April 2017 LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps & Ideas

"Your faith has made you whole" Oil on Canvas Jorge Cocco

Monthly Theme: Jesus Christ Teaches Me to Choose the Right
Monthly Scripture: “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” John 13:15

Week 1 Jesus Christ is the perfect example for me.

* Acts 10:38 "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good... for God was with him."
     Have lots of brightly colored post-it notes throughout the room. Invite a child to "go about" the room to do something good. On the post-its, have instructions for them to do something kind at that moment or talk about something good.
     For example : Give a smile to someone, give a compliment to someone, tell about a time someone was kind to you, tell about a time you were kind to someone, give someone a high five or hug, go tell the Bishop thanks for all you do, give your teacher a compliment, tell the primary pianist something you admire about them, tell someone why you are glad they are your friend, name something you could do for FHE, name something you are grateful for, what is something thoughtful a person in your family does,
and tell a sunbeam why they are awesome.
      Have a picture of Jesus covered with a bunch of post it notes. In order to take a post it off, a child will have to say something Jesus did to set the perfect example for us. There will be plenty of opportunities for children to get involved in the lesson!! While a primary friend is making their choice as they "go about" the room or take a post it off the picture, invite the rest of the primary to watch and see who is being reverent. You could call on a primary friend to choose another friend who they saw being extra attentive.
    You could even give the children little stacks of post it's at the end to draw pictures or write compliments for family members at home!

* We received a really fun game called Watch Ya' Mouth as a birthday gift. I'm not saying go out and buy it... if you happen to have it though, it would make a useful object lesson. Place one of the plastic molds in your mouth and try to talk to the primary. Can they understand you really well? No!! You are not being clear! Take it out of your mouth and say the same thing.... now was I clear??
      “Of all the lessons we learn from the life of the Savior, none is more clear and powerful than the lesson of obedience,” taught Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the April 2014 general conference.
     There are only 10 plastic mouth pieces in the game. For sanitation reasons you could probably only have 3 kids up front to help for sharing time. Give each a plastic mouthpiece. Then invite another primary friend to come up front and choose an index card for a friend with the mouthpiece to read. They get 1 chance to guess what they said, then turn it over to children with raised hands in the primary to guess. Have the friend take out the mouthpiece and say it clearly. (Now, this lesson has the chance to turn out very rowdy if YOU AS THE TEACHER let it. Remind the children that we want to come to church and learn. We can chuckle, because yes, it is odd sticking a piece of plastic in your mouth and seeing so many teeth! But we want to be able to have fun AND learn at the same time- which means smiling, being calm, not laughing too loud, and listening carefully!!)
      Index cards can have things Jesus did that set the perfect example for us for us to follow. For example: Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan. Jesus anointed the eyes of the blind and helped them to see. Jesus cast out devils. Jesus taught many parables and how to understand them. Jesus often kneeled and prayed. Jesus attended the temple often. Jesus did not shun people who were different from Him. Jesus trusted His friends and helped them.
     Jesus Christ set a CLEAR and perfect example for us. Tell the children how much you love them, how grateful you are for the opportunity to learn from them in Sharing Time. Bear your testimony of The Savior, that He was perfect and even though we aren't, He can help us to be our best.

* Prepare a week ahead of time and invite some of your cub scouts (or 2 young men's scouts) to demonstrate a proper way to carry an injured person. Thanks for sharing that valuable information!! Let's think about how hard it would be to carry an injured person as we think about the following story.
     Mark 2 tells the story of a man who had the palsy (he was paralyzed and couldn't walk). His friends were so faithful, that they took the roof off a house and lowered their friend in so he could be healed by The Savior. First, Jesus said the man was forgiven of his sins. There were scribes there that didn't believe this could be, they didn't say so but they were feeling so in their hearts. Jesus knew their hearts and responded, "Why reason ye these things in your hearts?" He then showed them that He had power not only to forgive, but also heal. He told the man to rise and the man with the palsy was able to rise and walk.
    We have many examples from the scriptures of things Jesus did to set the perfect example for us. But the question is, why is He the perfect example for you? What are the reasons in your heart? Have a piece of paper with a heart outline on it and invite the children to write their testimony or draw a picture of a reason why they believe Jesus is the perfect example for them.

Weeks 2 and 3 Jesus Christ taught me the right way to live.

* Hosea 14:9 "the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them"
    HERE is a really good talk. Has anyone ever gotten lost? It's a scary feeling!! Tell the children the story of the little boy who didn't even know he was lost. "We simply acted, going out in search of the one who had been lost."
      Break into groups for 5 minutes. Give each group a picture of Jesus from the GAK (gospel art kit). Invite them to talk about what the story behind the picture is. Was there someone who was lost from the path of happiness? Sometimes life is hard and there are many trials we have to go through, we can feel lost. But The Savior is there to help us. Give each group a small stuffed animal to hide while one child goes out of the room. (Have an adult by the door to help out) Invite the child back in to find the stuffed animal and talk about a way they can "act", walking in the ways of the Lord like their group's picture.
     Once everyone is seated again, invite a person from each group to share with the primary what their picture was and how they can be like Him.
    
* Have 4 chairs up front. Maybe a little cardboard steering wheel too. Invite 4 children to come up front and choose one to drive. Have a stop sign, green light, have them pretend to put on seatbelts.... things that you need to do to drive the right way. After they are done demonstrating, ask the primary, what would happen if we did not drive the right way? Has anyone ever been in a car accident?
     Jesus Christ taught us the right way to live. Is there safety in following The Savior?
     Have 15 numbered toy cars. Have 15 numbered questions, scriptures or songs about the week's theme. Invite a primary friend to drive a car to their numbered question and then answer it. Make sure they drive it the right way!! No crashing into the primary pianist!!
    "There seems to be no end to the Savior’s desire to lead us to safety. And there is constancy in the way He shows us the path." Elder Henry B. Eyring Finding Safety in Counsel April 1997

* Make copies of The Living Christ. Have children work in partners or small groups to read this and look for something they would like to illustrate from it. Bring in paper and crayons and make sure everyone has what they need for their masterpieces. Have time for children to share their work at the end. OR you could even just have them make the primary room into a Living Christ art display. Have the primary pianist play reverent music while the children quietly (because it's like a museum) walk around the room looking at the art. Did they feel anything while they were looking at pictures or listening to the music? That's the Holy Ghost testifying to us that Jesus Christ taught us the right way to live and we need to live that right way!!

