Jesus Advent Calendar

Family Home Evening Lesson
Jesus Advent Calendar


Prayer: Child

Song: Once within a lowly stable Childrens Songbook #41

Lesson:

Go here to my personal blog for full instructions Religious Advent Calendar



To make a Jesus Tag/ornament:

Cut pictures from the Ensign Magazine {we borrowed from Grandma's stash}or print some

I just used a glue stick to stick the picture onto regular white copy paper

Cut around leaving a small border of white

Glue onto cardstock. I used what I had on hand - Dark Blue and Gold

Cut again leaving another small border.

Laminate!!!

Cut around lamination, add a bow {12 for $2}by piercing a hole at the top.

Add a string.

Paint some sticks white and use to hang a picture a day for the month of december.

You can talk about what is happening in the picture or add a scripture for extra if desired.


Closing Song: Picture a Christmas Childrens Songbook #50

Closing Prayer: Child


Treat:

Power of Procreation

Family Home Evening Lesson
Power of Procreation

Opening Song: I am a child of God Childrens Songbook #2

Opening Prayer: Child


Lesson: Mum

This lesson was inspired when our 5 year old asked how did she start/become a baby in mummies tummy and how did she grow

We scoured Youtube to find a 'stages of growth of a baby' (fetal development) video we felt was family suitable. There are many around, find one you feel comfortable with.

After viewing a few of them (kids totally loved it! and wanted more) and answering any questions (enjoy!! ;) they had we then had a sit down little more serious talk about:

*Having babies is a miracle and extreme blessing.
We have only had it happen FOUR times in our family!

*One must wait till after marriage to use this very special ability God has given us

*Families are very important and every child deserves to be blessed with a mother father and siblings if possible

*The process of making babies is a wonderful thing but one that must be treated with respect and love at the right time.


Activity:

Look through some of your family photo albums of the children as babies and even mum and dad and other relatives if you have them available.


Closing Song: I am like a star Children's Songbook #163

Closing Prayer: Child


Treat:

Baby food!

Jesus said love everyone

Family Home Evening Lesson

Opening Song: Children all over the world  Childrens Songbook #16

Opening prayer: Child


Lesson:

We recorded the opening ceremony of the Olympics to watch at a later time with our kids.
We thought it would be good to incorporate some of it to FHE

Talk about how God loves all children around the world. We may come from different countries, have different colour skin, speak different languages but God loves us all the same. He expects us to treat eachother kindly and love all people as he loves us.


Game
I printed some Flags of the World Bingo cards here . Using candy to mark the square when they see the matching flag and team marching in the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics.

Talk about how it is nice when people can choose to get along nicely with eachother. We want peace and kindness in the world and by getting to know others of a different nationality is a good way to do this.

Closing Song: Jesus said love every one Children's Songbook #61

Closing Prayer: Child

Treat: International foods

Being like the Anti -Nephi - Lehi's

Family Home Evening Lesson
Anti Nephi Lehi's

Opening Song:  Kindness begins with me Children's Songbook #145

Opening Prayer: Child


Lesson:

My older girls taught this lesson based on a primary class they had the week before

Talk about the story of the Anti Nephi Lehi's
Story and Picture found here


Give each child a piece of paper. On the small paper write down bad words that they know they should not use. {ours included things such as stupid, idiot, poop head, I hate..., etc} Talk about how these are not good words and we don't want them in our family anymore. We are going to get rid of them.

Roll up or scrunch the paper and head to the back yard and choose a spot to bury the bad words.

Dig down and have each child lay their words in the hole. Cover hole.


Now we have buried our bad words we are going to try very hard not to use them anymore.

Bad words are just like weapons as they can hurt people.

We want to make a promise like the Anti Nephi Lehi's to put down our weapons and never to hurt anyone. Read out  Alma 24:17-18



Closing Song: Jesus Said Love Everyone Children's Songbook #61

Closing Prayer: Child


Treat:

Kindness/Love

Family Home Evening Lesson
Love and Kindness to others


Opening Song: Kindness begins with me Children's Songbook #145


Opening Prayer: Child




Lesson:


{this lesson was made combining ideas from 
 lds.org , sugardoodle , Lara Goold  ,The FHE spot 
Please go to original sites to check them out in full.}

Have prepared some prewritten cards/notes to each child. Write a short message on how much you love them. Point out positive attributes about how well/when they show love.


