Tag: Holidays

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A Day in the Life, Educational, Homeschool

Kitchen Chemistry Unit for November

Keira

This is a rough draft post. I’d love to say I’ll fluff it out but… my track record suggests otherwise. If you’re seeing it in this state and it’s not November, my track record holds. What can I say, I’m consistent! haha.

Below, find a schedule for semi-weekly primary-school science lessons for the month of November. A homeschool unit for November about – you guessed it – food.  Note that this could easily be spread out to 4 or 5 days a week instead of 2! But we only do science twice a week in order to have time for social studies and extra curriculars.

  1. Intro to Chemistry
  2. classifying matter:
  3. states of matter: Solid, liquid, gas
  4. What is a mixture
  5. Suspensions vs Solutions
  6. Colloids
  7. emulsions
  8. Adding heat
  9. Acids vs Bases
FHE

Pioneers FHE

Keira

Purpose: to celebrate ancestors and those who paved a way for a better future.


Possible scriptures: Abraham 2:10-11; Genesis 17:7-8; Deuteronomy 30:1-5; Isaiah 11:12; Isaiah 29:14; Jeremiah 16:14-15; Jeremiah 23:3; Ezekiel 20:34; Malachi 4:5-6 (3 Nephi 25:5-6, Doctrine and Covenants 128:17-18); Matthew 24:14; Galatians 3:26-29; Hebrews 11:40; 2 Nephi 9:2; 2 Nephi 30:2; 3 Nephi 20:13; Doctrine and Covenants 1:30; Doctrine and Covenants 38:33; Doctrine and Covenants 97:21; Doctrine and covenants 128:15;

Possible Songs: Come, Come Ye Saints, Hymn 30; For the Strength of the Hills, Hymn 35; They, the Builders of the Nation, Hymn 36; Carry On, Hymn 255; Pioneer Children Sang As They Walked, Children’s Songbook page 214; Pioneer Children were Quick to Obey, Children’s Songbook page 215; Little Pioneer Children, Children’s Songbook page 216; Westward Ho!, Children’s Songbook page 217; To Be a Pioneer, Children’s Songbook page 218; The Oxcart, Children’s Songbook page 219; The Handcart song, Children’s Songbook page 220; Covered Wagons, Children’s Songbook page 221; Whenever I Think about Pioneers, Children’s Songbook page 222;

Possible Materials: any picture you have of an ancestor, preferably one that was a pioneer. If you need pictures, the history section of the church website has a category for pioneers, including photos of historical sites and artifacts. You may also wish to use these scripture figures of pioneers. This game board (if you can’t print it for any reason, make a simple gameboard and make a puzzle of a picture with pioneers. Then on every third square, write a fact about the pioneers followed by a question about how we can be like our ancestors), and a game die to go with it, as well as a bean or token for each member of the family. The scripture figures of Lehi’s family.


Preparation: Begin with prayer. Read the suggested scriptures, including 1 Nephi 2; 16; and 17 as well as Doctrine and Covenants 136. Then follow this link (if you have a Family Search account, log in) to quickly look up if you had any ancestors that came to Utah as a pioneer. If not, it will take more digging, but look up which ancestors were the first to join the church. Read any stories associated with them. What is a pioneer, to you? For the sake of this lesson, I choose to define a pioneer as someone who does something hard because he knows it is right. Is that how you you would define a pioneer? Read the article and watch the video on Church History Topics: Pioneer Trek. Was there anything new that you learned? Read through the lesson, including any links, and carefully select the most relevant material for your family. print the gameboard and cut out the puzzle. Collect a game die and a token for each member of the family, Children: watch the videos about the saints leaving Nauvoo and Pioneers going to the Salt Lake Valley (you can watch the videos in between and the video following, as well). Then watch this video about Lehi and Nephi and the promised land (if they need more context, start here and follow the chapters). Ask a grownup to help you print and cut the game, and to find the other game pieces you’ll need.

Lesson:

Discuss how last week’s challenge went.

