LDS Gratitude Primary Activity Day

This image was found in a google search for free turkey clip art.

 

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time of the year! I love doing turkey art, having soup, and enjoying the last of the fall leaves.

 

Gratitude should be a virtue that we strive for each moment of our lives.

 

We planned a short activity in the Church gym for our Primary children and the outline is as follows.

I know in the handbook we don't have "official" activities anymore, but when I talked about it with our Priesthood leaders, we saw this as a good missionary opportunity for our children.

 



As children come in, they will be divided into groups. They will be given a different colored feather. We will need 4  groups.

Prayer

Introduction Activity (10 min.):

What does a good attitude mean? Part of being a Christ like person is always having an attitude of

gratitude!

 

How can we cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude? President Joseph F. Smith, sixth President of the Church, provided an answer. Said he: “The grateful man sees so much in the world to be thankful for, and with him the good outweighs the evil. Love overpowers jealousy, and light drives darkness out of his life.” He continued: “Pride destroys our gratitude and sets up selfishness in its place. How much happier we are in the presence of a grateful and loving soul, and how careful we should be to cultivate, through the medium of a prayerful life, a thankful attitude toward God and man!”   (Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. (1939), 263.)

Match the word “Thanks” in different languages to the flags of the country that speak that language.

Sing the song, “Children all over the world” (CS 16-17)

Different Centers (10-12 min. at each center) Each group will rotate. You'll need 1 adult at each table, or more, depending on number of children.

1.      Thank you notes to service men and missionaries serving from our ward.

Needed: Paper, Coloring Crayons, Pencils

2.      Feast Upon the Words of Christ art project - Children will cut out and make a paper collage Thanksgiving Feast. They will label food with things they are grateful for from the scriptures. For example: Nephi, stories about faith, When Christ was born and resurrected, Joseph’s coat of many colors…. Etc. Scrapbook paper is used to make a table cloth. Read and go over the scripture 2 Nephi 32:2.

    Needed: scrapbook paper, cardstock, magazines with food pictures, glue sticks, scissors, black

markers, scriptures, Gospel Art Books from Library

3.      Thankful for Family Leaf Wreaths- Children make a wreath and label the leaves with things

they are thankful for about family members. About 10 leaves per child.

Needed: Paper leaves, gluesticks, ribbon, black markers

4.      Gratitude Walk- Like a cake walk, on the # drawn the children name things they are thankful for at that place or ways they can show gratitude there

Needed: Gratitude Music, Numbered leaves on the floor 1-10, papers numbered 1-10 with the following categories

1 School

2 Grocery Store

3 Park

4 Vacation

5 Church

6 Garden

7 Temple

8 In the Car

9 Family Home Evening

10 Friend's House

 

Closing Prayer

Handouts to take home

-          Gratitude Journals with the quote, ““There are two little words in the English language that perhaps mean more than all others,” says President Gordon B. Hinckley. “They are ‘thank you’” (“A Prophet’s Counsel and Prayer for Youth,” Ensign, Jan. 2001, 4).

-          Possible food kit for a homeless person (water, granola bar, tuna pouches, crackers, fruit cups, raisins, large Ziploc bags to put everything in)