1st grade Sunday school: noticing kindness (once a week)
Children point to a real kindness before they are asked to say or write thank you. This once a week plan is for 1st grade children in a Sunday school group.
about 6 and 7- 5 to 10 minutes missions
- once a week
Noticing kindness for 1st grade in a Sunday school group
Children point to a real kindness before they are asked to say or write thank you. In this Sunday school room, 1st grade children (about 6 and 7) practice with “The mitten from the lost box.” Mr. Cole, the aide, he looked through the lost box and found a mitten that matched. The once a week calendar is the one that fits: This is the once-per-week format from the second half of the manual, written for groups and clubs that do not meet daily. One meeting carries the mission. A single home task goes in the activity book. Do not try to compress five school days into one hour.
The Sunday school teacher leads. Opening and music already take time. The mission is one short block, then the note template only when the group has practiced the kindness out loud. Children answer in a short partner talk, then one child shares with the whole group. The spoken line is “Thank you for finding my mitten..” The note line is “Thank you for looking until you found my mitten..” Alison Gilham’s program supplies the manual, the activity book, and the flashcards; this page is the plan for this group and this kindness.
One once a week meeting in the Sunday school room
This is the once-per-week format from the second half of the manual, written for groups and clubs that do not meet daily. One meeting carries the mission. A single home task goes in the activity book. Do not try to compress five school days into one hour. In the Sunday school room, the Sunday school teacher has one sitting with 1st grade children, about 6 and 7. Do not replay a school week. Opening and music already take time. The mission is one short block, then the note template only when the group has practiced the kindness out loud.
Open on “The mitten from the lost box.” Tell the group that Mr. Cole, the aide, he looked through the lost box and found a mitten that matched at the lost-and-found box. Put one mitten in sight. Ask all three questions, one at a time: “What did he have to do that took time?” “Why is “thank you for looking” different from “thank you for the mitten”?” “What can you say if he found it but you still feel embarrassed?” Children answer in a short partner talk, then one child shares with the whole group. Stop answers that are only “they were nice.”
Say the spoken line together: “Thank you for finding my mitten.” Then each child says it to a partner. Show the moment first. Ask what the helper did with their hands. Accept the action before you ask for the polite words. The Sunday school teacher listens for Mr. Cole's name and for one mitten.
Who is in the Sunday school room
Sunday school time is limited. The once-per-week missions were written for groups that meet weekly, including church classes. Children can thank family, classmates, and people who serve the congregation. The series still ends with a thank-you note.
Age tips for 1st grade (about 6 and 7)
First graders are ready to connect spoken manners with a written note. They can explain, in a simple way, that thank you is for a real person who did a real thing. A first-grade teacher, Laura H, said her children used please and thank you all the time once they knew the power behind the words. For this Sunday school plan, keep the mission inside 5 to 10 minutes. a short partner talk, then one child shares with the whole group.
The note for Mr. Cole
Use the How To Write A Thank You Note template in the activity book. First graders fill the greeting, one sentence about the kindness, and a closing. The adult helps with names and leaves the kindness sentence to the child. For this kindness the sentence is “Thank you for looking until you found my mitten.” It has to mention the lost-and-found box or one mitten, not a general compliment to the aide.
Words to say about Mr. Cole
This is a script the Sunday school teacher can say with 1st grade children during noticing kindness. It uses “The mitten from the lost box,” a practice situation for this plan. It is not a list of the 30 printed flashcards. Those cards stay in the set and match the activity book. Use this script when you need the words in the room.
Copy-ready lines for “The mitten from the lost box”
Spoken line to practice: “Thank you for finding my mitten.” Reply children may hear: “It was at the bottom. Check the name next time.” Note line to write: “Thank you for looking until you found my mitten.” Spanish line for the same kindness: “Gracias por encontrar mi guante.”
Spanish materials in this group
If any child in the Sunday school room speaks Spanish at home, order the Spanish activity book for that child and keep the same situation. The Spanish line for this plan is “Gracias por encontrar mi guante.” The English line remains “Thank you for finding my mitten.”
Classroom and group notes for the Sunday school room
Sunday school time is limited. The once-per-week missions were written for groups that meet weekly, including church classes. Children can thank family, classmates, and people who serve the congregation. The series still ends with a thank-you note. Opening and music already take time. The mission is one short block, then the note template only when the group has practiced the kindness out loud.
If 1st grade children stall on Mr. Cole
Hide a mitten in a box of paper. Time the search. The thanks has to mention the looking. A child who keeps thanking the Sunday school teacher is avoiding Mr. Cole. Send them back to the aide and the moment at the lost-and-found box. Whispering “Thank you for finding my mitten.” counts.
Books for this Sunday school 1st grade group
Spoken practice about Mr. Cole can start in the Sunday school room today. The activity-book template matters when 1st grade children are ready to write “Thank you for looking until you found my mitten..” If a sponsor is funding this Sunday school group, parents get a sample letter, and shipping is included on full and partial packages. The leader can ask at no cost.
What Mr. Cole's lesson needs
The Operation Thank You Manual is 98 pages. The first half is the Monday–Friday classroom sequence. The second half is the once-per-week sequence for clubs. Each child needs Why and How To Say “Thank You,” the classroom edition: a saddle-stitched activity book with situations for saying thank you, the How To Write A Thank You Note template, and extra pages to practice. The flashcard set has 30 cards, 8.5 by 11 inches, colorful, with rounded corners. The cards mirror the activity book so the group can look at one situation before writing. The manual, the activity book, and the flashcards are available in Spanish. The MISSION Reminders Supplement can be added when some children speak Spanish. Extra activity books are sold in packs of 10. For “The mitten from the lost box,” also set out one mitten. Show the moment first. Ask what the helper did with their hands. Accept the action before you ask for the polite words.
Home work after The mitten from the lost box
Thank a family member who searches for a lost shoe, hat, or paper, and name the item. Write that in the activity book so the family sees Mr. Cole's kindness, not a blank “say thank you.” Use the How To Write A Thank You Note template in the activity book. First graders fill the greeting, one sentence about the kindness, and a closing. The adult helps with names and leaves the kindness sentence to the child.
Questions leaders ask
Let's Grow a Culture of Thank You.
Whether you're a parent, teacher, organization, business, or individual looking to make a difference, there's a place for you in the Culture of Thank You.
Let's help the next generation learn to recognize kindness, appreciate others,
and say “Thank You” with meaning.