be conveyed and it will be anti-climatic. Obviously, the fewer players there are, the harder the drawing should be.
Magical Clay # * I appointed sculptors and assigned them 3 or 4 children to be their “clay”. I asked them to make a sculpture which had a spiritual message to it, such as illustrating a virtue or a Baha’i teaching, and the rest of us would have to guess what it was. Not even the clay children knew what they were being molded into. The only condition was that all clay children had to be touching in some way. I told the clay children that they had to be totally selfless/submissive as clay is, and do the bidding of the artist. I related this to how we are exhorted to surrender our will to our Creator, so He can mold us in His image, direct and change us the way He sees fit. Aid me, O my Lord, to surrender myself wholly to Thy Will....~Baha'u'llah: Gleanings, page 311
Baha’i Service Pictionary Teams of 3 each had one older student. (Teams can be as small as 2.) The older student from each group went into another room and I showed all of them at the same time a card which had the description of some sort of service written on it. After it was clear that everybody understood, they returned to their other team members at the dining room table. When I said “Go!” they began to draw it. As in the real pictionary, words were not allowed to be said or drawn. The team who guessed what the act of service was first won that round. (Though we did not keep score on purpose). The acts they had to draw were: care for the sick, baby sit for tired parents, make friends with someone who is lonely, make refreshments for a Feast, Holy Day or fireside, pick up litter, give money to your religion, teach the Baha’i Faith, decorate for Ayyam-i-Ha or Holy Day.
Variations for large or mixed aged groups: This game and the one below can be played with a dry erase board and one large group. The first to guess what the picture is gets to be the next artist---or to make it less competitive and more inclusive, people can just take turns drawing, w/o having to be the one who guessed the picture. The competitive version does not work well with a wide age range b/c the little ones can never interpret fast enough. Kids as young as 6 can draw a picture of something concrete like picking up litter, but they are slow and they are not good at illustrating any abstract concepts such as the oneness of humanity--- as would be required in the game below. The last time I played it was at a feast, and it was a big success-judging by the laughter of all, the hilarious interpretations and wise cracks, and eagerness of the children. But since it was a large group and I wanted the game to go at a fast clip, I made the rule that only 10 years and up could be drawers, and only 9 and under got to be the interpreters. The child who guessed correctly got to choose an audience member 10 and up to be the next drawer. I quickly went through the cards with the chosen artist (so the audience could not see the cards) and they chose the act of the service they felt they could draw. The audience knew ahead of time that the drawing would represent an act of service a child or adult could do for the Baha’i community or for humanity, and that helped greatly with interpretations. As with all games, if a child or adult has already drawn or guessed, and there is a sizable group of participants who would like a turn, don’t give second turns.
Baha'i Pictionary This game is the same as the one above, but b/c of the topics, it is really only suitable for kids 9 and up, who have some Baha’i background and training in virtues. They draw quick sketches that represent virtues or Baha'i principles like: All religions are one, the equality of men and women, elimination of prejudice, no backbiting, the oneness of mankind, world unity, there is only 1 God, religion and science agree, universal education, and unity in diversity. In secret, drawers are all shown the same word and then begin drawing at the same time. The goal is to have your partner(s) be the first to guess what the picture is about. Some virtues are easier to draw than others- cooperation, obedience, generosity, helpfulness, cleanliness, courtesy, patience, and moderation can be depicted with a little thought. If the kids know ahead of time they will be looking for virtues or principles, that helps a lot. But they are not allowed to just rattle off all the virtues or principles they know in hopes of getting a match. If you think that is happening, ask the student to explain the picture to see if they really interpreted it. See Variation in the Baha’i Service Pictionary game above. It applies to this game also.
Blocked Communication This is very challenging. Give teams of 2, two sets of 6 identical blocks. The person being the builder/communicator would sit behind the receiver/builder and build a simple 6 block structure. Then using very precise language, he/she would try to describe the position of the blocks so accurately that the receiver/builder could re-create the same exact building without the receiver seeing the structure. Also, the builder/communicator could not see what the receiver was actually doing with the information. At first I said that the receiver could not ask questions, and this was the hardest. Then they would switch roles. We all learned that asking questions makes it easier, and that communicating one’s perceptions accurately is very difficult indeed!
Rope Shapes An activity with a large loop of rope to teach 3 concepts: 1) Interdependence-how everyone’s actions effect every one else. 2) the power of a common language, and 3) the importance of a common vision. Students were taken outside on our driveway and asked to stand around the rope, holding onto one section. Then I asked them to form one giant fish on the ground-without talking, using only body gestures. It was very difficult, some even gave up. I pointed out how every time you pull on your section of the rope, you effect someone else’s section (interdependence). They discovered they were making 2 mouths, and often pulled out each other’s fins. A fish-like creature eventually evolved, but your average person may not have been able to guess what it was. Then I brought out a dry erase board with a large outline of a simple fish on it. I reminded them how when they were playing pictionary with playdoh they all had a different vision of what a cupcake or ribbon looked like. I said now they had a common, shared vision of the fish-for fish can be sharks, long and thin like a barracuda, fat and wide, with many or few fins etc. I also told them they could now talk and consult. In a much shorter time they created a fish that looked very much like the drawing.
We discussed how one of the goals of Baha’u’llah’s revelation is to provide a common, shared vision of justice, human rights, and laws for a peaceful and spiritually healthy world. Without this, it will be very difficult for nations to achieve unity and to accomplish goals which are world embracing. I also explained how Baha’u’llah taught that we must adopt a universal auxiliary language, to be taught in all schools in addition to the mother tongue-so that we can talk and communicate with each other. How much easier it was to form the fish when we could talk to each other. And Baha’u’llah also taught that we are the waves of one sea, the leaves of one tree-we are connected and our actions effect many more people than ourselves, just like our movements of the rope.
How much the organs, the members and the parts of the body of man are intermingled and connected for mutual aid and help, and how much they influence one another! In the same way, the parts of this infinite universe have their members and elements connected with one another, and influence one another spiritually and materially. ~`Abdu'l-Baha: Some Answered Questions, pages 245-246
Sleeping Grump Board Game A great game from Family Pastimes. Good for ages 4-8. I like this game very much because in order to win the game, players must share and/or trade treasures with other villagers, show generosity, cooperate, and be kind to the grump. The game also teaches that equal distribution of wealth is best, and every body helps every body to retrieve the stolen treasures from the grump-but leave him one of each as an act of kindness to change his heart.
Granny's House Board Game Yet another excellent game from Family Pastimes for ages 4-7, but 8 year olds like it too. I turned this game into a metaphor for teaching. The object is to get to Granny’s House with a gift via a path full of obstacles. The group has to use creative problem solving to overcome these many different obstacles (such as a bear, a high fence, deep river, etc.) using “good things” (such as a dog, a wooden box, food, rope and sticks, etc.) to reach their destination. We pretended that we were going to Granny’s to share spiritual teachings, (the gift, but for the actual game, players are to present her with at least one of the good things). We discussed the obstacles people encounter in real life in teaching (insecurity, fear of rejection, materialism, too busy, prejudice towards other religions, etc.) and the “good things” we can use to assist us (prayer, deepening in the Creative Word, love, faith, virtues, good deeds, etc.). Fortunately, I had another copy of this game, so we played 2 separate games in teams of 4. They seemed to really enjoy it. The game is originally for 4-7 year olds, but one can make it much harder by requiring that the travelers also make it back home with a gift (one of the good things) for the whole family, and also by not allowing the good things that have been used once to be used again. So there are a very limited # of good things and one has to be very creative in using what one has left to overcome the obstacles. (In reality though, we never run out of good things to assist us in spiritual teaching.) A team starts with 4 good things and earns them as they land on red diamond shapes. But there are a whole lot of obstacles!!
