Things You'll Need:
- Apple
- Knife to cut the apple
- Several children - either a classroom, siblings or neighborhood kids
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Step 1
Pick out an apple that looks nice on the outside.
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Step 2
Have the children gather around and show them the apple. Point out how nice it looks.
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Step 3
Now pass the apple from kid to kid, instructing each kid to call the apple a mean name or to say something mean to the apple and then have them hit the apple on a table before passing it on.
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Step 4
After each child has called the apple a name and hit it on the table, take the apple back.
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Step 5
Explain that the apple is a lot like we are. There is a strong outer peeling that hides what might really be going on inside.
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Step 6
Show them the apple again and point out how the apple still looks like it's as good as it was when you started the lesson. Take your time on this step as you want to give the apple time to form the bruises inside.
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Step 7
Cut the apple open and show them the bruised inside of the apple. Explain to them that a lot of times when we say words that don't bruise us or hurt us on the outside, we are leaving bruises on the inside of the person just like we did to the apple. The only difference is that with a person, you don't have to hit them to leave those bruises the way that we had to hit the apple on the table...because people have feelings and when we call each other names it's just like we are banging their feelings on the table.
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Step 8
Now pass the apple around again and tell them that now we are going to say we are sorry to the apple and take back the mean things that we said.
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Step 9
Pass the largest piece of the apple around and have the kids say sorry.
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Step 10
This time when you get the apple back, point out to them that even though we apologize, once the words have been said, they are there forever, just like the bruises on an apple.
