Finding Our Way Back: The Journey of Forgiveness

Title: Finding Our Way Back: The Journey of Forgiveness

### Props Needed:
1. Two toy figures (representing two friends)
2. A small cardboard bridge (to symbolize reconciliation)
3. A fluffy heart-shaped pillow (to represent love)
4. A small box or bag filled with little stones (to symbolize hurtful words or actions)
5. A large colorful cloth (to act as the “river” separating the two friends)
6. A small banner that says “Sorry” (for when forgiveness is offered)
7. A large colorful sign that says “Friendship” (to symbolize the end goal)

### Presentation Steps:

1. **Setting Up the Scene:**
– Begin by laying out the colorful cloth on the ground to create a “river” that separates the two toy figures. Place the figures on opposite sides of the cloth, signifying that they are not talking to each other because of a disagreement.

2. **Introducing Conflict:**
– Explain that the two friends used to play together happily. But one day, one friend said something hurtful to the other.
– Take out the box of stones and share that each stone represents a hurtful word or action. As you talk, place a few stones on the ground near each toy figure to symbolize the words that created distance between them.

3. **Feeling of Isolation:**
– Talk about how the friends felt sad and lonely being separated by the river—how they miss each other but don’t know how to talk again. You can act out the feelings by making the figures look sad or droopy.

4. **The Journey Begins:**
– Introduce the idea that in order to mend their friendship, they first need to forgive each other.
– Show the fluffy heart-shaped pillow and explain that love is what brings friends back together. You can say, “This pillow represents our love for each other, even when we are upset.”

5. **Taking a Step Toward Forgiveness:**
– Bring one of the toy figures close to the river and say, “I want to say I’m sorry.” Hold up the “Sorry” banner and explain that saying sorry is an important step in the journey of forgiveness.
– Depending on the age of the children, you could have a discussion about what it means to say “I’m sorry” and how it can help heal hurt feelings.

6. **Building the Bridge:**
– Next, take the cardboard bridge and place it over the “river.” Explain that this bridge represents the effort and choice to forgive and move on from the disagreement.
– Invite both figures to walk across the bridge together. As they do, you can describe how they start to feel better, share smiles, and remember their friendship.

7. **Celebrating Friendship:**
– Once both toy figures are on the same side of the river, pull out the large colorful sign that says “Friendship.”
– Explain that they are now back together and that by forgiving each other, they have shown that friendship is worth the effort it takes to mend things.
– You can conclude with a reminder that while disagreements might happen, friendship and forgiveness can always bring us back together.

8. **Closing Discussion:**
– Gather the children and ask them to share their own experiences or feelings about forgiveness. Encourage them to think about times they had to say sorry or forgive someone, reinforcing the message that it’s completely okay to make mistakes as long as we learn from them and try to make amends.

### Conclusion:
This illustration not only teaches young children about the importance of forgiveness in friendships, but it does so using interactive props and storytelling that make the concept relatable and engaging.