Week plan for MARCH 25–31
Matthew 14–15; Mark 6–7; John 5–6
Young children
Memorize during the week: "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger." (John 6:35)
Song of the Week: I Feel My Savior's Love (CS 74)
Introduce the song by placing a few textured objects in a bag one at a time, having your children feel and describe each one. When finished, discuss how different emotions feel. Ask if they have ever felt love. Tell them that you are going to teach them a song about the best feeling in the world: feeling the Savior's love.
Watch this music video sung by Reese Oliveira, Hallie Cahoon, and Blake Walker and arranged by Masa Fukuda.
Learn the simplified ASL. If you would like printed reminders of the signs, go here.
Monday
Doctrine: Jesus Christ knows what we need and can help us. John 5:1–9
Scripture story
Watch: Doing His Father's Work on Earth, Illustrated New Testament Stories
Coloring page
Activities
Make stick figure people out of toothpicks and playdough or mini marshmallows. Give each one a deformity by breaking one of its toothpick limbs. Role-play the scripture story using either a shallow pan of water or this pool of bethesda craft. Use a small piece of paper as the man's bed that he will roll up and take with him after being healed by Jesus.
Grab a rug or welcome/yoga mat and decorate it with pictures of things that are hard or sad for the individuals in your family. Take turns laying on the rug, moaning about one of the pictures, then being lifted up from the rug by a family member, rolling up the rug and walking away happy. Talk about how Jesus knows when we need help and are struggling. He always wants to help us.
Watch Jesus Heals a Man on the Sabbath, a Children's Bible Video.
Tuesday
Doctrine: Jesus Christ knows what we need and can help us. John 5:1–9
Scripture story
Watch: Jesus Heals a Lame Man on the Sabbath, Bible Video
Coloring page
Activities
Place a bowl of water in the middle of the room and your children on the perimeter of the room. Tell them their legs don't work so they are not allowed to use their legs at all for the race. When you wiggle the bowl to ripple the water, they must drag themselves to the bowl, "racing" to see who will get to it first. (Idea from here)
Using your finest art supplies, make replicas of Carl Bloch's famous painting, Christ Healing the Sick at Bethesda.
Talk about problems your children are facing or have faced in their life. Cut out these emoticons and have each child use them to describe how those problems make them feel. Then testify that Jesus Christ knows how we feel and wants us to be happy, so He will help us through those challenges.
Wednesday
Doctrine: We follow Jesus’s example when we are kind to others. Matthew 14:13–21
Scripture story
Read: Jesus Fed Many People (best read outside on the grass with a basket of rolls)
Watch: The Feeding of the 5000, Bible Video
Coloring page
Loaves and Fishes (after coloring, cut them out and put into a lunch sack so each of your children can pretend to be the boy who shared his lunch with 5000; idea from here)
Activities
On the backside of the colored loaves and fishes from above, help your children write/draw things they can do this week to be kind. Explain that when they are kind, they are following the example of Jesus Christ when he fed the five thousand hungry people.
Demonstrate how many people were fed using uncooked rice. First, with your children, count how many people are in the room and put that many grains of rice in your hand. Then say that in the story we're learning, Jesus gave food to 5000 people! That's a LOT of people. Measure 3/4 cup of rice, which is roughly 5000 grains and let your children try to count it. (Idea from here) Then show these pictures to further illustrate how many people were there.
Watch the music video Have I Done Any Good? Have on hand a basket of goldfish crackers and round crackers. For every kind thing done in the video, give your children one fish or "loaf" to eat. Alternatives are Swedish Fish or croutons.
Thursday
Doctrine: We follow Jesus’s example when we are kind to others. Matthew 14:13–21
Scripture story
Watch: Jesus Feeds 5000 People, Illustrated New Testament Stories
Watch: The Bread of Life, Illustrated New Testament Stories
Coloring page
Activities
Discuss how kindness multiplies like the loaves and fishes were multiplied by Jesus. Do an object lesson on the kindness ripple effect, kindness domino effect, and/or do this "Bean" Kind activity to show the far reaching effects of kindness.
Be inspired by kids around the world doing acts of kindness.
Make this loaves and fishes bracelet with penne noodles, pipe cleaners, paper, and a hole punch.
Read the rebus Jesus Feeds 5000 People. Find hidden objects in this illustration of Jesus feeding the five thousand.
Friday
Doctrine: Faith in Jesus Christ can help us not be afraid. Matthew 14:22–33
Scripture story
Watch: Wherefore Didst Thou Doubt?, Bible Video
Read: Jesus Walks on the Water, rebus
Coloring page
Activities
Fill a pan or bucket with water and test if different objects float or sink. Then ask if your child would sink or float. Tell them to try to walk on top of the water.
Set up a balance beam or slackline, taping a picture of Jesus Christ at eye level on a wall or tree at one of the ends. Have your children, one by one, try crossing while keeping their sights set firmly on the Savior even with distractions right and left.
Cover these finger puppets with clear packaging tape (or laminate them) for role-playing the scripture story in the bathtub. With the large eyes on the finger puppets, emphasize that Peter walked on water while he kept his eyes on Jesus, but he started to sink when his eyes got distracted by the wind and waves.
Read the story A Prayer for Safety about a girl who was saved from drowning. Role-play rescuing each other from sinking.
Saturday
Doctrine: Faith in Jesus Christ can help us not be afraid. Matthew 14:22–33
Scripture story
Watch: Jesus Walks on the Water, Illustrated New Testament Stories
Coloring page
Activities
Cut out the children's faces in this article and place into an envelope or ziploc bag; then set it aside. Cut out each adult paragraph and hide them in your children's beds (in the pillowcase, under the mattress, etc.) Give your children the envelope and tell them to search the beds. Read the advice given in each paragraph as they are found and try to match the adults to their kid picture.
Ask your children to each find a picture of the Savior that fills them with peace and makes them feel safe and happy. Then, with pictures in hand, crowd underneath a dark blanket together, blocking out the light in order to make a night light glow under the blanket. By the night light, let your children show and tell about each chosen picture. Then tell of a personal experience when Christ helped you conquer a fear or endure a scary situation. Invite older children to do the same.
Do this candle and fan object lesson to demonstrate how faith in Christ can help us not be afraid.
Sunday
Play Don't Eat Grandpa Pete, a family history game using a bag of small candies and a family tree chart.
Review songs you've learned so far this year by filling plastic Easter eggs with fun ways to sing: in one big breath, standing on a chair, lights out, every other word, opera style, etc. Let your children find or choose an egg and then crack it on someone's head to discover what is inside! (Idea from here)