Sky Travelers Board Game Another beloved game from Family Pastimes. For ages 8 and up, but some younger kids can get into it. Sky people have crashed on a planet and have to find 4 certain elements to repair their scout craft so that they can fly up to meet the mother ship as it passes over head. The mother ship moves across the sky with the roll of a special die. The sky people possess supernatural powers and never use violence-or their being evaporates. They use these powers to overcome the UTOC’s (ugly things out of control) while searching for the elements they need for repairing their scout craft. The UTOC’s and the 4 elements and all but 4 of the 10 powers are hidden face down on a board that takes players through land, water, forests, and mountains. Every kid who has ever played it loves the game- even though it is almost impossible to succeed. Actually every time I have played the game, the mother ship passes by and the sky travelers have not got all 4 elements back to start so they can join it. Which means the game is lost. So this time, I change the rules a bit and allow the kids to use a power twice instead of once before putting it in the used pile. I changed a few other rules to make it a little easier, and it was still really hard to win.
Before playing I explain to the kids that the mother ship is like God-spiritually we have to soar up to meet Him and leave this earthly plane behind. He will take us to the hidden worlds and mystical realms, just as a mother ship would take us to hidden worlds in outer space. The scout craft is our injured and imperfect souls. The 4 key elements that enable ascension of the soul/craft are virtues, prayer, studying God’s teachings, and service to His Cause. The mother ship’s movement through the sky represents our lifetime-and when it is over, if we have not repaired/developed our souls enough, we miss our opportunity to have the honor of being near Him and His paradise in the next life. Often the Baha’i writings refer to hidden worlds and the court of His nearness and paradise-which have to be earned through spirituality. The UTOC’s of course, are racism, hatred, greed, etc-and in the game many of the UTOC’s reflect the ones in real life such as those.
This game takes at least an hour to play, and we were all very engaged! With a lot of rule bending, all teams eventually joined the mother ship. Normally, I would not allow rule bending, but this game is almost impossible with the rules as is, and the students were so passionate about fixing the scout craft and joining the mother ship. About Family Pastime Board Games: All are cooperative, and most teach moral values as well. I also highly recommend Harvest Time and A Beautiful Place both for ages 4-7 or 8, and Eyes of the Jungle for ages 8 and up. Harvest Time players can only succeed if they pitch in and help their neighbors with their gardens, and the other two are environmental awareness games. Older kids (9-10 and up) will be challenged by their games called Earth and Community. These games teach social justice issues.
The Spiritual Path Next the kids were presented with a pie tin which had a circular maze pathway drawn on paper pasted onto the tin. At the beginning of the pathway, near outside rim of the tin, was a monkey sticker. That was a symbol for our animal natures. Sitting on top of the monkey was a thumbtack minus the sharp point with a smiley face stuck on it. That represented them. At the end of the circular pathway in the center of the tin, was a shiny star sticker. That represented spiritual enlightenment and radiance, having the higher nature in control. The pathway was the spiritual path, the lines represented boundaries and spiritual exhortations and laws. (Some examples of laws in the Baha’i Faith are daily prayer, no drinking alcohol and no backbiting, some exhortations are obedience to parents and modesty). The object was to guide the smilely face through the path to on top of the star without crossing the lines, i.e. being steadfast. Crossing over the lines was likened to crossing boundaries or disobeying laws and exhortations. (I called them teachings for simplicity’s sake.) A magnet was held underneath the pie tin to guide the face. It had to be done slowly, and I pointed out that spiritual growth can be very slow and gradual. The force that pulled the face along was invisible, just as the Holy Spirit which guides us is. The monkey sticker kind of stuck out on the second ring of the circular path. It was hard to get the face over it. So we talked about obstacles to spiritual growth like attachments to material things. Every child did succeed, though some definitely were on the verge of “crossing over”, just like in real life--we often flirt with limits. Some relevant quotes:
Teach them, by Thy Name, the All-Knowing, the wonders of Thy wisdom, that they may cleave steadfastly to Thy Faith and walk in the ways of Thy pleasure. ~Baha'u'llah: Prayers and Meditations, page 120
Follow in the footsteps of Abdu'l-Baha, and in the pathway of the Abha Beauty ~`Abdu'l-Baha: Selections from the Writings of `Abdu'l-Baha, page 246 Assist Thy loved ones to be firm in Thy Faith, to walk in Thy ways, to be steadfast in Thy Cause. ~`Abdu'l-Baha: Will and Testament, page 15
PARTNER GAMES Partner Games go well with a unit on the equality of women and men. This is because over and over again in the Baha'i Writings the concept of partnership, helpmate, and complementation are used to describe male- female relationships. We discussed what it means when someone or something complements another and that it is not the same as compliments.
Tie the Knot* Partners sit down on the floor facing each other and try to tie a knot with a string--each child using only one barefoot.
Block Buddies Partners try to walk across the room holding a wood block between their noses.
Toe Towers I put them in teams of 2, and asked them to take off their shoes and socks. Each team then chose 10 blocks and laid them beside them. Team members sat opposite each other, facing, knees bent and toes almost touching. On the signal “GO!” they were to race to build a tower of 10 blocks, together, just using their feet-no touching with hands or fingers allowed. Blocks had to be stacked one on top the other, not placed side by side. I encouraged them to not place them on end b/c of course this is less stable and makes the tower extra high-and the higher the tower, the harder to get blocks on it w/o knocking it down. Very rarely do I allow races, but in this case it was really OK and a heck of a lot of fun. Of course I did not reward first place, and acknowledged 2nd-5th place with hoopla too. Kids enjoyed it so much they asked to try 12 blocks and most succeeded-w/ a lot of crashes too. It was really funny to watch but also suspenseful-a team would have one more block to place and that one would knock the whole thing down!
Roll Over Variations Teams of two touch index fingers lying on the floor facing each other on their stomachs. Try to do a complete rolling over in unison without separating your fingers. Usually it takes a few tries. Want to make it harder? Try it with pinkies only. Harder still? Place pennies between your touching fingers and try to roll w/o dropping them. And now for the super challenge: place a flat object such as a coaster (those things adults want people to put their drinks in so they won’t stain the furniture with moisture) between your noses as you roll over. This one is really hard b/c especially if you look at each other as you do it, you start to laugh and of course that causes you to lose your grip! You can also play this game on your backs with bare feet and attempt to roll over keeping toes connected* or something held between them. Keep your arms straight and flat at your sides, don’t use them to guide the body.
Leaping Lizards* Partners ran towards each other and when I gave the cue, leapt and attempted to land right next to each other. The goal was to land as close to your partner's side as possible.
Equality of Men and Women Balloon Game This is a partner game in which one partner could use the top half of their body and its limbs and the other partner the lower half and its limbs. The goal was to try to be the team who kept their balloon up the longest. In the middle of each game I would yell "switch" and partners changed who got to use their top half and who got to use their bottom half. I related this to the partnership of men and women; we are different but we should work together, be helpmates, and complement each other's strengths, just as the top of the body complements the lower part and vise versa. Together each team was more complete than if just half of the body was used. If the balloon is low, then the bottom half is best suited for retrieval, if it is high, then the top half is most effective. And just like in life, some situations women are more suited for, and some, men, b/c we tend to have different strengths and abilities in many areas. Should the balloon symbolize children and the need to keep them spiritually lofty or is that stretching metaphor just too much? Then they tried as an entire group to see how long they could keep all the balloons in the air, with half of the group using their upper half, and the other half of the group using only their lower halves to maneuver the balloons. .
