Week Three: Family Toolkit

Theme: Practice Paying Attention — Wonder

Feeling a part of something larger than ourselves — from being upended by the vastness of the night sky or to a connection to God — is magical. It is the essence of wonder. And it helps us feel more satisfied, less self-involved, more grateful and more likely to help others. Wonder brings joy. Here are some ways to make the most of our children’s natural sense of wonder, while also rediscovering it yourself.

Scripture Text | Psalm 138

Three Wonderings

1

What is unknown right now?

2

What moments of awe or wonder have I experienced?

3

What does it feel like to trust God?

Spiritual Practice

Join Rev. Emily Meyer, Director of The Ministry Lab, as she invites you to wonder and reflect in an audio recording.

Transcript available here.

Reflection & Music Video

Join musician Richard Bruxvoort Colligan as he invites you to reflect, wonder and connect with and through his original music and thoughts.

Creative Project

WunderCreature

playful, collaborative, ages 4+

Materials: Small-ish slips of paper, pens/pencils, timer

How To:

Person One makes up and tells the group the name of an imaginary creature, for example a squirmy tootoo
Person One starts the timer for one minute while the rest of the game players draw what they think that creature looks like
After one minute, everybody gives their drawings to Person One.
Person One looks through them and chooses which they think is the squirmy tootoo
The “winner” gets to imagine the next creature’s name

Time it takes: 10 min+

Games/Movement

Read-Aloud with Wonder

adaptable for online, playful, ages 4+

Materials: A favorite book you have read often; or, if you want to play on Zoom, it works well if you and your family/friend both have the same book.

How To: Take turns, in person or online, giving suggestions or ‘challenges’ for how to read the next page using the images and/or text as inspiration for exploring new perspectives. For example, in this video my friend Dylan and I are reading the book Goodnight Moon together and I asked her to read as a cow would read the words; then she asked me to describe the mittens and gloves in the illustration. The goal is to discover and rediscover wonder even in the most familiar of ‘places’.

Time it takes: 15+ minutes

Caring for the Common Good Project

Bookmarks that Spark Wonder

Books invite us to see the world from another point of view, and this is especially true if we spend time wondering about the characters – how they acted and why. This bookmark project will remind you to use every book as an opportunity to wonder deeply – across diversity and difference.

Materials: Printable bookmark, crayons or colored pencils, scissors, clear packing tape, hole punch, yarn or ribbon

How To: Print out and decorate as many bookmarks as you like. Cut around the outside of the book marks (leaving the front and back adjoined). Fold in half (so the front and back face outward). Seal with packing tape or laminate. Use a hole punch where indicated and add yarn or ribbon. Save a few for yourself. Hide the others in library books you love or in Little Free Libraries. Hand them out for Halloween. Give them to teachers or neighbors or mail them to your favorite book lovers.

Children’s Picture Book

I Wonder (Four Elephants Press), by Annaka Harris

CONTACT

122 W Franklin Ave #200
Minneapolis, MN 55404

Phone (612) 871-0359

E-Mail info@uccmn.org

Week Three: Family Toolkit

Theme: Practice Paying Attention — Wonder

Scripture Text | Psalm 138

Three Wonderings

1

What is unknown right now?

2

What moments of awe or wonder have I experienced?

3

What does it feel like to trust God?

Spiritual Practice

Reflection & Music Video

Creative Project

Games/Movement

Caring for the Common Good Project

Children’s Picture Book

Family Toolkit: Week One

Family Toolkit: Week Two

Family Toolkit: Week Three

Family Toolkit: Week Four

Family Toolkit: Week Five

Family Toolkit: Week Six

Family Toolkit: Week Seven

United Church of Christ

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