Week 4 I feel my Savior’s love when I try to be like Jesus Christ.

* HERE is a link to some great jokes from The Friend. Sing the song SMILES from the Children's Songbook. Ask the primary friends how they are feeling? Make a list of things on the chalk board (you can invite 2 primary friends to write and tell them not to worry about spelling, just do their best!) of things that make us happy. Hopefully Jesus was on that list!! When we feel The Savior's love, often we feel happy or peaceful. Sometimes when we feel that love, we feel energized or sometimes very humbled. Lots of things give us temporary happiness, but Jesus' love is something that we can feel forever!! When we try to be like Him, we can feel that love. No joke!!!
    Have balloons with a small amount of playdough in them and tie them after getting all the air out. You will need to make all these before hand! Bring in some sharpies (watch those Sunbeams!!!!!!!!!!!!) and have them draw a smiley face on it. Invite the children to take their happy sack home and give it a squeeze anytime they are sad. They can think about this lesson and The Savior and remember stories from His life. They can squeeze it and watch the silly face squish about. After they feel better, they can go and do something that would then make Jesus happy!

* This will take some preparation! Take pictures of some people in your ward... 1 only of their smile and then 1 of the person!!! Have them write a short paragraph of a time when they were trying to be like Jesus and felt His love for them. Print out the pictures of the mouths/smiles!!! Invite primary friends to choose a mouth, guess who it might be.... then read the paragraph of that person. After the story, can they take another guess who it might be??? Show them the picture of the whole person.
     When we feel The Savior's love we can't help but smile!! He loves us!! And we need to try to be like Him!!

February 2017 LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps and Ideas

Noah's Ark by Colin Thompson

He makes art for jigsaw puzzles!

Monthly Theme: When We Choose the Right, We Are Blessed.
Monthly Scripture:“If ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you” Mosiah 2:22

Week 1 Noah was blessed for choosing the right.

 * Tiger, Moose, Elephant. This is a great game for large primaries where you invite 10-15 children up front. In between each round of the game ask questions about the story of Noah and about the obedience he and his family showed. The children up front will need to be good examples in between each round and listen, or even raise their hand to share an answer.
     This is how you play the game. Tiger makes hands in a clawing shape. Moose puts hands on head spread out. Elephant bends over and drops arm like a long nose. On the count of 3, and they have to do it on 3 or they are automatically out, they choose whether they want to be tiger, moose, or elephant. Whatever animal there is the most of, all those children are out. You can play until there are 2 winners.
      Aren't we so grateful for animals? Bear testimony of Noah and his life as a prophet. He was blessed for choosing the right, and we are blessed because of his choices too!!

* Have children draw pictures of different animals or of Noah and his family or of an ark. Have an "ARK SHOW" where you display their animal art on the front board. (Bring in plenty of small magnets!!) Have the primary pianist choose a piece of art they really like and why. Have the primary child who drew it come up front and answer a question or read a scripture having to do with the story of Noah. Repeat the process of choosing art with different people like teachers or fellow primary friends, and they have to say why they like the "ark" piece.
       Oh my. This is such a cheesy idea, but I kinda love it. It sounds like fun!!

* Divide the primary into 5 sections. You're going to make a rain storm today!
Section 1:  Rub your hands together.  (This is the wind)
Section 2:  Tap one finger on the palm of your hand.  (These are the first raindrops.)
Section 3:  Tap all 4 fingers.  (Many more rain drops.)
Section 4:  Full out clapping.  (It’s getting more intense!)
Section 5:  Slap on the floor, or your thighs.  (Thunder enters!)
After a big crescendo (getting louder), repeat all the activities in reverse order (1 section will drop out at a time) as the storm dies down, until you’re rubbing hands together.
Then quietly stop, and there should be absolutely silence.
    Can anyone think of scripture stories that have to do with rain? Wow!!! Great answers. Today we're going to talk about the story of Noah!! Give each section ONE of the following questions and 2 minutes to come up with an answer- Who was in this scripture story? What happened in this scripture story? Why is this scripture story important to us today? When did this scripture story happen? How can we be like Noah? Have each section choose a representative to come up front after and share.
     If you have time afterwards maybe you can make another rain shower!!

Week 2 Jesus’s disciples were blessed by choosing the right.

* HERE is a great talk to read for this week. What is discipleship? Great  thoughts and inspiration! “The word disciple comes from the Latin [meaning] a learner. A disciple of Christ is one who is learning to be like Christ—learning to think, to feel, and to act [like] he does” (Ensign, Sept. 1974, 81).

* “He that receiveth my law and doeth it, the same is my disciple; and he that saith he receiveth it and doeth it not, the same is not my disciple...” D&C 41:5
     Have 4 stories from the scriptures about different disciples. Write a short paragraph describing that person and how they were blessed by choosing the right. Choose 5 words from your paragraph to leave out/fill in the blank. Write the 5 words on the chalk board. Invite a child to come up front and read the paragraph nice and clear, when they come to a blank invite them to choose another primary friend who thinks they know what word will fill in the blank. You can have one primary friend be in charge of erasing the words that were chosen.
      You will have to switch readers for the next story, and write the new set of words on the chalk board. Choose a new primary friend to erase the next set! (Yes, some little friends can't read.... so point to the words and say them out loud!!)

* Choose the Right! When a choice is placed before you!!
   Sing Choose the Right!! Hymns 239
   A reverent primary friend will come up front and act as a certain disciple from the scriptures. You can have a few simple props or costumes for them to wear while they read and answer. A choice (a small piece of paper with a sentence on it) will be placed before them and they will have to tell what choice they made and why it was a good one.
For example:
Nephi- Getting the brass plates was not easy, my brothers wanted to quit. What was my choice?
Esther- My people were all going to be killed by an unfair decree. I would lose my life if I spoke to the king when not spoken to. What was my choice?
Widow of Zarephath- A wicked king and queen sought the prophet Elijah's life. He had to hide. He wanted to stay with me and my son, but we had no food. What was my choice?
Ammon- I was a brand new missionary and ran into some thieves. They wanted to kill and scatter the king's sheep. What was my choice?
Alma the Elder- My whole life I believed a certain way and wanted to live the way I knew how. When I heard Abinadi speak, the Holy Ghost testified what he said was true, it was much different from what I had believed. What was my choice?
Stephen- I knew that Christ lived. He loved and is my Savior. Some men were very angry with me and want to kill me with stones. I had a testimony and knew I should speak. What was my choice?
Moses- I thought I was a prince of Egypt, but found out I was a Hebew son. I could have lived a life of luxury and richness or freed my people who were slaves. What was my choice?
     For senior primary you could even have the children themselves come up with a disciple and what their choice was.