Start off by playing this guessing game Begin the game by saying, “I am thinking of something.” Then give the following clues:

1. We cannot see it.

2. We can feel it, but not with our hands.

3. It can be divided up indefinitely.

4. We will never run out of it.

5. It makes us happy.

6. It makes us want to do things for others.

7. It makes us humble.

8. It gives us patience.

9. It makes us want to avoid unrighteous actions.

10. It helps us to be contented with what we have.

After each clue, give family members a chance to guess what it is you are thinking of. Add other clues as you think of them until the family discovers the answer or reaches a time limit.

When they have discovered that “love” is the answer, have family members take turns explaining how love fits each of the clues that you have given. For example, the clue “It can be divided up indefinitely” means that we can love everyone without decreasing our love for any individual.

Show picture of Mary and Jesus as a child:

First emphasize to them that Jesus was once a child like them and although he was perfect he probably liked to run and play like they do and even faced many of the same temptations that they face, so Heavenly Father blessed him with a family (Mary and Joseph) to love, teach, and take care of him.

What if Jesus Came to Visit Us ?

How would you feel if Jesus came to visit us in our home?

Would we want to change the way we act toward each other?

Explain that the Savior would be unhappy if family members were not kind and loving to each other. He cares about each one of us and wants us to feel the love that he and Heavenly Father have for us. We cannot feel their love and support in our home when family members do not show love and kindness.

Show picture from your wedding and ask:

Do you know how many years ago we got married? Do you know what temple this was? Do you know why we got married in the temple? Very briefly talk of how you loved each other so much that you wanted to make sure your family could be together forever. Even though none of them were born yet, you knew you wanted them to be a part of your forever family someday.

Show current family picture:

Talk about how happy you were when you found out that each one of them was coming to join your family and how grateful you are that you have a forever family.

Ask (while still showing picture):

Do you think that Heavenly Father wants us to be grumpy and mean to each other? Of course not. Heavenly Father wants our homes to be places where we feel love and can grow and learn together, but in order to make this happen we all have to work to do our part.Explain how sad it makes you (and Heavenly Father) when people are fighting or arguing with each otherand that together everyone can work to make your home a happier place.

Activities: choose one or more

Role Play:

Tell them that we are going to practice finding positive solutions to frustrating experiences we may face. There’s no exactly right way to do it, but the point is that you do not yell, disobey, tear down, or say mean things. We want to do the thing that will best help our home to be a happy, peaceful place.

Take turns picking a slip listed with a negative situation and find a happy solution to the problem.

 Practicing Tone:

 Let's practice speaking in different ways. First say "No Thankyou" but in an angry voice. Now say "No Thankyou" in a happy voice. Which was a kinder tone? Now try shouting "Go get the book!" Now whisper it. Which was better? Now say "I love you" with a frown and a pouty voice, then with a smile and a sweet voice. Point out that it is much kinder to smile while saying nice things. Emphasize that to speak kindly it's not just the words that matter, but it's the way we speak- our tone, volume, expression/body language. You may want to practice more phrases depending on your children.

Spin the Bottle Game:

Seat family members in a circle with a soda bottle on its side in the middle of the circle. Before each turn, announce what the person whom the bottle points to will do. Then spin the bottle. For example, after the bottle stops spinning, have the person that the bottle points to give someone a hug or a kiss, tell something helpful that someone did for him lately, say what he likes about someone, do something for someone that can be done quickly, or promise to do a small deed for someone during the next day. You can add other things to do that are appropriate for your family.

Visit to the Doctor ( tongue/mouth doctor)

Wear a white lab looking coat and in each of the big pockets had tongue depressor/popsicle sticks. One each one was written either a nice or a mean phrase. Examples included:

You are special.
You are stupid.
I like being with you.
Go away!
I'm sorry.

These sticks are to check and see how the phrases coming out of your mouth are: good or bad. We each took turns pulling a stick out.  Place on child's tongue. Get them to check if it is good/healthy words coming out of their mouth/tongue.

