by Sheila Kearney
The learning area needs to inspire and engage your students. Here is an idea for how to decorate and arrange your learning space and prayer table with a Baptism theme.
Your Space
Cover a portion of the bulletin board or a wall with dark blue construction paper. The area covered should be narrow and deep (perhaps a foot wide and several feet deep). Cut the shape of a large, simple pitcher out of white construction paper; be sure to include the shape of the lip on the pitcher. At the lip of the pitcher, affix strips of light blue and white crepe paper, representing streams of water flowing from the pitcher. The bottom ends of the strips of crepe paper should end about two inches above the bottom edge of the dark blue background. Affix the pitcher to the top of the background. Do not tape the strips of crepe paper to the background; they will flow with the air currents in the area. At the bottom of the covered area, write (or cut each letter out of white construction paper) Baptism: Waters of New Life. If you wish, trim the covered area with twists of crepe paper.
Your Prayer Table
Cover your prayer table with a large, plain, light blue cloth to represent the waters of Baptism. Arrange the cloth so that it drapes and “pours” down the sides of the table to a “pool” on the floor, suggesting a waterfall. You might want to place some stones on the floor around the edge of the cloth to suggest a pool. Place on your prayer table a small bowl of holy water, a crucifix, a small white cloth, and a candle. If possible, place on the table a blank baptismal certificate from your parish office or your own baptismal certificate. Form your prayer around our baptismal promises and include reference to all the symbols on the table. At the conclusion of your prayer, bless each child with the sign of the cross on his or her forehead with holy water.
Copyright 2014, Bayard, Inc. All rights reserved. This article is protected by United States copyright and other intellectual property laws and may not be reproduced, rewritten, distributed, redisseminated, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast, directly or indirectly, in any medium without the prior written permission of Bayard, Inc.
This article was written by the Catechist Staff and appeared in Catechist magazine, May 2014.
Image Credit: Shutter Stock 17453506