Week 3 Nephi was blessed for choosing the right.

* Make a memory match game with words/pictures that have to do with Nephi's life. When a match is made, a primary friend can tell us a little more about that story and how Nephi chose the right. How was he blessed?
Some ideas for matches: Broken Bow, Brass Plates, Build a Ship, Tree of Life, Nephi Writes the Things of God,  Frank Forgiveness, and Respect for Parents

* HERE is a short clip about President Monson talking about Nephi and the blessings of obedience.

* Nephi, a scripture hero!! THIS ARTICLE is from The Friend and would be a great read for the primary. After sharing it, invite the children to take a piece of paper and design a super hero cape for Nephi. They can write words on it or just do a design with pictures. Invite some children up front to share their work and ideas.

Week 4 Church members today are blessed for choosing the right.

 

* “Of all the lessons we learn from the life of the Savior, none is more clear and powerful than the lesson of obedience” (“If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 35).
    Sing Choose the Right Way, CS 160      

"I am learning the teachings of Jesus; They will help me and show me the way" Have a scavenger type hunt in the primary room. Have different manila sized envelopes with pictures of The Savior showing different things He did to show obedience, and also directions to another envelope in the room. When we follow Christ and choose the right, we will be blessed and like the song says... be happy!!

  

*HERE is an excellent talk with a story of a Mission President who chooses to wear a special CTR tie tack. You can tell the story to the children. Is anyone in primary wearing a CTR ring? Can they show us?? A quote that stands out from the talk is, “Likewise, my dear young friends, the positive things you will want to accomplish need be decided upon only once—like going on a mission and living worthily in order to get married in the temple—and then all other decisions related to these goals can fall into line. Otherwise, each consideration is risky....There are some things Latter-day Saints do and other things we just don’t do. The sooner you take a stand, the taller you will be!” (President Kimball Speaks Out, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1981, p. 94).

      Bring in some building blocks and have the children name a good choice, then stack their block. How tall can it get? An interesting lesson in this is sometimes we aren't perfect and fall, like our block towers, but we just keep on going. Pick ourselves up and continue to make good choices. What is something you can do this week to take a stand and choose the right?

* Get some stories (this idea is very similar to the one in the outline) of friends or family members of the primary children who made a good choice and were blessed by it. You'll need to prepare and call the week before to get everything ready. In primary, tell the children that you are going to be sharing a very important story of a church member today who chose the right and was blessed... and then they can guess who the person is! Have a couple clues to maybe help them figure out who the story is about. Maybe you can even get some pictures to go along with the story from that person!

January 2017 LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps & Ideas

Image NASA Hubble Crab Nebula

"This supernova remnant contains a strong pulsar wind nebula that is not visible to the naked eye but it can be viewed by using binoculars on a clear night. The pulsar situated at the center of the nebula is the celestial object that remains after the supernova, spinning at a rate of around 30 times per second."

Monthly Theme: Agency is the Gift to Choose for Ourselves
Monthly Scripture: “Wherefore, men are free … to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men” 2 Nephi 2:27

Weeks 1 and 2 Agency is the gift to choose for ourselves.

* "Consider how we use our time in the choices we make." Elder Dallin H. Oaks Good, Better, Best Bring in a portable clock with an alarm. Invite a primary friend to leave the room while you set the alarm for two minutes and have someone hide it. The friend will then come in and try to answer a question about agency and find the clock before the alarm goes off!!

* HERE is a really great video to show the children. I could definitely see some younger children getting scared, so pray about it. You could even just bring in a picture of a scorpion and tell the story. Have a pair of shoes and a pair of flip flops up front. Have some different case scenarios. Invite a primary friend up front to hear the scenario and then stand by the pair of shoes depending on the choice made in the scenario- good at shoes, bad at flip flops.
   Some examples of case scenarios could be:
   John was watching TV. A show came on that was not appropriate and had swearing. He shut it off and decided to go write in his journal.
   Kate was skating outside. She was not supposed go past her neighbor's house. Since there wasn't anyone on the street she went to the end of the block. No one saw her.
    Mike broke his mom's lamp. He didn't want to get in trouble, so when she asked if he knew what happened, he shook his head.

* HERE is a Friend article that talks about a basketball player who made a good choice. "Decide right NOW!" says President Monson! We can make the choice beforehand to do what's right ALWAYS!! Have a basked and 3 balls. Mark 3 spots on the carpet each getting closer to the basket. N for the first spot. O for the second. W for the third. A child will come up front and answer a question or read a scripture about agency, then get 3 balls to throw at each spot. What if a child doesn't get the ball in? That's OK. It's a tricky game!! Just get up nice and close and toss 'em in!! Try to do this at home and see how your family does!!

* Have 7 small wrapped boxes with a letter in each box- F R E E D O M. Mix them up. Divide the primary into 7 groups and have talk about an experiences where they made a good choices. Have one person speak for the group and share a story about where good agency was used. Have that person unwrap a box. Once all the groups have shared and the letters up front, invite the primary to try to figure out the word. Agency is the gift to choose for ourselves!
     2 Nephi 2:27 "Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself."

* "Your choices are the mirror of your self-control. They will lead you to your eternal destination if they are made with divine direction and control."
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf On The Wings of Eagles Liahona July 2006
    Have everyone find a partner. Have one child do some simple actions and the primary friend sits across from them and tries to mirror what they do!! Have them imagine a mirror in between their hands and try to move as the other person does.
    Like President Uctdorf said, our choices are the mirror of our self control.... what our hearts are made of! Today we are going to talk about agency but during the lesson I'm going to repeat that quote and when I do, you have 10 seconds to find a partner and mirror each other!! If we do this quickly and reverently, we can play the game many times!!
   Have some quotes, scriptures, and questions prepared about agency. Can anyone recite the quote by memory at the end of sharing time and who said it??

