Spiritual Lessons – Book Study Group – Children’s Lessons
For Children Ages 3 to 6 – Alchemy of the Heart

Lesson 1, Learning about Love

Lesson: Love is the most important thing in your life.

Of all things we can do and have and become in this life, the most important is learning to be loving and kind. How do we know this? In the Bible, John tells us this: “This is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that you should love one another…. God is love.”

The great teacher of the East, Gautama Buddha, also taught us to love. He taught that learning to love is the most important thing we can learn to do.

Made in the image of God

Did you know that you are made in the image of God? Well, you are! God loves you so much that he has given you a gift of a wonderful heart that is from his own heart.

Inside of your heart is a spiritual flame of love, and that spiritual flame is the real you. God is love and you are love. Here is a finger play and a song to help you remember to always try to do the right thing and remember that you can be God’s love in all you do.

Activity 1: My Golden Gloves – The Golden Rule

Begin by inviting children to put on their imaginary golden gloves to help them always remember to be loving and kind. Beginning with the left thumb, pretend you are pulling on each finger of the gloves as you say the words:

I
Do
Unto
Others
As I
Would
Have them
Do Unto
Me

The next step is to pretend there are two little buttons at the wrist level of each glove and you turn them as you say:

For
God
Is
Love

Cross your hands over your heart and say:

And I am love!

Now let’s sing it! The following song is set to the tune, Battle Hymn of the Republic. Children love to march as they sing. Marching is very balancing for children.

I do unto others as I would have them do to me,
I do unto others as I would have them do to me,
I do unto others as I would have them do to me,
And I always do it first! (Repeat 3 times)

Activity 2: Find your own special prayer or song to feel close to God and the love in your heart.

Think o f a simple prayer or affirmation that helps you feel connected to God and to the love in your heart. It might be the Lord’s Prayer, or as simple as “O God, you are so magnificent” or “God is love and I am love.” Write down this special prayer or ask an adult to write it for you. Repeat it three times.

This is your special prayer that you can say any time you want to feel more connected to your heart and to God.

Activity 3: I Am Loving and Kind

The following song is set to the tune, Home, Home on the Range. In the first verse, “I am loving and kind,” you point to your heart. In the second verse “you are loving and kind” you point to one another with open hand, palm up, and in the third verse “we are loving and kind” you hold hands. This is a great song with groups of children and adults.

I AM Loving and Kind
I am loving and kind; I am loving and kind,
I am loving and kind all the time. (Repeat)
You are loving and kind; you are loving and kind,
You are loving and kind all the time.   (Repeat)
We are loving and kind; we are loving and kind,
We are loving and kind all the time. (Repeat)

Activity 4: Love Collage

Let’s think of some other words for love, so we can think more about what it means to us every day. Hugging, feeding the dog, sharing and playing nicely – these are some way we can show love. Look through these magazines and find some pictures of people doing loving things. You can put them on a collage.

Provide some magazines and a large sheet of colored paper, with whatever add-ons such as paper doilies, stickers, glitter, pom-poms etc. you may like. Ask your child to find some pictures that show people being kind and loving. You may need to help your child cut them out and mount them on the colored paper.

Lesson: Spiritual alchemy – turning difficult feelings into love

At times, we all get mad, or we feel upset or worried about things. Sometimes when we have these feelings, it is not so easy to feel happy and peaceful or to act loving and kind.

You can learn to change the way you feel. It is called spiritual alchemy.

You can learn to be very quiet and feel the love of God in your heart and it will help you WANT to do kind things and say kind words.

Activity 5: Connecting with your heart

Find your favorite ways that help you become calm and peaceful so that you feel more loving and connected to your heart. What do YOU like to do to feel happy and joyous?

Plan to do something like take a walk with your mom, play with your dog,  or bake some cookies together that makes you feel happy and peaceful.

Activity 6: Smile!

Another thing we can do to be more loving is so simple you will hardly believe it! Just smile! A smile makes everything better.

Activity 7: Family Service

Do you remember the words of the song to the golden gloves? It says to do to others what you would like other people to do to you. This is called the Golden Rule. Plan something we can do that is going to help someone, just to be kind.

Think of a simple family service project that you can do, whether to take a bowl of soup to an elderly relative or neighbor, walk the dog for someone who is ill or anything you can devise that works for you. Consider making some form of family service a habit. Go to How to Spiritualize Your Family Life: The Four Difference Makers in the Parents’ Place section of this website to learn more about what family service can do for your family.