Tandem Two’s* A synchrony game: Students lie on their backs in pairs with feet touching and try to get a smooth cycling motion going without ever losing touch with their partners' feet. When they think they have it down, place a flat object between both partner’s feet and see if they can do the pedaling w/o dropping the object.
Feather Float Teams of 2 or 3 attempted to keep a feather aloft the longest just using breath. Then I made it harder and teams members had to hold at least one hand of another team member and move and blow in unison to keep the feather up.
Balloon Maneuvers I Pairs stand facing each other with their feet touching. Place a round balloon between your pairs of legs at the ankles on top of your feet. You must hold your hands behind your backs. The goal is to twist, push, kick and squeeze the balloon so that it ends up between your two faces. The balloon can escape from between you, and you can use any body part except arms and hands to retrieve it and get it to the final facial resting spot. You can try it back to back also, but this is quite a challenge!
Balloon Maneuvers II The goal was to be the team that kept their balloon up the longest. Each pair could use only their legs and feet-That proved pretty darn hard, so as a variation, I added shoulders and heads to the allowable list and that was easier. We ended with the whole group seeing how long they could keep all 4 balloons up in the air, with everybody helping everybody, using all body parts except hands.
Mirroring* I explained that in any healthy relationship, sometimes the woman leads, sometimes the man--because they often have different abilities and skills. In a really unified relationship, it should not be that obvious who is leading. So in male/female pairs, facing each other, one would lead movements very slowly and the other would follow. But if they were very sensitive to each other and focused on their partner, it was difficult to guess who was leading, and who was following. The audience was to guess--and sometimes we were wrong.
Partner Back Ups* Pairs sit on their behinds back to back and link elbows. Feet must be firmly on the ground with knees bent. The goal is to have both rise up simultaneously w/o using hands or leaning on calves or thighs-just the equal distribution of pressure against their backs. It is not easy. Another version is to do it w/o linking elbows- relying on synchronized back pressure only.
Rock Me* Facing partners sit on the floor with their knees bent and sit on each other's feet, grab the other's shoulders and try to get a rhythmic rocking motion going.
Pantomime Pairs These are basically mini-skits and the rest of us had to guess what 2 things they are. The children were put in teams of 2 and given cards which described a scene with 2 objects or people. The 2 things each child was to represent were underlined. Each team got to do 2 scenes. These were the scenes:
a person reeling in a fish a mother trying to get her baby to smile a child playing in the waves a soul departing from a dying person a cat playing with a ball of yarn a person chasing a fly with a fly swatter an artist sculpting with a piece of clay a bird pulling a worm out of the ground a kid climbing a tree wind blowing a kite up into the sky
Round Robin Drawing Then we did "round robin" or cooperative drawing in which teams of two share one piece of paper and do not talk or use body language to influence each other. Each person gets one marker of a different color than their partner. One person draws one continuous line in any shape and their turn ends as soon as they lift the marker up. Then the partner takes his or her turn and so on. They do this for about 5 minutes. At the end, each team shares with the group their creation. There were some really unusual looking creatures!
Round Robin Sculpting Use playdoh: Children in pairs each received a ball of playdoh and without talking created a sculpture by alternating being the sculptor. So one would make a shape with part of their ball, the other would add to it, then the first one would add to that, and so on. They really got into it.
MAINLY CEREBRAL GAMES
Perfect Principles Using a dry erase board, I drew symbols of several of the most basic Baha’i principles/teachings: A dove with one wing labeled “M” and the other “W” for the equality of men and women, (a frequent metaphor used in the Baha’i writings that each sex is like the wing of one bird, the bird of humanity, and only when both wings are equally developed can the bird fly) a tree with leaves that were human stick figures to represent the oneness of humanity (Baha’u’llah teaches that we are all the “leaves of one tree”), A sun with rays extending to 9 mirrors to represent progressive revelation and the oneness of religion (God is like the sun, the Messengers are perfect mirrors reflecting His light and beauty), The word “peace” in several languages to represent the need for a common world language in addition to our mother tongues, a large chord note, with religion written on one note and science on the other to represent the harmony of religion and science, and two people, one happy with a heart radiating light, the other sad with a heart with a dollar sign in it, to represent that purpose of life is grow spiritually, not material possessions.
Then I would describe a problem in the world, and children had to guess which teachings were applicable to the problem. The idea is that the world’s problems are fundamentally, at their root, a lack of spiritual vision and practice. If we want to transform the world, we need to apply spiritual solutions in addition to the material ones. So for example, I would say, in some parts of the world, people are killing others b/c they believe that the victims are evil b/c they belong to a religion the aggressors do not accept. The kids were very good at pointing out that the oneness of humanity and the oneness of religion were relevant, and when people injured or stole or killed for land or material things, the spiritual purpose of life in addition to the oneness of humanity were relevant. I gave many examples of past and present atrocities, such as the crusades, the persecution of the Baha’is and of early Christians, the Middle East conflicts, translation/communication problems, sexism, abuse, abandoned children, prejudice, the civil rights movement and Ruby Bridges, the Taliban, pollution, evolution, creationism, etc. We even got into a discussion about how Baha’is do believe in miracles, even though to outward seeming they conflict with science. I explained that someday, when we understand spiritual laws better, those miracles will make perfect sense, just as an airplane does today, but would have been seen as a miracle over a hundred years ago b/c people were unaware of certain physical laws. I also asked the kids to share problems that bothered them and then the class found the appropriate teachings/principles.
Baha’i Password I We played a Baha’i version of this old TV game show. I chose 5 teams of 3 and took one person from each team into another room and showed them a word. Their goal was to be the first one to get their other team members to guess what that word was, using only one word synonyms and related words to clue them in. The roles rotated in each team, so everyone got to be in both the describing and guessing roles. Pantomime, using a phrase or combining words, or a word that had the key word embedded in it were not allowed. Only one word at a time could be shared. The kids really enjoyed it more than I expected. These were the words: courtesy, soul, manifestation, unity, virtues, prayer, deepening, service, detachment, Ridvan, and consultation. For example for “courtesy” one might say: manners, polite, considerate.
Reverse Baha’i Password (This is called Reverse Password, b/c kids know the word, but they have to describe its meaning or significance. In regular password, the word is not known, but clues relating to its significance are given.) I explained that there are many types of knowledge- Then I pointed out that the game they were going to play next required a different kind of knowledge than wisdom-the kind you get from remembering facts and history. I explained that as teachers of the Baha’i Faith, they needed to know some basic facts about their religion in addition to having virtuous behavior and spiritual perception. Otherwise, they would not be able to answer questions posed to them by interested seekers. For this game, I divided the group into 2 teams, trying to balance them with kids who were very knowledgeable and experienced Baha’i-wise with the newer and younger kids. In a decorated wooden box, I call “The Question Box” I put tabs of cardstock with words written on them. All the words were used in the time line on Baha’u’llah’s life presented a few classes ago and many of them also were discussed in the books they made on Baha’u’llah. If the word was about something holy, like “Bahji” it was written in gold ink and the edges trimmed with fancy edging scissors. Baha’u’llah’s name was written in gold on red velvet, with a gold ribbon on the underside holding the velvet around the cardstock. It was also perfumed with rose oil. Each team got a small lacquered container. I had a bag of little metallic suns. For each correct answer, a sun was placed in their container to symbolize rays of truth. This is how the game is played: a team member would blindly choose a tab from the question box and this child was to try and describe the meaning or significance of this word. For ex. for “Baha’u’llah” they were expected to say He was the founder of the Baha’i Faith, or the Manifestation of God for this Age, and His name means “The Glory of God.” If the child was stumped, he/she could call on one other team member for help. But if that child got it wrong, the word passed to the other team and they also got 2 shots at it. Each child got a chance to choose from the question box. The words were as follows: Baha’u’llah, November 12th 1817, Tehran, Siyah-Chal, Baghdad, Sulaymaniyyih, April 21st-May 2nd 1863, Constantinople, Adrianople, Akka, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, Mazraih, Bahji, and May 29th 1892.
