Introduction for Grown-Ups: This guide prepared by TWTW based on the above video is designed to help a parent, teacher, or group leader to help kids talk about the big ideas from the video and quiz. The goal is to go beyond the right answers and talk about what these things mean in our everyday lives.

Objective: To help children understand that small, simple acts of kindness are important and that everyone has a part to play in making the world a better place.

Target Audience: Pre-K through Elementary School (Ages 4-8)

Materials Needed:

• A recording or transcript of the conversation.
• (Optional) A toy xylophone or keyboard.
• (Optional) Paper, crayons, or markers for the activity.

1. Introduction: Let's Make Some Noise! (2-3 minutes)

Goal: To get the children engaged and thinking about simple sounds.

• If you have a xylophone: Tap a few simple notes. Ask the children, "What does this sound like? Is it a big, complicated sound or a small, simple one?" Let a few children try tapping a single key.
• If you don't have a xylophone: Ask the children, "What are some simple sounds you can make? Can you clap one time? Can you snap your fingers? Can you tap your pencil?"

Say: "Today, we're going to listen to a story about a simple sound and how it's like a secret superpower that every single one of us has."

2. Listen to the Conversation (2 minutes)

Goal: To familiarize the children with the story and its main ideas.

• Read the transcript aloud or play the recording of the conversation between Fr. Joe and Big Al. Use different voices for each character to make it more engaging.

3. Let's Talk About It! (5-7 minutes)

Goal: To break down the metaphor and connect it to the children's own lives. Ask these questions, allowing time for different children to answer.

1. What did Fr. Joe show Big Al?
   • Answer: A tiny xylophone.
   • Follow-up: "Fr. Joe said the xylophone is like you and me. Why do you think he said that?"
2. Fr. Joe says the sound is simple. What are the simple, good things he says we can do for people who are sad or hurting?
   • Answer: Being kind and listening.
   • Follow-up: "Can you think of another simple act of kindness? What does it look like to be a good listener?"
3. Fr. Joe and Big Al both wish they could fix everything. Have you ever felt sad because you couldn't fix a big problem for someone?
   • Goal: Validate their feelings and show that even adults feel this way.
   • Follow-up: "Fr. Joe says we can't fix everything, but what can we do?" (Lead them to the idea of "playing our part.")
4. What do you think it means to "play your part"?
   • Explain: "It’s like being in a band. One person plays the drum, another person plays the guitar. They can't all play the same thing! Everyone has their own special, simple note to play. Your part is doing the small, good thing that you can do."

4. Activity: Our Kindness Orchestra (5 minutes)

Goal: To help children identify concrete acts of kindness they can perform.

Instructions:

1. Give each child a piece of paper and crayons.
2. Ask them to draw a big musical note.
3. Inside the musical note, ask them to draw or write one simple act of kindness they can do this week. (e.g., sharing a toy, giving a hug, saying "thank you," helping clean up, asking someone who is alone to play).
4. Have each child share the "kindness note" they are going to play this week. You can hang these up together to create a "Kindness Song" or "Kindness Orchestra" display.

5. Wrap-Up: Let God Do the Rest (1-2 minutes)

Goal: To reinforce the final message of trust and collective good.

Say: "Fr. Joe reminds us that when we all play our simple, kind notes, we don't have to worry about the whole song. We just do our small part, and we trust that God will take all of our beautiful, simple notes and mix them together to make the most wonderful music for the world. Let’s all go out and be music-makers this week!"