Turkey in the Bag FHE - Thanksgiving Game

Turkey in the Bag is a very simple and easy game!

Cut up all the squares and put into a paper sack. Have family members take turn drawing out the cards and doing what they say, or reading the scripture. If someone draws out a turkey you all have to get up and walk around the room like a turkey making "gobble gobble" sounds.

Have fun!!

September 2014 LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps & Ideas

I know this is going to sound odd, but I really couldn't find a picture for this month's post. So, I decided to post this random good looking man's picture and tell him how grateful I am that he goes into Nursery every single Sunday to help out. How he gives the most wonderful father's blessings. How I'm grateful that he is the only LDS volunteer who makes gyros at Greek Fest... 9 years now? He is pretty awesome and his only flaw is that he is not an organ donor. He is desperately attached to his organs for some reason. ??  However, he lives the gospel and it definitely blesses our family!!

Monthly Theme: Living the Gospel Blesses My Family

Monthly Scripture: "We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is
anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things” Articles of Faith 1:13 

Week 1 I show my gratitude by offering thanks for all my blessings.

*  "But those who set aside the bottle of bitterness and lift instead the goblet of gratitude can find a purifying drink of healing, peace, and understanding. As disciples of Christ, we are commanded to “thank the Lord [our] God in all things,” to “sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving,” and to “let [our] heart be full of thanks unto God.”
Grateful in Any Circumstances President Uchtdorf April 2014 General Conference
   Have a fancy decorated goblet. Pass around the "gratitude goblet" and have children say things they are thankful for. You could even make paper (I'd use cardstock) goblets and have children color/decorate with sequins. The children could be encouraged to pass them around at dinner time with their families and share things they are thankful for.

* HERE is a wonderful sharing time idea from The Friend. I really love
" Draw large palette on piece of poster board. Divide children into six groups, and assign a different color to each group. Have each group draw pictures of blessings associated with assigned color; cut out and attach to poster."
     as well as-
" Play (a) game using poster. While childrens’ eyes are closed, remove one blessing, then have children open eyes and guess what’s missing. Discuss what it would be like without that blessing. Continue removing and guessing blessings as time permits."

* You really just can't beat The Friend. They are so inspired!
HERE is another great sharing time idea. I really like the one idea where children play a game of saying what they are thankful for, then the next child repeats what the previous friend said and adds what they are thankful for. By the last child, they will have to remember a lot!!

* Have the children act out the story of the 10 lepers. According to the handbook children do not portray deity, so just have one child hold a picture of Jesus and answer questions about what The Savior did.
Luke 17:11-18 Afterwards, you can have the children make thank you notes for someone who has done something they are thankful for!

 

Week 2 By giving service to others, I give service to God.

* Make some notes for older friends in a Senior Citizen Home!!

* Have the primary children make coupon booklets for their family of things they are willing to do this week to serve them!

* Have the children write thank you notes to local fireman!

* Make a candy bar card for The Bishop.

* I made a game entitled Primary Service Bingo. A child will come up and choose a square, do the service act, then get to X it out. See how many bingos you can get!! If you'd like the PDF file, feel free to email me. You could also divide the room in half and put up two sheets if you like a little competition!

Week 3 We believe in being honest.

* I love President Hinckley. I just love love love him!!!! His words are always so straight forward. HERE is a talk he gave that really drives home the point of what it means to be honest. It would be a good read to prepare for your lesson.

* “A man … went one evening to steal corn from a neighbor’s field. He took his little boy with him to sit on the fence and keep a look-out, so as to give warning in case any one should come along. The man jumped over the fence with a large bag on his arm, and before commencing to take the corn he looked all around, first one way and then the other, and not seeing any person, he was just about to fill his bag. … [The boy then called out]:
     “‘Father, there is one way you haven’t looked yet! … You forgot to look up.’” (I Believe in Being Honest and True by Ann Dibb April 2011 General Conference)
    

Cornhole is basically the same as a bean bag toss! Have some questions, scriptures and songs about honesty on pictures of corn all over the room. Once they choose one and answer, let them toss a few bean bags into the corn hole (you could use an upside down box with a  hole) that you've brought in. 1 point if they can land it on the board, 3 points for in the hole. How many points can you earn as a primary??