Closing Song: Where love is Childrens Songbook #138

Closing Prayer: Child

Treat:

Journals

Family Home Evening
Journals


Opening Song Families can be together forever  Children's Songbook #188


Opening Prayer: Child


Lesson: Parent

Inspired by some recent (unheard of) stories told us by older members of our family we did a lesson on journals/family history.

I got out all my journals for us to look through
(ok so I might have put a couple of angst ridden teen ones to the side ;)

Journals included ones from childhood, a gratitude - one liners journal, little notes about the kids when they were babies, and a few folders of letters and a folder containing all the wedding cards  and birth congratulations we've recieved.

I read out several funny things about me. Then notes about them as babies - first words, silly things they did. The children flicked through all our wedding cards and enjoyed the pictures. I also located a spiritual entry I wrote when President Hinckley visited my town in Australia when I was a teen and told the kids how I had almost forgotten parts of what I had learnt, but here it was to refresh my memory.

Ask questions like:

Why is it important to keep a journal?
(you will NEVER remember everything, so people can know all about you after you have passed, they don't remember when they were a baby so its important for adults to write about babies,

How often will they write/draw in a journal?
(we choose sunday afternoons)

What can you write in the journal?
(always include friends names, places you visit, describe our home, fun things we do, family traditions, things you've learnt, when your sad or happy, on your birthday, important dates like baptisms)

What things would they like people to remember about them?

What things to do we know about our grandparents/great grandparents because of journals?



Activity:

(When I visit my grandparents etc I ask them if I can take digital photos of their photos. These work out so well! I know when one of my grandparents passes I will never see those photos again, I am so grateful that I have taken photos of the photos of 4 generations of grandparents/family)

We held a slideshow from our computer of all the photos we have of our ancestors. We talked about the little we knew of their great great grandparents and showed the photos and where they lived. We had a little laugh at a photo of a great great grandma who looked exactly like their Poppy (great grandpa) in a dress!! (we never guessed he looked so much like his mum!)

Or if each child doesnt already have a journal - gift one to each child and start writing/drawing in it tonight.

{another side note you might like, many years ago we used to include journal writing in FHE. The little kids would draw in their book and we would write the words in for what they did that week. It helped us make FHE go for a bit longer as lessons were very short and sweet when the children are small}


Closing Song:  I have a family Tree Children's Songbook #199


Closing Prayer: Child


Treat:

Easter Week

Family Home Evening
Easter

Opening Song "Did Jesus Really Live Again Childrens Songbook #64

Opening Prayer: Child

Lesson: Parent

Find our 6 previous Easter Lessons  here

Easter Week:
Using this pdf from the April Friend 2011 magazine walk through the week leading up to Easter.

All the text comes from The page 24/25 April Friend 2011.


Have a picture or object to represent each day for visual purposes.  You could also stick them on the wall in order or lay in a line on the ground. Alternatively act out what is happening each day.

Saturday

An important holiday called Passover was only six days away. Many people were coming to Jerusalem so they could offer sacrifices in the temple on that day. Jesus walked to Bethany, a village near Jerusalem. He would stay there for five nights with His friends Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. Mary anointed His feet with oil.

Sunday
Jesus walked from Bethany to Jerusalem. He rode into the city on a donkey, as a verse in the Old Testament said He would. People recognized Him as their King, shouting, “Hosanna,” and laying down palm leaves in front of the donkey to keep dust from getting on the Savior. Jesus visited the temple and then returned to Bethany.

Triumphal Entry Picture  (#223)

(you can re enact this with palm fronds or big leaves and have children say hosanna while fanning leaves placing leaves in front of a person being the donkey ~ my kids had a great time riding on my poor back!)

Monday
Jesus saw people buying and selling things in the temple. Because He wanted the temple to be a “house of prayer,” He made them leave. Then He healed people who were lame or blind. The jealous priests were angry with Him.

Tuesday
Jesus taught people in the temple and on a nearby hill called the Mount of Olives.
The priests plotted to kill Jesus. One of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, agreed to turn Jesus over to the priests in exchange for 30 silver coins.

