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Holding Scripture Study with your Toddler

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LDS Toddler Scripture Study

We should teach our children starting at a young age. In the family is the ideal place to teach our children. I believe we should make a great effort to help our children learn and grow in the gospel. However it is pretty interesting as a new parent trying to get creative and think of ways to include and help educate your toddler during scripture study. How do we keep their attention and teach them the gospel…specifically the scripture stories. Here are a couple of ideas:

Use your resources:

  • LDS Free Clipart: This has a lot of scripture pictures and coloring pages.
  • Living Scriptures free downloads: Wow, when I discovered this I was so excited. Living Scripture offers free downloads that you can print from home and use as coloring books. Choose the scripture story that you want to teach and let your child go through their animated pictures.
  • The Friend: The friend scripture site has cute animated videos of scripture stories. Also so great. They also have audio stories of Jesus Christ.
  • The Mormon Channel Audio Scripture Stories: This is a weekly broadcast that features songs, children testifying, and audio scripture stories.
Activities
Who doesn’t learn best by re-enacting a scripture story or re-creating the wise man and the foolish man in actual sand. Coming up with activities to teach the scriptures definitely takes more work but I love using it for an occasional scripture study when I’m feeling ambitious. The friend has a lot of activity ideas. Here is one resource from the friend. You can also go here and type “for little friends (and then your topic)” This helps to quickly and easily find activities to fit your topic of study that night.
 
Read The Scriptures To your Child
Although all these resources are fabulous, I think it is important for my toddler to hear the actual stories from the scriptures. Some ideas for this are to get a large copy of the scriptures and highlight the main stories. Then instead of reading straight through read the stories and talk about them or act them out. You can also use the gospel art kit as a supplement while reading to be able to show your child pictures. Online gospel art kit. Another idea with this is to use “The Book of Mormon for Latter Day Saint Families”. It breaks it up for you with pictures and everything. They also have ones for The New Testament and The Old Testament.
Repetition
I don’t know about your toddler but mine loves repeating words I say. Start by reading 3-5 verses. Pick a verse and have them repeat the words.
Include Related Primary Songs
Singing is a great way to get the attention of a little toddler and get them interested in what the scriptures say. You could try to match up songs with the scriptures you are reading or go through the primary songbook and read the accompanying scriptures at the bottom.
The Book of Mormon Stories Reader
This is a great resource because the pictures are in order and go along with the scriptures. Again I think it is important that children get to hear the actual words of the scriptures. This would work well with them following along with the pictures while someone reads the story from the scriptures.
Get them a set of their own scriptures
This is great. Our little toddler just wants what we have. He wants to flip through our scriptures…(not a good idea by the way). So we wanted to create some ownership. We got him a Book of Mormon that was more sturdy and cheaper. (the giveaway ones) When we pull out our scriptures he also has a similar book that he can “read”. When they have their own scriptures they can be included in things like highlighting verses as well. For one scripture study you could just memorize a scripture mastery and help them highlight it in their book.
Other Great Resources
  • Head Start with the Book of Mormon: This is a great resource if you want to kill two birds with one stone. It helps you teach your child to read using the book of mormon.
  • Book of Mormon Discovery:  This is an LDS workbook. Although not specifically designed for toddlers it can be used as a supplement to teach children the gospel.
  • Picture Pages: Over 14 years this mom wrote over 2,000 narrations for her kids to color. You can print these pages out and let them color them.
  • Living Scripture Streaming: Living scripture now offers streaming. This has been a great supplement on busy days to let my kids watch some book of mormon stories. Use the code above to get 50% off your first month.
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Scripture Study with your Toddler

July 2014 Visiting Teaching Printout

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July’s Visiting teaching message is wonderful. You can find it here. It discusses how our savior Jesus Christ is our advocate to the father. How grateful I am that we have a savior who has atoned for our individual sins that is there to plead our cause to the father. 

I chose this quote from the visiting teaching because it is very humbling to me to be reminded of what I truly am doing during my prayers to the Father and how very grateful I am to be able to approach him because of our loving savoir Jesus Christ.
This is designed to be a 4×6. Print it off on normal paper or on a 4×6 photo card.

