Submitted by
S. Daly

Age Group
5-11

Aim
To celebrate the harvest
To appreciate the gift of colour

Faith Group
Christian

Resources
A display of harvest food donated by the children and parents, to be distributed to local people
The food (plus some flowers) could be arranged in colour groups like a rainbow
Each class could produce a collage type painting/picture, in their colour, to be displayed on the wall, if there is enough space. These could be displayed in the order of the colours in the rainbow
Coloured ribbons or paper needed for the story

Time of Year
September
Harvest

Other Details
This assembly is long enough to be a full harvest festival performed by the whole school before parents
The class names below should be replaced by your class names
Each class works out a play, narrates a poem, or shows a picture etc. about their colour
There is an example for the colour orange below
The children could also dress in the rainbow colours

'The Rainbow People', mentioned below, is a very thought-provoking story in a leaflet called 'I have a dream' available from Christian Aid
Christian Aid, PO Box 100, London, UK, SE1 7RT
email - info@christian-aid.org
web site - http://www.christian-aid.org.uk
children's web site - http://www.globalgang.org.uk

Script
CHILD 1: Welcome to our Harvest Festival. This year, our theme is colour. Everyone has worked hard, producing pictures, readings, dances and plays.
We hope you enjoy our celebration.
We would also like to thank you for this wonderful display of food and flowers.
We begin with our first hymn - "Who put the colours in the rainbow?"

HYMN: "Who put the colours in the rainbow?"

CHILD 2: As the last line of the hymn reminded us, God made everything.
The first thing he made was light. This light can be split into all the colours of the rainbow. When you mix these, you can produce other colours. Colour is one of God's gifts to us.
God was like an artist. He was happy with the world, so he painted it with many colours. He wants us to enjoy these colours.

CHILD 3: God our Father, you made our world beautiful. We never grow tired of looking at it. The colours change with every season.
They help us to realise how great and wonderful you are yourself.
Amen.

CHILD 4: We will now have our second hymn, which mentions the first three colours of the rainbow - "Autumn is here."

HYMN: "Autumn is here" by Margery Brinkmann and Jean Gilbert (Festivals by Jean Gilbert ISBN 0 19 321285 4).

CHILD 5: Now class 4C will tell us about the colour red.

4C RED
Example: the poem "Red in Autumn" by Elizabeth Gould (Festivals by Jean Gilbert ISBN 0 19 321285 4).

CHILD 6: Class 4D will tell us about orange.

4D ORANGE
1. Orange is a warm, bright, glowing colour.
2. It is the colour of sunset. on a warm, sunny day.
3. It is the colour of flames in an autumn bonfire, burning up the crisp, orange leaves.
4. It is the colour of cornflakes - and marmalade on toast, a tasty way to start the day.
5. It is the colour of Crunchies and barley sugar sweets, a lovely way to treat yourself.
6. It is the colour of baked beans, fish fingers and spaghetti hoops, tomato soup, carrots and lentils - all delicious to eat on a chilly autumn evening.
7. It is also the colour of oranges, satsumas, apricots, peaches and nectarines - a refreshing way to finish a meal.
8. Where would we be without orange?
It brightens up the autumn garden and adds colour to our meals.
Thank you, God, for orange.

CHILD 7: 4D would also like to perform a play called "The Rainbow People".
The play tells us that we should work together. We should share what we have and help each other.
For example, there is enough food on earth for everyone, but some people are still starving to death. This is because countries are fighting each other, instead of working together.
Now - our play "The Rainbow People".

4D ACT "The Rainbow People"

CHILD 8: We are good at sharing. Recently, we collected money for (name) charity and today we have given all this food.
Now class 5R will tell us about yellow.

5R YELLOW
Example: some happy-sounding music composed and played by the children on high-pitched instruments.

CHILD 9: We now have a song which mentions some more colours - "Picking
up conkers"

SONG: "Picking up conkers " by Geoffrey and Mollie Russell-Smith (Festivals by Jean Gilbert ISBN 0 19 321285 4)..

CHILD 10: That song reminds us that autumn is a time for fun. Now class 5L will tell us about green.

5L GREEN
Example: a story/play about a farmer sowing and reaping, or an extract from the Bible about sowing/reaping. Narrated and mimed.

CHILD 11: Class 7P would like to tell us about blue.

7P BLUE
Example: some sea/river pictures, or a dance to Handel's 'Water Music'.

CHILD 12: Year 6 have worked together on indigo and violet.

YEAR 6 INDIGO/VIOLET
Example: information about food or flowers of this colour e.g. aubergines, Michaelmas daisies etc.

CHILD 13: We have told you something about all the rainbow colours.
In the Bible, the rainbow is a symbol for hope and peace.
In the story of Noah, the Flood was followed by a rainbow. This was God's multi-coloured promise that he would never flood the earth again. Rain would always be followed by sun.

CHILD 14: John, who wrote the last book in the Bible, also mentioned a rainbow. He described heaven as a very colourful place, with a rainbow and lots of jewels.
"I saw a throne in heaven. The person sitting on the throne looked like a diamond and a ruby. And a rainbow, like an emerald, encircled the throne.
An angel showed me the New Jerusalem. The walls were made of diamonds. The city was made of pure gold. The foundations contained precious stones: diamond, lapis lazuli, turquoise, crystal, agate, ruby, gold quartz, malachite, topaz, emerald, sapphire, amethyst.
Each gate was a single pearl.
The city was lit by the radiance of God, so it did not need the sun and moon for light."
John makes heaven sound like an exciting place, especially with all those colours.

CHILD 15: Finally, class 7N are going to tell us about brown - an autumn colour which can be made by mixing some of the rainbow colours.

7N BROWN
Example: poem about bread "Bread" by H. E. Wilkinson (Festivals by Jean Gilbert ISBN 0 19 321285 4).

CHILD 16: Dear God, we thank you for the colours and smells and tastes of your harvest gifts. We will try to share these gifts with people who are more hungry than we are. Amen.

CHILD 17: We give thanks for people of all races, colours and beliefs.
We pray for a harvest of harmony and friendship throughout the world. Amen.

CHILD 18: Our final hymn reminds us that we must not forget to thank God,
for the beauty of autumn and harvest time - "Autumn Days".

HYMN: "Autumn Days" by Estelle White (Celebration Hymnal for Everyone number 61)