Soul: Gift of Cheer and Virtues

Jamilah brought gifts to her school for Ayyam-i-Ha... those gifts were:

A Radiant Smile of Joy and Cheer
A Mom to Read
A Book about Ayyam-i-Ha
Crowns and Virtues to Adorn them With
Playdough Tubs for Each Child
Description for the Parents

For Books about Ayyam-i-Ha, please visit http://www.enablemetogrow.com/2012/02/18/ayyam-i-ha-books/

We used a version of Isabella Ruiter's book and would definitely recommend it. After reading the story, we talked about how God gave us the gifts of virtues which are like jewels on the crowns of our hearts. We then  decorated crowns -- for this project, you just need the below mentioned crowns, virtues, sequins, glue sticks, plates for the sequins and virtues, and masking tape to secure the crown in the correct fitting around the child's head once they have decorated it. As we taped the crown, we read the virtues the child had selected to them. When the crowns were complete and  each child was proudly wearing their virtues, they lined up to receive gifts from Jamilah since her holiday is a gift-giving holiday. She gave each child a play-dough to take home. We then slipped the descriptions for the parents into the childrens' take-home folders -- also included below.

For the Crowns:
I took posterboard and cut 4-5" strips along the 22" side so each strip was 4-5" x 22".
I then cut the zig zags down the middle of each strip to make two crowns. Each posterboard makes 12-14 crowns depending on how tall you would like the crowns. The 22" width of posterboard is perfect length to fit toddlers and preschoolers' heads.

For the Virtues:
I printed the following onto colorful cardstock and cut out each virtue/jewel.

Description for Parents:

HAPPY AYYAM-I-HA!

Ayyam-i-Ha (Days of Joy) is a Baha’i holiday and gift-giving time that is celebrated Feb 26 - Mar 1^st. The Baha’i calendar is composed of 19 months of 19 days in each month. To align with the Gregorian calendar, there are 4-5 ‘intercalary’ days (5 if a leap year) that bring the total number of days to 365. Baha’is celebrate the holiday by providing “good cheer for themselves, their kindred and, beyond them, the poor and needy.” They also use this time to prepare for the 19-day fating period beginning Mar 2^nd. Jamilah’s family wanted to share their holiday with their friends at Sunshine Valley. We hope the kids enjoy the gifts and crowns!