A lesson · When Plans Change
K-2When Plans Change
A rained-out picnic, a birthday party that moves inside — plans can change, and that’s a real bummer, AND good things are still happening too.
Assumptions & Caveats
Before you begin
What you should know
Kids this age think in pictures and stories, not ideas. They will not follow “disappointment doesn’t mean good has stopped happening” as a sentence — but they will absolutely follow a story about a birthday party that got rained on and turned out to be fun anyway. Don’t explain the concept out loud at the end (“so you see, boys and girls...”) — if the story worked, let it sit. A spoken-out-loud moral often flattens what a child just felt.
Do not use any version of “checking whether you’ve made yourself the center of it” — that idea isn’t available to this age yet, and reaching for it will just confuse the room. The whole lesson at this age is one plain, true sentence: plans can change, and that’s a real bummer, AND good things are still happening too. Both parts matter. Don’t skip the “real bummer” part to rush to the “and” — let the sad part be true first.
What we're assuming
- Every child in the room has had a plan change on them — a rained-out outing, a canceled visit, a party that didn’t go the way they pictured it.
- This lesson is for small, real-sized disappointments a young child actually has words for — not a family loss or a change too big for this format. If something heavier comes up, see “If it’s not going well” below.
- Some kids may want to tell their own rained-out story once you open the door. Let a few, don’t require it, keep it moving.
Learning goals
What they walk away with
- Hears a story where a plan changed and something good still happened, and connects it to their own life.
- Has one phrase they can say by heart: “Plans can change. Good things don’t stop.”
- Gets to say out loud, without being rushed past it, that a changed plan feels like a bummer.
- Makes something (a drawing) they can take home and look at again.
How to hold the room
Before you start talking
- Keep it moving. This age holds attention for a story and a simple activity, not for sitting and discussing. If the room gets restless, you’ve probably lingered on a beat too long.
- Use your voice and face, not just your words — this age reads tone before content.
- If a child shares something that feels bigger than a rained-out picnic, receive it warmly and simply (“I’m glad you told me that”) and don’t turn it into a group discussion.
- Let “that’s a bummer” be a full, real answer. Don’t chase it with “but.”
The lesson flow
Step by step
Each beat alternates a little input, a little doing, and a little reflecting. Skip, slow down, or stretch any of these to fit your group.
Gathering
Sit in a circle. Simple welcome: “I’m so glad you’re here today. Every single one of you.” Say names if the group is small enough.
The story
Tell this simply, in your own words, using a puppet or stuffed animal if you have one:
“There was a kid having a birthday party at the park. They picked the games, they picked the cake, everybody was invited — and the morning of the party, it rained. Really rained. No park. The kid was so sad. It felt like the whole party was ruined. So the family moved everything inside — games in the living room, cake on the kitchen table — and you know what? It turned out to be one of the best birthdays that kid ever had. Not because the rain wasn’t a bummer. It was. Both things were true: the rain was a bummer, AND the party was still good.”
Ask (simple, concrete, one at a time — not a discussion): - “Raise your hand if a plan of yours has ever changed.” - “Did that feel like a bummer?” (Nod along — let this be enough, no follow-up questions.)
Naming it
“When a plan changes, it’s okay to feel sad about it. That’s real, and it’s allowed. AND — good things are still happening too, even on a day like that. Both can be true at the same time.”
Say it together
Teach the phrase with a simple motion (one hand shows “the bummer,” dipping down; the other hand stays flat and steady to show “the good things keep going”):
“Plans can change. Good things don’t stop.”
Say it together 2–3 times.
Craft: take it home
Give each child paper and crayons. Fold the paper in half. On one side, draw or write “the bummer part” of a plan that changed for them. On the other side, draw or write “a good thing that happened anyway.” Both sides get to exist on the same paper.
Closing
Circle up. Say the phrase together once more. “Plans can change. Good things don’t stop. See you next week.”
What you'll need
The materials
- Paper, crayons or markers, one per child
- A puppet or stuffed animal (optional, helps hold attention during the story)
If it's not going well
When this one gets heavy
If a child shares something that sounds like it’s about a real loss — a person who moved away, a pet that died, a parent who’s gone more than usual — rather than an ordinary rained-out kind of disappointment, don’t reach for “and good things are still happening” as a fix for it in the moment. Stay warm, say something like “thank you for telling me, that’s a big one,” and follow the site’s mentor safety guidelines (For Mentors page) afterward, including notifying the appropriate adult per your church’s child-safety policy. This age sometimes hands you something real and heavy inside what sounds like a small story — take it seriously even when it arrives gently.
For the fuller tiered guidance — including what to do if someone discloses something serious — see For Mentors.
Help this get better
Teaching this to a group we haven't planned for?
Tell us — this only gets better with your eyes on it. We read every one of these.