Week plan for MARCH 11–17; Matthew 10–12; Mark 2; Luke 7; 11
Young children
I'm restructuring a bit now that I've had two months to determine what is most effective in our home.
Memorize during the week: "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:30)
Song of the week: Tell Me the Stories of Jesus (CS 57)
Write each line of the lyrics on a page and have your children illustrate it. Put the completed pages into a binder as a storybook. Gather your children around you on the floor and read/sing the storybook to them.
Turn back time by having your children turn to the right three times and then sit down. Start out by telling them they are back in Jerusalem. Sing the lines "Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear, things I would ask him to tell me if he were here." Have them imagine they are there. Describe the area. (Do you see the sheep on the hills? The shepherds? Do you see the road winding off in the distance?) Show pictures of or tell a "wayside" story (i.e. Sermon on the Mount) and a sea story, such as the Savior calming the storm. Sing it for them, "scenes by the wayside, tales of the sea, stories of Jesus tell them to me." (Idea from Kay Maynard)
Monday
Doctrine: Jesus called Twelve Apostles and gave them power to do His work. Matt 10:1–10
Scripture story
Watch: Jesus Chooses His Apostles, Illustrated New Testament Stories
Coloring page
Activities
Let the children count the Apostles in the picture Christ Ordaining the Apostles and in a picture of the current Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (see LDS.org or a general conference issue of the Ensign or Liahona). Explain that we have twelve Apostles today, just as in Jesus’s time. Jesus calls Apostles to help Him build His Church. (Idea from the Primary manual).
Play Apostle bingo using this grid of faces of the Apostles as a playing board. Read one fact card (from the same link) at a time to your children, then help them match the name to the face. Tell them in a few weeks we will be watching these men on TV and they will teach us about Jesus. Save the bingo grids for an activity tomorrow.
Read aloud What Do Apostles Do and the poem Apostles while your children pretend a cardboard box is an airplane by lifting up the side flaps as wings.
Tuesday
Doctrine: Jesus called Twelve Apostles and gave them power to do His work. Matt 10:1–10
Scripture story
Watch: Jesus Calls Twelve Apostles to Preach and Bless Others, Bible Video
Coloring page
Activities
Print off one of these Prophet and Apostle cards for each your children. Look at their faces together and talk about distinguishing characteristics like glasses, hair color, etc. Save these for General Conference so they can put a marker on each apostle as your child spots them on the TV.
Cut up the bingo grids from yesterday and play Go Fish with them. (Idea from here)
Sing "Follow the Prophet", marching around the room. Have the child in front hold a picture of Jesus, then the next in line a picture of President Nelson, and the next in line a picture of an Apostle. Teach your children that the Prophet follows Jesus and the Apostles help the Prophet. We should follow all of them, which means to listen to what they say and do it.
Wednesday
Doctrine: Jesus called Twelve Apostles and gave them power to do His work. Matt 10:1–10
Scripture story
Watch: Jesus Organizes the Church, Children's Bible Video
Listen to Jesus Chooses His Apostles, a kid podcast episode on Mormon Channel
Coloring page
Print these Apostle "dolls" (scroll down to find them). Travel with them around the house, teaching other dolls/stuffed animals about Jesus Christ.
Activities
Watch this World Report video to learn about the statues of the original Twelve Apostles in the Rome Temple Visitors Center
Design your own disciple "dolls" (scroll down to the button PRINT DISCIPLES) using a template based on the Apostle "dolls" listed above as the coloring page of the day. Help your children draw pictures of their interests and talents onto their doll before rolling it up.
Invite your favorite Apostle to dinner by taping his face to an empty chair. Learn about him during dinner. You may even want to do a Google search to find his favorite food (or a food from his mission) to prepare!
Thursday
Doctrine: Jesus will help me as I come unto Him. Matthew 11:28–30
Coloring page
Activities
Together with your kids, walk around finding the heaviest objects in the house. Label them as specific difficulties that your children have faced or are currently facing (i.e. "felt sad when Grandpa died" or "my juvenile arthritis" or "being bullied"). Have each child try to (safely) lift the heavy objects by himself or herself. When it proves too difficult, explain that Jesus Christ always wants to help us, but we need to ask Him for help. Then help your child lift one of the heavy objects.
Fill a backpack with heavy objects and have each of your children take a turn wearing it. Tell each one that if they want help carrying it, they should go to Jesus. Let them find the closest picture of Christ. As they walk toward the picture, take items out of their backpack to make it lighter and lighter (or help them lift it instead of removing objects.)
Look at the picture of an ox yoke in your family's Come, Follow Me manual. Invent your own yoke using household supplies such as a broom handle attached to ropes that are tied around textbooks. Pretend to be oxen in pairs of two pulling the heavy burden.
Friday
Doctrine: I can keep the Sabbath day holy. Matthew 12:1–13
Scripture story
Show the picture Jesus Healing a Man with a Withered Hand and paraphrase Matthew 12:10–13 in simple words, such as: "Jesus did a miracle by fixing a man's hand that didn't work. Some people who saw it, called Pharisees, complained that Jesus shouldn't do that on Sunday. But Jesus said we can always do good things on Sunday like helping other people."
Coloring page
Activities
Play a Church Treasure Hunt to find a hidden picture of a church building. Print off the following three stories (Tara's Sabbath Day, Primary with the Prophet, and Sunday Stories) and this What Is This activity. On the back of each story, tape one of the pictures from the What Is This activity (close-ups of items found in a church). Each close-up will be a clue for the location of the next clue, leading to a church picture you have hidden. Choose hiding spots that correspond with the close-up pictures (hymn book if you have one, cups/sink for drinking fountain, a chair, scriptures.)
Find five similar items in these pictures of Sabbath Day activities.
Choose a favorite printable activity about the Sabbath Day from here.
Saturday
Doctrine: I can keep the Sabbath day holy. Matthew 12:1–13
Scripture story
Act out the man with the withered hand being healed and the Pharisees complaining.
Coloring page
Activities
Learn about reverence at church with this matching activity. Then set up chairs and role-play being at church, practicing being reverent.
Sing "Saturday" (CS 196) and make up actions for it. Then go over these tips for getting young children ready for Sunday. Figure out what you as a family will do to prepare for tomorrow. Can you follow through with it weekly?
Help Lily prepare for church with this activity. Ask your children if Lily could pack her bag on Saturday so that she is not so rushed on Sunday morning to find everything. Can we as a family do the same? Help another family prepare for Sunday by finding the things they need.
Sunday
Prepare General Conference baskets/activities using ideas from here.
Watch this Kids Corner video to show your children that family history doesn't have to be boring.
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