Week 3 In the premortal life, I chose to follow God’s plan.

* HERE is an awesome video about a scientist who believes in the premortal existence! Excellent visuals and scriptures!!
    Have children design artwork about what they picture the premortal life to have been like. Ask some to share their work and details about what did happen during the premortal existence.

* Today we have some very special guests in primary. They have some very big questions and I told them I know the most brilliant children who can answer those questions. Introduce the children to 5 stuffed animals who have a question attached to them.
   We are going to divide into 5 groups and pass 1 stuffed animal to each group. Someone will read the question and then you can all take turns to answer the special guest's question. After a minute or so we will rotate the guests between the groups.
     The questions each stuffed animal has is:
Who is Heavenly Father?
Where did we come from?
What is the meaning/purpose of life?
What am I supposed to do with my life?
What is the plan of salvation? (This stuffed animal comes with a dry erase board and marker for anyone who would like to draw it out!)
     It may seem silly that stuffed animals would ask these questions, but in real life, many people don't know the answers. They ask these questions and it's up to us to help spread knowledge and truth!

* Arrange children as parts of the plan of salvation up front. Have large signs (with pictures if possible) to label the different parts and invite primary friends to figure out who represents what in the plan of salvation. Once one is figured out, hand that child his/her sign... what do we know about the premortal world? Earth life? Paradise and Prison? The final judgment... etc. You can line up 11 kids like this picture.

Week 4 Jesus Christ created the earth as a place where I can learn to choose the right.

* Have 10 different places from all over the world. Make 2 of each picture and turn it into a matching game. Invite a primary friend to come up and try to find a match. Jesus Christ organized/created the earth as a place where I can learn to choose the right. If they make a match they can share an example of a time when they chose the right or a story of another person who chose the right!

* Creation Charades
Adam & Eve, Tree of Life, Water, Land, Mountains, River, flowers, sun and moon, elephant, wolf
   Invite 1 child to pick a creation charade to act out and have the primary guess. Before they choose the charade though, they can tell the primary something that is a good choice to make or do. Some children might even want to do their own ideas for creation charades... just have them whisper it to you first to make sure it's appropriate.

* Bring in a large cardboard box with a top. Ask your primary pianist to come sit inside it and shut the top. Ask her if she thinks this would be a good place to learn to choose the right. Could she make a lot of choices in there? Probably not. Aren't we glad Jesus didn't create  boxes for us to live and dwell in!!! He created this beautiful earth as a place where we can learn to choose the right!! Have everyone offer a round of reverent applause for our stunning demonstration from our stunning primary pianist.
    Have 15 different questions/scriptures about the creation and agency written on the box. Invite a child to choose one question and answer it, or scripture and read it, then they can take a marker and make a checkmark by it! (Choose a different color for junior primary and senior primary)
     Boxes?? Boring!! Earth?? We are so blessed!! Let's make good choices always to show our appreciation for all The Lord has given us!

December 2014 LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps & Ideas

The Madonna of the Lilies

1899 William-Adolphe Bouguereau

(Image courtesy public domain laws)

Monthly Theme: We remember and worship our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Monthly Scripture: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” John 14:6

Week 1 The sacrament is a time to remember Jesus Christ.

*HERE is a lesson from the Primary 2 manual. It's sure to spark some thoughts!

* HERE is a really cool little book for the children to make from The Friend (April 2000).

* HERE is a beautiful talk by Elder Holland. You could review the story of the Passover with the children by having one dress up as Moses. Have pictures or toys to represent the different plagues. The Passover was miraculous. It was a testimony of how much God loves His children. The sacred night where Jesus feasted with his apostles, he prepared and taught about the sacrament. President Joseph Fielding Smith said the sacrament is, "the most sacred, the most holy, of all the meetings of the Church”
       Elder Holland goes on to ask, "Perhaps we do not always attach that kind of meaning to our weekly sacramental service. How “sacred” and how “holy” is it? Do we see it as our passover, remembrance of our safety and deliverance and redemption?"
      Play a game of "Passover" or heads-up-7-up. Children close their eyes, put their heads down, and thumbs up. 3 or 4 children will "pass over" to touch 1 person's thumb and then go to the front of the room. The people who had their thumbs touched put their thumbs down and then when you call time, they stand up. Those that stand, ask them to tell something you can do to remember Jesus during the sacrament. Then have them guess who touched their thumb. If they guess, they can switch places with the person who touched their thumb. Play a few rounds!!

*HERE are some more good ideas from The Friend. Throwback 1996, the year of the Macarena!!!!! I love the spin the bottle idea, but I don't think I'd actually use it.... ah, how times have changed. I also liked inviting a couple people in to share their favorite Sacrament Hymns... you could have the primary pianist play the tune quietly in the background as they talk.

Week 2 Remembering Jesus Christ helps me choose the right.

* Go through the Gospel Art Book and find 8-10 stories/pictures of things Jesus did that we can do too. Number the pictures. HERE are some CTR rings in a bunch of different languages.
    Number the back of the CTR rings and hide them throughout the room. Have a child find a ring, practice saying choose the right in a different language, and then show them the numbered Gospel Art Picture. Have them tell a little about the picture and how it helps us to remember to choose the right.
For example:
The picture of Jesus working with Joseph as a young child. He listened to his earthly Father and was helpful. I can do this too by helping around the house and having a good attitude.

* Sometimes, in a larger primary, children don't know each other! Start off with 3 children. Have them say their name and something interesting about themselves. We're working on our memory today by playing this game!! Remembering is important!! Have them sit down and invite a primary friend to say the 3 children that were up front and what was interesting about them.
     After each round share a story about Jesus, or read a scripture, or sing a song that they love. How does remembering The Savior help us to choose the right? For example, a child wants to sing I love to See The Temple, so sing it... then discuss, The temple is The Lord's house! We can make choices now like praying often to prepare us to go to His house.
      You can make the game harder by adding more children each round!

* I LOVE LOVE LOVE this conference talk, Choose Wisely, by Elder Cook.
    Bring in a little Peanut comic strip! Show the children and tell them that Elder Cook likes Charlie Brown! Who else here does too? Share the following quote- there will be some big words, so if you aren't sure of a word, wait until we're done and we'll discuss the meaning:
     "My beloved brethren, my desire this evening is to share some counsel about decisions and choices.

