A Spiritual Advent

Family Home Evening Lesson
Spiritual Advent Ideas

Opening Song: The Nativity Song ( Children's Song Book #52 )

Opening Prayer: Child

Lesson: Mommy

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-2
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem.
Saying where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east and are come to worship him.

Just as the wise men spent a long time finding Jesus we also wait with excitement and count down the days until Christmas.

Lesson:
Explain that the first FHE in December is also the First day of December and that we are going to begin counting down until Christmas. It is more important to count down the days until the birth of Jesus, than to think about what presents we are waiting for. Jesus's Birthday is the real reason we celebrate Christmas. You could also have the children make a "present they are going to give Jesus" this Christmas. Have a special box for children to put in a drawing of something they are going to give Jesus this year, or write down their ideas on pieces of paper and put into box. These 'gifts' can be the first you open Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning.

Activities:
Printable Nativity Advent Calendar This beautiful printable is available in both black and white and already fully colored. Each day a new "character" is added.

Printable Nativity "Go Fish" game

Printable Advent Calendar from The Friend Magazine

Other Advent Ideas

Closing Song: Picture a Christmas ( Children's Song Book #50 )

Closing Prayer: Daddy

Treat:
Have some little candy/chocolate near your advent calendar for children to have during the month

Have a birthday cake to celebrate Jesus's Birthday (that is coming ;)

Giving Thanks

Family Home Evening Lesson
“Giving Thanks”
(Adapted from “Sharing Time: I Am Glad for Many Things,” Friend, Nov 2002)

Opening Song: “I Am Glad for Many Things” (Children’s Song Book # 151)

Opening Prayer: Child

Lesson: Mommy

Giving Thanks:

Read Alma 37:37

Talk to your family about what it means to “let thy heart be full of thanks unto God”.

Read “Counting Blessings” By Marianne Wilson McKnight, Friend, Nov 2000
One day, I started writing down My blessings one by one. I filled both sides of seven sheets And still did not get done.
I wrote down, “friends and family, And legs that run and hop, A cozy bed and clothes to wear, And, of course, my mom and pop.”
I’m grateful for so many things— For sunsets, trees, and rain, For eyes to see and ears to hear, For being free from pain.
I wrote the name of Jesus down— I’m thankful most for Him— Then added, “scriptures, music, love, And my new puppy, Tim.”
And now whenever I feel down And don’t know what to do, I get my blessings notebook out And add a page or two.


Talk to your family about some of the things that you are thankful for and why.


Sing: “I'm Thankful to Be Me” (Children’s Song Book # 11)

Suggested Activities:
Blessings Picture Sheet Sharing Time: “I Have Many Blessings,” Friend, Nov 1989
Blessings Finger Scenes Sharing Time: “I Am Glad for Many Things,” Friend, Nov 2002)
Thanks and Giving Trees (you could have your family fill these out all week long and share them with each other on Thanksgiving Day).

Closing Song: “Thank Thee for Everything” (Children’s Song Book # 10)

Closing Prayer: Daddy

Treat:
Make Sugar Cone Cornucopias

I Am Thankful For My Home

Opening Song: "Home" (Children’s Song Book # 192)

Opening Prayer: Daddy

Lesson: Mommy “I Am Thankful for My Home” (adapted from the primary 1 manual: lesson 31)


What do you think it would be like if your home was in the water? What might happen if your home was in a tree?

Explain that animals and insects live in many different kinds of homes. People also live in different kinds of homes.

Show picture 1-61, Exodus from Nauvoo.

Story: Tell about the early members of the Church who built a city called Nauvoo. They worked hard to build their homes and a beautiful temple. But some people around Nauvoo did not like the Church members and forced them to leave. The Church members traveled with only the belongings they could fit in covered wagons. Because the covered wagons were small, many of the children had to leave their toys behind. Some of the people lived in their covered wagons and in tents for a long time.

Why would it be hard to live in a covered wagon or tent?

Activity: Have the children stand and do the following action verse:
The pioneer children walked and talked (walk in place);
Then they played games and skipped and hopped (hop or jump in place).
When it was night, stars sparkled and gleamed (close and open hands);
Inside the wagons they slept and dreamed (close eyes, lay head on hands).


Activity: Have the children pantomime some things they can do to help keep their homes neat and clean, such as picking up their toys, sweeping the floor, and folding and putting away their clothes.

Describe a situation in which he or she could be a good helper in the home. Ask the child what he or she would do to help in that situation. Use the following examples or make up your own situations to fit your child:

You accidentally spilled a glass of water on the floor. What should you do?

You played with your blocks all afternoon. Now it is time to eat. What should you do with your blocks?

Your mother is in a hurry to get dinner on the table. She needs someone to set the table before the family can eat. What could you do?

Your clothes are washed and neatly folded. What should you do with them now?

You have been playing outside and your shoes are covered with mud. What should you do before you come into the house?

Your bed is messed up when you get out of it in the morning. What should you do to it?

Encourage the children to talk about things they do to help keep their homes neat and clean. Tell the children how you work to keep your home neat and clean.

