Foursquare Curriculum 2023-2024: Better Together

TOGETHER BETTER

CURRICULUM 2023-2024

ARE BETTER

ecclesiasties 4:9

two people than one. they can help each other in everything they do.

a note from

Four Square Coordinators,

Our theme for rEcess and Four Square is Better Together! Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, “two people are better than one. They can help each other in everything they do.” Life is better together for so many reasons as we face the good and the hard in our everyday life. We all know it to be true that it makes a world of difference doing life with a friend by our side We know that all people were created with an innate desire and need for real community This is true of the whole family we support through rEcess - the parents, the child with disability, and their siblings We want these siblings to feel seen and valued in these gatherings & we know that is not something they may naturally ask for from us. But, gosh how sweet it is to be proactive in bringing them together over a shared experience and hearing their stories. We want to bring them from a feeling of being overlooked, forgotten, and unseen to intentional care towards them, remembering what is happening in their lives, and making them feel valuable in this time with Four Square

We pray over each of you and your sites that this space designed just for siblings would be one they look forward to every month. These siblings advocate a lot on behalf of their sibling with disability, they root for them & are doing incredible things already and we are excited to see how God continues to shape each of them

Sarah Coffey Programs Director, 99 Balloons

BESTPRACTICE TIPS &

Four Square is a designated time for siblings to gather together to have fun, connect, and encourage one another. We have designed Four Square to be a small part of rEcess while still allowing sibs to participate in all that the night has to offer. As you consider implementing Four Square, there are several things we have learned over the years that we would love to share with you!

In order to serve siblings well, please use this curriculum as a guide There is complete freedom with this program, but we have done our best to provide ideas and games for you as a starting point for Four Square Each of the activities provided is purposeful and designed for siblings

4 Square Leaders

We recommend having someone from your leadership team and/ or a faithful volunteer commit to leading Four Square

We suggest having a consistent group of Four Square volunteers to help execute the activities. If possible, we think it is ideal to have a volunteer who is a sibling on your leadership team. If not, find a volunteer who excels at engaging with children in conversations and facilitating fun!

Pows + Wows

We recommend starting your time together with Pows and Wows. It is a great way to have siblings share their favorite and least favorite thing about their week

Group Game Time

We suggest pulling your older siblings for 45-60 minutes during rEcess We think a great time to do this is during the first hour of rEcess or during large group time

Age

We recommend that Four Square include siblings above the age of eight We have experienced the most success with older siblings because of their maturity and ability to participate in the planned activities. However, this age limit is flexible and can be determined by the leadership team

We think games bring laughter, connection, and provide memories for our siblings This is a specific time where they can let loose and enjoy being a kid!

Sibs Chat

This is a specific and intentional time for sibs to chat about what it is like being a sibling to their brother or sister experiencing disability We have provided two questions for you to ask each sibling in order to start the conversation. As always, be flexible and allow for encouraging and organic conversations!

Intentional Activity

We have suggested an intentional activity that will facilitate conversations and provide another outlet for siblings to express the highs and lows of being a sib.

Take Away + Scripture

Please close your time together in prayer, meditating on Scripture, and offering to pray for one another You can pray as a group, you can share requests, or you can take private prayer requests where siblings write them down and leave them with you.

SEPTEMBER 2023

“My favorite thing about Henry is that he sees the good in people. Everyone is his friend."

-WILSON

Pows & Wows

Have the siblings sit in a circle. Go around the circle and have each person share their favorite and least favorite thing about their week

Group Game: Human Knot

Gather the siblings into a circle Once in a circle have them hold hands with two different people that are also not right next to them. (For example: the person diagonal to them and right across from them). Once they are all “tangled up” encourage them to get back into a circle without letting go of each other’s hands.

Sibs Chat

What is your favorite thing to do with your sibling?

Is it ever hard to communicate with your sibling? How do you find a solution when it is?

Intentional Activity: Emotion Wheel

Materials: Poster board, markers, board game spinner, or a paperclip and pen/pencil

Instructions:

Draw a large circle on the poster board and divide it into eighths Label each section with a different emotion/feeling Options: Joy, Embarrassed, Anxious, Angry, Loved, Jealous, Ignored, Misunderstood, Surprised Lay down a board game spinner on the circle or create your own spinner with a pen and paperclip. Each sibling will spin and tell a story about when they have felt that emotion. It can relate to having a sibling or it can just be about them. Continue to take turns playing until time is up! Remind siblings that feelings are always real, and everyone experiences all feelings They change all the time, and it is always good to talk about your feelings with someone you trust

Take Away + Scripture

1 Thessalonians 5:16 says, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus "

Rejoice, Pray, and give thanks. This is what God desires for each of us to do each and every day! It is okay if it is hard sometimes; but one of the best times to find the things we are thankful for is in the hard times

OCTOBER 2023

“Arcis loves to line up cars and she loves people. I love when we have dance parties as a family and all dance together to funny music.”

