FHE - Why We Have the Sabbath Day (The Creation)

My five year old was asking about Sabbath Day activities, and we asked him in return why we have the Sabbath Day. He said it was for sleeping and church. Well, he wasn't entirely wrong, so we went with it and further probed 'why.' His answers left my husband and myself feeling like maybe we hadn't done the best job in explaining why the Sabbath Day exists and why it's important. So, if you find yourself in the same boat, hopefully this FHE lesson will help. (Please click here if you don't know what Family Home Evening is.) This lesson is targeted to a much younger group with a short lesson and simple activities. It was helpful for my five year old, but also held the interested of our two year old.

Materials:

1. Print outs of creation days (click link at end of lesson)
2. Printed poem (or device to read it from)
3. Display board/magnetic white board or chalkboard
4. Coloring picture

Why We Have the Sabbath Day

Song: Remember the Sabbath Day, Children's Songbook, pg. 155

Scripture: Exodus 20:8-11 - "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."

Lesson:

• Ask: 
• What do you know about how the earth began?
• Prepare:
• Lay the pictures of the creation out where the kids can see them all. Make sure they are not in any particular order. Explain to them you are going to read a poem about the creation. They should find each picture that corresponds with each day of the creation and place them in order on the display board as you read. (If your children are younger, stop between each day to allow them time to find the pictures. If your children are older you might decide to read the entire poem first, then have them place the pictures in order to see how good their memory is)
• Read: The Creation by Lisa Phipps (Friend, January 2005)
• On the first day God said, "Let there be light,"
  And He separated the day and night.
  
  On the second day God created sky.
  He painted it blue with clouds floating by.
  
  On the third day God made the land and seas.
  He added green grass, bright flowers, and trees.
  
  On the fourth day God made stars twinkle bright.
  He made the moon for a little more light.
  
  On the fifth day God made owls, ducks, and larks.
  He filled the sea with whales, dolphins, and sharks.
  
  On the sixth day God made creatures on land
  Like deer, frogs, dogs, zebras, woman, and man.
  
  On the seventh day God said all was blessed.
  He smiled happily and took a rest.
• Ask:
• What did Heavenly Father do on the seventh day? 
• What do we call the seventh day?
• Refer back to the scripture read (reread it if necessary): What has Heavenly asked us to do on the Sabbath day? 
• Why do you think the Sabbath day is important?
• Optional Activity: Brainstorm ideas for Sabbath day activities and write them on the board.

Coloring Page

Creation Pictures Link - I only used the pictures for the seven days of creation by cutting out the circles and discarding the words. Making each child their own Creation Minibook using this link instead of doing the coloring page might be a great alternative for an ending activity depending on age.

*P.S. Remember to begin and end each FHE with a prayer.

FHE - Jesus Said Love Everyone

We live in a hard world. As members of the LDS church we know that Heavenly Father has certain expectations of us, that certain things are good, and other things are sins. The world is full of people that make decisions we know are contrary to God's commandments, but that does not give us license to hate or be unkind. This lesson is an introduction for younger children to the idea that we have been instructed, even commanded, to love all of God's children.

Materials:

1. Chalkboard
2. Chalk 
3. TV (with internet access)
4. Coloring page (link below in lesson)
5. Crayons

Jesus Said Love Everyone

Song: Jesus Said Love Everyone, Children's Songbook, pg. 61

Scripture: John 13:34-35 - "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another"

Lesson: 

• Ask: 
• Who do we love? (Write names down on chalkboard as kids say names of those they love.)
• Who else should we love? (Write these down as well. Prompt if necessary. ex: people of different religions, people that make bad choices, "enemies," etc.) Reference Luke 6:27-38 for further ideas and consider reading aloud as a family as you build your list.
• Show:
• Children's Bible Video - The Good Samaritan  Time - 3:50
• Ask your kids to tell the story to check for comprehension and be sure to explain why it's such a big deal it was a Samaritan that stopped. (He was considered the enemy.)
• Ask:
• So what? What does this mean in our lives today? (It means we are expected to love EVERYBODY. Revisit the list previously made.)
• Activity:
• Brainstorm as a family ways to love people that are on your list - whether they're ones they already love, ones they struggle loving, or ones they've never even thought of before. (ex: call Grandma and sing her a song, donate to refugee centers, volunteer at senior homes, smile at strangers, write teacher a thank-you note, etc.) Choose one to focus on as a family, or choose individually, and make it a family goal for the week. 
• Good Samaritan Coloring page - while kids are coloring is a great time to discuss the topic and check for understanding, allow them to ask clarifying questions, etc. 
• Closing:
• Share this quotation from Pres. Thomas S. Monson from the April 2014 session of General Conference: "We cannot truly love God if we do not love our fellow travelers on this mortal journey." Bear your testimony of the commandment to love one another.

CLICK HERE FOR A FREE 'JESUS SAID LOVE EVERYONE' PRINTABLE BOOKMARK

(If you have teenagers, you might be interested in using Elder Oak's talk from the October 2014 session of General Conference called Loving Others and Living with Differences.)

FHE - Word of Wisdom for Small Children

I wanted to do a Family Home Evening from the Doctrine & Covenants since that is the book we are focusing on in Sunday School this year. I decided the simplest topic for my small children would be the Word of Wisdom. This was a good, focused introduction into healthy eating that my children haven't had yet beyond what we discuss while preparing meals. Enjoy!

Word of Wisdom for Small Children

Song: The Lord Gave Me A Temple, Children’s Songbook, pg. 153

Scripture: Deuteronomy 14:3 - “Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.”