Introduction: Ask your family what is so important about July 24th. It’s not a holiday that is celebrated at many schools or at work, but it is important to us. It is a chance for us to celebrate our ancestors that joined the church or did hard things because they believed it was right. Ask your family if they know what “ancestors,” means. It means a member of our family who was in our past. Someone older than our grandparents that lived their life so that we could be born. Set out the gameboard and it’s corresponding puzzle pieces. Tell the family we will be playing a game and learning about pioneers. Pioneers are a special kind of ancestors. They did something hard or new because they knew it was right. Some pioneers came across the plains in wagons so that they could be safe from people that did not like that they were trying to be good people. Some brought wagons and some brought little carts that they had to pull along. Tell your family we are going to build the little puzzle wagon and fill it with things that pioneers might have needed to walk so far. Then explain the rules of the game (“Take turns rolling the die to move forward from the square marked ‘start.’ When you land on a square with words, follow the instructions or answer the question written on the square. If you can follow the instructions or answer the question, put a puzzle piece in place. If not, it’s the next player’s turn. If a player lands on the same square more than once, he or she can choose another player to follow the instructions on the square. Continue moving around the circle until the puzzle is completed.” copied from the game)


From Church or World History: Share some stories from your own ancestors. Show any pictures you may have, and talk about any family resemblances or how their clothes or hair are different styles. If you don’t have any stories to share, here are some shared in various church articles: Albert Dickson (July 1995 Friend), Anna Anderson (July 2015 and August 2015 Friend), Thomas Giles (August 2006 Friend), Agnes Caldwell (October 1997 Friend), Peter McBride (November 2006 Friend), Mary Wanlass (July 2017 Liahona), Margaret McNeil (August 2007 Friend), Heinrich Eyering (July 2016 Friend), Arthur Parker (May 2004 Friend), Priscilla Mitchell (February 2005 Friend), and Jane Manning (September and October 2017 Friend). If your family doesn’t have many “Utah Pioneers,” the story about Gaby’s Different Kind of Pioneer would be helpful a well. Tell your family that the pioneers in the stories did hard things and they were blessed for making good choices. Ask if there is something we can do that will improve our future or make the world a better place.

From the Scriptures: Hold up the figures of Lehi and Nephi and their family. Ask your family if they remember who the people are. Tell your family that Heavenly Father told Lehi to go to a promised land, too! Lehi and his family were obedient and listened. That made them pioneers, too! Read 1 Nephi 2:2-4 and 17:1-3. How did Heavenly Father bless Lehi and his family? How will we be blessed when we do what Heavenly Father asks of us.

Further Discussion:

Watch what Dallin H Oaks and L. Tom Perry had to say about being like the pioneers. What stood out in the videos? What can we learn from the pioneers? How are we being pioneers ourselves?

Recent Conference talks to consider in your discussion: Let Doing Good Be Our Normal, by Rafael E. Pino; Follow Jesus Christ with Footsteps of Faith, By M. Russell Ballard; We Each Have a Story, by Garrit W Gong

Challenge:

Find something about your ancestors that intrigues you. Study more about them and their lives this week. Think about what their life was like. Get to know them a little closer. At the end of the week, be prepared to share what you learned or how you grew closer to your ancestors and how it impacted your week.


Giving due credit: as usual, I read and learned from Gospel Principles Chapters 17 and 42, and the Family Home Evening Resource Manual on Cultural Heritage and Family History and Gospel Topics from Gospel Library on Pioneer Trek.

FHE

America the Beautiful FHE

Keira

Purpose: To celebrate as a family and to rejoice in our country as a whole and in the flag and our liberties.

