AISING 
PIRITUAL 
HILDREN
AISING PIRITUAL HILDREN
"For mothers are the first educators, the first mentors; and truly it is the mothers who determine the happiness, the future greatness, the courteous ways and learning and judgement, the understanding and the faith of their little ones." -- 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections...page 126
There are 3 Kingdoms of God children will be familiar with: the Animal Kingdom, Vegetable Kingdom, and the Mineral Kingdom.
Sorting things into the Kingdoms can be a casual activity or a pre-planned class. You can decide how extensive this exercise will be based on the age(s) of the child(ren) and where you will do the activity.
Easy Sorting Game: From magazines, or printed from the internet, pre-select 30 images (10 from each kingdom). If you are so inclined you can mount them onto cardboard or slip them into plastic sheet protectors. Mix the images together and have your child sort them.
Travel Game: Gather together a few magazines or books that have many photos and pack them with you in the car, train, or airplane. Have your child go through each page and try to find something from one of the Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral Kingdoms. If you have more than one person playing make a race to see who can find something on the page, or in their own magazine. The driver or adult can call out a Kingdom name and the kids can hunt for a picture that fits.
Card Game: This needs a lot of time to set up but you can play many standard card games once you are done like Go Fish, Happy Families (with 3 in a set instead of 4), Memory, and Old Maid. You will need to create sets of 44-52 playing cards that reflect the different kingdoms. Mount small pictures onto 3" x 5" cards. You can make them as eleborate or as simple as ou want to. Make at least two of each image for matching games, but they need not be the same exact picture. Two different photos of pigs could be considered a pair. You could make logical sets of 3 like a fish, seaweed, and the ocean.
Story: Have your young child tell you a story that includes at least one thing from each kingdom.
If you have created playing cards you can also create an unusal story by saying "Once Upon a Time" and then flipping over the cards and adding to the story. For example if the first three cards were a chicken, a flower, and a ruby, you could say, "Once upon a time there was a very happy chicken named Susie who loved to sleep near the daisys by her coop. One day she found a ruby ring when she woke up from her nap, and was she surprised!"
Things to Discuss:
The overlaps in the kingdoms: Vegetables and Animals contain Minerals, Animals consume Vegetables, etc.
How all minerals cannot grow (except for crystals and you can talk about their unique qualities) - vegetables can grow but not think - animals can think but only man can know and worship God.
Older students may wish to deepen on the meaning on the phrase "Kingdom of Names" and what things would be considered a part of the "Divine Kingdom."
"....Far more extensive programmes should be initiated in those countries where the need exists, to ensure that Bahá'í children are nurtured, encouraged to acquire trained minds, illumined with a sound knowledge of the Divine Teachings, well-equipped to participate in the work of the Cause at all levels and to contribute to the arts, crafts and sciences necessary for the advancement of civilization. Such programmes, when open to all children, Bahá'í or not, offer a potent means of extending the beneficial influences of Baha'u'llah's Message to the wider society." -- letter from The Universal House of Justice, 1996
(back of frame, unfolded)
Here is a project I designed for "Teacher Appreciation Day" but you can make and give these little frames anytime to anyone! They would be terrific to use in a school setting, just make up blank templates in advance - then all the kids have to do is decorate them with crayons and stickers - and slip in their school photo. Easy gift for their parents!
Supplies: For each frame you will need: one #10 Envelope; one coordinating sheet of paper big enough to cover one side of the envelope; a scissors; a piece of stiff cardboard to use while cutting; an exacto knife, rubber stamps or other decorative elements (you could collage over the back of the frame, or glue torn tissue paper with small children); and you will need something round to trace if you want a round photo opening.
Step 1: Seal your envelope shut and glue a piece of coordinating paper over the entire opening side of the envelope (to cover the seam).
Step 2: Decorate the paper you have just applied - this will be the back of the frame. When your decorations are dry, fold the envelope in half (short sides together). Make the fold good and sharp so the frame can stand on it's own.
Step 3: With your scissors trim off just enough of the right, short edge of the envelope as you can so that it opens.
(inside unfolded frame, white paper has been inserted)
Step 4: Insert a piece of cardboard into this opening (to protect the back of the frame) and with an exacto knife cut away the portion of the frame where you wish to display a photo or poem or inspirational message. Remove cardboard after cutting.
Step 5: Decorate around the photo opening as desired. You may wish to cut both ends of the envelope and have a double photo frame, or you can write a poem on the left and have a photo on the right.
Step 6: Insert your photo, fold frame, and place into a gift or presentation envelope that coordinates with your theme.
Parents you may want to prefold and cut the frames for young children, exacto knives are tricky and very sharp - It's easy to make these in advance and then all they have to do is have fun decorating them and choosing a photo!
(presentation envelope, big enough to hold folded frame)
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Card Games Bringing you rules and information about card and tile games from all parts of the world. Find out how to play many different card games with the same deck. For the games listed above click here for Go Fish and other easy variations.
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