 

* "I have observed three common characteristics of the priesthood holders who are my heroes. One is a pattern of prayer, the second is a habit of service, and the third is a rock-hard decision to be honest." (The Priesthood Man Elder Eyring April 2014 General Conference)

   Bring in a rock collection!! Let the children observe the rocks and pass them around. What does it mean to have "a rock hard decision to be honest"? Have 3-4 cups. Place a rock under one cup and shuffle around. Let the child choose a cup and see if the rock is under that cup!! Have different case scenarios about honesty for the child to answer after!

For example:

    Brenda went to the movies with friends. After they wanted to see another movie and sneak into the next theater. How can Brenda be honest?

    Marty broke his mom's favorite lamp after she told him not to play soccer in the house. No one saw what he did. How can Marty be honest?

    Sally studied hard for her spelling test, but it was the wrong list! She didn't know any words, but it looked like the person sitting next to her did. How could Sally be honest?

    End by talking about what it would be like to be an apostle's hero! We can do that if we make the firm, rock hard decision, to be honest!!

 

*All aboard!!!  HERE is a really cool honesty train the children can make from The Friend. I can choo-choo-choose to be honest!!!

Week 4 By living the gospel I set a good example for others to follow.

* A good read HERE to prepare for the week's lesson. I especially like picturing the grandma bent in a V shape!! Sweet patient woman!

* 1 Timothy 4:12 "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."
    Divide the primary into 6(ish- depending on how many children you have in primary) groups. Prepare in ADVANCE!!! Call parents and get some stories of children from your primary who have set good examples. Give a story to each group and have them try to guess who it might be from your primary.

* "We best serve our Father in Heaven by righteously influencing others and serving them. The greatest example who ever walked the earth is our Savior, Jesus Christ. His mortal ministry was filled with teaching, serving, and loving others. He sat down with individuals who were judged to be unworthy of His companionship. He loved each of them. He discerned their needs and taught them His gospel. He invites us to follow His perfect example." ("I Have Given You an Example" Elder Richard G. Scott April 2014 General Conference... great read!!)
     Invite 5 children up front. Have them share a way they can be a good example. Then have each child choose a motion to do. Have the primary watch carefully, then when all the 5 children have spoken and done their motion, the primary tries to remember all 5 motions and follow/do them.

* "I am inspired by the examples being set by the righteous members of the Church, including the noble youth. You courageously look to the Savior. You are faithful, obedient, and pure. The blessings you receive because of your goodness affect not only your lives but also my life and the lives of countless others in profound but often unknown ways.
     A few years ago, I was in line to make a purchase at my local grocery store. Ahead of me stood a young woman, about 15 years old. She appeared confident and happy. I noticed her T-shirt and couldn’t resist talking to her. I began, “You’re from out of state, aren’t you?”

She was surprised by my question and replied, “Yes, I am. I’m from Colorado. How did you know?”

I explained, “Because of your T-shirt.” I made my accurate supposition after reading the words on her shirt, “I’m a Mormon. Are you?”

I continued, “I must tell you that I’m impressed by your confidence to stand out and wear such a bold declaration. I see a difference in you, and I wish every young woman and every member of the Church could have your same conviction and confidence.” Our purchases completed, we said good-bye and parted.

       Yet for days and weeks after this random everyday moment, I found myself seriously reflecting upon this encounter. I wondered how this young girl from Colorado came to possess such confidence in her identity as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I couldn’t help but wonder what meaningful phrase I would figuratively choose to have printed on my T-shirt reflecting my belief and testimony. In my mind, I considered many possible sayings. Eventually, I came upon an ideal statement I would proudly wear: “I’m a Mormon. I know it. I live it. I love it.” (Sister Ann Dibb October 2013 General Conference I know it. I live it. I love it.)

     Make copies of a blank T-shirt on a piece of paper for the primary children. After reading the above mentioned story, invite the children to design their own T-shirt. What would they put on it to show that they can be a good example?? Maybe you could even make a real t-shirt and give it to the Bishop to wear with a slogan the primary children come up with!!

November 2013 LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps and Ideas

Artwork Brian Kershisnik - Ten Lepers Healed

Monthly Theme: We Are To Thank God In All Things
Monthly Scripture: "He commanded them that... every day they should give thanks to the Lord their God" Mosiah 18:23

Week 1 I am thankful for my body, and I know that it is a temple.