Baha’i Password II I divided the group into 2 teams, trying to balance them with kids who were very knowledgeable and experienced Baha’i-wise with the newer and younger kids. I presented a decorated wooden box which I call “The Question Box”. Tabs of cardstock with words written on them were inside. (All the words were used in the time line on Baha’u’llah’s life presented in previous classes and many of them also were discussed in the books they made on Baha’u’llah, as well as in the stories we have been reading). If the word was about something holy, like “Bahji” it was written in gold ink and the edges trimmed with fancy edging scissors. Baha’u’llah’s name was written in gold on red velvet, with a gold ribbon on the underside holding the velvet around the cardstock. It was also perfumed with rose oil. Each team got half of a small lacquered box. I had a bag of little metallic suns. For each correct answer, a sun was placed in their container to symbolize rays of truth.
This is how the game is played: I would choose a tab from the box and give clues about what it said and the first team to guess what was on the tab would get a sun. Here are the words, and the clues I gave (clues are in apostrophes): Baha’u’llah,--“Perfect Mirror”, November 12th 1817,-- “birthday”, Tehran,-- “birthplace, city”, Siyah-Chal,--- “dungeon, Black Pit”, Baghdad,---“declaration city”, Sulaymaniyyih, ---“mountain wilderness, 2 years” (nobody ever gets that one, so I make it worth 3 suns), April 21st- May 2nd 1863,--“Ridvan, Most Great Festival”, Constantinople, Adrianople,---“2 Cities, exiled to”, Akka,-- -“Prison City”, The Kitab-i-Aqdas,--“Book of Laws,” or “Most Holy Book”, Mazraih, --“charming spot after Akka”, Bahji,-- “Burial site, shrine”, and May 29th 1892-“ascension, death.” When the answer was to be a date, I told them ahead of time that I was looking for a month and a day-and not to worry about the year.
Searching for the Promised One First we discuss that many enlightened people were actively searching for the Promised One, The Bab, in 1844, though they did not know who He was, what He looked like, or His given name. The first 18 to find Him independently (they were not allowed to tell anyone until 18 had found Him on their own) were His disciples, whom He called “Letters of the Living.” Mulla Husayn was the first. For this game, I had hung 9 iridescent cardboard stars at equal height with green ribbon in a separate room. The goal was for each student to find the star that represented The Bab. I chose stars b/c Siyyid Kazim had written the qualities of The Bab on a 5 pointed star. I also put miniature red ribbon roses through the center of each one, since Mulla Husayn found Him in the city of Shiraz, known as the city of roses. I explained how each of the Letters of the Living had to find Him independently and had to really look with a searching eye, since to outward seeming, the Promised One appeared as a normal man. They had to use their spiritual senses and look for clues and allow themselves to be guided. (Mulla Husayn fasted and prayed for 40 days before finding The Bab.) I told them that the star which represented The Bab was different in 4 ways, and that there were 8 clues in the room guiding them to that star. I told them that throughout the day, one at a time, they could go into the room and try to figure it out. If they did, they had to practice trustworthiness and self control, just as the Letters of the Living did, and not tell any one else. Each star also had a letter written on the back, so students could just whisper in my ear which one they thought it was rather than have to point it out, since there was a steady flow of seekers in the room. Here are the ways the star was different: The one representing The Bab was the only one hanging directly over a lamp, and the first memory verse for the unit on The Bab was this verse by Him: “I am the Lamp which the Finger of God hath lit within its niche and caused to shine with deathless splendour. ~The Bab: Selections from the Writings of The Bab, page 74 It’s rose was scented with rose oil, the others only with canola oil. In the last class in June I had shared this verse of The Bab’s with the students, and on Sunday I shared it again when we went over all the clues and when we did an activity with a gift box: “enable me to draw nigh unto Thee through the fragrance of Thy holiness.” ~The Bab: Selections from the Writings of The Bab, page 197. On all the stars I had painted white iridescent rays emanating from the rose in the center. But the Bab’s star had 9 rays, (a sacred number in the Baha’i Faith), while all the others had only 8. The Bab’s rays were painted with glow in the dark paint, none of the others had glow paint. The Bab had said: “I....am the light of God Whose radiance can never fade...” Selections from the Writings of The Bab, page 12
The clues were: The curtains were all shut very tight in the room-which they never have been before. This should of made them wonder. There was a green sticker arrow pointing down on the light switch panel. This should have made them think to turn off the light so they could see the glowing rays. A book entitled Nearness to God was placed on the nightstand directly below the Bab’s star. In so many prior classes I have always emphasized the Baha’i teaching that if one wants to be near to God, one must recognize and obey His Divine Messengers. Another book titled Who Knows this Nose? was placed facing outward on the bookshelf in plain view, with photos of animal noses on the front cover. This should of inspired them to use their noses. An empty package was placed standing upright on the dresser which read “Glow in the Dark Glitter Stars”. It was the package their reward stars came in. This should have stirred them to think about what the darkness may reveal. A step ladder was left in the room to encourage them to climb up to smell the roses, since the stars were above their nose height. There were red sticker arrows on the step ladder’s steps to encourage them to climb I had told them to remember their first memory verse for The Bab before they went in, (the one about the lamp) but I would not say the verse.
Round Robin Story We played a story game in which every student chose a picture from a lotto game. The pictures were of animals and objects. I also had tiny paper dolls to choose from of a baby, boy, girl, man, and woman in different skin colors. Students also chose one slip of paper with a virtue written in gold on it. I let them select the picture and virtue as opposed to choosing blindly to make the game a little easier. The object was to create a group story, with everyone at some point integrating their object or character and virtue. It could be as imaginary and fanciful as they wanted, but it had to make sense, have continuity, and maintain the story line. No acts of violence and aggression were to be told, and no disappearance or death of anybody else’s’ character was permitted. One could use a previously mentioned character in addition to their own in their contribution, but not bring in someone’s who had not spoken yet. Then I started a story about a journey of a boy (my picture) who set out to do service (my virtue) in the world. At first the kids had a hard time integrating their characters and virtues, but soon got the hang of it. To make it even easier, I said you could stick in your character with your virtue at any time in the story you felt it could work, as opposed to doing it in the strict order of the circle we were sitting in. The story got really elaborate and creative, and kids wanted to do a second round, which I vetoed b/c of time issues.
Together To play this you need to purchase this game from Family Pastimes. (See resource list) Teams of 4 or 5 (they can be as small as 2) would each get 3 problem cards and 4 resource cards. Problems were things like: famine, drought, violence, poverty, racism, etc. Resources were things like: religion, kindness, education, technology, land, water, etc. Teams went off into separate rooms, came up with names for their "tribe" and discussed how they could use their resources to solve their problems. I urged them to try to get at root causes--i.e. money doesn't solve the reasons for poverty, education is more likely to. Tribes were encouraged to share and trade resources by sending tribe messengers on negotiating missions. All teams had different problems and resources, with the exception of religion--I gave all tribes a religion resource so they could all see how relevant the teachings, especially the ethical ones, of religion are to most problems in the world.
