Monday, February 23, 2009

My Eternal Family Song Helps and Ideas

My Little but Great Eternal Family... still working on Nono and Yaya Sofia. Yaya Sofia says she will forever be Greek Orthodox, so I'll leave that one up to her and the Big Man upstairs.


* Display GAK pictures:
102 of Noah building the ark
206 childhood of Jesus
304 Lehi and His People Arrive in the Promised Land

Ask the children what was built in each picture and who built it? Will we ever be asked to build an ark? How can we use our hands as Christ did? Nephi built a ship and we can build something that is just as important... our family!

* On a piece of poster board have a picture of a family and a picture of the temple. Attach the family to a string and as the children sing, you can pull the family closer to the temple.

* Have 13 building blocks. Attach the letters ETERNAL FAMILY, one per block. As the children learn the words, sing valiantly and try their best they can earn blocks to build a word tower. Put L on the bottom and then build up to E. Next tower Y on bottom to F.

* Issue a challenge!! See if there are any volunteers who can learn this song by memory WITH their family to sing in Primary next week!! Take one volunteer per week and follow up with their family before Sunday. Have copies of the music that you can send home with the volunteer.

* Bring in a heavy metal chain. Have 2 primary children try to pull it apart. This is pretty strong, could anything ever break this chain? Even stronger and sturdier than this chain is the sealing power of the priesthood. The more we do to make our family eternal and happy, the more impossible it is to ever break. The words in this song help remind us what we need to do to build our family and be closer to Christ.

* Come into primary wearing a tool belt and hard hat. Tell the children you are a builder, not a construction worker... but a builder. You don't work on houses, you work on homes. Eternal homes! Show them some of your tools: a whisk and a book of Mormon (You feed your family both physically and spiritually), lip gloss (that you wear on your lips that always use kind and loving words to build others up), knee pads (you are constantly on your knees praying and seeking the Lord in prayer), hard hat (keeps bad TV and music out of my head and home) etc. Another important tool is this song, "My Eternal Family" because the words bring me closer to Christ.

* Hold up a good size stone. Ask the children to raise their hand if they remember what happened to Christ before he died. Who condemned and wanted Jesus to die? The Pharisees and Sadducees built many things- buildings, laws, their own pockets full of money, hateful rumors... but Peter told them, " This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner." (Acts 4:11) Ask the children who they think Peter was calling the stone. Are we like those type of builders? With our eternal families we must always build upon the rock of Christ.

12 comments :

Traditions said...

Thank you for your willingness to share ideas! I will be helping wiht an activity day this weekend and your ideas are most appreciated!
Julie Blackham
Palatine, Illinois

Shelley said...

Wow! What wonderful ideas...This is my FAVORITE primary singing site. Thanks!

Melanie said...

Great Great ideas!

Charlotte said...

These are the absolute best ideas I have seen! Thank you so much for sharing.

Liz said...

Thanks for sharing these fabulous ideas! I have been searching and trying to come up with a really great idea of how to teach this song, and here you are posting several great ideas! Thank you so much!

emily said...

I really like your idea with the tools that are representing a spiritual reminder. Hey, I'd like to add a link to your blog from mine. Wanna do the same for me? Thanks
www.ldsprimaryposters.blogspot.com

Cari said...

I've just come across your blog and I have to tell you thank you. All your ideas are amazing! It's so good of you to share them with the world.

Sofia's Primary Ideas said...

Thanks Sisters!! I wish I could come to your primary classes and see all the wonderful things you do to bring our children closer to Christ!

Ann said...

Thanks for the great ideas! I am going to try the tool belt and hard hat, sounds fun. Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

I was having such a hard time finding ideas for this song (we built something for How Firm a Foundation, so I felt I would be repeating if I used The Friend's suggestion). But now I can be a builder.

You're going on my bookmarks. Thanks,
Veronica in COlorado

Erica said...

I just love your blog! What a wonderful service you are doing! You are truly inspired! Thanks for sharing with us!

Lori Thompson said...

Loved, loved, loved your advise! THANKS so much for your help!