**although I highly doubt that my blog will ever reach international acclaim, I understand that if someone that is not from the USA were to have a desire to follow my FHE lessons, they won’t need a lesson specifically dealing with American Pride. You can chose to focus on the title of liberty, or you can replace this (and probably the previous 2) lesson(s). I wasn’t overly concerned about making this a world-wide thing since it’s meant mostly for my family. If you’d ever like me to change that, I’d welcome some feedback or an email or something. **


Possible scriptures: Proverbs 24:21; Isaiah 2:4; Isaiah 61:1; Matthew 24:6-7; John 8:32; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 5:1; 2 Nephi 2:27; 2 Nephi 10:11; Mosiah 5:8; Mosiah 29:16-17; Mosiah 29:26; Mosiah 29:32 (obviously the whole chapter is good); Alma 58:40; Alma 61:14-15; Ether 8:25-26; Doctrine and Covenants 58:22; Doctrine and Covenants 88:86; Doctrine and Covenants 98:5; Doctrine and Covenants 98:10;

Possible Songs: America the Beautiful, Hymn 338; My Country Tis of Thee, Hymn 339; Battle Hymn of the Republic, Hymn 60; The Star Spangled Banner, Hymn 340; Love One Another, Hymn 308; God of Our Fathers, Known of Old, Hymn 80; My Country, Children’s Songbook page 224; My Flag, My Flag, Children’s Songbook page 225. ** Or any national song for your own country** For the US, you may consider God Bless America, You’re a Grand Old Flag, and This Land is Your Land. I feel like there are plenty that fit here that are just as classic but these 3 seem to be the most colloquially accepted.

Possible Materials: An American Flag, a picture of Betsy Ross, and a picture of Moroni with the Title of Liberty (or the scripture figure of him and his flag).


Preparation: Begin with prayer. Read the suggested scriptures, this account of Betsy Ross and the Flag and Alma 43-49 (use the arrow on the right to go to the next chapter). Read through the lesson, including any links, and carefully select the most relevant material for your family. Children: Watch this video about Betsy Ross and this one about Captain Moroni.

Lesson:

Discuss how last week’s challenge went.

Introduction: Hold up an American flag and ask your family what it is. Ask them if they know anything about it. For younger kids, help them count the stripes. You could count the stars, too, but that will take quite a bit of time! Discuss symbolism as much as your family is able to do so.

  • 13: there were originally 13 colonies that fought against Great Britain.
  • stripes: Rays of sunshine
  • red: Valor and bravery
  • white: Purity and innocence
  • stars: aspirations of all humankind – getting to heaven; also, it’s a new constellation!
  • 50: the number of states now in the United States.
  • blue: perseverance and justice.
  • (Source)

Then talk about the rules of the flag (PLEASE! This Air Force Brat is begging you!!!).

  • Don’t let the flag touch the ground.
  • The flag should always be lit, whether by sunlight or another light source.
  • The flag should always be in good repair.
  • Never put any other symbol on top of the flag.
  • Never ever display the flag upside down. If you do, prepare to either be saved or destroyed by a veteran. An upside down flag is a sign of distress. It means something to a vet, and not some showy political statement.
  • Always keep flags in predominant places, higher than other flags, and in the center of other flags.
  • When walking with a flag, it should be placed on a pole and allowed to wave.
  • When a flag is passing in a procession, when it is raised or lowered, or when it is displayed during the national anthem, stand, remove your hat, and place your hand on your heart to show respect. What you’re respecting is the sacrifice of men and women who served you. Some of those men and women died for you. They died for that flag and all it means. We can thank them by simply standing and placing our hand on our hearts.
  • It doesn’t matter if the flag is displayed horizontally or vertically, the union (stars) should always be on the top left (aka the flag’s right) side. It may not seem like an important distinction, but to a vet, it brings memories of their fellow soldiers that they helped bury. On a casket, the union is on top and over the left shoulder. To a vet it’s a symbol of life vs death.
  • There is a specific way to fold the flag. It has so much more symbolism than I can cover here, but as an Air Force brat, that triangle means a lot! That triangle brings images of mourning loved ones and what it really costs to be a Veteran.