After some discussion and trading, tribes all gathered together and each gave a presentation on how they used their resources to solve their problems. This activity was designed to get them to think in terms of interdependence and cooperation, to think and care about world issues, and to see how relevant spirituality is to a healthy world.
A similar Baha’i version of this game is found in Brilliant Star Sept/Oct. 1996 pages 22-25
Choices Another game from Family Pastimes-but I changed it to fit my educational goals. I would read a moral dilemma from the Choices card set, and give them 3 choices, with the 3rd one always being "other". I assigned areas in the room which represented each choice, and they were to go to the area which they felt reflected the most moral or spiritual choice. For ex: "A friend says she hates God because her dad died." Choice 1: Don't pay any special attention to this. Choice 2: Try to get her to love God. 3. Other. And "Your group is planning an afternoon in the park. A raid on the neighbor's garden is suggested." Choice 1: Join in, feeling it minor and harmless fun. Choice 2: Decide to stay home. Choice 3: Other. "A peer is always bossing everyone in your games." Choice 1: You and others say you won’t play until the bossing stops. Choice 2: Try to talk the person into behaving differently. Choice 3: Other. And “During an argument, a little boy smaller and younger than you hits you.” Choice 1: Hit him back. Choice 2: Hold his arms. Choice 3: Other. Some of the choices were not obvious and many children would choose "Other" for the answer, and came up with really good ideas that were wise, tactful, and moral. Children were very eager to express their reasons for their choices and there was a lot of interesting discussion.
Metaphor Madness Then I played a metaphor question and answer game, and the students were quite good at it: I would ask a question like: "If your soul/heart is like a mirror, then reading the Creative Word is like________? (Polishing it). If your heart is like a garden, then reading the Creative Word is like_______? (Watering it, or having new flowers blossom in it) If your heart is like a dark room, then reading the Creative Word is like_____? (Putting a beam of light in it) If your heart is like a candle, then reading the Creative Word is like _____? (Lighting the wick)" I also emphasized how memorizing the Creative Word is even more potent in terms of effect on ones' soul.
Casual Conversation * 2 or 3 people would leave the room, and the rest of the group would choose a phrase for each person to say such as “I like trees b/c they give us oxygen” or “I like pretty pink ribbons” or “tortoises can live to be over 200 years old” or “Yesterday I lost my tooth,” etc. Then each person who had left the room was privately given his/her phrase. Then while the rest of us watched, the 2 or 3 kids would try to strike up a conversation with each other and insert their phrase with- out the other ones knowing. It was really fun to watch them try to hold a normal conversation, guiding it to their subject matter and injecting their phrase in an unobvious way. If one suspected that the chosen phrase had been said, they stopped and said “I challenge you!” One got 3 challenges per conversation. You can make this more Baha’i oriented by providing phrases related to the Faith. Then kids will all have to start conversations related to religion and spiritual matters and detect the phrase from within those contexts.
What Holy Place is This? The class should be divided into teams of 2-4 per team. Each team receives 4-8 photos of a Baha’i Holy Place such as a Temple or Shrine, or a building on Mt. Carmel. For each photo, I had made a tab of cardstock with the name and location of each place written in silver ink-to emphasize its special-ness. I would read the tab, and the team with the correct corresponding photo had to raise it up for all to see. If they did not, or they raised the wrong one, they did not get the tab, which equals one point. (You should team up older and younger, newer and more experienced kids on each team to make it fair. They should be encouraged to consult before answering). Then after we had read all the tabs, each team had to correctly identify their photos w/o using their tabs for guidance. If they could not, they would lose the tab for that photo. (The goal is to get as many tabs as possible), Then, just for a challenge, I invited any individual who felt knowledgeable enough to attempt to match all photos with all their tabs.
Synonym Secrets This is basically a matching game. It can be played with teams who compete, or just with the whole class as individuals. Because my class has so many kids from non- Baha’i homes, I always create teams so they do not feel totally lost and clueless. Kids who are new or have no Baha’i background can be involved also by being score keepers. For this game I had created about 65 cardstock tabs, each one having a name, place, date, holy day, person’s title, or brief description (such as “Abdu’l-Baha’s wife, Baha’u’llah’s burial place). On each tab I placed either a red or green star, and if it was an extra hard one, a gold star was also placed on it. Gold star tabs were worth 2 points. The red star labels related to Baha’u’llah or the post-Bab era, and the green related to events and people during The Bab’s lifetime. Some tabs had both a green and a red b/c they could refer to either The Bab or Baha’u’llah- such as “Divine Manifestation”. For each of the 65 tabs, I made a corresponding tab (w/o stars) that matched it. For example, for “Baha’u’llah’s Declaration” the corresponding tab would be “Ridvan”. Many tabs were tripled or doubled or more, b/c for example, another corresponding tab for Ridvan would be “The Most Great Festival”, or “Paradise.” The Central Figures’ names were on many tabs b/c there were so many references to them, for ex: Abdu’l-Baha would go with “The Most Great Branch,” “The Master,” “The Center of the Covenant”, “Baha’u’llah’s eldest Son”, etc. The stars were placed on the descriptions or definitions-b/c obviously you don’t need a red star on Baha’u’llah’s name to signify it goes with Baha’u’llah’s lifetime.
Each team received equal number of tabs which they laid out in front of them on the floor. I would choose a starred tab from my pile and say for example “The Center of the Covenant”. Of course both teams had several Abdu’l-Baha tabs, so the first one to hold up His name, would get the point. Then they would remove that tab from in front of them and place in a container so the game got easier as the choices became fewer. If they held up the wrong tab, or were the only ones with the correct answer and held up no tab, they lost a point. A mistake on a gold star tab was minus one point only. Some examples from the green star Babi- dispensation were: “The only female Letter of the Living” (Tahirih) or “The Last Letter of the Living” (Quddus) or “The Primal Point” (The Bab). Some red star examples were “Place where Baha’u’llah first received His Revelation” (The Siyah-Chal or The Black Pit), “The Most Holiest Shrine” (Bahji) or “The Ancient Beauty” (Baha’u’llah), or “The One Whom God Shall Make Manifest” (Baha’u’llah). This is really a review of past lessons in the form of a game. Though some information can be new and kids enjoy guessing, its best to play this game after these subjects have been taught.
I am not very fond of the concept of keeping score, but this technique seems to really motivate students b/c they love to acquire points-even if the points mean nothing! It also gives students who can not possibly know answers a way to participate-score keeping. Students always want a tally in the end, so I make a point of not exalting or praising the team w/ the most points-and besides, student score keepers are generally not terribly meticulous and the players know that. Score keepers may not enjoy the game quite as much as the players, but they should be invited to assist their teams with their opinions. I noticed that the score keepers (one or 2 for each team) rejoiced when their team scored and were almost as disappointed when their team made mistakes. Let us just say that it can be a vicarious learning experience for them b/c they do at least hear the answers and so probably absorb some knowledge.
Baha’i Scruples You need Milton Bradley’s A Question of Scruples for Kids to play this-unless you want to make up your own moral dilemma cards.
In the original game, players try to get rid of all their dilemma cards by choosing someone who they think will answer their moral dilemma in the way that corresponds to their answer card which is either a “yes”, a “no”, or a “depends”. If the person answers they way you predicted, you get to get rid of your dilemma card. Then, you do not choose a new dilemma card, but you do choose a new answer card for the next time its your turn. You do not want others to see your answer card for fear they will deliberately not answer that way so you can’t get rid of your moral dilemma card. In this version, although the dilemmas cause children to think, there is nothing that guides them to see or choose the more spiritual and virtuous answer.