* Invite an adult to come up front. Have a large stack of post it notes and invite children to talk about why they are thankful for their bodies. Using good judgement, select body parts like eyes, ears, mouth, elbows, knees, hair on head, heart, stomach, feet, fingers... and have the children say a reason how that part of the body helps us. Write it down on the post it and  YOU stick it to the adult. Our bodies are covered head to toes in blessings. Now take the post it's and make a temple on the chalkboard. (4 on bottom, 3 on next level centered, 1 on next in middle, 1 on next in middle, 1 on next in middle) I am thankful for the blessings of my body and I know that it is a temple!!

* Have some pictures of temples, children, church houses, malls... invite children to come up front and hold the pictures. Those with pictures of temples need to stand by the piano. Did the pictures of the children move over there too? “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? … The temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1 Corinthians 3:16–17)
Have a basket of good things for your body: fruit, clothes, medicine, scriptures, good book, little weight... Have children come up front and choose things that are good for our temples out of the basket. Have them tell why they are good for our bodies and a reason that they are thankful for their body.

* Bring in a mirror and invite a child to come up front and fill in the blank of this sentence from the last General Conference, "Each time you look in the mirror, see your body as _________________".
The answer is A TEMPLE!!! (From Decisions for Eternity by Elder Nelson Oct. 2013)

Have about 8 different paper mirrors with tinfoil, numbered. Let children find them throughout the room and then read corresponding quotes from Elder Nelson's mentioned talk and questions.
    1. "My professional years as a medical doctor gave me a profound respect for the human body. Created by God as a gift to you, it is absolutely amazing! Think of your eyes that see, ears that hear, and fingers that feel all the wondrous things around you." What is one of your favorite things to see?
    2. "Your brain lets you learn, think, and reason." What is something you enjoy learning about?
    3. "Your heart pumps tirelessly day and night, almost without your awareness." Can you put your hand over your heart and feel it beat?
    4. "Your body protects itself. Pain comes as a warning that something is wrong and needs attention. Infectious illnesses strike from time to time, and when they do, antibodies are formed that increase your resistance to subsequent infection." Why should we be grateful for pain and sickness?
    5. "Your body repairs itself. Cuts and bruises heal. Broken bones can become strong once again. I have cited but a tiny sample of the many amazing God-given qualities of your body." When is a time you were hurt and healed?
    6. "Stellar spirits are often housed in imperfect bodies.¹¹ The gift of such a body can actually strengthen a family as parents and siblings willingly build their lives around that child born with special needs." How can we show others love who don't have bodies that are like ours?
    7. "Because your body is the temple for your spirit. And how you use your body affects your spirit." How does the word of wisdom help or hurt our spirits?
    8. "The aging process is also a gift from God, as is death. The eventual death of your mortal body is essential to God’s great plan of happiness.¹² Why? Because death will allow your spirit to return home to Him." If we treat our bodies like temples, make good choices and repent... will we be prepared to meet Heavenly Father?
Challenge the children each time they look in the mirror to remember their body is a temple!!

* HERE is a fun little muscle man for children to put together from The Friend.

* HERE is a great article from The Friend. It has a story of how President Kimball kept his inner temple bright! If you had a stuffed cow, you could pass it around while you sing My Body is a Temple (CS 153). When the music stops children can say a way to keep their temple bright or a reason why they are thankful for their body/temple.

Week 2 I am thankful for temporal blessings.

* The dictionary defines temporal as "relating to earthly life". Separate into groups and give each group a picture of the earth. Let them brainstorm blessings they are thankful for that are temporal, having to do with earthly life! After about 5 minutes, have each group share one blessing at a time. Count the blessings!! Tally them one by one!! If other groups got the same answer, then give additional tallies for that answer. See how many tallies you can get as a primary. End your sharing time by singing Count Your Many Blessings (Hymns 241).

* Have some stapled paper and make booklets for the children. These can be "Gratitude Journals" for the upcoming month. They can start today by listing (or drawing) things that they are thankful for in the pages.
"There are two little words in the English language that perhaps mean more than all others, they are thank you." President Hinckley Ensign Jan. 2001
This will be our Thank You book to Heavenly Father as we think about and are grateful for all that He has given us!

