Love Lanterns Facilitator Guide Love Lanterns Facilitator Guide
Session 1: Keeping Memories Bright
30 Minutes
Objective
To help children understand that memories are a way to keep someone close in their hearts, even when they aren't physically here.
Materials
Love Lantern Template
Safety scissors & Glue
Crayons or Markers
Battery-operated tealight
Session Timeline
5
The Garden Welcome
"Welcome to our Heart Garden. This is a safe place where all feelings are okay. Today we are talking about memories—the special pictures we keep in our minds."
Introduce the concept of a memory. Use the "Memory Seed" metaphor: love starts as a seed and grows into a beautiful garden in our hearts.
10
Storytelling & Sharing
Prompt: "Think of a time your person made you smile. What were you doing?"
Go around the circle. Allow children to share one small memory. If a child is quiet, say: "It's okay to just listen today, too."
12
Craft: The Love Lantern
Distribute the lantern templates. Have children draw their favorite memory inside the center heart. They can decorate the edges with colors that make them feel warm.
Assembly Tip: Assist with the folding and gluing of the lantern edges. Once dry, place the battery tealight inside to show how their memory "glows."
3
Closing Circle
"Even when things feel dark or sad, our love for [Person's Name] is like this lantern. It stays bright in our Heart Garden."
Support Notes for Kindergarten
Literal Thinking: K-students may think their person is literally in their heart. Gently clarify that "in our heart" means we are thinking about them with love.
Big Emotions: If a child cries, validate it: "Your eyes are leaking because your heart is full of love today. That's okay."
Short Attention: Keep stories brief. Use a "talking piece" (like a soft toy) to help them focus on the speaker.
Love Lantern Template My Love Lantern
Draw a special memory inside the heart. Decorate the edges with colors that make you feel happy.
Fold Here
Draw your memory here
Glue Here
My Name:
My Person:
Feeling Clouds Facilitator Guide Feeling Clouds Facilitator Guide
Session 2: The Weather of My Heart
30 Minutes
Objective
To help children normalize big feelings (the 'weather' of grief) and provide a tactile comfort tool for when feelings feel heavy.
Materials
Comfort Cloud Template
Cotton balls (lots of them!)
Glue / Glue sticks
Colorful ribbons or yarn
Markers
Session Timeline
5
Heart Weather Check-in
"Sometimes our hearts feel sunny and bright. Sometimes they feel like a rainy storm. All weather is okay in our garden."
Ask: "What is the weather like in your heart today?" (Sun = Happy, Rain = Sad, Thunder = Angry, Cloud = Confused/Quiet).
7
Moving Clouds
"Feelings are like clouds. They drift in, they stay for a while, and then they drift away to make room for new ones."
Help kids understand that sadness isn't "forever"—it's a cloud that passes. Use your hands to mimic clouds drifting across the sky.
15
Craft: Comfort Clouds
Children glue cotton balls onto the "Comfort Cloud" template to make it fluffy and soft. They can attach ribbon "raindrops" representing different feelings.
Sensory Focus: Encourage the children to squeeze the cotton. "This cloud is soft and safe. When your feelings feel 'bumpy' or 'sharp,' you can touch your soft cloud."
3
Breathe with the Cloud
"Hold your cloud. Take a deep breath in like a big white puffy cloud... and blow the breath out like a gentle wind."
Understanding Grief Weather
Kindergarteners often experience "Puddle Jumping" grief. They might be deeply sad one moment (jumping into the puddle) and then laughing and playing the next (jumping out).
"It is healthy and normal for them to switch gears quickly. It doesn't mean they aren't grieving; it's how their brains process big things in small doses."
Comfort Cloud Template My Comfort Cloud
Glue soft cotton balls onto your cloud. When you feel a "big feeling," you can squeeze its softness.
Softest Space
Happy
Sad
Mad
Miss You
Name:
Date:
Story Stones Facilitator Guide Story Stones Facilitator Guide
Session 3: Stories That Stay
30 Minutes
Objective
To celebrate the life of the person who is gone through legacy-building and to provide a physical "weight" to carry their stories forward.
Materials
Smooth river stones (1-2 per child)
Acrylic paint pens (best for K)
Memory Stone Journal Sheet
Mod Podge (optional for sealing)
Session Timeline
5
The Strength of Stones
"Stones are strong and stay for a long, long time—just like the love we have for our people. Today we are making stones to hold our favorite stories."
Pass around a heavy stone. Let children feel the weight. Explain that even when we are sad, the "weight" of our love is something we can carry with us.
10
Legacy Storytelling
Prompt: "If your person was here today, what would they want you to know? What was their favorite thing to do?"
Encourage sharing "legacy" traits. "My grandpa was funny," or "My mom loved flowers." These traits become the symbols for their stones.
12
Craft: Story Stones
Children use paint pens to draw one symbol or color on their stone that represents their person. For example, a yellow sun for someone who was "sunny" or a blue wave for someone who loved the beach.
Facilitator Note: Some children may just want to paint the whole stone one color. That is perfect—it represents the "feeling" of their person.
3
The Garden Blessing
"Your Heart Garden is now full. You have your Memory Lantern, your Comfort Cloud, and your Story Stone. You can visit this garden in your mind whenever you miss them."
Goodbye Rituals
Physical Connection: Have children hold their stones and say one word about how they feel (Happy, Sad, Loved).
Certificate: Consider giving a small "Heart Gardener" sticker or certificate to mark the end of the 3 sessions.
Taking it Home: Encourage them to find a special "spot" at home for their Heart Garden items.
Memory Stone Garden Template My Story Stones
Draw the symbols you painted on your stones. These stones carry your person's story with you.
Stone 1
One thing I remember:
Stone 2
One thing I love:
I Am a Heart Gardener
My love for [Person's Name] grows every day.
Gardener Name:
My Heart Garden