Ways to use Spiritual Labyrinths with Children
“Be Still and Know I am Your God” Ps 46:10
“Put one foot in front of the other, and let God take care of the curves and bends,”
“Help me to pause at each turn of the day and learn to trust,”
Children’s entries in a labyrinth journal
The labyrinth walk can be viewed in a few stages: The labyrinth walk can help you SEE things differently;
S (Stopand Reflect) E (Experience) E (Exit)
1. Stop and be Still: The entrance can be a place to stop, reflect, make prayer or intention for the spiritual walk you are about to take.
2. Experience:
Ø The walk around the design to the centre can be a "letting go" - a quieting of the thoughts, worries, lists of tasks to do, a letting go. Experience being present in the body here and now!
Ø Arrival at the centre rosette - a place of prayer/meditation - "letting in" Gods guidance, the divine into our lives.
Ø Walk out when ready, back into our lives, empowered by spirit to transform our lives and actions.
3. Exit: Turn and face the entrance. Give an acknowledgement of ending, such as "Amen." After walking the labyrinth, reflect back on your experience. Use journaling or drawing to capture your experience.
With a large group, it is necessary to allow time (and space) between each person so that they do not bunch up on the path. One suggestion is for the children to count slowly to 20 before entering the labyrinth. It helps to have someone at the entrance letting the children know when they should begin the walk. Standing a few moments on the “Pausing Stone” is a good way to prepare for the walk.
Other suggestions include; placing a candle or another symbol at a point in the labyrinth when a walker passes the symbol the next walker enters the labyrinth. A child or teacher could give a verbal cue/ blessing to indicate that it is time to enter, eg; “Peace”, “May God be with you as you walk”, “Walk with the Spirit”, “Forgive” etc
Choose a thought or word to paint on a rock. This will be your focus as you walk the Labyrinth. When you get to the centre place your rock in the centre and view /reflect upon the other words in the labyrinth. Choose one to reflect on as you exit the labyrinth. When you return to class draw your rocks and surround them with thoughts/images/prayers/resolutions/actions etc.
Encourage children and their families to paint stones to put in the labyrinth. Children bring stones representing family members and ideas - such as “Peace”, “Respect”, “Have pride”, “Be happy”, etc. Large stones can placed around the outside of the labyrinth. Be sure to research the best kind of paint for lasting outdoors.
Start a “Labyrinth Book” for the classroom. Children can record images, prayers thoughts in the book to share. Keep in Classroom sacred space. Use for prayer.
Use the labyrinths to welcome/farewell class members. Place them in the middle. Welcome/farewell member at centre. Thank God for this person on entering and pray for their future on departing the Labyrinth.
Honour someone’s birthday. Place them in the middle and as each child reaches the birthday person they wish them well/offer a prayer/ blessing (need to discuss possibilities prior)/give them an affirmation message on card etc. Alternatively/in addition to, place a box in the middle for messages to be put in for the person to read later.
Complete “Blessings” walks. Place the photos of children in the class in a box. Each week select 5 to place at different stages of the labyrinth. Students pray/ thank God for the gift of this person when they reach their image. The centre of the labyrinth could have a collective class photo with appropriate words eg; “Every person is a gift to our class”. Students pause for a moment before exiting the labyrinth. Alternatively a class affirmation message could be left in the centre to be displayed around the images of the children in the classroom later.
Use the labyrinth to help children reflect on ways to contribute to class harmony. This could be used at the beginning of the school year or each term to focus on those things that help the classroom to be a welcoming inclusive place. It could be revisited at times when harmony in the classroom is being tested eg, rules are being forgotten, someone is being teased etc.
Children are given time to write and reflect on an important aspect to classroom harmony. These could be words or phrases such as, “Do unto others…”, “Show respect”, “listen to others”, “Be kind”. Alternatively give an opener, eg; “We show love for others by…..”, “We show concern for other’s feelings when we…”
Children write or illustrate these onto cards.
Walk the labyrinth with your card and place in the middle. A piece of cardboard could be used in the middle to paste words and thoughts onto. This could be displayed and discussed later.
Write the name or have photo of someone you would like to especially remember during your labyrinth walk. Maybe they are sad, have a special occasion, need to forgive, want to pray for, are thankful for etc. Place image or name in box, on a board, cardboard, heart shaped container etc. Leave name as offer a prayer on reaching the centre. Names can later be placed on sacred table
Pray for those who have died using above process
Make bookmarks celebrating the labyrinth. Use a poem/prayer you wrote or a thought that is meaningful to you. Decorate it and give it to a friend or loved one
Teachers use with classes at times of difficulty or conflict.
Counsellors can use the labyrinth for conflict resolution - walking with the children and then discussing the problem with them.
Extend an invitation to students who are troubled or angry to walk with someone they trust.
Staff can walk together –
to enjoy being quietly together or when there is difficulty.
Place a cactus in the middle to represent prickly problems!
Walk the labyrinth for anger, calming or when sad
Create Stations on the Labyrinth
The visual impact of the labyrinth can be enhanced by the different stations that are placed around it. The stations direct participants’ reflection and may require symbolic action. These actions included
Ø dropping a stone into water,
Ø drawing a symbol,
Ø placing rose petals into a bowl,
Ø planting a seed and
Ø leaving behind a thumbprint.
Ø Holding a word written on a stone
Ø Stand in sand box and leave footprint
The following reflections indicate the value of inserting such stations into the journey of the labyrinth:
• “The stations made me think about the past, present, future and other people in more detail than I have thought of before…”
• “Throwing the rose petals in the bowl was a very spiritual experience for me, it was a chance where I could sit and think and hope.”