* A lot of children do this at home, but a lot don't. You can have a turkey and a bunch of blank feathers. The children add things they are thankful for to the feathers, then add to the turkey. You could give to the Bishop to hang in his office for the month.
   November is a month we think about Thanksgiving feasts and turkeys.... but gratitude is something we should keep in our hearts always!
Ephesians 5:20 "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"

* If you take an egg carton, cut, paint blue and green... you have little earth halves. Make about 5.

Like so. Have the children name a temporal blessing they are thankful for. Write it down on a tiny piece of paper. Then have them put it under one of the earths. Switch them around and invite another friend to come find the blessing. If they can find it, have them share another temporal blessing they are thankful for and then hide it. Repeat and try to get as many children up as possible! Invite the children to do the activity at home with families!

Week 3 I am thankful for spiritual blessings.

* Gifts of the spirit can be a little confusing. Make sure you know what you are talking about by reading THIS!!! Gospel Principles Chapter 22!!

* Have your primary pianist come up and wear a sign that says, "Great Apostasy". What does apostasy mean? Have her also hold an envelope and take it away from her. What was taken away from the earth during the apostasy? Thank her for her help and for the wonderful job she does playing the piano every week. We know that truth was taken away from the earth... and so was something else! Gifts of the spirit! See HERE for more information.
     We have some tricky questions that our wonderful primary pianist has at the piano. Have a child come up to the piano and choose a question about spiritual blessings.
Some questions could include:
  If you are a faithful member of the church, at least how many spiritual gifts does Heavenly Father give you? (at least 1, but often times more)
  What are some gifts of the spirit? Have friends with scriptures look up 1 Corinthians 12:1–12, or Moroni 10:8–18.
  How does our Patriarchal blessing help us understand spiritual blessings?
  What can you do to seek spiritual blessings? D&C 46:7, 9, 30–33
  How many spiritual blessings does Article of Faith #7 talk about?

* Do the classic demonstration of the glove and hand. The glove is our body. The spirit is our hand. Does the glove move without the hand? Our bodies live because of our spirits! Last week we talked about temporal blessings, these often have to do with our bodies and earthly life. Hold up the glove and have the children come up with 5 blessings, one for each finger.
   This week, we'll talk about spiritual blessings. After a short lesson, have the children trace their hands on paper and write or draw some spiritual blessings on their paper.

* THIS TALK is a must read for the week. It is explicitly clear on what Spiritual Gifts are. It is entitled "Spiritual Gifts" by Elder Oaks (Ensign Sept. 1986)
    I like the fact that he mentioned, not everyone gets the same gifts. You could have children with brown hair stand up. Now children with blue eyes stand up. All girls please stand up. We're all different and have been given different bodies! It's the same with our spirits. Our spirits are different from each other and we all have different spiritual gifts! (D&C 46:11)
   For Senior Primary, you could even give each child copies of the talk and highlighters, then have them highlight all the spiritual blessings they can find!

* HERE is a spiritual gift chain that children can make from The Friend.

* Invite a child to come up to the front. Ask them if they have ever seen their own heart? How do they know their heart is there if they've never seen it? We don't see our spirits, but we know our spirits are real. It's the same with spiritual blessings. We often don't see them, but we feel them and have a sure knowledge of them.
    Have about 3-4 different stories, all about different spiritual gifts for the children to rotate and hear. Divide into 3-4 groups. Have the person tell/share the story, not necessarily read it. They could even dress up to act out a part in the story. Each story should be about 2-3 minutes.
     Some great stories:
     The gift of tongues- The Lord Took Over (A Missionary is able to teach the gospel, even though he didn't know the language)
     The gift of Translation- Joseph Smith translating the Book of Mormon
     The gift of Wisdom- Solomon and the story of the 2 woman who claimed to be mother of a baby
     The gift of believing the testimony of others- Nephi believed his father Lehi and prayed to know the truth, he ended up having his own vision of the Tree of Life
     The gift of faith - The Miracle of the Brick Kiln
  We feel gifts of the spirit and get them by the gift of The Holy Ghost. We are thankful for spiritual blessings!

Week 4 We should thank Heavenly Father for all our blessings.