-IAN

“Arcis has a lot of joy. I like how she talks to her hands like they are her friends or she will use them to pretend to call mom and dad. I like when we play games and cards together as a family.”

-SAMUEL

Pows & Wows

Have the siblings sit in a circle Go around the circle and have each person share their favorite and least favorite thing about their week.

Group Game: Kemps

Materials:

Deck of Playing Cards

Instructions:

Have kids pair up and give four cards to each player. Deal four cards to the middle of the table, face up. Have each pair determine a secret, subtle signal such as touching their nose. Have everyone sit in a circle Partners should be seated across each other

Begin the round Each player can discard a card from their hand and then grab any card from the center of the table, never having more than four cards in their hand at once There are no turns

The goal is for you (or your partner) to get four of the same rank (e.g., four 8’s, or four Queens, etc.). If no players want any of the four cards that are in the center, the dealer can remove the four cards and deal out four new cards. If you have four-of-a-kind, use your secret signal to try to get your teammate to yell “Kemps!” If “Kemps!” is called on a person, that person must reveal their hand

Points:

“Kemps!” called correctly: +1

“Kemps!” called incorrectly: -1

You can also call Kemps on another pair and gain or lose points that way.

Sibs Chat

What is something you wonder about your sibling?

What is the best thing about having a sibling with a disability?

Intentional Activity: Worry Wall

Materials: Post-it notes, pens, paper

Instructions: Write “worry wall” on a piece of paper and hang it on the wall. Pass out post-it notes and a pen to each sibling. Have them write down anything that worries them about their sibling, family, or life. Once everyone has put their worries on the wall, you can spend time sharing their answers or simply just praying for them!

Take Away + Scripture

Psalm 121:1-4 says, "I lift up my eyes to the mountains where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep "

Lift your eyes to God when you are in need of help. He is always with you, even when you feel like he isn’t

NOVEMBER 2023

“My favorite thing about Jocelyn is that she is such a positive person.”

-CAMI

Pows & Wows

Have the siblings sit in a circle. Go around the circle and have each person share their favorite and least favorite thing about their week.

Group Game: Spoons

Materials: Deck of Playing Cards, Spoons

Instructions:

Take a deck of cards and pass out 4 cards to each sibling as they sit in a circle Spread out one less spoon than the number of sibs in the middle of the circle

To start the game, the sibling sitting closest to the deck will begin to take the card from the top of the deck, see if they need it to make four of a kind in their hand and then pass a card they do not need to the person on their left, who will do the same. When one of the siblings gets four of a kind, they will grab a spoon. This tells the rest of the people in the game that they need to also pick up a spoon The person without a spoon is out Proceed to the next round by taking another spoon out of the middle

Sibs Chat

How do you help your sibling? How does your sibling help you?

Intentional Activity: What is on Your Plate?

Materials:

Paper plate and markers, pens, sharpies

Instructions:

Pass out a plate, markers, pens, sharpies, etc to each sibling Describe to them that this plate represents their life or their mind Ask them to write down all the things that are on their mind constantly or things they spend most of their time doing - what is their plate full of?

Give them time to think and write down things on their plate. When the group is ready, go around and share what is on their plate

Take Away + Scripture

Romans 5:3-5 says, "not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us "

We can trust that God is working in the midst of our trials and suffering With His help, I can persevere during all trials because He gives me the power to do so!

DECEMBER 2023

“We are so lucky to have our brother Antonio; because of him we get to come to rEcess!”

-ARIANNA & ALLEGRA

Pows & Wows

Have the siblings sit in a circle. Go around the circle and have each person share their favorite and least favorite thing about their week

Group Game: Ultimate Ninja

Instructions:

Gather the siblings into a circle while they stand Once the siblings are in a circle, they will play a game of ninja and begin by freezing into whatever pose they choose. They are all trying to get one another out by using their hands to karate chop another player below the elbow. This game goes one person at a time around the circle. When it's a sib's turn, they can take one step and use only one continuous motion to try to "karate chop" any player's arm below the elbow Players are frozen when it's not their turn If a limb is "out" it goes behind your back and cannot be used Players with both arms behind their back are out Last person standing wins!

Sibs Chat

Has anyone ever said anything unkind about your sibling?

How did that make you feel? What was your reaction to that person?

Intentional Activity: Letters For The Future

Materials: Pieces of paper, envelopes, pens

Instructions: Hand out 2 pieces of paper and an envelope to each sibling. Ask them write a letter to themselves and to their sibling (or they can choose to draw a picture instead) As they are finishing their letters, have them seal the envelope and write “open on " (maybe a date 5 years from now or however long they choose) Send the letters home with them, and encourage them to keep it in a safe place they'll remember or with a parent.

