Peace Adventurers — The Peaceful Heart: Embracing Tolerance, Generosity and Compassion

On a bright Saturday afternoon, 25 October, families gathered at Lancaster Gate for Peace Adventurers, a children’s peace education session. Soft music and warm smiles set the tone, welcoming children and parents into a space of joy and curiosity.

Opening the Heart

We began with music and a simple greeting: “You are coming into this lovely, bright space.” The rhythm lifted the room and one little girl, unable to resist, ran to the speaker, turned up the volume, and danced — her spontaneous joy became the session’s living invitation.

After introductions, we placed our hands on our hearts and imagined them as tiny smiling people growing with love until they embraced the whole Earth. Children chose colours for their hearts, wrote down what their inner voices might say and some shared aloud. As the opening song played again, we listened as though it were a conversation with our hearts, quietly replying, “Yes, my heart, I hear you,” before dancing as a gentle, embodied response.

Stories, Play and Reflection

A mid-session snack gave families time to connect before we moved into stories, play and creative activities that deepened the theme of the day. Through storytelling, reflection, arts and crafts and music we explored three peaceful qualities:

• Tolerance The story of Elli and Tomas building with blocks showed how breathing, listening and compromise can turn disagreement into something stronger and more beautiful. Tolerance was described as remembering the common light behind differences and choosing calm kindness.

• Generosity A playground memory illustrated generosity as pausing an exciting game to care for someone who was hurt. Generosity emerged as giving time, presence, smiles and attention without expecting anything in return — simple acts that brighten the heart’s light.

• Compassion Stories of noticing and comforting a lonely dog made compassion tangible: paying attention, staying close and offering warmth. Compassion was framed not as pity, but as a reaching out that says, “I see you. You are not alone.”

Each theme was reinforced with a printed “Heart Teaching” for families to take home:

• The Tolerant Heart

• The Generous Light

• The Language of Compassion

Game "Getting into Someone Else’s Shoes”, gentle embodiment exercises, sharing and creative activities helped children translate these ideas into action.

Closing in Joy

We ended as we began — with music. The same song filled the room, and everyone danced freely, body, heart and mind moving together in kindness

The final message was simple: when peace is lived through movement, kindness, and joy it becomes something shared and alive. Parents were encouraged to continue the Heart Teachings at home and to honour the quiet wisdom children bring to building a more peaceful world.

Parent’s Reflection

“What touched me most was seeing my children step out of their shyness and express themselves so beautifully. I never realized how many deep, thoughtful, and compassionate ideas they were holding inside until I saw them open up during the session. It was such a heartwarming experience — a real reminder of the kindness and wisdom our children naturally carry within them.”

Merope Karatzioglou and Oksana Torok.