Emergency Preparedness

Family Home Evening Lesson
72 Hour Kit


Opening Prayer: Child


Opening Song: I feel my Savior's Love # 74 Childrens Songbook


Lesson: Dad

A devastating flood where we live bought us to attention about our 72 hour packs. We packed our evacuation suitcases just in case we had to leave (we did not) and it reminded us to be prepared.

We are usually good with keeping up to date food in our Kids 72 hour pack. However AFTER the disaster was over we noticed our food was 6 months out of date! We must have missed our last rotation! Lucky we didn't have to drink that curdled long life milk!

For FHE we showed the kids our 72 hour kits and got them to rebag new ones. They were allowed to eat the food in the old ones that was still fine to eat (muslie bars, chocolate etc)

Here is an example of  our easy 72hr kit zip lock bags. (that go inside another bag)

Kids bagging them

We have a one litre long life milk, mini cereal boxes, Juice boxes and muslie bars and some plastic spoons in each bag.

It was fun to lay out all the items on the floor and have them sort and bag them.

Talk about why an emergency bag is important.
- Food we can take with us anywhere
- Food that doesn't need refridgeration
- To prevent us from having to panic buy (lots of that happened here)
- So we won't be worried and know that we are safe and will be fed


I have heard that changing your 72 hour kits at conference is a good time to remember to do it every 6 months! These little bags will do till then. We will replenish them again then.

*Whilst I know this is no comprehensive 72 hour pack, its fun and easy for both kids and adults. For more organised comprehensive 72 hour kits click here

Activity:

Noah's Ark.
Draw, act out, gather supplies for your ark.


Closing Song: Keep the Commandments # 146 Children's Songbook



Closing Prayer:  Mom



Treat:

Eat food storage food!
Canned fruits, muslie bars etc

Baptism/Blessing Day

Family Home Evening Lesson

Baptism

Opening Prayer: Child


Opening Song: When I am baptised Children's Songbook #103


Lesson:

My husband came home one monday night and asked our girls to go get on their white dresses. He said Mummy will put on her wedding dress and I will wear my white suit.

Everyone scrambled off and we came together to have a 'dressed in white' photoshoot.

We put the poem My Three White Dresses up on the big screen and had them read it out.

Each of us had our own blessing dresses and we looked at how tiny they were.

We talked about why we wear white.

Why each dress is important.

What promises we make when we wear each dress.

Each girl then tried on my wedding dress and had their photo taken.

A very simple, easy FHE but one my girls LOVED!

I'm so sure I once saw on the net a boys version of the Three White dresses poem, but after googling for those of you who have sons, I found nothing! I'm sure boys can look at their blessings clothes, and dad's white baptism clothes, or pictures from wedding/baptisms on their dad's missions etc for a similar theme

Activity:

SugarDoodle has a great list of baptism booklets, lesson ideas, clipart, poems and number 8 cookies.

White Clothes Dress up

Look through photos of their blessing day

 

Closing song: Baptism Children's Songbook #100

Closing Prayer: Child

Treat:

White frosted cupcakes

White Candy

8 shaped cookies

Word of Wisdom

Family Home Evening Lesson

Word of Wisdom


Opening Prayer: Child


Opening Song: "The Word of Wisdom"  Childrens Songbook # 154

Lesson: 

Using Doctrine and Covenants 89 as your guide ask children to draw some of the following pictures.
(If your children are too young you can pre draw these)

eg
Grapes
Hot drink
Cows
Wheat
Fruit
winter
corn
oats
treasure chest

As you read out the Word of Wisdom found in chapter 89 get the children to hold up their pictures when they hear you say the words.


This type of activity could be used for any descriptive verses found in the scriptures.


Activity:

Excellent WoW ideas found at Sugar Doodle eg making a food pyramid, giving each child a small plant

Cut out  pictures of food. Make a collage of healthy and good for you foods.

Fruits, Vegetables, Grains  printed game at  teach lds children. com



Closing song: "The Lord gave me a Temple" Children's Songbook #153

Closing Prayer: Child


Treat:

Whole grains and healthy foods
Fruit smoothies

Family History

Family Home Evening Lesson
Family History

Opening Prayer: Child

Opening Song: Families can be together forever

Scripture: Malachi 4:6

Lesson: (we did this lesson over two weeks, I've combined it for ease here)

Print out some family photos. We were able to use 2 photos that had four generations of family members in each photo.  Cut photo into pieces (like a jigsaw) and hide individual pieces around the house.

Ask children to search the house for the 'missing' photo pieces.

Put photos together. Ask if they recognise any of the people in the photos.  Point out any great grandparents/family members they might not know.