So in our version, teams of 3 received all three answer cards. (Yes, No, and Depends). I would read a moral dilemma card, and the 1st team to answer the way which was most moral/spiritually oriented (or if familiar with the example of Abdu’l-Baha, the way they think He would respond,) got the moral dilemma card. If they voted “depends” they had to defend their rationality. Also, to get the card that team would have to label what the relevant virtues were. (The team with the most cards wins, but because I am so anti- competitive, this was barely even mentioned in the end. The students know never to boast or exalt themselves in class and so the competitive nature is basically nullified.) If a team clearly answered incorrectly, they would lose a card. If they had no card to lose, they were given a token. At the end of the game, for every token your team had, one card was taken away. Also, the answer cards were rotated among team members after each dilemma so every team member got a chance at saying yes, no, depends. The depends were used quite often, and students were very sophisticated at giving good rationalizations and variables which would effect the morality of the decision. It helps to have a large poster of a list of virtues for kids to refer to for the virtue labeling part.
They really got into this game! Here are some examples of the moral dilemmas posed to the class: (We did 22 total).
“A girl wants to buy a board game at your garage sale. Some pieces are missing from the game. Do you tell her?” (Relevant virtues: honesty, respect, consideration, sacrifice-because you may lose the sale.)
“Pretend-you are an adult. You’ve been out of work for several months. You are offered a job by a company that pollutes the air. Do you take the job?” (Teams voted “no”, but I encouraged them to think about “depends”, because you could become homeless and also it could depend on whether the company was willing to change their polluting or whether you could get a position that could influence their polluting. Relevant virtues: respect, caring, sacrifice, etc. When I switched it to a company that makes alcoholic drinks the answer was clearly “no”.) “You know where your parents hid your birthday present. Do you peek at it?” (Trustworthiness, self-control, detachment).
“Your know-it-all older brother is all dressed up and going to a graduation dance. He says, “So long, Shorty.” Do you let him know his fly is open?” (Respect, forgiveness, mercy).
“A girl in your school doesn’t bathe and smells bad. Other classmates stay away from her and she seems lonely. Do you tell her why she has no friends?” This one took some thought, but as Baha’u’llah exhorts us to look to the end of things when making a decision, we talked about in the long run what was best, and how to do it in a gentle manner. (Kindness, caring, compassion, courage).
“Your father is very overweight. His doctor has put him on a strict diet. You see him hide a box of doughnuts. Do you tell your mother?” (Again, this one was a challenge because of loyalty issues. But again, I encouraged them to think about the long run. Since they did not promise to their father not to tell, the answer was “yes.” (Caring, courage, love).
Some of the dilemmas explore cheating and stealing, and this can be a real challenge for kids in relation to peers. To tell or not to tell. My stance is if it hurts others in any way or is dangerous to health, such as stealing or drugs the answer is yes. Sometimes we have to get past immediate consequences and ponder the long term effects and chain reactions that can result from an act to determine its potential for damage.
Telling on someone who cheats on a test I am not sure about, since Baha’u’llah says: If ye become aware of a sin committed by another, conceal it, that God may conceal your own sin. (Baha'u'llah: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, page 55). This can also mean not to gossip about the faults of others. Another adult I asked suggested it was in the student’s own best interest in the long run to be exposed to the teacher, but the person who told on them should keep quiet about it to others. Based on other scripture and common sense, it is obvious that there are times when it would be morally wrong not speak out because of protection of others issues. Youth struggle with these issues all the time-peer loyalty is so very strong-but this loyalty can often lead to damage to many if carried too far.
Arise This is a game from the Brilliant Star Baha'i children's magazine Game Kit. (Available through the Baha’i Distribution Service). I changed the rules slightly to make it more challenging and more dependent on spiritual insight than on luck. Teams of 2 were each given a card with 8 smaller pictures on it. Each large card had a different combination of smaller pictures on it, although the large cards shared some of the same smaller pictures. A deck containing at least 2 of each of the smaller pictures is placed in the middle of the circle. In order, teams would choose from the deck a picture, hoping to get a match. At first, if the card did not match, we moved onto the next team, but because I wanted the teams to get more frequent challenges, mid-way through the game, I let each team choose from the deck 3X to make it more likely they got a matching picture. If they could make some spiritual comment or insight or definition or explain the meaning of the symbol, etc, they could put a small star on that picture on their board. They would then return the card to the bottom of the deck. Due to time constraints, we could not play until the logical conclusion, that is when one team would have all their smaller pictures covered with stars on their board. Some of the smaller pictures were harder to comment on than others.
Some examples of some of the pictures were, a man and a woman holding hands, with the words, "the equality of women and men". I would expect the team to say that when women have equal rights as men, then world peace can emerge, or that men and women are like 2 wings of the bird of humanity, and only when both wings are equally developed can the bird fly. These are 2 concepts that we discussed and did activities on over and over in our equality of women and men unit, and the memory verses for that unit contained those concepts. Another picture showed a smiling child and said "happy and joyful being". We did a unit a while back on happiness. Therefore, I would expect that a team might say that true happiness comes from expressing virtues and serving God, not material wealth. Another picture showed 2 leaves and said "leaves of one tree" and I would expect a team to explain that this means that all people are connected and one in spirit, etc. Another card said 1844. This required a more concrete answer--the year that The Bab declared His mission. After the game, I went through each small picture card and asked students to raise their hand if they could comment. I was pleased that most kids were willing and able to give insights into at least several of the cards.
The Choicest Fruits This game goes with the following quote:
Upon the tree of effulgent glory I have hung for thee the
choicest fruits, wherefore hast thou turned away and
contented thyself with that which is less good? Return then
unto that which is better for thee in the realm on high.
~Baha'u'llah: Arabic Hidden Words, # 21
I brought out the dry erase board and told them that we were going to play a game based on the above quote. We talked about the possible meanings of the quote. I suggested that one interpretation could be that the tree of effulgent glory (we defined “effulgent” first) is that it is the Revelation of Baha’u’llah. I asked them to come up with a list of choicest fruits if the tree is Baha’u’llah’s Revelation, and examples of things that are less good that people content themselves with instead of seeking the fruits. This was the first part of the game, and to inspire/motivate them, I told them that the second part would involve tasting of some choice fruits-and the more they came up with, the more fruits they would get. Here then is the list we came up with, making a column for each subject:
Choicest fruits: eternal life, truth, nearness to God, divine civilization, knowledge and wisdom, virtue development, strong marriages and family life, justice, love, world unity and peace, world government, the equality of women and men, fair distribution of wealth, i.e. prosperity for all, oneness of humanity, happiness, service, prayer, spiritual and physical health, and loving communities.
That which is less good: luxury, physical comforts, worship of another person, alcohol and drugs, money, sports, entertainment, fame, power, physical beauty, clothes, shopping, art and nature, segregation and isolation, and all material things in general-be they toys, hobbies, houses, stereo equipment, cars or flowers.
I pointed out that most of the “less goods” were not evil or bad in and of themselves, but lead to evil and bad things when we live for them and make them the focus of our lives at the expense of spiritual pursuits. All of them, even art and nature, as beautiful and soul stirring as they can be, should not be a replacement for searching for spiritual fruits b/c they are, in their essence, still just physical things-even if they can reflect the light of God.
Then I turned the dry erase board around so they could not see it, and told them that for every choice fruit they could name from the list, (and they could only name it once-each person had to come up with another one) I would reward them with a choice fruit. I had bought a few bags of clementines which were incredibly sweet and were perfect for the game and piled them in a lovely crystal bowl. The kids were thus highly motivated and there were enough for each student to name 2 fruits.
