Today, I double checked that a story that was supposed to have been built this summer was, in fact, intact.
It was mostly built, but not completely.
And not only was it not complete, but the overall visual effect of what was there left me a little tepid.
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It is a very compelling aspect of Spirit Play that the materials are enticing, enchanting, well-made, durable, and attractive. These types of materials are more likely to invite engagement with the stories, giving children a real chance to interact with the content and make meaning. And with only one short hour a month spent in the church classroom, the more a child wants to play with the stories, the better chance they will have a positive impact in his or her life.
The story was made to spec, and very much resembles the suggested samples for this particular story, but just lacked that "something special."
What to do?
This time, nothing.
I made the few pieces that were needed to complete the story and made a note to myself to think more about story design and creation later. Hours, circumstance, and my good friend's wisdom led me to call that Good Enough for today.
I get what you mean. One thing I started doing was look at the lesson and the materials and decide the extent to which you have merely illustrated the story in felt or wood pieces. If that is what you did then yes the lesson will be lacking something. So then ask what is it that proceeding through the movements of the lesson and working with the materials invites and guides children through doing. The flaming chalice lesson has the children determine weather a number of figures could represent someone in our community, Buddha and the mustard seed offers an encounter with their own experience of loss as they ask if they would have a seed for the distraught mother, or to draw on berryman the exodus has the children pass through to freedom with the Israelites.
ReplyDeleteThe other thing is don't be limited there are places you can go online or in person to have things fabricated even if you might not have the equipment or background to do it yourself. Dream big- what would the ideal piece do and then how to do it. For example the torch and the pitcher I have redesigned to use a torch and pitcher from which a blue or red silk scarf is drawn to consume or cover the woes and promises. It works so much better and is so much more engaging and seductive to work with than the flat giant heads.
All that said I echo the beginning-- they wont all be explosively wonderful at first-- one more thing don't feel you always need a new lesson. when the materials are rich and the story elegant and wonderfully designed they will happily see the presentation again.
What is it that proceeding through the movements of the lesson and working with the materials invites and guides children through doing? <------------ That question gets right at the heart of it. What a gift. Thank you. And I'd love to see your torch and pitcher story! Any chance you'd share a photo? You know, we repeated the "core" stories at the beginning of the year, but then we got on a kick of marching forth with a new story/material each week. Good reminder to offer them the chance to revisit favorites.
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