Showing Love

Family Home Evening Lesson
“Showing Love”

Opening Song: "A Happy Family" (Children's Songbook, 198a) 

Opening Prayer: Child

Lesson: Daddy

With Valentines Day coming this weekend, another lesson on Love couldn't hurt! Most of this lesson comes from the "I Will Love Others" and "I Will Love my Family" lessons in the new "Behold your Little Ones Manual."  It is a GREAT resource!

Display a picture of the good Samaritan. You can use GAPK #218. Open the Bible and tell the children that you are going to share a story Jesus told about loving others. Using simple language, tell the story of the good Samaritan. Below is an example:

• One day there was a man who was lying on the ground (point to the injured man in the picture). He was hurt. Two men walked by. They saw him, but they did not help. A third man came (point to the good Samaritan in the picture). He saw the man lying on the ground, and he helped him. He showed love.

Sing or say the words to “Jesus Said Love Everyone” (Children’s Songbook, 61) and do the actions below. Invite the children to join you.

Jesus said love everyone; (spread arms out wide) 
Treat them kindly too.
When your heart is filled with love, (put hand over heart) 
Others will love you. (hug self) 

Gather each child's favorite stuffed animal, doll or toy.  Ask each child to give their toy a hug and a kiss.  Ask each child to tell the toy that they love it.  Smile at the toy and offer to share a pretend toy with it.  Explain that these are ways that we show love.  Next have children show love to someone in the room.  Explain that it is ok to hug and kiss our family members, but with friends we should just hug (we have issues with kissing friends...).

Print and cut out these family figures and place them in a container. Have child pull one figure out of the container and identify what member of the family the figure is.  Suggest a way they can show love for that family member (by picking up toys, sharing, smiling, and so on). Invite them to pretend to do the action. Repeat this activity with each family figure.

Add new words to the song “Fun to Do” (Children’s Songbook, 253) to teach the children some ways they can show love for their families. For example, say to the children, “Let’s show how we can love Sister.” Sing “Sharing a toy is fun to do” and do simple actions. Other words you can use are, “Picking up toys is fun to do,” “Cleaning the room is fun to do,” “Giving a smile is fun to do,” “Helping my dad is fun to do,” and so on.

Suggested Activity:

Help children make paper hearts.  You can just cut them out of construction paper and help them decorate the hearts. When the hearts are done, read the following examples (or create some of your own), and ask, “Does this show love?” After each example, have the children hold up their paper hearts and say, “Love.”

When you help clean up.
When you say “please” and “thank you.”
When you share your toy.
When you help someone who is hurt.

You can also make extra hearts and throughout the week you can award a child with a heart when you see them showing love. You can tape them on the fridge to display.

Color this picture from lds.org.

You can also make these Valentine Finger Puppets.

Closing Song: "Love One Another" (Children's Songbook, 136)

Closing Prayer: Mommy

Treat: 

Raspberry Hearts from Family Fun

or Conversation Hearts!