Outline for Teaching the Children’s Liturgy (Under 5s)
Set-up:
1. Come in early and set up the room. Leave space in the middle for the children, tables and chairs all along the sides.
2. Put out supplies on each table (i.e. crayons, glue sticks etc.). These can be found in the closet in the other room.
3. In the front of the room put a small rectangular table from the main hall. Cover it with the white table cloth.
4. Put out the children’s bible or whatever you are reading from. Place the candle with matches front and center.
Greeting:
1. As children are coming in ask them to sit on the floor in the middle.
2. Sing the song “Good Morning to You”: Good Morning to You, Good Morning to You Hello, Hello (waving your hands), Good Morning to You!” (can do several times)
Introduction:
1. Sign of the Cross: Ask a child to come up and help you. While doing the sign of the cross say: “From our head to hearts, from our shoulder to our shoulder, I belong to you Lord Jesus.” You can then follow with the real words if you’d like.
2. Lighting of the Candle: Explain that even though we are downstairs, we are still in church. We light the candle to show that Jesus is with us in the room. Ask for a volunteer to light the candle.
Lesson:
1. Brief introduction to the lesson “Today we are going to hear about…”
2. Sing the Good News song before reading the story. “Good news, good news, hear the word of God. Hallelulia, Hallelulia- hear the word of God.
3. Read the story.
4. Discuss the point of the story, soliciting answers from the children.
5. Explain the activity that goes with the story (arts and crafts; group work; song; actions etc.)
6. Break up to do activity.
7. Bring children back into the center.
Close:
1. Once you receive the signal from the altar boys- bring children quietly back upstairs to sit at the altar with the priest.
2. Close in
a prayerful atmosphere, a prayer or a song. If stuck for a prayer, use “Dear
God, Help me to learn more and more about Jesus. In Jesus' name, Amen”
Cleanup and put room back as it was.