      When I was a young lawyer in the San Francisco Bay Area, our firm did some legal work for the company that produced the Charlie Brown holiday TV specials. I became a fan of Charles Schulz and his creation—Peanuts, with Charlie Brown, Lucy, Snoopy, and other wonderful characters.

      One of my favorite comic strips involved Lucy. As I remember it, Charlie Brown’s baseball team was in an important game—Lucy was playing right field, and a high fly ball was hit to her. The bases were loaded, and it was the last of the ninth inning. If Lucy caught the ball, her team would win. If Lucy dropped the ball, the other team would win.

       As could happen only in a comic strip, the entire team surrounded Lucy as the ball came down. Lucy was thinking, “If I catch the ball, I will be the hero; if I don’t, I will be the goat.”

       The ball came down, and as her teammates eagerly looked on, Lucy dropped the ball. Charlie Brown threw his glove to the ground in disgust. Lucy then looked at her teammates, put her hands on her hips, and said, “How do you expect me to catch the ball when I am worried about our country’s foreign policy?”

       This was one of many fly balls Lucy dropped through the years, and she had a new excuse each time. While always humorous, Lucy’s excuses were rationalizations; they were untrue reasons for her failure to catch the ball.

       During the ministry of President Thomas S. Monson, he has often taught that decisions determine destiny. In that spirit my counsel tonight is to rise above any rationalizations that prevent us from making righteous decisions, especially with respect to serving Jesus Christ. In Isaiah we are taught we must “refuse the evil, and choose the good.”

     Give the children a piece of paper and have them divide it into 4ths. Have the draw a cartoon strip where they remember a gospel principle and make a good choice! It doesn't have to be funny, it should just tell a good idea! Have them share!

Week 3 The Son of God was born on earth.

* Bring in some simple costumes and have the children act out the story of the nativity.

* Bring in a Nativity and have Christmas songs attached to the figurines. Invite a child to choose a figurine and then sing that song together.

* HERE is a fun and simple reader's theater from The Friend on a Nephite Christmas.

* Bring in some really pretty wrapped boxes. In the boxes have pictures to do with the Nativity and life of Jesus. Invite children to come unwrap a gift and then talk about what is inside.
    "I testify that Jesus Christ was the literal Son of God and the Savior of the world. He was the perfect gift from our loving Father. At this and every season, our Savior invites us to join with Him and others to offer the priceless gift of joy." Elder Henry B. Eyring, The Perfect Gift.

* HERE is a beautiful clip from The Life of Jesus Christ Bible Video series. It's 5 minutes and would be great to show the children.

Week 4 Jesus Christ will come again.

*  HERE is a great idea from The Friend. It's especially a good activity for children who can write! Younger children would need to have help from adults. If you have a larger primary, you'd have to cut the slits for children ahead of time and the drops of oil.

* HERE is a really good coloring book for the children to color and learn the words of the primary song, When He Comes Again.

* Play stock the pantry!! Draw 3 shelves/lines on the chalkboard. Have a bunch of magnets and cut outs from magazines of food that you would put in the pantry.
    “Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord” (D&C 133:10). Remember, we prepare physically but most important is spiritually!!!! Try to say the scripture often, together as a primary, throughout your lesson to memorize it!
    Have children come up to put a can in the pantry. Have questions, scriptures, or songs on the backs of the cans having to do with the Second Coming of The Lord.
Another adaptation could be bringing in a bunch of CLEAN, empty food cans... see how many you can stack/stock up!!

* In our latest General Conference, Oct. 2014, there was a talk given which asked us to self evaluate!! Have we done that?? One day, Jesus will come to earth. One day, we'll stand before Him. What will come first? Only He knows. I don't think we need to ask the children these questions. They are pure! But it's good for us as leaders to reflect:
"On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your spiritual confidence before God?
Do you have a personal witness that your current offering as a Latter-day Saint is sufficient to inherit eternal life?
Can you say within yourself that Heavenly Father is pleased with you? What thoughts come to mind if you had a personal interview with your Savior one minute from now?
Would sins, regrets, and shortcomings dominate your self-image, or would you simply experience joyful anticipation?
Would you meet or avoid His gaze?
Would you linger by the door or confidently walk up to Him?"
Approaching the Throne of God, Elder Jörg Klebingat
     Now, this isn't to depress anyone. Hello, that's the job of the news media. Set those goals though. What can we do!!! My goal is to really work on not letting things in my home that take The Lord's name in vain.

February 2014 LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps and Ideas

This Plan of Salvation Chart is by Rich Allred. He also has a detailed scripture list to accompany the parts of the plan found HERE. This chart is my go to with my own kids because it's specific yet simple!!

 

Monthly Theme: Heavenly Father Has a Plan for His Children.

Monthly Scripture: "O how great the plan of our God!" 2 Nephi 9:13

 

Week 1 Heavenly Father has a plan for His children.

* Have signs labeled: Premortal World, Earth Life, Spirit World, 2nd Coming/Resurrection, Millennium, Final Judgement, Celestial, Terrestial, Telestial. Each sign can have a picture on it to correspond. Invite students to hold the signs and see if they can get into the right order. Have clues (about 15-20... always have more than not enough!) about the different parts of the plan and invite a primary friend to come up front and stand by the person holding the sign they think is the right part for the clue. Have sign holders hold their signs for about 3 clues, then they can switch with another friend who hasn't had a turn. Each time they'll need to get in the right order!! Have primary children say the parts of the plan each time!!
Some possible clues could include:
The highest kingdom of Glory, compared to what? (Celestial... the sun)
We might be able to ride T-Rex's during this time because animals will NOT hurt each other (Millennium)
Our time of testing (Earth Life)
1/3 of Heavenly Father's children rejected His plan here (Premortal World)
This place is where we go RIGHT after we die (Spirit World)
Jesus is in charge of this event, hope we made some good choices!!! (Final Judgement)
Here we experience sickness, pain, and suffering (Earth Life)
This place is compared to the stars, and even though it's nice we don't want to end up there (Telestial Kingdom)

* “Some of us at one time or another let the pressures of life or the false teachings of men cloud our vision, but when we see with clarity, the difference between the plan of God and that of Satan is unmistakable” (Richard G. Scott, Ensign, Nov. 1981, 11).
    Bring in a large piece of wax paper, a piece of foil, and a piece of very CLEAR saran wrap. Which one is easier to see through? God's plan is very clear and when we follow it we will have happiness!! Have the primary divide into groups and come up with 5 things they know about the plan of salvation. Have them share with the primary.
     Satan presented his plan. What did he want? Hold up the foil!! That plan would have been complete darkness. Sometimes men come up with ideas, "Eat, drink & be merry!"... yes, it's good to have happiness, but true happiness comes in following Jesus. Hold up the wax paper! Once again, hold up the saran wrap and repeat the quote by Elder Scott. Bear testimony of how the Plan of Salvation helps us see clearly.

