Lashon Hara

Teach the chanichim the evils of lahson hara, the negative impact it can have on people

Lashon Hara

Topic: lashon hara

Written by: Naomi Rosenblatt

Age: Taf (1-3)

Goals: teach the chanichim the evils of lahson hara, the negative impact it can have on people

step 1: broken telephone?

First, pick 3 kids (or if you think you have time, 4) and send them out of the room.  Next,
work with the kids to create a VERY detailed story (for example: Bob the policeman went to the store on Thursday afternoon at one o'clock to buy pasteurized skim milk because he is having the police chef over for dinner that night at 7:30....) Make it nice and
long, with *lots* of details.  Repeat it once or twice for the kids so they know the story well, then bring the first kid back in.  Tell him/her the story once -- don't tell it to him/her so carefully (but make sure you have all the details right), and *do not* repeat anything for him, even though he will probably ask you to.  Once you've told him the story, bring the next kid in.  He will tell that kid the story, and if all goes well he will mess it up a little bit, and by the time we get to the last kid (who repeats the story for the whole group), it'll be really messed up.  Make sure that the other kids don't correct them.

Step 2: how does it feel? (conclusion)

Have everyone sit in a circle, and go around having the kids say something nice about everyone in the circle (example: so-and-so is always willing to help me if I have trouble on something, so-and-so is a talented artist, etc.)  Then ask them how they felt when people said nice things about them.  Explain that lashon hara has the opposite effect, and when we talk about someone, it should always be with ahavat chinam.