Saturday, June 26, 2010

July 2010 LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps and Ideas

British Artist Ford Madox Brown Jesus Washing Peter's feet at the Last Supper (1835)

July Theme: I can Follow Jesus Christ's Example.
July Scripture: Jesus said, "Come, follow me" (Luke 18:22)

Week 1 Jesus Christ always obeyed Heavenly Father.

* See Reader's Theater here. Hey, ever wonder why I post so many reader's theaters? Me too. Not really though. I like reader's theater because it involves a lot of kids and gets them completely involved in the learning process.

Week 2 Jesus Christ went about doing good.

* Have a bunch of words/pictures of things we can do with our time. Playing video games, watching TV, eating, reading a book, playing soccer... Ask the children to come to the front and share with the primary something they can do. Sing Do as I'm Doing (CS p. 276) and Fun to Do (CS p.253). What was a special word that was the same in both songs? DO! There are lots of things we can do with our time, but we should DO what Christ did. Have the children come up with stories and experiences from our Savior's life to replace the things we can "do" on the board with the things we should do.

* Sing Tell Me the Stories of Jesus (CS p.57). Show the children Elder Andersen's recent talk at conference... what is the name of His talk? How important is it that we know what Jesus Christ did? Very! Make books of the different stories of Jesus and how He went about doing good. Give the children different GAK (gospel art kit) pictures and have them draw out the stories. Staple and share! This is a good way to have the older and younger work together as the little ones will draw pictures and the older children can write the words. Teachers can help also! Have them write verbatim what the children can recall of the things Jesus did here on this earth.

* Have the children look at the Bible Maps!! Especially Map 11 The Holy Land in New Testament Times. Here is a nice link to show and give in detail all the different places Christ went about doing good. Don't forget a map of the America's too! Have the children create their own maps not with places, but different things they can remember about the life of Christ... different things He did to help others. Make sure to let children share their work!

* "Do" drops. Take a turkey baster and let the children fill up a glass of water one or two "do" drops at a time. To earn a "do" drop they have to sing a song about Jesus, read a scripture or identify a GAK picture of something Jesus did in His life.


John 4:13-15 "Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 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. The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw"

Let us always remember Jesus, our living waters who always went about doing good!!

Weeks 3 and 4: Jesus Christ's example teaches me how to live.

* Have a thin piece of masking tape for a child to walk across without touching any other part of the floor and then have them squeeze in between two chairs to finish. 2 Nephi 31:9, 16 " And again, it showeth unto the children of men the straitness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, he having set the example before them"

* FOR SENIOR PRIMARY! In the topical guide are 19 scripture references to Jesus Christ as our Exemplar. Hide the references and scriptures throughout the room and have the children work together to make matches!

* Have the children come up with different things they can do this week to be more like the Savior. Then have them go to Relief Society or Priesthood (or both) and sing I'm trying to be like Jesus (Children's Songbook p.78-79) and give their parents their papers.

* Bring in a mirror and a lipstick for a child to write with. Have them come up with words that have to do with how Jesus lived. (For example- love, kindness, charity, humble, helpful, nice, giving) Let them write a couple words on the mirror and then look at the reflection as you hold a picture of Christ behind them.

Alma 5:14 "And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?"

As we follow the example of our Savior, we will reflect His goodness.

* Bring in a lantern. 3 Nephi 18:16 "And as I have prayed among you even so shall ye pray in my church, among my people who do repent and are baptized in my name. Behold I am the light; I have set an example for you."

Who would really want to go into a dark forest without a lantern? Not me! I still sleep with a night light! Break into groups and give the children strips of yellow paper. Have them come up with different rays/ways that Jesus taught us how to live by example. (For example- Be forgiving. Jesus forgave those that crucified Him. or Be bold. Jesus cleansed the temple.)

*Bring in a sewing pattern and something you have created from the pattern. D&C 52:14 "I will give unto you a pattern in all things, that ye may not be deceived.” Create a pattern on the board with different colored paper. Children earn the paper by singing songs, reading scriptures and answering questions based on the week's theme.