* If you wanted to go on a special picnic, what would you have to do? Would you just go to the park and eat berries on the bushes? You'd have to carefully plan and prepare! You want enough food, drinks, napkins... you'd have to decide the best time to go. Do you need a blanket? And that's just for a picnic!!
"The worth of souls is great in the sight of God." D&C 18:10
     Heavenly Father loves us. He didn't just toss us into a park and say, have a great picnic. He carefully planned a way for us to have happiness and return to Him!
     Have a picnic basket with different picnic items and attach scriptures, questions, and songs to sing about the plan of salvation to these items- for children to come up, pick, and then answer.

* HERE is a sharing time by Margaret Lifferth with a booklet for children to make. Full of EXCELLENT ideas for teaching this week's theme.

* HERE is a sharing time link by Vicki Matsumori with a cool Plan of Happiness viewer. You could easily have the tube, point it at a blank wall and ask children what they see. Not much? Fortunately, the plan of happiness helps us to see our purpose and meaning in life. Pop in the pictures and have the children discuss the parts of the plan they see.

Week 2 Heavenly Father commanded Jesus Christ to create the earth as a home for His children.

* CS pg. 92 "Home" is a wonderful song! It's an easy and catchy melody and the words are simple and full of truth. Punch Boards are really fun!

This is a punch board in the shape of a heart. You can have cups behind also, if you want a flat front. Now to tie the 2 together. Make a home with windows/doors to punch into. Sing the song Home and then invite a child to come learn about the home that Jesus created for us. Have in each window/door that a primary friend punches into, a picture of the creation! Have the children put the pictures in order of the creation. Because you probably don't want to make 2 boards, bring in extra tissue paper to glue during break for the 3rd hour.

 

* Play a game of I spy!! Have a bunch of pictures about earth and the creation taped around the primary room. Demonstrate how to play first. You will give 3 clues and then you will call on someone who is raising their hand to answer. "I spy something Jesus created/organized. I spy something that is the color yellow. I spy something that is very far away." Take a couple guesses... need a few more hints? " I spy something in the sky. I spy something in the dark." That's right, STARS!!! How do we feel when we look into the night sky? Aren't we grateful that Heavenly Father loves us so much that he would give us earth for home! Invite primary children to come up and give hints about something they see in the room. Be prepared to help them!!! They can whisper in your ear and you can whisper back to them clues!

* Your music leader has appropriately decided to sing Heavenly Father Loves Me (CS 228). Of course, you are always going to have "the one" child who notices things... e.g. my quick, beautiful, sharp as a needle daughter, "Why does the song say Heavenly Father created for me but then our lesson is Jesus created the earth?" Aren't you glad you came prepared! Just turn to the scriptures... Ephesians 3:9 " And to make all men see... which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ".  We also have "God the Father is the Supreme Being in whom we believe and whom we worship. He is the ultimate Creator, Ruler, and Preserver of all things." (True to The Faith Manual 74-76) Heavenly Father is our ultimate creator and He had Jesus create too! All that wouldn't fit into the rhythm of the song, so that's probably why. :)

* Chores!! Why do we need to take care of our homes?? After you've gone over the creation, talk about the home we all have in common now... our beautiful earth!! In our personal homes we have certain responsibilities! Have the children come up and act out some chores we do at home for other children to guess. What are some chores we could do for our home, mother earth? Children can out things like : pick up trash, plant trees and flowers, bicycle/walk instead of driving so much, turn off lights, save water, take care of animals. Challenge the children to remember to thank Heavenly Father for 3 things about the earth they are grateful for in their prayers this week.
     “It is expedient that I, the Lord, should make every man accountable, as a steward over earthly blessings, which I have made and prepared for my creatures. I, the Lord, stretched out the heavens, and built the earth, my very handiwork; and all things therein are mine. And it is my purpose to provide for my saints, for all things are mine” D&C 104:13–15

* HERE is an excellent general conference talk, The Creation by Elder Russel M. Nelson. (April 2000)
I LOVE his quote, "Without our grateful awareness of God’s hand in the Creation, we would be just as oblivious to our provider as are goldfish swimming in a bowl." You could easily have a bowl full of goldfish crackers and small cups. As you do an activity to learn about the creation, scoop out cups of goldfish to give to the children to eat. We are NOT like goldfish! We know who created us and our beautiful earth and we are grateful!!!! You could also have a real goldfish (if you are a super star and want the kids to remember!!) named "Swimmy" who the children could teach the different parts of the creation! They hold up a picture and tell Swimmy all about it! Watch your reverence level soar as you remind the children those who want to teach Swimmy have to be extra well mannered. If someone doesn't get a chance to say hello to Swimmy, they can come after church and look!!!

 

Week 3 My body is created in the Image of God.

* THIS is a beautiful story and a must read by President Monson. You can paraphrase the story to the children in your own words and end with this quote:
"The world is filled with yellow canaries with gray on their wings. The pity is that so precious few of them have learned to sing...We are sons and daughters of a living God, in whose image we have been created. Think of that truth: “Created in the image of God.” We cannot sincerely hold this conviction without experiencing a profound new sense of strength and power, even the strength to live the commandments of God..."

Draw a large tree on your chalkboard and have about 10 paper yellow canaries in it's branches. On the back of the pictures have scriptures, questions, and songs about how we are created in God's image. Have children choose canaries!
    Like President Monson said, the world is full of canaries with gray on their wings. People are all created differently, but no matter what.... we can be who God wants us to be!! We were created in His image.

* Break out the art supplies. Let children draw self portraits and write why they are special. Our bodies are created in the image of Heavenly Father!! This can fulfill a Faith in God Activity under Developing Talents. My recommendation- for good art results- is to use heavy construction paper, pencils, sharpies to trace pencil lines and crayons. The contrast between the color and black really defines the work. They can do just face or whole body, but make sure they use the WHOLE space of the paper. Children tend to draw small/microscopic scale unless they are directed otherwise!

