Printing Update: Hoping Wix will fix the printing. If you can't print, try printing from your phone, or another location. Or wait till later in the week, hopefully they will have it fixed.
Teach the Doctrine: Younger Children
I can pray to my Heavenly Father as Jesus did.
Children can learn to pray by listening to others’ prayers. How can you help them learn from Jesus Christ’s prayer in these verses?
Possible Activities
Review Jesus’s teachings about prayer found in Matthew 6:5–13. You might use “Chapter 20: Jesus Teaches about Prayer” (in New Testament Stories, 51–52, or the corresponding video on ChurchofJesusChrist.org). (Click on the image)
Use this week’s activity page to help the children remember the different parts of prayer.
Here is another one:
Trace each child’s hand on a piece of paper. Talk about what we should do with our hands and arms while we pray. On each tracing, write something we do to show reverence when we pray (for example, bowing our heads, closing our eyes, and so on).
Sing a song about prayer with the children, such as “We Bow Our Heads” (Children’s Songbook, 25), and bear your testimony of the power of prayer. Invite the children to share their experiences with prayer.
Lots of options for gift tags teaching prayer. Just click on the images.
I should treat others the way I want to be treated.
Jesus’s teaching in Matthew 7:12—also known as the Golden Rule—provides a simple guide for how to treat others. What will help the children you teach live by this principle?
Possible Activities
When I was younger I thought it was the Golden Ruler(:
Have the children put the long ruler floor puzzle together while you talk about this principal that Jesus taught. Tape it together. Then have them lay on the ground next to the Golden Ruler, with their head at the top. Mark with a pen where their feet lay. Write their name and how they can treat someone the way they want to be treated.
My daughter is in Senior Primary, so she is getting a bit big to be my model): But you get the idea.
I'm giving this gift tag for free as a big "thank you" to all of you for your support. Even if you can't afford to buy a gift tag, your support in coming back every week and your kind words. Thank you!
(You can select B&W and print on colored card stock)
Rulers are sold at Dollar Tree, 3 in a set, if you can find yellow ones, I will be so happy for you(:
Read Matthew 7:12, and paraphrase it in simple words that the children can understand. Help the children think of several ways to complete a sentence like the following: “I like it when others for me.” After each sentence, invite them to repeat with you, “So I should for others.”
Sing with the children a song that you feel reinforces Matthew 7:12, such as “Jesus Said Love Everyone” (Children’s Songbook, 61). Make up simple actions to accompany the song. Ask the children what they learn about how we should treat others from the Savior’s example.
Invite the children to list kind things their parents or other family members do for them. Read Matthew 7:12, and invite the children to name kind things they can do for their families.
Cut out and assemble dice. I actually think this is a really hard concept for very small children to understand. If I was teaching this I would have them roll the dice, say for example it lands on Grandma. Ask "How can we show Grandma love?" "That's very good, because if you were lonely like Grandma wouldn't that be something that would make you happy?" Keep repeating similar questions and then summarize the scripture again saying. "When we love others the way we would like to be loved, this what Jesus taught."
I can build on a strong foundation by following Jesus.
Using the Savior’s parable about building a house on sand or on a rock can be a memorable way to teach children about the importance of acting on what we learn.
Possible Activities
Sing with the children “The Wise Man and the Foolish Man” (Children’s Songbook, 281), and use actions to go along with the words.
Use Matthew 7:24–27 to teach about the differences between the wise man and the foolish man. Invite the children to pretend they are building a house. How can we be like the wise man?
OBJECT LESSON
You can repeat with sand, if you'd like to show the children a collapsing foundation.
Here is a home from and old lesson if you need one.
Let the children draw pictures of the parable of the wise man and the foolish man.
Here is a gift tag, I bought my Pop Rocks at an Associated Foods store near me. Click on the image.
Teach the Doctrine: Older Children
The Sermon on the Mount contains messages for me.
These chapters have many messages that could apply to the children you teach. Read them with the children in mind. What stands out to you?
Possible Activities
Remind the children that they have been learning about what Jesus taught during the Sermon on the Mount. What truths can they remember learning about last week?
Write on the board some phrases from the Sermon on the Mount and some other phrases that are not from the scriptures. Invite the children to identify which phrases come from the Sermon on the Mount. Ask them to share what they learn from these teachings.
Cut out all the quotes and mix them up in a pile on the ground or in a bowl. When they read one that they think is scripture have them find the scripture it verse that matches with the picture of Jesus. There are some blank ones for you to add phrases that are your favorites.
I have chosen quotes that are inspiring, and maybe even true, but point out that if we don't know if something is true , we can go to the Scriptures or conference talks to validate the truth.
Select several verses from Matthew 6–7 that you feel will be meaningful to the children. Write the scripture references on cards, and hide them throughout the room. Let the children find them, read the verses, and explain why these teachings are important to them.
Share one of your favorite passages from Matthew 6–7, and explain why you like it. If the children have a passage they like, invite them to share why they like it and what they learn from it.
Sing with the children a song about the Savior and His teachings, such as “I’m Trying to Be like Jesus” (Children’s Songbook, 78–79). Stop the song when you come to a phrase that relates to a principle taught in Matthew 6–7. Help the children make connections to things they are learning from these chapters.
Heavenly Father will hear and answer me when I pray.
As you study Matthew 6:5–13; 7:7–11, what do you feel the children need to understand about prayer?
Possible Activities
Invite the children to read Matthew 6:9–13 out loud and then list things the Savior said in His prayer. How can we follow His example when we pray?
Sing a song about prayer with the children, such as “Did You Think to Pray?” (Hymns, no. 140). Help the children search the lyrics to find reasons we pray and blessings that come from prayer.
Help the children memorize Matthew 7:7 by playing a game like the following: One child recites the first word or phrase from the verse and then tosses a ball to another child, who then recites the next word or phrase.
(You could print this on colored card stock for added color)
Act out Matthew 7:9–10 with the children using simple props. Ask the children to share what this teaches them about prayer.
Share an experience in which your prayers were answered.
If you would like more experiences of prayers being answered the churches website has a bunch. Just click on the image.
I can seek eternal treasures instead of earthly treasures.
How will you help the children you teach place greater value on eternal things than on worldly things?
Possible Activities
Bring a “treasure” box filled with objects or pictures that represent things the world values—for example, money or toys. Read Matthew 6:19–21 together, and then ask the children to help you think of heavenly treasures that could replace the worldly items in the box.
(Select B&W and print on brown colored card stock)
These are from the clipart library so it's only in color.
These are from an old lesson if you would like to use them.
Here are some blank ones for your children to draw some treasures in.
Invite the children to name or draw some things they could do to “lay up … treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20).
I found these at Dollar Tree, I thought it would go well with this.