Lesson:

• Ask children to share their favorite thing to eat. Ask whether or not they think it is good for their bodies.
• Share that Heavenly Father has filled the earth with good things for us to eat, and that he wants us to eat those good things to take care of the body we are blessed to have.
• Share an abbreviated story of how the Word of Wisdom came to be: Joseph prayed to Heavenly Father about concerns Emma had because of men using tobacco in her home. Joseph received the Word of Wisdom as his answer. The Word of Wisdom teaches how to best take care of our bodies so we can better enjoy life and be able to fulfill our purposes here on earth.
• Read the Word of Wisdom out loud with food cutouts (link to printable below) placed on the floor. Have children locate the food cutouts as you read. Stop and discuss/clarify as often as needed. Emphasize blessings promised.
• Health
• Wisdom
• Hidden treasures
• Energy
• Protection
• Share Elder Uchtdorf’s experience found in his talk "Continue in Patience" : He was training as a pilot and was required to run often and at great length. He began to notice he wasn’t running as fast as others and was tired even though he was following the Word of Wisdom. He was frustrated at the time, but later he realized the Lord’s blessings are not always fulfilled in the way we hope or in the time-frame we want, but his promises are always kept. If Elder Uchtdorf had not been following the Word of Wisdom during his training he would have been even more tired and not run as well as he had been. Sometimes the blessings given from following the Word of Wisdom are subtle, but they are there.

Activity: Hold onto grocery store ads throughout the week and have them ready with scissors, paper, and glue. Have children cut out foods that are in line with the Word of Wisdom and glue them on their paper.

CLICK HERE TO PRINT THE FOOD CUTOUTS PRINTABLE

Blogs For a 'Schlumpy' Day

There are days where I feel down in the schlumps, for no apparent reason, and I need a quick pick-me-up. It might be that I need a laugh, or that I need inspiration, but I just need a little something to get my gears turning again. One of my go-to's is blogs.

On 'schlumps' days I avoid the parenting/family/home blogs because they just add to the pressure and make me feel worse. I prefer blogs that focus on other things or nothing in particular. Below are four of my current favorite blogs that help take me somewhere else for a few minutes so I can recharge my 'happy' batteries.

1) The Bloggess
Sometimes serious, usually funny, always (Well, almost. Sometimes it's just plain ridiculous.) uplifting, this blog is an encouraging and fun read for me. I enjoy her unique outlook on life, her odd quirks, and her lovable family. There is sometimes profanity, but it rarely detracts from the message she is conveying.

This is a picture of her newest book. I haven't read it yet, but it probably tastes the same as her blog. Yes, taste. Roll with it.

2) Cakewrecks
This blog successfully makes me laugh every time I look at it. On occasion I have laughed until tears are rolling down my cheeks. It's a constant mockery of bakeries that produce terrible cakes, and, on Sundays, they showcase truly beautiful cakes that fill me with admiration and envy. Try this one if you need a guaranteed smile.

3) Delicious Reads
This one might not appeal to people that don't love to read, but perhaps you'll discover a book that actually intrigues you. Whether or not a reader, you might want to take a peak. They have the most adorable book club meetings. These are meetings I could never do due to lack of time, resources, money, and friends, but it's fun to see what they do anyways. They provide book reviews, reading suggestions, book-inspired gifts and food, etc. I love seeing what they have to say.

4) The Londoner
This is a newer discovery for me, and I love it! She has beautiful pictures of her simply living life. The blog is simple and fun and inspiring. Her most recent posts have been about a trip to a little island I've never heard of before, but is now on my 'must-see-someday' list. Read this blog if you need some beauty, whether in the day-to-day or the exotic, she has them all.

These blogs have been my best friends the past week as I've been battling the 'schlumps.' Any other suggestions?

FHE - Lying vs. Telling the Truth

My toddler has been struggling with lying lately, and it's been difficult because we can tell he can't quite grasp what a lie is or why it is important. We did this little Family Home Evening with him, and it seems to have helped a bit. He's been more curious about understanding and has actively been using the vocabulary we taught him. Since I could not find a lesson already created and shared for this purpose, I thought I would do it. Hopefully somebody out there gets some use out of this.

Learning About Lying vs. Telling the Truth

Song: I Believe in Being Honest, Children's Songbook, Pg. 149

Scripture: Isaiah 63:8 - "For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour."

Lesson:

• After sharing the scripture, share with children that Heavenly Father has asked us to be honest, to tell the truth. 
• It is important to tell the truth so that others know they can trust us.
• What is trust? Trust is being able to believe in someone. 
• Invite the children to jump off of something, or fall backwards, into your arms. Let them know they did this because they trusted you; they believed that you would catch them.
• Share this story from the January 2012 edition of The Friend
• Explain how important it is that we are able to trust them, and that we will do so if they will always tell the truth.
• Sometimes it's hard to understand what a lie is, let's practice with the below activity.

Activity: Print out the happy and sad faces and attach them to popsicle sticks (or back to back on a single popsicle stick). (Note: If your children are old enough to read you could write the words 'Truth' and 'Lie' down instead of printing out the faces.) Tell your children things that are true or false and have them hold up the faces accordingly - frowny face for lies since they make us and Heavenly Father sad, happy face for truths since they make us and Heavenly Father happy. Allow everybody in the family to take turns with the faces and have chances to make statements. Start with obvious ones so children can begin to understand the concept of lying vs. telling the truth. (Ex: I have two noses - lie. I have blue eyes - truth.)

Closing: Explain that it can take practice to understand, but that your relationships are stronger and full of trust when you tell the truth, and that Heavenly Father approves.

CLICK HERE TO PRINT THE TRUTH VS LIE PRINTABLE

Things I Learned:
1) Teaching what a lie is can be very complicated.
2) Anything that allows for jumping during FHE is an instant hit.
3) The frowny/smiley face activity is a great reinforcer throughout the week.