* Have 10 children come up to act out the story of the 10 lepers, give them each a Band-Aid to put on their face. Have a picture of Jesus. When they are healed they can take off their band aid and reverently shout yeah!! Designate 1 of the 10 children to be the one who comes back and says Thank You.
Read Luke 17:11-19
President Monson has said, "Through divine intervention those who were lepers were spared from a cruel, lingering death and given a new lease on life. The expressed gratitude by one merited the Master’s blessing; the ingratitude shown by the nine, His disappointment.

    My brothers and sisters, do we remember to give thanks for the blessings we receive? Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love."  (Ensign Nov. 2010 Best talk ever a must read HERE!!)

   Have little paper band aids (they could be just strips of paper) for children to write/draw things they are thankful for on. Have 9 cups to represent the 9 lepers who didn't say thank you! We can be more grateful than they were and show Heavenly Father how thankful we are for all of His blessings He has given us. See if we can fill up those 9 cups!!

 

* When it's time for sharing time, leave the room and tell the children to watch how you come back in. Strut yo' stuff!!!!! Walk really exaggerated like you are the most special thing on earth, perhaps even doing a beauty wave or two.

    How would you describe that walk? A little prideful maybe??

    President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “When you walk with gratitude, you do not walk with arrogance and conceit and egotism, you walk with a spirit of thanksgiving that is becoming to you and will bless your lives.”

    How do we "walk with a spirit of thanksgiving"? We give thanks to Heavenly Father for all our blessings and do so often!! Have 12 different footprints on the ground labeled with places we can walk with thanksgiving. (Home, School, Grocery Store, Church, Park, Vacation, Garden, Temple, Family Home Evening, Friend's house, Library, etc.) Bring in 2 dice and let the children roll, to walk that many footprints. Once they land on one, they can name a blessing they are thankful for there from Heavenly Father... for example if they land on School, "I am grateful for safety and good teachers." or Family Home Evening, "I am grateful to be able to share testimonies as a family together."

 

* President Joseph F. Smith has said, “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!” 

Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. (1939), 263.

   Bring in a super big pair of glasses, they sell them at the Dollar store. Have children come up front and wear the glasses to look for things that they can be grateful for. Hide items throughout the room that represent blessings Heavenly Father has given us.

   We don't need really big glasses to see our blessings do we? We just need to have grateful hearts and let Heavenly Father know how much we appreciate all He does for us!

* Have the children look up some scriptures on how Jesus showed gratitude to Heavenly Father.
(All examples taken from an awesome talk by Elder Hales... love you Bob... found HERE)
Giving thanks before Sacrament 1 Cor. 11:23–24 and Mark 14:23
The story of Lazarus, giving thanks for Heavenly Father hearing prayers John 11:33-41
The Loaves and the fishes, thanks for miracles John 6:5–14
Thanks for The Holy Ghost 3 Ne. 19:20–21
Have pictures to go along with each story. Was Jesus a grateful person? Should we be?
Read Alma 34:38. We are commanded to live in thanksgiving daily!!
If possible, give the children a plastic cup and Ziploc bag of small pom poms. Invite them to fill up their cups every night with pom poms. To do so, they must name something Heavenly Father blessed them with that day!

*President Benson said, “The Prophet Joseph said at one time that one of the greatest sins of which the Latter-day Saints would be guilty is the sin of ingratitude. I presume most of us have not thought of that as a great sin. There is a great tendency for us in our prayers and in our pleadings with the Lord to ask for additional blessings. But sometimes I feel we need to devote more of our prayers to expressions of gratitude and thanksgiving for blessings already received. We enjoy so much.” (God, Family, Country, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1974, p. 199.)
     Have about 25 frowny faces drawn on a chalk board. We need to erase the sin of ingratitude from our lives!! We can do so, starting today, by coming up with things we are thankful for from Heavenly Father. Once we share how thankful we are, we can come up and erase and draw a smiley face instead!

 

Thanksgiving Gift of Gratitude- Possible Family Home Evening Idea

Thanksgiving

This month I wanted to do something special for my children.

Take a small gift and wrap it. Add an index card with a reason why you are grateful for them. Wrap another layer. Add another index car with another reason why you are grateful for that person. Repeat as many days as you want that person to unwrap!!

