Celebrations: Vesak

Celebrations: Vesak

Vesak is a day when Buddhists around the world commemorate the birth, enlightenment and death (parinirvana) of the Buddha. We think it’s a great day to encourage children to make simple offerings— flowers, incense, and candles—and to abstain from eating meat for the day or do life-release. Maybe host a birthday celebration for the Buddha!

Mala Bag Sewing Project

Students sew drawstring bags using a simple backstitch in preparation for the mala they will string in a future class. This lesson was created by Noa Jones at the Middle Way School for third grade students preparing for Rites of Passage. 

The Four Types of Harmonious Speech

Students are introduced to the concept of harmonious speech from the Buddhist tradition and explore how it arises in their own lives. The lesson includes group work, pair sharing, charting, and discussion.

Magha Pujwronga | Sangha Day

A short outline of Sangha day, or Magha Puja, which is an important day for the Theravada especially in countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Sri Lanka. How do you observe this day? Send ideas to [email protected]

Reflections on running a Parallel Camp

A discussion of important ideas and considerations when setting up and running a parallel camp, based on an interview with Deer Park camp organizer, Mr. Budhi Singh (Trilok).

Dharma Heroes: A Weekly Program for Introducing Dharma to Children

This document helps parents and educators introduce children to a selection of Dharma Heroes—people who followed in the footsteps of the Buddha—though a series of assemblies or weekly gatherings. Through oral storytelling and inquiry, children explore what is meaningful and relevant about these life stories. Each assembly follows an easily modified pattern with several other elements, including songs, tea, mudras, mindfulness, and more.

Buddhist Ebooks for Children on Buddhanet

Buddhanet is a website dedicated to making the Buddha's teachings freely available to all. This is a valuable collection of freely downloadable children's ebooks in pdf format.
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