It would be fun to play this outside in good weather, and have someone up in a tall tree with the fruit. I would then tell them that by calling out the choice fruits, they drop from the “tree” and the students have to catch it as it drops down-but this could lead to bruised fruit or bops on the nose! And--I’m not so sure that one should treat symbols of the choicest fruits with such frivolity-it strikes me as a tad bit irreverent. However, I am sure the students would love this version. (This would also turn this game into a low activity game, instead of mainly cerebral.)
PARACHUTE GAMES
There are many more really fun parachute games which demand a lot of unity but for which I have no Baha’i metaphors. Terry Orlick’s Second Cooperative Sports and Games Book is full of them, and there are others. If you purchase a parachute, you will want to get the most out of it you can. Kids absolutely love parachute games, they promote joy and unity, and so you don’t really need metaphors to make it worthwhile. It’s a great investment if you work with kids.
Save the World ## I explained that the parachute represented the world, and the goal is to spread God’s teachings of world unity, love, oneness, etc., before the world collapses-through war and hate, etc., by planting the seed of His new Revelation in human hearts. So for each round, I would choose 2 children, one would get a giant heart pocket on a necklace that said “the garden of the human heart” on it. That person would be the seeker. The other child got a giant seed shaped piece of brown-golden mat board, which said “the seed of God’s revelation” on it. That child would be the Baha’i teacher. When we inflated the parachute as group, these 2 children (who needed to be on opposite sides) would run under and the child with the seed had to insert it into the heart pocket and run out from under the parachute before the parachute world collapsed on them. They also had to exchange places, so each would run to the place where the other had come from. I gave the command to bring the parachute down as soon as the “seed” was “planted” so the kids had to really high-tail it to the other side. I encourage the teacher and the seeker not to hold onto the parachute and raise it with the others so that they can immediately run under
The game goes well with the following quotes:
These are the days of seed sowing...... He who sows a seed in this day will behold his reward in the fruits and harvest of the heavenly Kingdom. This timely seed, when planted in the hearts of the beloved of God, will be watered by showers of divine mercy and warmed by the sunshine of divine love. Its fruitage and flower shall be the solidarity of mankind, the perfection of justice and the praiseworthy attributes of heaven manifest in humanity. All who sow such a seed and plant such a tree according to the teachings of Baha'u'llah shall surely witness this divine outcome in the degrees of its perfection and will attain unto the good pleasure of the Merciful One. ~`Abdu'l-Baha: Promulgation of Universal Peace, page 8
The sons and daughters of the kingdom are like unto the real farmers. Through whichever state or country they pass they display self-sacrifice and sow divine seeds. ~`Abdu'l-Baha: Tablets of the Divine Plan, page 16
Save the Word II ## This same game can be played in a more non-religious setting, using a different metaphor: Explain that the parachute represents the world and the individuals around it are the nations. (Or ethnic groups, tribes, etc.) You can ask each child to name a nation they would like to represent if there is time. Kids can even have stick on badges which say their nation if you want to get even more educational and you call them under the parachute using their nation’ name. They should all be different nations. Explain that the world of so many millions of people is crashing down b/c the nations or tribes are fighting and they have to create unity before the world collapses from nuclear disaster, bio-terrorism, etc. (If you don’t want to focus on such a downer concept just be more vague and general). So when I say 1-2-3-UP! we will all raise the parachute and 2 of you who I will have already chosen will run under, shake hands (to symbolize unity) and exchange places before the parachute comes down. (You can get really metaphorical and say something like, “when nations and peoples understand what its’ like to be in another’s place, there will be more unity”.) I always give the cue to lower the parachute, making it so that there is barely enough time to shake hands and exchange places-runners are often sliding out from under just in the knick of time. When the parachute is lowered, 2 more are chosen. I encourage the runners not to hold onto the parachute and raise it with the others so that they can immediately run under. Younger kids may find it easier to give a quick hug or a high five than to shake hands.
Remove the Barriers ## This Game’s metaphor was created by Aurelia Blake: Talk about the barriers that keep people apart: prejudice, fear, language, national identity, religious prejudice, skin color, class, age, etc. Then have every body practice inflating the parachute to create a giant mountain of air (the barrier). Participants must raise the chute together, lower it quickly to capture the air, and seal it by holding the edges on the ground. Then 2-3 kids are invited to walk on this mountain of air (the barrier) and using their feet and hands, eliminate it. They end up pressing all the air out. When the barrier is completely gone (all the air is out) the kids on the parachute should shake hands to symbolize friendship. Little ones can hug. It is important to emphasize that they should walk and not throw themselves around b/c it is only a barrier of air and you may end up knocking heads w/ another child on the other side of the mountain. With a large group, the seal is better and the air stays in more effectively. (Make sure the top/center of the parachute is sealed closed). If this is the case, walking on it may be just right-but if the air comes out too quickly, have the kids crawl on it. Older youth and adults should crawl, for otherwise they obliterate the barrier too fast.
Parachute Formations ## * First we practice raising and lowering the parachute in unity. Then I explain that I will choose 3 children (if the group is really large up to 6) to go under the parachute and form a unique formation with their bodies. The formation can be an abstract sculpture or symmetrical design. People can be sitting, laying down or standing or all 3-but they must all be touching-this represents unity. Then at the count of 3 I say “UP” and the 3 run under and we lower the parachute. Peeking is not allowed. If the ceiling is high, players stand and hold the parachute at waist level while the formation is forming. If the ceilings are low, people kneel and hold it down on the floor. While the kids are making their formation, I play the “Rapp Song” from Red Grammer's Teaching Peace Tape which is about the beauty of diversity. When the music stops,-- I gave them about 20-30 seconds--(Have someone to man the deck and watch for your signal) we lifted the parachute to behold their formations. The kids really had to cooperate quickly to create their body sculptures Every groups’ formation had to be different than the others’---this is the diversity aspect. The idea was that diversity is interesting, fun, and exciting--for wouldn't it be boring if every time we lifted the parachute the formations were the same? After we admire the formation, that group joins the outside group, and the parachute is lowered. Then I select another group, the parachute is raised, they go under, the parachute is lowered and the music begins again. When it stops, we raise it and behold the new formation and the cycle begins again. With some youthful groups, sending boys and girls under at the same time inspires sexual commentary. In this case, just send girls only or boys only. Also, if you are playing with little ones, adults and youth should kneel when raising the parachute so you don’t force the parachute out of the smaller kids hands.
Wake Up Call ## * This is an Inuit (Eskimo) game and really works best with at least 12 children using a parachute, but a blanket can do. As you all have probably noticed, I often try to relate many games we play to the theme of the class- sometimes stretching the analogy a bit far, as I did in this first game: I explained that God does not forget us and since He created us to know and love Him, if we get distracted and forgetful of our relationship with Him, He will somehow guide us or push us towards spirituality. For example, sometimes we get really caught up in this physical world, and so sometimes God gives us a nudge, pinch or a slap to wake us up and notice Him. Then it is our job to figure out what the nudge, pinch or slap means and where it came from. I gave examples of pinches and slaps like an illness, an accident, a bold bit of feedback from someone, a powerful or unusual experience, an abrupt and unexpected change in our life, etc. We can’t escape our duty and our purpose in life-God will always come after us in one way or another.