This could make for a fun Family Home Evening if you drew names of family members and did it in secret! On the last wrapping paper layer and index card you could reveal who was writing all the kind messages of gratitude!

The free clip art turkey image was courtesy Lita Lita 2012 http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Lita-Lita

I wrote the small poem in the middle. Please do not use this idea for comercial purposes.

Thanksgiving FHE's

Now that the month is almost over... maybe I should post some Thanksgiving FHE ideas.... ugh, real slick Sofia. Thanks.

This is one of my absolute favorites because I really get to see what my children have learned Gospel wise and what some of their favorite scripture stories of the moment are. Click HERE for the FHE.

This is a picture of our outcome this year. I just hot glued a scrap of fabric to the poster board to make a tablecloth. The girls also created a fancy centerpiece out of their magazine findings. I love that my 4 year old cut out corn and said, "This is the sheaves of corn that Pharaoh dreamed about and Joseph figured out what it meant."

Another fantastic one was counting our blessings. We filled up an entire poster board (Thank you 2 for $1 at the Dollar Store) with 104 different things we were thankful for. Star Wars, Snape and Nipple Latches were just a few of our many things we're thankful for.

For more gratitude ideas, just click on gratitude on my sidebar.

And if you're just looking for a fun Turkey Art Project here are a few:

The girls picked a few "feathers" from Wal-Mart paint section and cut slits on the sides to make them more textured.

This was crayon and watercolor. First they draw the shape of the turkey with a black sharpie.

Um, greatest wings ever. This makes me smile everyday. $1 store bandaids make feathers and of course, turkeys need long hair like Rapunzel. Third eyes? I don't know where that comes from.

Draw an outline of a turkey, let the kiddos cover with painters tape on the line, then marble roll!! It kind of looks like a sun, but if you look closely you'll see feet and a waddle.

Miscellaneous Finds on Gratitude

The church website has THE BEST resources!! In case you don't have the time, here are some links to stories, FHE's, Friend Articles on Gratitude.

31106, Family Home Evening Resource Book, Lesson Ideas, Gratitude, 192

"I am overwhelmed with feelings of thanksgiving. I feel so richly blessed of the Lord. I think no man has been blessed so richly as I have been blessed. I cannot understand it..." Gordon B. Hinkley
Want more, click here.

Elizabeth Ricks, “Two Little Words,” Friend, Nov 2007, 14–16
* Gratitude Journal Idea included

Pat Graham, “Sharing Time: Gratitude for God’s Creations,” Friend, Jul 1984, 37
* Pioneers who gave thanks

Margaret Lifferth, “Sharing Time: I Am Grateful for Many Things,” Friend, Dec 2005, 17
* When you scroll down, look at the Sharing Time Ideas 1 and 4, excellent!!

Elizabeth Ricks, “Sharing Time: Magnificent Promises,” Friend, Nov 2006, 14–16
* WOW! WOW! WOW! Thanks Sister Ricks!!

William Schlegl, “Thankfulness,” Friend, Nov 2008, 21
* A fun brain teaser for a primary newsletter.

November 2008 Primary Sharing Time Helps and Ideas

Worth of a Soul by Liz Lemmon Swindle (for purchase off of LDSart.com)

NOVEMBER THEME
I am thankful to know that we are all children of God.

“Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things”
(D&C 59:7).

Week 1 "I am thankful to be a beloved child of God."

* Make a poster board picture of a well. To be "beloved" is to be deeply loved. Here is my thought and I don't know if I'm explaining it really well. At carnivals they have the go fish game where a child will take a fishing pole and throw it over a wall to get a prize. So if you get a small bucket, attach a string and throw it over the picture of the well then they can get little hearts with various scriptures, songs and questions about gratitude as an activity for sharing time.
John 4:14 "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

* Have about 5 adults come in and say something they are thankful for in a different language and the words I am a child of God. Sing I am a child of God and try to learn it in a different language. Also sing Children All Over the World. Have those 5 adults stay if possible and divide into groups. Rotate to the different adults and have the children say things they are grateful for and the adults teach them how to say it in that different language.

Psalms 19: 3,"There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard."