Food for thought: "When I looked for a definition of pattern, I found it had a Latin origin derived from pater or father, one who served as a model or pattern to be emulated. Our Savior Jesus Christ set the pattern and asked us to follow him. Nephi asks, “Can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?” 2 Nephi 31:10" Janette C. Hales, “A Pattern of Righteousness,” Ensign, May 1991, 83

* This handout from The Friend would be wonderful to send home with children to do with their family!!!

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Come, Follow Me (Hymns 116) LDS Primary Song Helps

Path image courtesy creative commons license flickr.com by immarkcz march 2008

Come, Follow Me (Hymns 116)

* Have a beautiful path drawn. Have a primary child cut out with a magnet attatched. Have another magnet to be able to move the child down the path to a picture of the Savior at the end. Let a child move the magnet as you sing!

* Have a 12 different footprints cut out. As you sing and review the song, have a few children who've been singing nice and bold come up and choose a footprint. Have 1 picture of the Savior under 1 footprint, if they choose that one they get a sticker! We can follow lots of different people and paths in the world but the most important is , Matthew 16:24 "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

* Matthew 4:19 "And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." This would be a good opportunity to show the children that with the songs are scriptures! Let the children fish out different parts of the song. Have a blue sheet, fishing pole and fishes with pictures to learn the words of the different verses.

* Sing the song with a child up at front, using their hand to reverently draw a path in the air. The primary will sing also, mirroring and following the child's path in front with their hands. (It will look a lot like conducting)

*Have a string of yarn throughout the room, in a maze, leading to a picture of the Savior. As you sing, invite a child to reverently start at one end of the string and try to follow it (walking nicely) to get to Jesus. At the end of the song if the child hasn't made it, you can have them choose another child to come where they left off and continue and you sing again!

Friday, June 11, 2010

July 2010 LDS Primary Helps and Ideas: Week 1 Reader's Theater Jesus Christ always obeyed Heavenly Father.

Image courtesy http://jesuschrist.lds.org/SonOfGod/eng/faith-in-jesus-christ
This reader's theater is STRONGLY based on "Chapter 3: Jesus Christ, Our Chosen Leader and Savior,” Gospel Principles, (2009),13–16 and “Chapter 11: The Life of Christ,” Gospel Principles, (2009),50–58"

See Here for tips about doing a reader's theater.

Shining Stars of Obedience
by Sofia Lykes


Speaking Parts
Camper #1 Camper #2 Camper #3

Angel #1 Angel #2

Mary John the Baptist

Leper Centurian Man of the Company Blind Man

Elder Whitney

Possible Non Speaking Parts
A couple children can be bushes by the campers
A couple children can be non-speaking angels
A couple children can hold up stars above their heads and be stars

Props
!!!!Simple!!!!! Costumes
Sticks with marshmallows
Scriptures


Camper #1: Please toss me another marshmallow! Yummy! I'm so excited to be camping.

Camper #2: Me too! This summer weather is perfect and my s'more is almost done!

Camper #3: While the treats are pretty awesome, my favorite part is looking into the night sky and seeing all the beautiful stars. It makes me feel so special knowing Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ made all of it for us.

Camper #2: (Looking up) It's so big up there! It makes me feel so small!

Camper #1: We may be small, but we can do big things with our lives! All we have to do is follow the Savior. He gave us the perfect example, as well as His life.

Camper #3:
Jesus Christ always obeyed Heavenly Father.

Camper #2: Always?

Camper #1 and #3:
Always!!

Camper #1: Remember the pre-existence?

Angel #1: I can't hear what Heavenly Father just said!!!

Angel #2: Shh!!! Whisper!! He just said “Whom shall I send?”1

Angel #1: Well... what else!?! I can't see anything with all these people. Not to mention my ears are still ringing from everyone shouting for joy at the plan of salvation!2

Angel #1: Ok, Ok... I think I got it. Jehovah...