So, this is how the game works: Children sit in a tight circle with their knees bent and their hands under their knees. The parachute is placed over them to cover their arms and legs and feet. One child stands in the middle on top of the chute. Children surreptitiously pass a large leather glove around, through their bent knees, and it can travel in either direction at any time. With a parachute and large group of children, they are close enough to pass so that the child standing in the middle can’t see their arm movements. The idea is to be sneaky and subtle. The person in the middle is supposed to bend over slightly and turn slowly around attempting to discern who has the glove. Any child who has the glove when the person in the middle is turned away from them can quickly smack the person in the middle on the rear end and then immediately pass the glove. The person in the middle gets one guess for each smack-they point to the person they think has the glove at that moment. It could be the person who smacked them or the person it was passed to. Honesty is one virtue practiced here, as is humility- getting whacked on the rear end and people giggling at you does not go well with a lot of pride! If the person in the middle guesses correctly, then the identified person changes places and goes into the middle. RESOURCES Board Games, Equipment, and Game Books for Teaching Unity, Cooperation and Other Positive Values
Board Games:
SLEEPING GRUMP (for ages around 4-7) GRANNY'S HOUSE " HARVEST TIME " BEAUTIFUL PLACE (for ages around 5-8) TOGETHER (for ages around 8-12) EARTH (for ages around 10 and up) COMMUNITY (for ages 9 and up) SKY TRAVELERS (for ages 8 and up -- but 5 yr. olds can do it) PLOUGHSHARES (for ages 9 and up) ROUNDUP (for ages 5 & up) SAND CASTLES (for ages 5 & up) THE SECRET DOOR (for ages 5 & up) EYES OF THE JUNGLE (for ages 8 & up)
The above games are from Family Pastimes. This company has many more games available for older children and adults as well. Peace Time carries most if not all of these excellent games at a good price--(discounts are also available). If Peace Time is out of them, Special Ideas carries many of them.
You can also get these and many more wonderful cooperative and noncompetitive games from the mail order catalog called Animal Town Game Co. (The Family Pastimes games are a bit more expensive if you order them from Animal Town, however.)
RAFA RAFA for ages 10 and above is a cross-cultural simulation game designed to teach awareness of how different people live, view the world, and how language affects one's thoughts, etc. Available through SIMILE II P.O. Box 910 Del Mar, CA 92014. Phone: 619-755-0272
ASSERT WITH LOVE (for ages around 6 and up-with child cards.) Uses role play to teach how to assert self in positive way in conflict situation. To order send $22.50 to High Consciousness Games Co. P.O. Box 3206 Kansas City, KS 66103. Children's situation cards are available for this game, but are not included in the above price. They cost about $5 extra and have to be ordered separately.
THE UNGAME (for ages 5 and up, fine for verbal 4 yr old) This game teaches empathy, listening skills, understanding, values clarification and sharing of feelings and thoughts. This game is available through Peace Time, (another but often more expensive source is Animal Town.) One can also buy just the cards in different sets covering different age groups. These include a family version, teen, all ages, couples and kids' version. Peace Time has these also.
GIVE PEACE A CHANCE--A GAME OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION (International Peace Prize Winner) 2-4 players, ages 9-adult, (competitive, however). A teacher’s guide which can be used with or without the game is also available but is sold separately. Both available through Peace Time.
GLOBE TROTTERS by UNICEF (for ages 5+) takes kids on a voyage of discovery, comparing the environment and daily life of children around the world. Phone: 800-553-1200. Not cooperative however.
Environmental Awareness Board Games:
GREENHOUSE GAME is a competitive environmental awareness game for ages 8+. Available through Animal Town. A BEAUTIFUL PLACE (ages 5-8) and EYES OF THE JUNGLE (ages 8-12) are beautiful cooperative environmental games carried by Family Pastimes, Special Ideas, and Peace Time. ENDANGERED is another competitive game for 7+ but can be played cooperatively. Available through Peace Time. POLLUTION SOLUTION (ages 10+) is also a competitive game carried by Peace Time. SAVE THE WORLD is yet another competitive environmental game offered by Childcraft, phone 800-631- 5657.
Equipment:
PARACHUTES provide fantastic opportunities for cooperative play. BSN Sports carries these. It is cheapest to order through their website: www.bsnsports.com. The 24 foot one is about $77.00 and the 30 foot one is about $125.00-plus shipping. These are the best prices you are likely to find. Type in the key word “parachute” in their search option to locate them. Terry Orlick’s Second Cooperative Sports and Games book has a section on parachute games. You can also ask me for ideas.
BEAMOS can be ordered online at www.beamo.com. These are fantastic toys. Just keep them away from pavement b/c they can tear. You can also call toll free 888-946-7464 to order. They are currently $25.00 plus $5.00 shipping.
EARTHBALLS can be found through Peace Time or you can order a 16 inch inflatable one through www.internatural.com. It is called Whole Earth Ball. You can also try a school supply store or catalog.
TUBA RUBA by Milton Bradley (for ages 7 or 8 and up) is a game which requires children to move their bodies in cooperation to send a marble through connected tubes which are tangled all over them. I use the tubes for many, many other games as well. Available at most large toy stores.
Cooperative Games Books: Peace Time carries most, if not all, of the following books in addition to several more titles:
THE COOPERATIVE SPORTS AND GAMES BOOK by Terry Orlick. This book has games for preschoolers and up and also includes some games from different countries.
THE SECOND COOPERATIVE SPORTS AND GAMES BOOK by Terry Orlick. This book has games for 12 months and up, including games from many different cultures and parachute games.
A MANUAL ON NONVIOLENCE AND CHILDREN by Stephanie Judson has a large section dedicated to cooperative group games and other games and activities designed to promote unity, affirmation, sharing of ideas and feelings, friendship, empathy, etc.
GAMES MANUAL OF NON-COMPETITIVE GAMES by Jim Deacove of Family Pastimes. It takes a lot of traditional American games and redesigns them a bit to make them cooperative, plus new ones. I don't think you can get it through any bookstore. Peace Time and Family Pastimes carry this book.
EVERYBODY WINS by Jeffrey Sobel is a wonderful collection of games for children 3-10 which promote self-worth, confidence, unified fun.
EVERYONE WINS by Sambhava and Josette Luvmour is a well organized book with games for all ages. Fun and easy to use!
LET'S PLAY TOGETHER by Mildred Masheder is a compilation of over 300 cooperative games for children and adults.
GAMES CHILDREN PLAY: HOW GAMES AND SPORT HELP CHILDREN DEVELOP by Kim Brooking-Payne contains many cooperative games and tips.
NO CONTEST-THE CASE AGAINST COMPETITION by Alfie Kohn is a book for adults which shows convincingly how and why competition is inherently destructive and "Why we lose in our race to win."
KEY TO MOST FREQUENTLY REFERENCED COMPANIES AND CATALOGS
Animal Town Game Company, P.O. Box 485 Healdsburg, CA 95448, Phone 800-445-8642. Their web site is www.animaltown.com. Family Pastimes, RR4 Perth, Ontario, Canada K7H 3C6, Phone 613-267-4819. Their web site is www.familypastimes.com. Peace Time, 402 W. Maple. Granville, OH 43023, Phone 740- 587-3896. This home business was started in 1989 to bring together many of the games, music, and books I recommend in my workshops. PT has resources for parents, teachers, and family support professionals promoting conflict resolution skills, self-esteem, environmental awareness, values and virtues, cooperation, peace, minority histories, positive parenting, multi-cultural understanding, and undoing racism. Tapes are sold at lower prices than catalogs and the games are sold below retail and catalog prices. PT's motto is: "Games to play together not against each other, Music to lift the spirit and touch the hearts, and Books to open minds and hearts to all humanity." Special Ideas, A Baha’i owned catalog company with great books, games, t-shirts, puzzles, posters, etc. Call 1-800-326-1197 or go to www.special-ideas.com or email at orders@special-ideas.com