All-Star Gifts Would You Rather?

In this series of activities, participants explore the challenges that face children who grow up in the developing world.
Intended for gradeS 1-3 tIme reqUIred: 30-40 mInUteS

MATERIALS NEEDED
A large white banner or poster Newsprint and a marker Brightly colored finger paints Pens or pencils, one for each participant Copies of the Choices Web handout, one for each participant

ACTIVITY STEPS
1
Begin by explaining the following: Children in other countries often face choices and tasks that are much more difficult than the ones we face. They may not have any clean water near their house, or they may not have a toilet. Some children have no access to healthcare, even when they really need it. Many children never think about what they want to do for fun, because they dont have time. Water, sanitation, healthcare, and nutritious food are all things that we dont have to think about much in the U.S., but many children around the world simply dont have these things. Ask them to all begin by standing in the middle of the room. Then ask each of the following questions, inviting them to move to the assigned location based on their answer. Would you rather bathe in cold water, wash your hair with honey, or walk around with purple skin for the day? Would you rather eat slug soup or mashed worms? Would you rather shrink as small as an ant, grow as big as an elephant, or grow as long as a python? Would you rather be chased by a pigeon, a bull, or a lion? Would you rather live in the jungle, in the ocean, or on the moon? Would you rather your house was surrounded by water, snow, or desert? Would you rather drive a train, fly a jumbo jet, or sail a boat?

Tell participants that they are going to play a game to help them think about the choices they make every day. Tell them you will designate a location in the room for them to move to based on their response to the questions you will be calling out.

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ACTIVITY STEPS
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(continued) 6
Now ask participants to name some of the daily choices that Guha likely has to make (for example, will he collect water or start the fire first? Should he try to cross the river to get to school, or is it unsafe?). Finally, ask participants if they can think of choices that both they and Guha make on a daily basis (for example, will they be kind or mean to other children?). Then compare and contrast all of the choices and discuss why Guhas choices are so different from theirs. Give each participant a copy of the Choices Web handout. Ask them to take a few minutes to write down the things needed to live a healthy life. Discuss some of the items the participants listed on the handout. It is important to get them thinking about what would happen if they didnt have access to some of these things. If necessary, divide their ideas into two categories: needs and wants. Ask participants to think through some of the needs that children in developing countries have. Are these the same needs that we have? Refer the participants to the banner you have posted on the wall. Invite them to come forward one at a time and cover their fingers in paint, then stick their fingerprints on the banner. While the banner is drying, explain that each persons fingerprints are unique there are no two identical fingerprints in the whole world! This means that each person has something important to offer others. And the choices they make even now will determine what they can do in the future. They also affect other people.

Discuss with the participants that although they have the ability to make complicated and often exciting choices, not all children have that ability because they dont have the same resources we do. Share guhas story as follows: Guha lives in a remote mountain village in China. Its very cold in the winter, and Guha and his two sisters must walk 20 minutes to school each day. To get to school they have to cross three rivers, but one bridge has collapsed, so they have to jump across on rocks. If there is too much water, they cannot go to school at all. Life is hard in the mountains. In the winter and spring, it is too cold to grow vegetables. There is very little clean drinking water available in Guhas village, and villagers have to walk a long way to collect water from a stream. There are also no proper toilets in Guhas village. Guha is 7 years old and is in preschool. There are 56 students and two teachers at his school. About the time he turns 12 he will need to go to another school, which is one and a half hours away on foot. When he goes there, he will have to live at school because it is too far to walk there every day. Guha and his sisters share lunch at school. They eat cold potatoes and rice, even though it is cold outside. When Guha gets home after school he helps with household chores. He starts a fire, collects water, feeds the chickens and pigs, and takes care of the horse, which is his favorite job. When Guha grows up he wants to be a teacher.

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On the newsprint draw two overlapping circles. Label the circle on the left you and the circle on the right Guha. Where the circles intersect, write the word both. Ask participants to name some of the daily choices they make (for example, what they will eat for lunch, or if they will do their homework right after school or before bedtime). Write these choices inside the circle labeled you.

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ACTIVITY STEPS
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(continued)

after the fingerprints have dried, invite participants to sign their name by their fingerprints. Ask them to write one sentence or phrase about how they will make choices in the future that help others. Post in a location where others can see it. Invite the participants to gather around the banner. Conclude your time together in prayer. Pray that all children will be treated with love and dignity. Pray that all adults treat children in ways that show respect and care. Pray that the day will come when all children throughout the world have the same resources and opportunities.
(Adapted from the resource titled Would You Rather, produced by World Vision United Kingdom. Used with permission.)

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Choices Web Handout

Think about the things required to live a healthy life. Fill in the web below, and remember, there are no right or wrong answers, but there are certainly must-haves!

In order to live a healthy life, I have a right to

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