• “A valuable pathway of meditation and reflection.
Make cards using labyrinth patterns. Write a poem, message, prayer or greeting on the cards. Do the writing as a group, as small groups, as individuals.
Cards could have a scripture passage or message “Do good to those who hurt you”, “Forgive 77 times”, “Care for the poor” children select a card to be the focus of the walk.
There could be a card for each child in the class. Children could create their own card. Randomly choose a card. Walk the Labyrinth asking God to bless this person. Pray for this person…think nice thoughts…do something kind for this person without them realising you have their name.
Scripture Walk: Take a scripture passage that you are using in class and create a labyrinth walk for it. Place important phrases from the story in sequence on the path. Children stop and reflect on this part of the story. Rina Wintour Freeze frame books may offer inspiration. Keep it simple! Eg;
Feeding of the 5000
Card 1. Jesus was tired from preaching all day
Card 2. Jesus saw the crowd was hungry
Card 3. Jesus asked the apostles to feed the crowds
Card 4. From 5 loaves and fishes all had plenty to eat
Centre: In the centre place a symbol of this story (fish, basket, loaf etc) and/or a focus question to consider on the way out of the labyrinth
eg; “How can I share my gifts with others?”
“Do I care for others even when I am tired?”
“Trust in God”
“Think of one act of kindness you can do today”
“How can I show care for those who have nothing?” etc
Alternatively questions could also be included on the cards
Card 1.Jesus was tired from preaching all day
(How do I spread God’s message to others?
Card 2. Jesus saw the crowd was hungry
(Who are the needy in my school?)
Card 3. Jesus asked the apostles to feed the crowds
(How do I help those in need?)
Card 4. From 5 loaves and fishes all had plenty to eat
(What gifts from God have I to be grateful for?)
This walk could be followed by:
Ø Prayerfully reading the passage again and class sharing of thoughts and insights
Ø Creating class display of insights gained from the passage
Ø Suitable song
Ø Place thoughts on paper and put in prayer bowl
Use music.
Ø Move to the music…. Use it to quieten the soul…. Choose a song with reflective words …. etc
Ø Dance through the labyrinth. There is is a tradition of dancing through the labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral. Use music with a walk.
Ø Reflect on God’s creation.. be “animals” Call out animals: tiger, giraffe, butterfly, octopus, fish. Move like the ocean on a windy day, move like the gentle breeze etc
Ø Play a song the children like and are familiar with. Let them sing the song as they walk or dance the labyrinth.(This little Light of mine…have a candle in the middle)
Use different movements in the pattern: walking, hopping, skipping, linking hands. Give children a scarf, material to wave.
Place children on coloured card stations in the labyrinth (small group to whole class depending on size, numbers and children involved). Call out a thought or action . As children move to the next station they focus on this action/ thought. Some children will exit the labyrinth almost immediately. They might like to help with then directions or reflect from the outside of the labyrinth.
“Think of someone you love”
“Think of someone you need to forgive”
“Say a prayer for the sick”
“Remember the poor”
“Choose a friend to pray for”
“Say a prayer for your teacher”
“Decide on a kind act you can do today”
“Show care for someone today” etc. These can be repeated
Alphabet Walk
Place letters of the alphabet around the labyrinth. Children stop to think of something to be grateful for each letter. Children may have decorated a class set of letters before the walk
Acrostic Walk
Choose a word eg; Jesus, Moses, Love, Forgive, Joy, a child’s name in the class etc. Place letters on large card. Put crayons or textas near each letter. Children stop at each station and write something about the person or thought that begins with that letter. In the middle have the full word, or an image (Jesus-face of Jesus, Moses- 10 Commandments, Love- heart with, “love one another” written on it, Forgive- hands joined symbol or water and pebbles (place a pebble in the water to symbolise willingness to forgive), Joy- balloons (maybe a few inflated and one for each child to take to blow up later) maybe an “I’m a Joy Germ” card, Picture of the child- with message “Thankyou for the gift of Tom”
Discuss the centre of the labyrinth as representing a focus goal or dream. Discuss types of goals; helping a friend, making a team, doing a test, entering a new grade or school, forgiving a friend, Walk with a purpose as you make your way to the centre. Walk as a group with a group purpose, eg; “Today we walk and ask God’s blessing on the hungry of our world. We ask for generosity in helping them.” Place your goals and dreams before God.
Write a prayer, note, letter and carry it to the centre of the labyrinth where it is placed in a prayer box. A candle could be lit or a symbol that is significant to a given theme or focus eg; circle of friends (friendship), heart (forgiveness), word joy (thankfulness), slouch hat (ANZAC), Cross (Lent, Easter), Aboriginal Art Image (NAIDOC, Sorry Day), Globe (poverty, environment based prayer), Child leaving/arriving stands in centre, Mary Image/ Rosary Beads (Mary feast day, Rosary focus)…the list could be endless…. .
Use Prayer Frames (photo frames) to place thoughts, scripture quotes, images in, such as,
Ø photographs of children in the class,
Ø Scripture quotes; “Blessed are the peacemakers”,
Ø images of things to be grateful for (ocean, beach, trees, animals, those who love us, freedom, peace)
Ø Choose a mystery of the Rosary eg; Joyful Mysteries and have one frame for each decade eg: Annunciation, Visitation, Birth of Jesus, The Preentation, Finding of Jesus in the Temple
Ø Children create their own ideas for the focus of the frames. In groups children choose a thought, prayer etc and decorate to place in the frame.