Talk about the importance of 'finding our those of our family' who lived a long time ago. We try to remember all our relatives by keeping our family history.

Show a pedigree chart with everyones name on it.

***

We have little voice snippets/video segments of our children saying "Hi my name is ____ I am ____ years old. My favourite thing is ____ .  It is so fun to look back on the old ones and how they used to sound. Our 7 year old was mimicing her 4 year old voice after we did this activity. She was surprised at how 'babyish' she sounded.

Since we only have a couple of these snippets we thought it might be a nice thing to record each year. Maybe New Years day would be a good day for it? Anyway we spoke about how we can record our OWN family history about ourselves, so our children and grandchildren can never forget how we were.

We said our names, ages, where we live, what we like to do. Each segment lasted about 30secs to 1min.

We saved them as video files in our documents on the computer.

A fun way to teach family history, and to look back on in years to come.


Closing song: Love at Home


Closing Prayer: Child


Treat:
A family Favourite.

Atonement

Family Home Evening
Atonement


Opening Prayer: Child

Opening Song: "I'm trying to be like Jesus" Children's Songbook #78
Lesson: Dad

(this activity comes from the Nov/Dec 2007 Lds Living Magazine)

Have someone get down on their hands and knees on a towel. Place a cup of water on the person's back between their shoulder blades (ask them to make themselves flat/steady like) As the person to remove the cup without spilling it.

You can either let everyone have a go (and fail) or you can just have one demonstration.

Then ask the child if they can do it. Ask them to think of a way they can get the cup off their back.

Mine didnt - so after some gentle prodding we worked out that PERHAPS we could just ask someone to take it off our back for us.

Things you can teach from this object lesson

Sometimes we are placed in a position to help someone who cannot complete a task alone. Ask children "How do you help mummy?" How do you help Daddy, How do you help your brother or sisters/grandparents etc

For older children we can liken this to the gift of Eternal Life from Jesus. Jesus died on the cross so our sins may be forgiven that we may live in heaven with Heavenly Father and Jesus again. Jesus did something for us that we CANNOT DO for ourselves.

Activity

My girls wanted to keep putting cups of water on their backs!!

Make a little flip book (in those cheap photo albums) of pictures of Jesus. Say Jesus can help us whenever we need him.


Closing Song: Tell me the stories of Jesus Children's Songbook #57

Closing Prayer: Mom

Treat:

Smoothies in your cup

Candy served in cups

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Family Home Evening Lesson

The 12 Apostles


Opening Song: 'Follow the Prophet' Children's Songbook #110



Opening Prayer : Child


Lesson: Mom


As we are starting to near General Conference Time, I thought I would spend some time with the kids getting to know those who might speak.

Print (and laminate if you want to keep) pictures of First Presidency and The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. These are mine that I have had for a few years that my husband made ( I just realised we didnt have Elder Anderson!! so quickly printed him for this photo!)

See if your children know any of their names.

Stick them on the wall in order.

Play memory or type of game with the pictures.

If you print two copies you can play match.

Read out some interesting information about them.


Talk about the importance of leaders. Why these men mean so much to us. We love them for their words, work, example, love  and dedication.


I need this lesson too, as I couldn't name them all off the top of my head :)

We keep our laminated pictures in with our Gospel Art Picture Kit. As new apostles are called we (usually!)  print and laminate a new one.


Activity:

Excellent Apostle Recognition games found here at Suite 101



Closing Song: 'Latter day Prophets' Children's Songbook #134


Closing Prayer: Child



Treat: Gingerbread men or cookie people

Voting

Family Home Evening Lesson

Voting/Government


Opening Song: "My Country" Children's Songbook #224


Opening Prayer : Child

Scripture: D&C 134: 1


We believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man; and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in making laws and administering them, for the good and safety of society.

Lesson: Mom

(note: Australians are about to vote for a new Prime Minister. I know this might not be applicable to US residents but thought I would share the FHE we had on this. It is also manditory to vote in australia so it is an important law to teach children to obey.)

Article of Faith 12
We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

We discussed what the kids thought this AoF meant. We discussed the differences between king, president, magistrates etc.

Why is it important to vote for the person that leads your country?

We talked about how and where we vote (we always take our kids with, so they remember from last time)



Activity

Have a vote in the family for someone who could be incharge of the family (for a week or a day) - Make ballot sheets and teach children how to do a vote and place in a box

Vote for new rule or changes you would like at home
Have some different foods out and have children 'vote' for their favourite


Closing Song: National Anthem

Closing Prayer: Child

Treat: A national/cultural food from your country.