July 2014 Week 4 Sharing Time: I can know the Truth through the Power of the Holy Ghost

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July 2014 Week 4: I can know the truth through the Power of the Holy Ghost

IDENTIFY THE DOCTRINE(distinguishing truth from error): Write, on separate pieces of paper, some statements that are clearly true and others that are obviously false (such as “The sun is warm,” “Ice is hot,” “Stars shine at night,” and “Fire is cold”).  Invite a child to choose one to read aloud, and ask the children to stand if the statement is true and sit if it is not. Ask, “How do you know?” Repeat with each paper. Explain that another way we can know something is true is through the power of the Holy Ghost. Read Moroni 10:5. 

ENCOURAGE UNDERSTANDING(reading scriptures): Explain that through the power of the Holy Ghost we can know the truth; we may hear the Spirit’s voice or we may feel Him speak in our minds or hearts. Display pictures of a head (mind), a heart, and an ear. Divide the children into four groups, and invite each group to read one of the following scriptures aloud as a group (see “Choral Readings,” TNGC, 163): D&C 11:13, Helaman 5:45, D&C 8:2, Helaman 5:46–47. As each group reads their scripture, ask everyone to show which pictures go with the scripture by placing their hands on their head, heart, or ears.
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Links to Printables for mind, heart, and ears.

Ideas:

  • Share the poem “Help from the Holy Ghost” from the friend.
  • Sorting Truth Rocks from Error Rocks. Write on the rocks the truths and the false statements from above.  Store the false rocks in a normal bag. Keep the truth rocks in something warm. You could wrap them in a hot rice bag or something similar. Have a volunteer come up and blindfold them. Then have them sort the rocks giving a rock to them one by one. Whisper to the volunteer that the ones with truth on them are warm. After they are done sorting them read what is written on each pile of rocks. Ask how the child knew where to put each of the rocks. Explain that the holy ghost teaches us what is true in a similar way.  We may feel warm in our heart. We may hear the spirit whisper to us like the teacher did to the volunteer, or he may also speak to our minds. Continue on with the second part of the activity listed above under Encourage understanding. 
    • You could also adapt this so that one volunteer is in charge of telling the sorter which is true and not and the other children are in charge of distraction.

Printables
Printables for mind, heart, and ears.


July Sharing Time 2014 Week 3: The Holy Ghost comforts and guides me

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Week 3: The Holy Ghost Comforts and Guides me

IDENTIFY THE DOCTRINE & ENCOURAGE UNDERSTANDING (hearing testimonies): Ask the children to whisper, “The Holy Ghost comforts and guides me.” Ask a teacher to briefly share a time when the Holy Ghost comforted and guided him or her.  

ENCOURAGE APPLICATION (singing a song): Give each child a piece of paper, and ask the children to write a few words that come to mind when they think about how the Holy Ghost comforts and guides us. Invite the children to listen for the words they wrote as they sing one or both of the following songs: “The Holy Ghost” (CS, 105) and “Let the Holy Spirit Guide” (Hymns, no. 143). Ask them to circle the words when they sing them. Invite the children to share the words they circled, and discuss what each word means. You may also invite children to share words that were not circled. Ask a few children to tell about times when the Holy Ghost has brought them comfort or guidance.
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Ideas:

  • Compare the Holy Ghost to a traffic light in how it guides you. Here is a cute printable and talk on the holy ghost that could easily be adapted. 
  • Read and discuss the book “The holy Ghost is like a blanket”
  • Share this poem called “Help from the Holy Ghost”
  • Play the listen game: 
    • Before sharing time hide a small object or candy around the room. Choose a volunteer. Tell the children they can talk or converse one with another, or turn on some music, or a video. Begin whispering instructions to the volunteer on how to get to the object. Slowly get rid of the distractions. Turn the music off, or the video, or ask the children to get quieter. Continue to whisper clues to the object until your volunteer finds it. 
    • Discuss how when we listen to the holy ghost despite distractions we will be guided to where we need to go.
  • The Holy Ghost is like… Activity:
    • You will need to bring: Something that is comforting (blanket), Something that provides direction (stoplight or street signs, compass), Something that provides knowledge (dictionary, encyclopedia)
    • At the beginning of sharing time pull out each item individually and discuss what their purpose is. What we use them for. After each item has been discussed, explain that there is something all three items have in common.  Tell them it is a gift our heavenly father gives us after we are baptized. Let them try to guess what it is. (provide more clues if necessary)
    • Pull out each item again and discuss how the holy ghost provides us comfort (blanket), Knowledge (dictionary), and Guidance (stoplight). End by sharing testimony of the holy ghost.
  • Stop light Activity:
    • Print off the Stoplight Printables: 
      • Discuss what each light on a traffic light means and compare that to the holy ghost.
        • Red means stop: Explain that sometimes the holy ghost gives us a stop signal. This is usually when we are doing something wrong. Talk about some instances when we may get a stop signal from the holy ghost. (watching a bad show, snitching candy, fighting with siblings.)
        • Yellow means slow down or have caution: Explain that we may get a yellow light. The holy ghost will sometimes warn us of danger. You can share a personal experience of a time when you had the holy ghost warn you of danger or discuss when we might get this signal. (playing in the road, traffic accidents, etc.)
        • Green Means Go: Many times we get a green light. It is the holy ghosts job to guide us to truth. When we are doing something right we get good feelings. The Holy Ghost helps us to understand when something is true. We gain a testimony through the feelings we get from the holy ghost. (share a time when you felt the promptings of the holy ghost giving you a go) or discuss when we might feel this. (times when we are doing something right. (reading our scriptures, going to church..etc)
      • Finish by having them color the stop lights.

July 2014 Sharing Time: Week 2

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July Sharing time, Week 2: I become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ Through baptism and confirmation

IDENTIFY THE DOCTRINE (seeing pictures): Pretend to be a reporter. Tell the children, “Welcome to the Good News Network! Today I have the greatest news to report to you—each one of you can become a member of the true Church of Jesus Christ! This is one of the most important things you can do in your life. You become a member of the Church through baptism (show a picture of a child being baptized) and confirmation (show a picture of a child being confirmed).”

ENCOURAGE UNDERSTANDING (reading scriptures):  Divide the children into groups and give each group one or more of the following questions and corresponding scripture references. Invite them to imagine what they would say if a reporter asked them these questions. Ask them to find the answers in their scriptures. 

1. Why must I be baptized? (See John 3:5; Acts 2:38.)
2. When am I old enough to be baptized? (See D&C 68:27.)
3. Who can baptize me? (See D&C 20:73.)
4. How should I be baptized? (See D&C 20:74.)
5. What does baptism symbolize? (See Romans 6:3–5.)
6. How do I prepare for baptism? (See Alma 7:15–16; 19:35.)
7. What do I promise at baptism? (See Mosiah 18:10.)
8. What do I promise every Sunday when I take the sacrament and renew my baptismal covenants? (See D&C 20:77.)

ENCOURAGE APPLICATION (answering questions): Pretend to interview some of the children. Ask them to report what they learned about how you become a member of the Church.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ideas: 

  • invite the missionaries to talk about baptism and confirmation
  • Show pictures from your baptism and explain what it means
  • Ask the children that were baptized in primary recently to show pictures and talk about their special day…continue on to ask the questions above to help every one understand about baptism.
  • Follow the outline and use props! Get a microphone and a reporter costume. 
Printables for this Week:
You can access theme below by clicking on each individual picture or you can click here to download the pdf file.

Printables include a news reporting sign for the board and questions to hand out to the groups.


Welcome to Primary Cards

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For those of you who want an easy way welcome your new kids to primary and get their information, here are some cards you can use. Attach to a treat or just hand them out as is.

Access the pdf file here or download by clicking and saving each picture below.