Take Away + Scripture

Proverbs 16:3 says, "commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans."

Everyone has talents, gifts, and a purpose for being here on the earth God gave you gifts to help you in your life and in your relationships He also gave your siblings gifts that help them in the same way. What are some of your gifts? How can you use those within your relationship with your sibling?

JANUARY 2024

“My favorite thing about Berkeley is that she is hilarious. She is an exciting person…she’s just so fun to be around.”

-BOSTON

Pows & Wows

Have the siblings sit in a circle. Go around the circle and have each person share their favorite and least favorite thing about their week

Group Game: Fishbowl

Materials:

Small pieces of paper, pens, bowl, timer, paper and pen to keep score.

Instructions:

Have each player come up with three words or phrases and write them on separate pieces of paper. Fold the slips of paper in half and put them into a bowl

Split into two teams

Teams will alternate having one player from their team draw from the bowl The player will try to get his/her team to guess the phrase on the paper drawn

Once the team correctly guesses the phrase, a new phrase is drawn from the bowl. Each player’s turn is 40 seconds. The way the player gives clues to his/her team depends on the round. When the timer goes off, count how many words were guessed correctly. Keep alternating players until the bowl is empty and you switch to the next round

For round one, players will give clues by describing the word or phrase

For round two, players will give clues by acting out the word or phrase

For round three, players can only say ONE word to describe the word or phrase

Sibs Chat

How do you feel when your sibling receives more attention than you from your parents, friends, or strangers? Have you ever talked to your parents about how this makes you feel? If yes, what did they say?

Intentional Activity: In or Out of your Control

Materials: Paper, markers

Instructions:

Invite each sibling to trace their hand on a piece of paper Then, ask them to write down some things that they can’t control outside of the lines of their hand Following that, they will write down things they can control on the inside of their hand. These things can be about life, family, their siblings, friends, etc. Have the siblings go around and share.

Take Away + Scripture

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight "

Trust in the Lord! It is so easy to want to control everything in our lives But there is good news in that God is in control and we can trust Him to guide us through life!

FEBRUARY 2024

“My favorite thing about Kole is his ability to instantly brighten up the room when he walks in. His presence merely changes everything. His smile and laugh are contagious and you literally can't not be happy when he's around.”

-JORDAN

Pows & Wows

Have the siblings sit in a circle Go around the circle and have each person share their favorite and least favorite thing about their week.

Group Game: Empire

Materials:

Pieces of paper, pens, bowl

Instructions:

Players secretly write down a famous person on a piece of paper and fold it up The "facilitator" then collects the pieces of paper and reads all the names out loud, twice is probably a good idea. Once the game has begun - the names are NOT to be read out again. It is up to the players to remember what names have been read out. After the names have been read out, nominate a player to start the game. Player A asks player B if they are (a name that has been read out) If player A guesses right, then player B joins player A's empire If player A is wrong, then player B gets control of the game and gets the chance to build their empire Once a player joins an empire, they cannot be separated from it, only the head of the empire can be guessed. Players in an empire can confer between themselveshowever, it is up to the head of the empire to make the statement and ask the other player. (This is where communication comes in, as players will forget the famous people, so collectively they can work out who is left ) The game continues until one player has all the other players in their empire

Sibs Chat

What is something that you love to do with your sibling?

What is something that you love about your family?

Intentional Activity: Love Bug

Materials:

Post-it notes, 2 pieces of paper, pens

Instructions:

Write “I Love My Sibling Because…” and “Things My Sibling Does That Bug Me...” on two pieces of paper. Tape them to the wall. Pass out post-it notes and a pen to each sibling. Have them write down as many things as possible to fit those prompts. They will put their post it notes in the correct column Once everyone has put their answer on the wall, read them aloud Some siblings may want to read their entries, some might rather have you read them aloud Talk about the reality of their struggles and allow them to share freely Remind them that ALL siblings bug one another regardless of their ability.

Take Away + Scripture

Jesus showed us the greatest act of love when He died for our sins. When we live our lives for Jesus, we too are called to love our neighbors. This can be hard at times because we all have made mistakes. But God calls us to a higher standard of love, and we can do that with the help of Jesus!

MARCH 2024

“My favorite thing about Anderson is his laugh and smile.” -AIDY

Pows & Wows

Have the siblings sit in a circle Go around the circle and have each person share their favorite and least favorite thing about their week.

Group Game: Up In the Air

Materials: Balloons, Sharpies

Instructions:

Ask each child to pick out their favorite color of balloon & then inflate it and write their name on it With their palms open in front of them they will begin tossing the balloon up into the air The goal is to keep their balloon floating in the air, while simultaneously trying to hit all other balloons onto the ground. The only thing their hands can touch is a balloon (no other materials or items can be used to keep the balloon floating). To challenge your group, add rules to the game as you see fit (ex use your non-dominant hand to keep the balloon afloat, use your head to keep it in the air etc ) The last sib standing with their balloon up in the air wins

Sibs Chat

What do you do when your sibling hurts your feelings?