Angel #2: You mean Jesus?

Angel #1:
Yes, Jehovah is one of His many names. So Jehovah just said, "Here I am, send me...Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever"3

Camper #3: Even before we were born on earth, Jesus obeyed Heavenly Father.

Camper #2: Hey I remember! Jesus obeyed Heavenly Father as a child too!

Mary: "Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing."4

Camper #2: And Jesus replied thoughtfully to His mother, "How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?"5

Camper #1: I would have been so scared to be lost!!

Camper #3: Mary and Joseph might have thought Jesus was lost, but He wasn't at all. He was being obedient and teaching truth. His Father's truth. Jesus was diligent and obedient as a child, and also throughout His entire life on earth.

Camper #2:
Remember when Jesus was baptized?

Camper #1: He was perfect and had no sin, His baptism wasn't to cleanse him but to show He would do anything Heavenly Father asked Him to. John the baptist didn't even want to baptize Him at first because he knew Jesus was perfect.

John the Baptist:
"I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?"6

Camper #3: Yet John baptized Him and a dove came down from heaven as well as Heavenly Father's voice when He said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Camper #1: No wonder Heavenly Father was pleased, Jesus always listened and did what needed to be done.

Leper: "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean."7

Centurion: "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed."8

Man of the company: " Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child. And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him. And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not"9

Blind Man: "A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight."10

Camper #3:
Jesus healed the sick, cast out devils and helped all those around him. One of my favorite scriptures is John 6:38 where Jesus Himself says, "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me."

Camper #1: I wonder if on the night of the atonement our Savior saw as many stars as we see tonight. A latter day apostle, Elder Orsen F. Whitney had a vision of the Garden of Gethsemane and on seeing Jesus weep he said...

Elder Whitney:
“I was so moved at the sight that I also wept, out of pure sympathy. My whole heart went out to Him; I loved Him with all my soul, and longed to be with Him as I longed for nothing else”11

Camper #2:
Even as He was suffering so much, and in so much pain, we see His total obedience to Heavenly Father when Jesus said, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt"12

Camper #3:
Jesus Christ always obeyed Heavenly Father. I can follow in His footsteps and do my best too!

ALL: We will be obedient like our Savior!

Camper #2: I can do all I need to do! I look at the stars above me and know that while I'm small, I shine big by my obedience to Heavenly Father.

ALL:
We will do Heavenly Father's will always!

Camper #1:
In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

____________________________________________________
1 Abraham 3:27
2 Job 38:7
3 Moses 4:1-2
4 Luke 2:48
5 Luke 2:49
6 Matthew 3:14
7 Matthew 8:2
8 Matthew 8:8
9 Luke 9:38-40
10 John 9:11
11 “The Divinity of Jesus Christ,” Improvement Era, Jan. 1926, 224–25; see also Ensign, Dec. 2003, 10
12 Matthew 26:39

Thursday, June 3, 2010

My Dad - My Hero... A Father's Day Idea for LDS Primary

Super Hero Image courtesy creative commons license flickr.com by kagey b 6/25/2007
I am in no way endorsing marvel comics by posting this image. Just wish I could look so cool in spandex.

Feel free to use the following and change (to uncle, brother or grandpa... know your children's needs!):
(By Sofia Lykes 2010)

Oh Yes my daddy is my hero!
He's a super kind of guy-
Amazing and fantastic,
Quite the apple of my eye!

He lifts me up and loves me,
He helps me reach the sky.
Everything is perfect
when I stick by his side!

Following the Savior,
in His footsteps all the while-
I'm grateful for my Father
who can always makes me smile!

Activity: Have a hero sandwich station!! Let the children choose from a variety of different ingredients to make their dad a special treat! (Not enough in the budget? Have the children make special coupons for their dad to cash in at home...a lunchtime picnic where the children are in charge!)