Week plan for JAN 7 - JAN 13
Young children
Lessons and activities for up to a full week of Come, Follow Me: for Families
Monday
Doctrine: Angels announced the birth of Jesus
Song: He Sent His Son
After watching the sing along once together, play it again and run across the room every time the song switches from a question to an answer, and vice versa.
Cut a string to a length of five feet or more. Thread it through an empty toilet paper roll. With a child holding the string taut at each end, have them practice sending the tube from one end to the other while you tell them how Heavenly Father sent His Son. Then sing the song, sending the tube across the string every time the song switches from question to answer and back. Experiment with one child standing on a platform to be higher than the other. Optional: expand on the activity by involving pictures to teach the lyrics.
Other songs of the week
The Church of Jesus Christ
I Pray in Faith
A Child's Prayer
This is My Beloved Son
Scripture story
Make wooden peg dolls of Mary and the angel Gabriel using small pegs and scraps of fabric. Set up a simple panorama in a propped-up shoe box with a cup of water and a thimble for Mary to collect water. Take turns telling the story.
Memorize: “Prayer is heard" (Luke 1:13)
Using the string from the above song activity, along with two empty soup cans, make these soup can phones. Say the phrase back and forth through the "phone." Talk about how Heavenly Father listens to our prayers.
Coloring page
Activities
Dress up like angels with white bed sheets and use empty paper towel tubes or toilet paper rolls for trumpets. Sing "If You're Happy" with the lyrics, "If you're an angel and you know it, blow your horn." Look at The Second Coming picture by Harry Anderson.
Go outside and make snow angels. Have your children name all the angels they can think of (i.e. Moroni, Gabriel, deceased grandparents). Explain that angels don't actually have wings even though they are often portrayed that way
Tuesday
Doctrine: Jesus Christ's name is special
Song: The Church of Jesus Christ
Fill a paper bag with small animal toys or pictures. Have a child draw an animal from the bag and then everyone sing the song using an action corresponding to the animal (ideas here). When the name of Jesus Christ is sung, freeze and stop doing the action until the song continues. After singing, discuss how you can treat the Savior's name with reverence.
Other songs of the week
A Child's Prayer
He Sent His Son
I Pray in Faith
This is My Beloved Son
Scripture story
Watch: Mary and the Angel
Watch: Joseph and the Angel
Memorize: “Prayer is heard" (Luke 1:13)
Repeat saying the scripture phrase through soup can phones.
Actions: fold arms → cup your ear
"Who hears your prayers?" Point to heaven and say "Heavenly Father!"
Activities
Tape a maze on the floor as described here. Write the letter "J" with a marker at the turns and intersections along the correct route. On incorrect paths, write other letters. Give your child a toy car and tell him how to drive through the maze by following the "J"s for Jesus. Point out the first "J" and let him try to make it through the maze. (Note: for readers, write the letters for "JESUS" or "CHRIST" along the correct route so they will have to spell His name to navigate the maze).
Cut slips of paper and write on each one a familiar word in your child's vocabulary (i.e. dog, baby, Mom). Write "Jesus" on one slip. Spread the slips face up on the ground and have your child find Jesus' name. Clap when it's found and point to a picture of the Savior, saying "you found Jesus' name! It's a very special name." Mix the papers and repeat multiple times. To make the game easier, tape a small picture to each paper next to the word.
Practice writing the name of Jesus by tracing fingers in a thick layer of salt or sugar on a cookie sheet
Do an alphabet scavenger hunt with a fun paper plate scorecard, finding the letters that spell "Jesus" or "Christ" or both, depending on your child's reading level.
Turn off the lights, and with a glow stick, find and illuminate the names "Jesus" and "Christ" in the scriptures.
Write each child's name with glue onto their own paper. Have your children hole punch some colorful paper and then sprinkle the little circles onto their name. While the glue dries, tell them stories of how you chose their name and what it means. Remind them of the story of how Jesus was named. Once the glue is dry, blow off the loose hole punches and display their name art.
Wednesday
Doctrine: Jesus Christ is the Son of God
Song: This is My Beloved Son
Teach mostly the chorus using this lesson plan.
Help your children learn the melody by pitch-level conducting the chorus.
Make conducting wands by taping a few strands of ribbon to the end of a popsicle stick
Other songs of the week
The Church of Jesus Christ
I Pray in Faith
A Child's Prayer
He Sent His Son
Scripture story
Cut out these shadow puppets of Mary, Joseph, and Gabriel, then grab flashlights and go into a dark room. Hold up the shadow puppets as you read the stories below
Read: Mary and the Angel
Read: Joseph and the Angel
Memorize: “Prayer is heard" (Luke 1:13)
Repeat saying the scripture phrase through soup can phones.