* Invite a child up front and stand behind them. Hold up a picture of an appropriate body part or you could even point to something on your body. Tell the primary children who see the picture to NOT SHOUT OUT. The child up front will call on Primary friends who are raising their hand reverently and who can give them a clue to help them guess the picture/part they didn't see. Our bodies are created in Heavenly Father's image. Now when you hold up pictures, children need to give clues that involve ways they can use that body part to serve and help others!! Make sure you have plenty of pictures!!!

* FYI- In the last session of General Conference, Elder Russel M. Nelson gave a talk Decisions for Eternity. He talked about the blessings of having a body and asked 2 important questions. Have we taken the time to really ponder these questions? Now might be the time to do so and write down our thoughts!! It could even be a challenge for children to go home and talk with their families.
       1. How will you choose to care for and use your body?
       2.What spiritual attributes will you choose to develop?

Week 4 Agency is the gift to choose for myself.

* "My dear brothers and sisters, each day is a day of decision, and our decisions determine our destiny. One day each of us will stand before the Lord in judgment. We will each have a personal interview with Jesus Christ. We will account for decisions that we made..." Elder Russel M. Nelson Decisions for Eternity, General Conference Oct. 2013 (linked in the idea above)
      Sometimes we need to take time to really reflect. Often days go by and we don't consider/account what we've done to really honor the gift of agency. Can you imagine what it would be like to meet with Jesus and talk about all we've done? Have paper for the children with the title "Decisions Determine our Destiny!" What is a decision? Have the paper divided into 4 sections.Think about yesterday.... have children draw choices they made, or write down, that were good in one section. Were there any choices made that could have been better? What is a good choice they can make tomorrow? 10 years from now?? What is a good choice they can make today!??!! Have children share their work.

* President Harold B. Lee said, “Next to life itself, free agency is God’s greatest gift to mankind.”
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee (2000), 4
     Since Heavenly Father has given us this great gift... among many.... how can we use our agency as a gift to Him?? Have a large wrapped box and invite children come up to draw out case scenarios from it. Have them think of the best way to use the gift of their agency in that situation.
Some case scenarios could include:
     You are in the car and a song with questionable lyrics comes on.
     You are at school and there are people using bad language.
     Your brother keeps taking your toys.
     Someone asks you why you go to church.
     You broke something valuable at home, no one saw.
     A bully at school keeps picking on someone.
     You have a sporting event on Sunday.
If time permits you could have envelopes for children to write a choice they will make this week as a gift to Heavenly Father. Let them color and add a fancy bow!

* "Men and women receive their agency as a gift from God, but their liberty and, in turn, their eternal happiness come from obedience to His laws." Elder Perry April 2013 General Conference Obedience to the Law is Liberty
     Sing Choose the Right Way (CS pg. 160) Our freedom to choose is a gift from Heavenly Father. What we do with our choices will either make us eternally happy or unhappy!
    Have some gum for the children!! Woah... back up... did I just say gum? Let me rephrase that. VERY CLEARLY STATE YOUR EXPECTATIONS that you have some gum for our lesson today, but if the gum comes out of our mouth, it GOES IN THE TRASH. We're not going to mess around with our gum because we are in The Lord's House and we want to show respect. After sharing time, ALL GUM WILL GO IN THE GARBAGE. All who are willing to do so can raise their hand and we can begin. And gage your primary! Are they good listeners? Will this enhance the spirit or take away from it? Pray about it!!
     Today we are going to talk about "Chews"ing the Right and Agency!!! Invite a child up front to blow a bubble. Have a posterboard of a large drawing of a child's head. Have a pink balloon blown up and taped to the mouth. Have questions, scriptures, and songs in envelops on the posterboard. Let the child who just blew a bubble "chews" an envelope.
     End with repeating Elder Perry's quote. We can choose to be happy by choosing the right! Bear Testimony!! Before children leave the room, they will throw out their gum in the garbage that a teacher is holding.

* THIS talk is a MUST READ for the week!!! by Wolfgang H. Paul (April 2006 General Conference)
     "Some time ago, as I was driving, I had to stop at a red light. The vehicle in front of me caught my attention. A sticker read, “I do what I want.”

     I wondered why someone would choose to place such a statement on his vehicle. What was the message he wanted to send? Perhaps the driver of this vehicle wanted to express publicly that he has achieved total freedom by just doing what he likes to do. As I thought about this, I realized that our world would be quite chaotic if everyone would just do what he or she wants to do."

     Have some scriptures on agency for the children to look up in groups and discuss. Have a child come up front from that group and talk about the scripture. It could even be scripture stories of people who have wisely or unwisely used their gift of agency!

     Give the children a picture of a car and have them make up a bumper sticker that is better than "I do what I want". Bear testimony that agency is a gift and we should treat it as such!!

If anyone would like a copy of the above picture, just email me and I'll get it to you as quick as I can.

 

February 2012 LDS Primary Sharing Time Ideas and Helps

I'm sorry if the previous picture posted offended anyone.

Monthly Theme: When We Choose the Right, We Are Blessed

Monthly Scripture: "If ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you"

Mosiah 2:22

Did you notice this quote for the month in the sharing time outline from Elder Boyd K. Packer: Children can learn through fun activities and movement and still maintain an attitude of reverence. "Reverence . . . does not equate with absolute silence" (Boyd K. Packer, "Reverence Invites Revelation," Ensign, Nov. 1991, 22).  Fabulous!

Week 1 Noah was blessed for choosing the right.

*Animal Charades!! In a brown paper sack have little pieces of paper with different animals for the children to come and act out. Also, you can have questions or scriptures having to do with the story of Noah on the pieces too. Call on someone who is raising their hand to guess what the animal is and answer that question or read that scripture.

* To introduce who you are talking about, lay on the ground and have the primary children guess what you are doing. You are "resting". Did they know that the name NOAH means rest?? Do you think that Noah actually got a lot of rest taking care of the animals and building the ark? Heavenly Father has a great sense of humor!!

* A random poem, by yours truly, feel free to use not sell- I'd give it as a handout with some cool rainbow cupcakes!

 Good or bad, we have the choice-

like Noah, long ago...