Wednesday
The scriptures do not say what Jesus did on this day. He may have spent the day with His disciples. You could read the parable of the ten virgins, a story Jesus taught to His disciples to help them prepare for His Second Coming.

Thursday
Jesus’s disciples got ready for the Passover meal. During the meal, Jesus told the disciples that one of them would betray Him. Then, to help them remember Him, He gave them the sacrament for the first time. Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to suffer for our sins and to pray to God. People came with swords and arrested Him. The disciples ran away in fear.

Jesus Washing the Disciples Feet (#226)

Jesus Praying in Gethsemene Picture (#227)

Betrayal of Christ Picture (#228)

Friday
Jesus was taken to the high priest, Caiaphas. Jesus’s disciple Peter denied that he knew Him. Jesus was questioned by the governor, Pilate, and by the king, Herod. He was condemned to die on the cross. Jesus was crucified. A rich man named Joseph laid Jesus in his tomb. Jesus’s mother, Mary, and Mary Magdalene visited the tomb.

The Crucifixtion of Christ Picture (#230)

Saturday
Jesus’s body lay in the tomb. A large stone was put in front of the door. The wicked priests asked Pilate to have guards stand outside the tomb to make sure no one went inside.

The Tomb Picture (#232)

Sunday
Jesus was resurrected! He had risen from the tomb. An angel descended from heaven and rolled away the stone. Jesus told His disciples to teach and baptize others and promised to always be with them.

Mary and the Ressurected Lord Picture (#233)

Jesus Shows his wounds Picture (#234)

End with a testimony meeting with everyone bearing the testimony. Mention how Easter week has a lot of significance for us and how grateful we are to Jesus for all that  he suffered for us.


Closing Song: Hosanna! Children's Songbook #66

Closing Prayer:

Treat: Pretzels
(they are in the shape of folded arms for prayer) talk about how Jesus prayed in Gethsemene for us

Repentance

Family Home Evening Lesson
Repentance

Opening Song: Fourth Artile of Faith Children's Songbook #124

Opening Prayer: Child

Scripture: 3 Nephi 9:22


Lesson: Parent

Have a stick. On each end attach the words


Choice   ---------------------------- Consequence

Whatever you choose there is ALWAYS a consequence

Have children pick up stick. Use examples of choices and ask them to pick up the end of the stick that says choice. Now point out that they have also picked up 'consequence'. Whatever we do there is always a consquence, even if we didn't mean to.


What happens if we make bad choices?
If we make bad choices we are also having bad consquences.
If bad choices are sin what do we have to do?

Repent

What is repentance?
Saying and Feeling Sorry
Not doing it again
Restitution (if you break something that belongs to someone you replace it)

We need to try hard everyday to make good choices and decisions

From lds.org : Repentance is one of the first principles of the gospel and is essential to our temporal and eternal happiness. It is much more than just acknowledging wrongdoings. It is a change of mind and heart that gives us a fresh view about God, about ourselves, and about the world. It includes turning away from sin and turning to God for forgiveness. It is motivated by love for God and the sincere desire to obey His commandments.

Activity:

Fill a vase/jar with water. 
This is us = Our pure bodies/soul.
Take a drop or two of red dye. This is Sin -Put in vase, watch it spread
Have some bleach (3 tbs) in a little bottle {we used a soy sauce bottle and labeled it REPENTANCE}. Have child drop bleach in vase. The water will start to fade and eventually turn clear again.
(Noticable change in one minute, but 15 mins to be completely clear again)

{Our older children were all like 'its NOT changing very quick' etc etc. We used this opportunity to say that Repentance does NOT happen instantly. It is more than just saying sorry. You ask for forgiveness, you pray, you restore, give back anything you have broken. If you have broken a persons trust or happiness with mean words you have to try to gain the trust back. Repentance is work. IT WILL work over time. Eventually our water lightened and turned completely clear after 15 mins.


Closing Song: I feel my Saviors love Children's Songbook #74

Closing Prayer: Child

Treat:

Prayer

Family Home Evening Lesson
Prayer

Opening Prayer: Child

Opening Song: A child's Prayer Children's Songbook #12

Lesson: Dad

I've known about the video segments on lds.org for a while but this was the first time we used them. Check out the Media Library ( from lds.org click Menu, study, media library, Video) Great with little kids!

