Kindergarten Sunday school: running the missions (Monday–Friday)
The adult leads a predictable Operation Thank You mission that children can recognize from one meeting to the next. This Monday–Friday plan is for kindergarten children in a Sunday school group.
about 5 and 6- 5 to 10 minutes missions
- Monday–Friday
Running the missions for kindergarten in a Sunday school group
The adult leads a predictable Operation Thank You mission that children can recognize from one meeting to the next. In this Sunday school room, kindergarten children (about 5 and 6) practice with “The sleeve turned right-side out.” Jordan, the classmate, Jordan turned a sleeve right-side out and held the coat open. The Monday–Friday calendar is the one that fits: This is the Monday–Friday format from the first half of the Operation Thank You Manual. You see the same children on five school days. Each day is one mission of 5 to 10 minutes. The note is the work of the later days, not of Monday.
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 morning-meeting turn, with children repeating one line together before anyone writes. The spoken line is “Thank you for helping me with my coat..” The note line is “Thank you for fixing my sleeve..” Alison Gilham’s program supplies the manual, the activity book, and the flashcards; this page is the plan for this group and this kindness.
Words to say about Jordan
This is a script the Sunday school teacher can say with kindergarten children during running the missions. It uses “The sleeve turned right-side out,” 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.
Sunday school teacher: “We are going to thank Jordan. Jordan is the classmate. Here is the kindness: Jordan turned a sleeve right-side out and held the coat open. It happened at the coat hooks. Look at a coat with one sleeve inside out.”
Sunday school teacher: “A thank-you that fits is ‘Thank you for helping me with my coat.’ Say it with me.” The group repeats it. Then one child says it alone. If they drop the kindness and only say “thank you,” ask what Jordan did, and have them put that piece back in the sentence.
Sunday school teacher: “Someone might answer, ‘It was twisted. Now it is ready.’ We do not mock that voice. We say it so children hear that thank you lands on a person.” Ask kindergarten children, who are about 5 and 6, to try the line looking at a partner. a morning-meeting turn, with children repeating one line together before anyone writes.
The note for Jordan
The adult writes the helper’s name if needed. The child copies “Thank you for” and then adds a few of their own words or a drawing of the kindness. For this kindness the sentence is “Thank you for fixing my sleeve.” It has to mention the coat hooks or a coat with one sleeve inside out, not a general compliment to the classmate.
Age tips for kindergarten (about 5 and 6)
Kindergarten is the right moment to make thank you a habit, because morning meeting already asks children to look at one another. The language stays simple enough for early readers. Missions stay short so they fit circle time without replacing the rest of the day. For this Sunday school plan, keep the mission inside 5 to 10 minutes. a morning-meeting turn, with children repeating one line together before anyone writes.
Five kindergarten missions in the Sunday school room
Keep Monday inside 5 to 10 minutes in this Sunday school group. Look only. Put a coat with one sleeve inside out where kindergarten children can see it. Name Jordan, the classmate, and say the kindness: Jordan turned a sleeve right-side out and held the coat open. It happened at the coat hooks. Ask “What was wrong with the coat?” Stop at 5 to 10 minutes. No note yet. 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 they freeze, Turn one sleeve inside out and let a child fix it, then require the thanks before the coat goes on the hook.
Copy-ready lines for “The sleeve turned right-side out”
Spoken line to practice: “Thank you for helping me with my coat.” Reply children may hear: “It was twisted. Now it is ready.” Note line to write: “Thank you for fixing my sleeve.” Spanish line for the same kindness: “Gracias por ayudarme con el abrigo.”
If kindergarten children stall on Jordan
Turn one sleeve inside out and let a child fix it, then require the thanks before the coat goes on the hook. A child who keeps thanking the Sunday school teacher is avoiding Jordan. Send them back to the classmate and the moment at the coat hooks. Whispering “Thank you for helping me with my coat.” counts.
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.
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.
Home work after The sleeve turned right-side out
Thank the person at home who helps arms into sleeves on a rushed morning. Write that in the activity book so the family sees Jordan's kindness, not a blank “say thank you.” The adult writes the helper’s name if needed. The child copies “Thank you for” and then adds a few of their own words or a drawing of the kindness.
What Jordan'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 sleeve turned right-side out,” also set out a coat with one sleeve inside out. Follow the manual’s order. Do not invent a new craft. The child’s work is the mission and, at the end of the series, the note.
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 ayudarme con el abrigo.” The English line remains “Thank you for helping me with my coat.”
Books for this Sunday school kindergarten group
Spoken practice about Jordan can start in the Sunday school room today. The activity-book template matters when kindergarten children are ready to write “Thank you for fixing my sleeve..” 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.
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.