We can listen and obey,

quick to do, not slow!

Before the rain, his faith was strong-

He built the ship, like told.

He was blessed,

he chose the right!

We too can be so bold!

* 5 clues! Have a primary friend come up front and give "up to" 5 clues about their favorite animal. Once the animal is guessed, ask a question or read a scripture about the story of Noah. At the end of the lesson have these 5 clues:
1. It's something you do.
2. You can do this like Noah.
3. Heavenly Father knew we might not do this, so Jesus was sent to make an atonement.
4. If you do this you will be blessed.
5. It rhymes with moose da night.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT!

Week 2 Jesus's disciples were blessed by choosing the right.

*  “It is not enough merely to speak of Jesus Christ or proclaim that we are His disciples. It is not enough to surround ourselves with symbols of our religion. Discipleship is not a spectator sport. We cannot expect to experience the blessings of faith by standing inactive on the sidelines any more than we can experience the benefits of health by sitting on a sofa watching sporting events on television and giving advice to the athletes. . . . Ours is not a secondhand religion. We cannot receive the blessings of the gospel merely by observing the good that others do.”  Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Way of the Disciple,” Ensign, May 2009, 76–77

Have a basket of different sports items: baseball, basketball, tennis racket, swimming goggles... etc. Have an example of disciples from the scriptures attached to the items. Let 1 member of each class, come up and choose a sports item. Let them discuss in their groups that story and then take turns up front saying how the disciples were blessed.
We also are Christ's disciples. We have the choice! End by singing a song about choices and on the chorus doing an action of their favorite sport!

* HERE is a link to the Friend with a Nephite Disciple quiz. It'd be great for Senior Primary. Make sure to scroll down!!

* "My advice to you is that we must create ways of living that help us with our spiritual housecleaning—ongoing and continual processes that draw us closer to the Lord our Savior so that we can be numbered among His disciples." Elder L. Tom Perry, The Friend Sept. 2003

Have a mop, gloves, an empty spray bottle and roll of paper towels. Let the children pass these like "hot potatoes" REVERENTLY to the person next to them while you sing songs about choices. When the piano stops, those friends holding cleaning items need to stand. Have about 6-8 names of different disciples of Christ. For each round, name a disciple and the friends standing can say something they know about that disciple... if they need help, they can call on another friend of course! Always ask how that disciple was blessed by choosing the right.
And another simple piece of advice... mean business too! If there are friends goofing off, give a warning and then if they still make a bad choice, they need to sit with another leader somewhere else in the room. We all have choices and our choices have consequences!! Go by the spirit!!

* HERE is a link to The Friend with a disciples crossword puzzle. Again, scroll down!

* Name that disciple!! Dress up (simply!) a few friends as different disciples of Christ. You could have little paragraphs for the disciples to read or you could just read. Once the primary has guessed who the disciple is, ask that disciple how they were blessed by choosing the right.

Week 3 Nephi was blessed for choosing the right.

* I forgot!! Have little brown bags with strips of paper with fill in the blank sentences. I am so forgetful I even forgot where I put the bags!!! Have the children look around the room and find the bags then fill in the blanks.....
1. Nephi was commanded to go and get the _______________ from Laban. (plates of brass)
2. Laban was a very _______________ man who didn't mind killing or stealing. (wicked, horrible, evil!!)
3. The first time Nephi and his brothers went to get the plates ____________________________ happened. (they cast lots, Laman went and asked and was almost killed by Laban)
4. The second time Nephi and his brothers went to get the plates ___________________________
happened. (they offered up all their possessions, Laban stole from them and then tried to kill them)
5. Even after Nephi's brothers ______________ him (beat), he returned and said _________________________ (I will go, I will do!!). He found Laban drunk on the ground and cut off his _____________, went to get the plates and chose the right!!

You come up with the rest!! I would do at least 4 different stories from the life of Nephi, with 5 things you forgot for each story. At the end of each story ask how Nephi was blessed because of his obedience.

* HERE is a link to a fun idea from The Friend. You take the cardboard cutouts, add some seashells and make a diorama of when Nephi builds the ship.

* HERE is a link to The Friend where there are finger puppets of Nephi's family and a liahona dot to dot! You could even make the dot to dot as large as possible and say you have a mystery item that could help a person choose the right. To find out what it is, we'll earn points for questions you answer and scriptures you read about how Nephi chose the right. When the children do so, they can earn 5 or 10 points and then connect that many dots on the drawing.

* Put 40 pieces of masking tape on the ground from one wall to another. Space them because you can dress up a primary friend as Nephi, have questions about his life and how he chose the right, then move him along the path (each piece of masking tape being a space) to the promised land. Have a picture of North and South America as the promised land with a sign at the end of the path. Let other primary children roll a dice and move Nephi that many masking tapes/spaces as they answer questions correctly.

Week 4 Church members today are blessed for choosing the right. 

* Primary Friend Interviews! Let the children choose a friend and interview them. Have a white piece of paper where they can draw a picture of the person they are interviewing. Then they write down the person's answers to the following questions-

What is a time in your life you chose the right?

How were you blessed?

Younger children of course will need help!! Have teachers close by!! And enlist your primary pianist to help too!! She doesn't always have to sit behind the piano!At the end, have a couple friends share with the entire primary what they learned about another!

* Invite a couple guests from your ward to share special/interesting experiences where they made a good choice and were blessed!

* Have children self reflect and make an acrostic poem (use the letters in TODAY to name blessings- for example T for teachers who love me) like the one below and draw a picture of one of their blessings or doing something to choose the right in the box! Little ones of course will need help writing and you might want to have them think of names of people they love to try to match the TODAY letters.

* HERE is a great story from The Friend about a little boy who made a good choice and bought an ice cream for his teacher. He was blessed with happiness for his act of charity. After you briefly retell or read the story to the primary, have a large paper ice cream cone on the board with about 10 scoops. On each scoop come up with a different scenario for the children to come up front and choose.

For example- Timmy loves family home evening, but his little brother always squirms around and has a hard time listening. What could Timmy do to make a good choice and help his brother at FHE? How will Timmy be blessed?

When the Primary children answer put the scoop on the cone and build a super tall treat!

At the end, remind the children that Wade made a good choice and blessed Mr. Nolan's life, but his own life too! Challenge the children to make a choice this week where blessings will follow!