The touchstones theme in June is TRANSCENDENCE
Inspiration for UU parents:
“Consider some of the synonyms for transcendence: evolution, fulfillment, completion, maturity, realization, wholeness, and perfectness. What other processes are examples of transcendence? They include imagination, creativity, dreaming, and play. All of these involve “going beyond.” Since each of these is more concrete than the idea of transcendence, they can also be used to teach children about transcendence.”
From the Touchstones REACH journal, June 2019
A story to read together this week:
The Everything Seed: a story of beginnings by Carole Martignacco, author & Joy Troyer, Illustrator (2006)
“From a single seed cradled and nourished in the rich soil of space, comes the entire universe…and even you! The Everything Seed is a new myth for a new generation, one that explains to the youngest child where we, and the world around us, originated. This joyous celebration of the origins of life is told through captivating poetry and luminous artwork. A gentle look at the Big Bang for young children.”
Extend the topic together:
Transcendence ideas from Tapestry of Faith curriculum, Love Will Guide Us, session 1, Love is Like a Seed.
Talk about… theories about how the universe came into being, such as the Big Bang. Talk together about the awesome aspect of our universe’s origin. Take turns naming things that were contained in the original, strange ball of matter which exploded to become our universe.
Try… learning about seeds together. Dissect a seed and see what is inside. If possible, look at seeds under a microscope. Plants some seeds and watch them grow. Help your child create their own indoor or outdoor garden.
Family Adventure. Go on a walk to find as many seeds and seed holders as you can and try to identify the types of plants they will become.
Family Discovery. To learn more about seeds, watch the Scholastic video The Magic School Bus Goes to Seed. Or, read, The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds: A Book About How Living Things Grow or The Magic School Bus Gets Planted: A Book About Photosynthesis, both by Joanna Cole.
To hear about the universe’s origin in metaphoric language, read together The Everything Seed by Carole Martignacco (Dyeing Arts, 2015). Another book to read together is Born with a Bang: The Universe Tells Its Cosmic Story: Book One by Jennifer Morgan (Dawn Publications, 2002).
A Family Game. In the African game Mancala, two opponents try to collect the most seeds by taking turns dropping seeds into small cups carved into a board. The goal is to capture as many of your opponents’ seeds as possible. Purchase Mancala at a toy and game store or play a version online.
A Family Ritual. Start a yearly tradition: Plant a garden together. Create a ritual for the planting. For instance, you might read the story “The Garden,” from the book Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel, or sing “The Garden Song” by David Mallett, recorded by many artists. You could gather water from rivers and lakes that you visit over the course of the year and use it to water the newly planted seeds.
Let me know if I can be supportive to you in any other way! I am here for you.
All my best with blessings,
Amy