Helping your children Gain a Healthy Self Worth

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Growing up…especially going through school I noticed a number of different types of people. (Especially in school…we love to put people in categories). You had the druggies, the cowboys, the goody good kids, the good but cool kids, the popular kids…and on and on. There was a group or a stereotype for everyone. If we fell into a category that we liked or that meant others liked us…yay. I guess that means we are one of he lucky ones. Though many would assume we all want to be popular, there was one type of person that I truly admired in high school… and it wasn’t cause they were “popular”. It was the kids that actually provided one of the best and most genuine services I think you can at that age…(an into adulthood). It was those kids who had what I would call true self worth and confidence.
Let me just describe how this person would act. This person is kind and outreaching. They aren’t shy or insecure…to make them kind. They aren’t kind so you’ll vote them prom queen. No…these people are kind when it isn’t popular…and when it is. They are genuine and mature. I think they come across as so put together because they know who they are regardless of the labels people give them. They act friendly and nice because they base their self worth off of their savoir and heavenly father. In a world where labels are constantly being thrown every which way and there is no shortage of judgement, it is extremely refreshing to see someone who doesn’t care what others think and can maintain their confidence because it comes from a knowledge that they of extreme worth in the eyes of our Heavenly Father and that they are doing what he would have them do.
These people are consistent in their character and moral. They may reject what is popular to do what is right. And though it may seem like an oxymoron, even in high school, it seems to me that these people are very well liked. Of course they are well liked…they make you feel good about yourself when you are around them…because someone who is truly confident in themselves knows they are of worth and so are you. It is easy for them to make others feel good, because they don’t have to put others down to build themselves up. They get their confidence from another source. They don’t have to talk bad about the popular kids, because they get their confidence from another source. They can freely admit that someone else has done something good and wonderful because they know that someone else’s achievements don’t diminish their own self worth.
    I was not this person in high school. Not really even in college. I was super shy and worried too much about what other people thought of me. Even as an adult I worry about this too much. How does an adult gain a relationship with our savoir to outweigh and overcome the world…and then how do we teach our children this invaluable lesson?

One of the first things we need to do to gain this confidence is gaining a personal relationship with our Father in heaven.

“President Thomas S. Monson has taught: “Your Heavenly Father loves you—each of you. That love never changes. It is not influenced by your appearance, by your possessions, or by the amount of money you have in your bank account. It is not changed by your talents and abilities. … God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there” (“We Never Walk Alone,” Ensign, Nov. 2013, 123–24).”

May I add it is not changed by what judgments others may pass upon…whether that comes from your peers, your teacher, parent, boss, or anyone else.

Another quote from this article states:
Following the Lord’s ways allows you to receive eternal blessings and to have the Holy Ghost with you, which can help you feel good about yourself more deeply and consistently than anything the world has to offer.

Another thing we can do is to be grateful for the blessing we have. 

Elder Quentin L Cook sayid
“Comparing blessings is almost certain to drive out joy,” says Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “We cannot be grateful and envious at the same time. If we truly want to have the Spirit of the Lord and experience joy and happiness, we should rejoice in our blessings and be grateful” (“Rejoice!”Ensign, Nov. 1996, 30).

Serving others…and focusing on their needs also brings about true self-worth
Here’s another amazing quote from this talk:
Those who truly love themselves don’t rely on others’ attention and praise. They’re comfortable enough with their own worth that they can have good relationships with others and are able to serve them without ulterior motives. 

This article is also amazing: How to we define who we are?

So how as parents do we instill this self worth in our children.

From the February 2006 ensign it states
“It is important for parents (and leaders and teachers) to understand the powerful impact praise, acceptance, and encouragement have on a child’s sense of individual worth and confidence. Likewise, we need to be aware of how ridicule, rejection, and continual criticism can create personal doubt. Equally important, Latter-day Saint parents need to recognize how feeling Heavenly Father’s love, sensing the comfort and spiritual guidance that come with the Holy Ghost’s companionship, and gaining a personal testimony enhance a child’s sense of worth, personal confidence, and self-respect.”

in this same talk it discusses a study that was done on high school students and the relationship between religious convictions and actions. 
They conclude that two things parents can do to benefit their children’s self worth are “(1) strengthen the spiritual environment of the home, and (2) maintain a strong, loving relationship with each child.”

The talk continues to explain how we can maintain a strong relationship with each child. I would highly recommend you read it. Helping children develop feelings of self worth.

