Laughter on the Labyrinth

Last Tuesday in our afternoon group of kindergarten and pre-kindergarten students- I shared the labyrinth. It was a hoot!

At first the kids all told me that the large canvas spread on the fellowship hall floor was a maze. Not so, I told them. Mazes want you to get lost. They are a game to play. Labyrinths are not a game. They are a tool for prayer. A labyrinth will never ever get you lost because there is only one path into the center and the same path back out. Ah- these kids were now intrigued.

I told them to help me find the 'cross' in the labyrinth and we did. Then we found the rose in the center and the lunations around the edges.

Finally it was time to 'let them loose' on the path. And we did- they laughed and giggled the whole way! Some decided it was time to pretend to be a car and they 'drove around'. Others hopped, skipped and jumped through the twists and turns.

When they were all done walking in and back out again (after awhile it was hard to tell what they were doing), I had the students sit on their favorite spot on the labyrinth.

I asked them what they liked most about the labyrinth (because it was obvious that these 5 and 6 year olds were having fun!). Their most common answer is the complete opposite of what most adults tell me. They liked the turns and twists. Most adults get frustrated with the turns and twists and like the longer straighter paths. Hmm... what does that say about where we've been in life and where we're going?!?!

Have you laughed on a labyrinth this week? If not, come visit and we'll take off our shoes for a 'drive.'