We used this segment on Prayer to start our lesson.

New Testament Stories chapter 20 - Jesus teaches about prayer

After watching the short video we talked about prayer.

We said this poem

We fold our arms
Close our eyes
Bow our heads
When the prayer is said

Then we talked about the elements of prayer by asking questions

What do we start a prayer with? (addressing Heavenly Father)
What is next? (giving thanks for the many things we have)
Then we can...(ask for things - safety, health, good dreams, bless food, )
And we end with (in Jesus Name)

We asked how many times a day can you pray? (whenever you like, but the girls came up with the rough answer of we pray 6 times a day - food prayers, family prayers, individual prayers)

We discussed why we should kneel in prayer (respect, humble, people kneel to kings and dignitarys, so the Lord would be even more important, so we concentrate on only the prayer and not slouching on the couch or laying in our bed )

We reminded the children to continue trying hard in their personal prayers morning and night

Closing Song: Children all over the World Children's Songbook #16

Closing Prayer

Treat

Pure Love

Family Home Evening Lesson
Love

Opening Song: "Jesus said love everyone" Childrens Songbook # 61

Opening Prayer: Child

Lesson:

Leading up to Valentines Day I like to make a little display on our Mantle and have a few FHE lessons On Love.

See previous years ideas here here and here

I wanted to focus on the pure love of Christ and Charity.

We will discuss these scriptures:
Matthew 22:35-39
Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt ^alove the Lord thy God with all thy ^bheart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy ^cmind.

38 This is the first and great ^acommandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt ^alove thy neighbour as thyself.

1 Corinthians 13

1 John 4:20-21
If a man say, I love God, and ^ahateth his ^bbrother, he is a ^cliar: for he that loveth not his ^dbrother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not ^eseen?

21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who ^aloveth God love his brother also.

I am going to challenge the girls to love someone a little extra whom they might not particularly like.

I will check with them to see what things they can do for someone whom they don't always get on with. eg. Classmates, their own sisters ;)  (eg share things with them, give a compliment, hold their tongue when they want to answer rudely back, invite them over, do a service for them)


Activity:

Make a Valentines Tree. I used small branches from my yard spray painted red.

You can add:

Pictures of your family
Little paper hearts,decorations
Slips of paper with service ideas you have done, or they could do for eachother


I cut out several hearts from felt. I told the girls I would leave them on the mantle and when they do a good deed around the house secretly (make eachothers beds or my bed, pack school bags, make a treat, wipe table etc) they are to leave a felt heart behind so the person knows someone has done something for them

Closing Song: "Love One Another Childrens Songbook # 136

Closing Prayer: Child


Treat:
Chocolate hearts
Cookie hearts

New Year

Family Home Evening Lesson
New Year FHE goals

Prayer: Child

Opening Song: Jesus wants me for a sunbeam  Songbook #60


Lesson:

We put forth the question to our girls tonight -
What can we all do to make Family Home Evening better this year?

These are the answers that came up:

Chocolate for the treat

An "I love You because..." spot (one person each week and we will list things we love about them)

Bring back 60 second silence (to get our kids to be quiet and get ready for FHE and to practice reverence we use to time to see how long they could be completely quiet for)

Take Turns at teaching the lesson

Outings for FHE once every two months

A hug at the beginning and end of FHE

recite/learn more scriptures

More games

Continue with our 'fancy dinner' night meals before FHE
(we set the table with tablecloth and full settings and fancy cups on monday night and try to have a good quality meal. interesting side note the kids are more acceptable to higher quality (read vegetables) meals on these nights because I say this is what you would get in a restaurant ;)

Act out stories of different prophets in the Book of Mormon and scriptures

Always sing Popcorn and Snowman



Most of these we thought up by our kids. I was very surprised at a few of them. Even though this is a completely SIMPLE idea I thought I would share it because our girls came up with some lovely ideas I wouldn't have thought of myself, or knew that they wanted.


Wishing you all the best with successful Family Home Evenings in 2012!