Actions: fold arms → cup your ear
"Who hears your prayers?" Point to heaven and say "Heavenly Father!"
Coloring page
Activities
Action rhyme about the Godhead
Print and cut out pictures of your relatives and your own family. Spread them on the floor and have your children race to find the correct picture when you say a relative's name (be sure to include their title, such as Uncle Jack or Little Sister Susie). To make the game more difficult, ask questions like, "which one is Mommy's daughter?" or "which one is Grandpa John's son?" After the game, explain your children's relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and how Jesus is the Son of God.
Give your children a Lego challenge to build a family tree. Cut out faces from the printed family pictures to tape onto Lego people. Ask your children what Jesus' family tree would look like (Mary as mother and God as Father).
Decorate an index card box with pictures of your ancestors. Use it for storing and organizing family names waiting for temple work. Let your children put star stickers on any family name cards that are fully completed.
Thursday
Doctrine: I can pray to Heavenly Father
Song: I Pray in Faith (second verse)
Set out ingredients for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and tell your children that prayer is like a PB&J. How so? Start singing the second verse of the song, and put together a sandwich as you go, connecting each ingredient of the sandwich with an ingredient to prayer. Read this post for more instructions on using this analogy.
Other songs of the week
The Church of Jesus Christ
This is My Beloved Son
A Child's Prayer
He Sent His Son
Scripture story
Watch: Elisabeth and Zacharias
Memorize: “Prayer is heard" (Luke 1:13)
Repeat saying the scripture phrase through soup can phones.
Actions: fold arms → cup your ear
"Who hears your prayers?" Point to heaven and say "Heavenly Father!"
Coloring page
Activities
Decorate a prayer rock
Action rhyme: I Can Pray
Two sided puzzles: Prayer Reminders
Assemble Ralph, a paper-bag puppet who can fold his arms to pray
Friday
Doctrine: Heavenly Father answers my prayers
Song: I Pray in Faith (first verse)
Tap the rhythm on paper cups. Also have them try patting the cup on their thighs, shoulders, etc and create their own unique ways to play the rhythm with a paper cup.
Have your children put a cup over each of their ears, then sing the song together to experiment with how it sounds.
Other songs of the week
The Church of Jesus Christ
This is My Beloved Son
A Child's Prayer
He Sent His Son
Scripture story
Make paper bag puppets to tell the story below
Read: John the Baptist is Born
Memorize: “Prayer is heard" (Luke 1:13)
Repeat saying the scripture phrase through soup can phones.
Actions: fold arms → cup your ear
"Who hears your prayers?" Point to heaven and say "Heavenly Father!"
Coloring pages
Flip chart for Saturday's song, A Child's Prayer
Activities
Cut this into a simple jigsaw puzzle
Build a huge fort with cardboard boxes and blankets. Poke holes in the top of a box to create a starry sky effect. Gather together inside the fort with pillows and flashlights. Eat mini snack pretzels (in the shape of arms folded in prayer) and read a few of the following stories: A Prayer for Speedy, Monsters in the Closet, Explorer Everett, Finding Floppy, What Daniel Forgot, Prayer on the Bus, Remembering to Pray, Praying with Zara, Under the Stairs Prayers, A Simple Prayer
Saturday
Doctrine: Heavenly Father answers my prayers
Song: A Child's Prayer
Flip chart to color
Other songs of the week
He Sent His Son
This is My Beloved Son
The Church of Jesus Christ
I Pray in Faith
Scripture story
Act out the story of Zacharias and Elisabeth. Some ideas: put flour in their hair to look old; draw on wrinkles with eyeliner (have your children scrunch their faces so you can apply it to the natural lines); make incense cones with cinnamon and water; put baby doll under a child's shirt to look pregnant
Memorize: “Prayer is heard" (Luke 1:13)
Repeat saying the scripture phrase through soup can phones.
Actions: fold arms → cup your ear
"Who hears your prayers?" Point to heaven and say "Heavenly Father!"
Coloring pages
Flip chart for "A Child's Prayer" song
Activities
Ask your children these prayer questions
Cut this into a simple jigsaw puzzle
Prayer rebus: Arturo's Family Prayer
At bedtime, say the Good Night Train rhyme
Sunday
Take a binder of the printouts to church as a Sacrament Meeting quiet book
Review what you learned during the week and do any leftover activities
Share testimonies
Mail artwork to grandparents (or text/email them pictures from the week)