Other great talks on this topic are:
We are children of God
Our true identity

So what does all this mean to me. I think what it means is in high school and in college I was recognizing the characteristics of someone who has a deep relationship with their Father in Heaven. I want to be able to foster the type of environment that allows my children to draw closer to their father in heaven so that they can make better decisions in life.

June 2014 Sharing Time Week 4

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Week 4: Family history work connects me to my ancestors.


Encourage understanding (singing a song and listening to a story): 

Tell the following story. Whenever you say “sing” or “singing”, ask everyone to sing “Family History-I Am Doing It.”(Cs, 94). Begin by singing just the first sentence, and add an additional sentence each time. 
One family loves music and singing. From their family history they learned that their ancestors, Mary Jones and her parents, also loved music and singing. The jones family also loved the Church. They were baptized in the counrty of wales and decided to move to Utah. Both Mary’s parents died during the journey, and although she waas a little girl, Mary continued walking across the plains, carrying a wooden box filled with Church hymns her father had written. Mary later taught her children to love singing. today her great-great-great- grandchildren love to sing. Those children have connected with Mary and know that she passed down to them her love for the Church and for singing.”
Encourage application (coloring): 

Give each child two pieces of paper, one labeled “Me” and the other labeled “My ancestor.” Ask them to draw a picture of themselves on the paper labeled “Me.” Then invite them to ask their parents at home to tell them about one of their ancestors so they can draw a picture of that ancestor on the other paper
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Ideas

Link idea
  •  Cut up some paper strips with ways family history connects us with our ancestors. Have a child come pick one and explain what it means or how it helps us “become linked” with our ancestors. As you discuss each paper use them to form a paper link chain from a picture of us to a picture of our ancestors. Have the children fill out info about themselves and their ancestors and form their own paper link chain. 
Printables
Paper Link Chain Printables (includes word strips to form paper link chain, Picture of a family representing us or find one here, sheet for their own chain. Also Coloring sheet for them to draw a picture of them and then one to take home and learn about ancestor as described in original lesson plan.)

For ancestor pictures look here or here or here or use one of your own photos.
To download png files just click and save pictures…or download the pdf file here.


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June 2014 Sharing Time Week 3

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Week 3: I can prepare now to be worthy to enter the temple.

Identify the doctrine (singing a song): Ask the children to listen for what their sacred duty is as they sing the first verse of “I Love to See the Temple” (CS, 95). Tell the children that they can prepare now to enter the temple when they are older.
Encourage understanding (discussing worthiness): Show a picture of a temple. Explain that because the temple is a holy place, only those who are worthy can enter. Tell the children that living the standards in For the Strength of Youth will prepare us to be worthy. Write some of the standards on separate wordstrips. Divide the children into groups, and give each group a wordstrip. Have each group stand and explain how living that standard will prepare them to be worthy to enter the temple.
Encourage application (playing a game): On separate pieces of paper, draw pictures of a mouth, eyes, ears, hands, and feet (sample drawings are available here). While the pianist plays “I Love to See the Temple,” have the children pass around the drawings. When the music stops, ask the children holding the pictures to tell one thing they can do with that body part to prepare to go to the temple (for example, they can pray, speak kindly, and tell the truth with their mouths). Repeat as time allows.
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Idea: I wanted to keep it pretty simple this week but still be able to demonstrate what we need to know. So basically follow the outline except for: After the children explain how living the standard helps them prepare to be worthy to enter the temple have them come place the word strip on the board creating a staircase to the temple. I would outline the staircase before hand with marker so they or you can easily just place the word strips where they go.  There are 20 total. 18 if you choose not to include sexual purity and dating.

Note: I included “Dating” and “Sexual Purity” on the word strips because they were categories in “The for Strength of Youth”.  You may or may not want to include them in your lesson.

Preparation:  Print off Temple and word strip printables below. Cut up word strips. Print off eyes, ears, hands, and feet printables here, Cut up. 
In Primary draw stairs on the board leading up to where you will place the picture of the temple.

Printables
Download the pdf file here
Temple and For Strength of youth pdf file

You can also click and save each picture below to download.

Photo Courtesy of Muchmore Photography



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