Sniff 5-6 Graders – Tfillah

goal- we’re going to try and get across 2 things... (1) That davening is split into shevach/bakasha/hodaya
and (2) appreciation for why we dont talk during tfilla, daven in groups etc...

materials: 3 index cards - saying shevach/praise  bakasha/request hodaya/thanks, and envelopes with a list of things that you can't do during davening ( you will need to make enough for how ever big your sniff is).

trigger game 1: version of "mother may I"  - to take steps have to (1) say something nice about that person in the middle (2) ask if you can take big steps, little, steps, giant steps..... (3) Say thank you afterwards. If you forget, then have to back.

game 2: person goes out of room. Another person is chosen and given a word. When person A comes back in person B has to make them guess the word (charades). The catch - everyone else has to distract them, make noise, etc... to make it harder.
Then we ask, ok were switching the game to make it easier - what rules would we make so its easier to concentrate, talk to other person (kids will say - no talking or something else) then play one round of that.

sicha: divide into 3 groups.
1. Will have 3 index cards - saying shevach/praise  bakasha/request hodaya/thanks, kids have to come up with example of each.
2. then get envelope with examples of halachot of davening - cant talk, should daven with a group (tzibbur), have different tunes for diferent tfilot (lecha dodi, kedusha), should daven in a shul, even when not davening shouldn't talk about regular things in shul.... and have chanichim decide why these laws are important.

Wrap up: the halachot we have in tfilla help set tone - just like in the charades game, it is easier to talk to G-d when proper atmospheres created and it is quiet. So don’t talk in tfillah!