How do you encourage your sibling?

Intentional Activity: Skittles and Stories

Materials: Skittles, bowl

Instructions:

Pour a bowl of Skittles out and allow the kids to choose 3 different colors of skittles Based on the color they choose, they will need to answer a question that corresponds with that color PURPLE - what is a fun fact about your sibling? YELLOW - what is a fun fact about you? GREEN - what makes you proud of your sibling? RED - what is a pet peeve for you? ORANGE - what is your favorite memory with your sibling?

Take Away + Scripture

Ephesians 2:10 says, "for we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

God created us uniquely and with a great purpose. We get to live a full life living out this purpose with joy, knowing He is always with us!

APRIL 2024

"My favorite thing about Henry is that he gives the best hugs."

-PARKER

Pows & Wows

Have the siblings sit in a circle Go around the circle and have each person share their favorite and least favorite thing about their week.

Group Game: Signs

Instructions:

Have everyone sit in a large circle facing towards each other Every player seated must now choose a “sign,” some kind of movement or motion that is unique to them A sign must be easily detectable by others, although not too obvious to attract a lot of attention Good examples of possible signs could include waving your right hand, a peace sign, or sticking your tongue out. Once everyone has a sign, go around the circle and show your sign. To play a round, choose one person to be the “guesser.” Have the guesser close his or her eyes standing in the middle of the circle Have the group silently choose one person in the circle (randomly) to be the person who begins with the sign The players in the circle will "pass the sign" around the circle like an invisible ball Once they have begun, the guesser can be told to open their eyes and try to guess where the sign is. To pass the sign, a player must do their own sign first and then the sign of the person they are passing the sign to. That person still has the "sign" until it is received by the player they are passing it to. A player receives the "sign" by doing their own sign, and sends it to a person of their choice by doing another's person's sign If the guesser guesses right, the person caught with the "sign" becomes the new person in the middle

Sibs Chat

How does your sibling affect your friendships?

Do you ever choose a friend based on how they treat your sibling?

Intentional Activity: Egg-citing Questions

Materials:

Easter eggs, strips of paper, pens, a basket

Instructions:

Have each sibling write two questions they want to ask their friends, it can be about their family, sibling, interests, or how they feel about certain situations They will put their questions into Easter eggs and place it in the basket. Go around the circle and have each sibling choose an egg, read the question aloud, and answer it. Repeat until all the eggs are gone.

Take Away + Scripture

Colossians 3:12-14 says, "therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity "

Friendships and relationships can be hard! Especially when our friends, siblings, or other family members do something that hurts us. But as Christians, we are called to show compassion and love to those around us and work through these things together! What an awesome opportunity we have to show the love of Jesus to others and receive it too!

MAY 2024

"My favorite thing about Paulina is her laugh."

-MADELINE

Pows & Wows

Have the siblings sit in a circle Go around the circle and have each person share their favorite and least favorite thing about their week.

Group Game: Guess that Song

Materials:

Spoon or spatula, pot or bowl for "buzzer", song playlist

Instructions:

Split the group into two teams For each round, one person from each team will come up to the front and stand across from the other team’s participant In the middle of them will be a pot, bowl, or buzzer, and both of the players will have a large spoon or spatula. The facilitator picks a song and begins to play the first couple seconds of it. The first person to hit the pot/bowl/buzzer and state the correct song gets a point. Do this for a couple rounds and keep score To take it another step further, challenge the contestants to finish the lyrics

Sibs Chat

What is your secret trick if you are in public (restaurant, church, mall, etc) and your sibling and begins to outwardly express their frustration? How does it make you feel when that happens in public with your sibling?

Intentional Activity: Double Dreams

Materials:

Post-it notes, 2 pieces of paper (or poster board), pens

Instructions:

Write “Dreams for Me” and “Dreams for My Sibling” on the two pieces of paper Tape them to the wall Pass out post-it notes and a pen to each sibling Invite them to write down their dreams They will put the dreams for themselves in the column labeled “Dreams for Me.” They will put the dreams for their sibling in the column labeled “Dreams for My Sibling.” Once everyone has put their dreams on the wall, read them aloud. Some siblings may want to read their entries and some might rather have you read them Celebrate everyone’s dreams and chat about how to make them happen, as well as how sometimes our stories shift and turn into something different than what we expected

Take Away + Scripture

Matthew 5:16 says, "in the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

God created us all with different stories and gifts to use in sharing about Him with those around us And, remember that you are loved not because of what you do but because of who you are!

NOTES