Explain that the kind of home we live in is not important. We might live in a large house, a small house, an apartment, a tent, or a boat. The important thing is that our homes are places where family members love each other. Tell about your own home and what you do to make it a loving place.

Why do you like to be at home?

How do you know your family loves you?

Closing Song: “Sing Your Way Home” (Children’s Song Book # 193)

Closing Prayer: Mommy


Craft Ideas: Folding House: Mount the folding house and hearts on a heavier piece of paper or lightweight cardboard, and color them. Cut out the house and the slot in the roof. Fold along the dotted lines to create a box house, and glue where indicated. Cut out the hearts. Begin with an empty house each morning. During the day, each time you remember to show your love for a family member, slip a heart through the slot in the roof. At the end of the day, open the lid of your box house and see how many hearts you have collected. Start over each day and try to increase the number of hearts you place in your house. Share this activity with your family, and see how many hearts you can collect together. (Make more hearts as needed.) -From June 1996 Friend

Treat: Making Jesus's first home: Gingerbread Nativity at Fun Recipes

God Created Animals

Opening Song: The World Is So Big, Children’s songbook #235 (follow link to hear)

Opening Prayer: Child

Scripture: Genesis 1:25

And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Lesson: Daddy (Adapted from Primary 1: Lesson 12)

Show picture of the creation with animals.(GAPK #100) Ask the children to point out and name the animals they recognize. Ask who created the animals. Explain that Heavenly Father and Jesus created them on the 6^th day of creation.

Read Genesis 1:24-25: “And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.”

If you have a globe you can point out where different animals live. Or you can print off a picture of the world to talk about it. Talk about the different sea creatures and land creatures, which ones live in deserts and which ones live in rain forests, etc.

Heavenly Father gave us stewardship over the animals. Explain that stewardship means that we are to care for the animals. Talk about how we treat animals, especially any pets you have in particular. Now might be a good time to reinforce caring for your pets when it comes to feeding them, taking them on walks, playing with them or keeping their cages clean.

Show some milk and eggs and ask which animals produce them. Talk about the fact that Heavenly Father created animals for food. If you hunt, you can show pictures of you on a hunting trip and talk about how we only hunt to eat (unless you feel differently…).

Activities:

• Gather stuffed animals you have around the house and have the children name the animals and make their respective sounds. Encourage them to pretend to be different animals, make sure to join them on the floor and become your own.

• Sing “Old MacDonald Had a Farm"
• 
  
• Make animals out of play doh
  

• Print “Book of Mormon Animals” from the August 2008 Friend (pages 34 & 35) for coloring.

Closing Song: My Heavenly Father Loves Me, (Children’s songbook #228)

Closing Prayer: Child

Treat Ideas:

Animal Crackers and Goldfish!

Animal Toast

1 loaf sliced bread of choice
6 oz. frozen concentrated orange juice, thawed, undiluted
Cinnamon
(Animal shaped cookie cutters)

Cut animal shapes with cutters from the bread slices. Dip each cut out into concentrated orange juice; place on cookie sheet. Place in preheated oven at 250 degrees for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Polar Bear Paw Prints

Material Needed: Pear Halves, Sliced bananas, vanilla yogurt, shredded coconut, Small paper plate

Place pear half cut side up on plate, have children use fingers/spoon to cover pear with vanilla yogurt. Place 3 round slices of bananas at top of pear (to resemble a paw print). Again cover banana with yogurt. Sprinkle shredded coconut around paw print on the plate and there is your Polar Bear Paw Print. Yum-yum!!

Following the Footsteps of Jesus

Family Home Evening Lesson
“Follow the Footsteps of Jesus”

Opening Song: "I'm trying to be like Jesus" (Childrens Song Book #78)

Opening Prayer: Child

Lesson: Mommy

Following the footsteps of Jesus:

Print out some footprints on paper. Stick them on the floor in a line. Next to each set of footprints lay a picture from the Gospel art Picture Kit. (You can find them here if you don't have them at home: Baby Jesus, Boyhood of Jesus, Baptism of Jesus, Jesus Healing, Jesus Praying, Jesus on the Cross, Jesus in Heaven ) You will make about 8 steps. In order, lay a picture of Jesus as a baby, As a child with Joseph, getting baptised, healing the sick, Praying,On the Cross, and Asending into heaven.

Have each child walk on the footsteps. At each stage say " As Jesus was born, so were you", "Jesus was a child, as you are too" "Jesus was baptised and you will be too when you are 8", "Jesus helped the sick and you will too in your life", "Jesus Prays just like you", "Jesus died and one day you will too", "Jesus went to heaven to be with heavenly father and one day you will too".

At the end of the footsteps I had a plate of treats to be their reward in heaven for making it through the footsteps of life.


Closing Song: “I'll walk with you" (Childrens SongBook #140)

Closing Prayer: Daddy

Treat:
Brownies/chocolates to be waiting at the end of the step walk

Peanut Butter Foosteps found at Fun Recipes