* 1 John 4:11 "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." Divide the chalkboard into 3 sections with the titles 1.Heavenly Father loves me because: 2.I love Heavenly Father because: 3.So I will do: Brainstorm all the ideas you can think of. Have children help write ideas on the chalkboard, draw pictures for the younger children and then count all the blessings named. Sing count your many blessings. Then challenge the children to go and do good things out of gratitude to their Heavenly Father.

* This idea might be a little off the wall, bear with me. Is there someone in your branch that knows how to knit? Invite them in, with all their knitting tools. Mosiah 18: 21, "And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another." Have the children answer questions on gratitude, read scriptures, say nice things about each other... and as they do so, have the knitter make 2 notches for each answer (or more if it's really a good answer) Have a completed scarf or blanket to show the children. Emphasize again that when we have our hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another, great things will happen and marvelous miracles will occur. Heavenly Father loves us and we show our gratitude to Him by loving others.

Week 2 I am thankful for my body. I know my body is a temple.

* Have a piece of paper with an outline of a body on it for each child. Bring in a sheet of 10 stickers for each child. Put them into small groups of 4 or 5 with a teacher to help guide. They will choose 10 different (appropriate) parts of their body to put stickers on. Then they go around in the circle and take off one sticker at a time saying why they are grateful for that part of the body and match it to the part on the body paper they have. Then have a couple people share their answers with the whole primary. The Family Proclamation states: "All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny."

* Special Witness by Elder David A. Bednar is exceptional!!! Have a picture of a local temple (if possible, or any temple will do) and a handheld mirror. Have 4 word strips with the words:

What We Take into Our Temple
What We Put on Our Temple
What We Do to Our Temple
What We Do with Our Temple

Make small pictures to correspond to the answers given by Elder Bednar. Have the children match and discuss where the pictures belong- under the picture of the temple or by the mirror, which shows our own temple. For senior sharing time have them find scriptures with the Topical Guide to correspond to the lesson.

* My Body is a Temple Friend Magazine May 2002 pg. 18 is FABULOUS!!!! You could even use it as an attention getter (at the start of the lesson to focus everyone on the topic) by making the little body builder and saying things you are thankful for, about or because of your body, while he lifts the weight. Have the children practice flexing their gratitude muscles by saying things they are thankful for also once the little man is made!!

Week 3 Heavenly Father loves all of His children.

*See HERE for a couple reader's theatres.

Week 4 I can show respect and kindness to all of God’s children.

* Invite 2 children up to the front. Blindfold one and ask him to take the hand of the other. Tell the blindfolded child to lead the other one across the room.

D&C 19:40-41 "Or canst thou run about longer as a blind guide? Or canst thou be humble and meek, and conduct thyself wisely before me? Yea, come unto me thy Savior. Amen." What does this scripture mean to the children? Talk about being an "example".

* Have a child come to the front and write with his toes his name on a piece of paper. Have another child come up and try to write their name with a pen in their mouth (please be careful... thank you law suits...) The point: We are grateful for our arms and hands! Every part of our body was carefully designed. Not everyone has a body that works perfectly though. Why? Sing CS 140 I'll Walk With You. We are all children of God. Make a small slide show or power point with different pictures of children to the music of I'm trying to be like Jesus.

* Dramatize the following with the children: ( I would make little signs like "leper" or "palsy" for the diseased, have simple sheets to put on angel and Jesus and a blue blanket for the water) John 5: 4-9, "4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath."
Do we put our needs before others? How can we be like the angel and move the water for others? We can help heal in many different ways by showing respect and kindness.

* Have 3 ziploc bags full of jelly beans or smarties (I personally would do smarties, because you are what you eat!), different amounts in each bag though. Give them to 3 different children (Choose the children wisely). Explain that the children could keep the bags all for themselves or they could share with everyone. Brigham Young and other church leaders helped to establish the "United Order" (See Church History in the Fullness of Times Manuel pg. 402-404) Elder Cannon said this order would bring in a time, "When there shall be no rich and no poor among the Latter-day Saints, when wealth will not be a temptation; when every man will love his neighbor as he does himself; when every man and woman will labor for the good of all as much as for self"" (Church History in the Fullness of Times Manuel pg. 402) We may not be asked to start up the United Order again right now and give everything we have, but we should look for EVERY MOMENT when we can show kindness and respect to all of God's children. (D&C 92, 104)