From World History: Hold up a picture of Betsy Ross. Ask your family if they know who she is. What is she sewing in this picture? Tell your family that before America became the United States, it was under the rule of King George III in Great Britain. The colonies did not like the way that King George was treating all the people moving across the ocean to live in America. They were not happy that they were not being listened to and how expensive King George was making everything with his taxes. They also came to America for freedom and religious beliefs, so they didn’t like having to report to someone that had no idea what went on. The people decided to fight against King George. This fight was called the Revolution. The Revolution was the start of America! At one point, Britain was thinking that the people in America were getting ready to give in because the flag looked like their own flag. In 1776, George Washington, the leader of the revolution, decided that the colonists needed their own flag. Flags are a good way to say how you feel without words! He asked his church friend to make one for him. She had lost her husband to the revolution, and she was good at sewing and at making furniture. She beat the odds and we are grateful to her for helping design the flag.

From the Scriptures: Tell your family that there is another story about flags having a meaning. Hold up a picture of Captain Moroni (or the scripture figure of Moroni and his flag). Read Alma 48:11-13 and Alma 60:36. What kind of guy was Captain Moroni? Point out the flag in the picture. Tell your family that Captain Moroni was sad because some people were trying to control the Nephites. They were trying to take away the liberty of the Nephites. Liberty means freedom and agency. He made a flag from his own coat because he wanted to show his people his message. He called his flag “The Title of Liberty.” Have someone read Alma 46:12-13. What did Moroni write on his flag? Why was it important? It gave the Nephites something to remember, something to protect, and something to come together.

Further Discussion:

Read Alma 46:23-24. What is the symbolism behind using his coat for the Title of Liberty? Now read Genesis 37:31-36. What does Captain Moroni make the connection toward? It is interesting how many symbolic uses one single coat can have! It was a sign of mourning what was lost when Israel tore his own. The scrap of the coat of many colors represented that not all of the house of Israel would be destroyed. It was a sign of favor and blessings (see Genesis vs 3). And it was lost as Joseph lost his freedom.

Read Alma 46:13. Why are we given a specific list of the armor that Captain Moroni wore? Now read Ephesians 6:11-18. As a family, discuss what each piece of armor that Captain Moroni wore would symbolize and how that particular concept would/could help him in his declarations and protections of freedom.

Recent Conference talks to consider in your discussion: Embrace the Future with Faith, by Russell M. Nelson;  Divine Love in the Father’s Plan, by Dallin H Oaks; Following Jesus: Being a Peacemaker, by Neil L Andersen; Defending our Divinely Inspired Constitution, by Dallin H Oaks; Love Your Enemies, by Dallin H Oaks.

Challenge:

Here is a coloring page of Moroni praying and holding the Title of Liberty for younger families.

The Challenge this week is to remember the importance of the flag while you celebrate the 4th of July this week. If you see a flag, show it respect. And if you see a veteran, tell him thank you. Because of his sacrifice, you have freedom of religion, peace, and families.


Giving due credit: as usual, I read and learned from the Primary 4 Lesson 26, and the Family Home Evening Resource Manual on Citizenship, and Gospel Topics from Gospel Library on Citizenship and War. Also, I found this Bookofmormoncentral article that was worth the read: What Are the “Just and Holy Principles” of the US Constitution? And a Church News article on Citizenship and Conscience that fits the last 3 lessons.

FHE

Respect our Fathers FHE

Keira

Purpose: To celebrate our dads and spend time together in love for him.

**Special note: we understand and appreciate that not all families are the same! God loves all families that are trying their best. We have spent our own time as “not the typical family,” and want you to know we love and support you! If you don’t want to do this lesson, feel free to pick another one! You know what you need! **


Possible scriptures: ask your dad what his favorite scripture is!

Possible Songs: Home Can Be a Heaven on Earth, Hymn 298; Love at Home, Hymn 294 or 318; Love One Another, Hymn 308, Children’s Songbook page 136; Families Can Be Together Forever, Children’s Songbook page 188; Daddy’s Homecoming, Children’s Songbook page 210; Fathers, Children’s Songbook page 209; A Happy Family, Children’s Songbook page 198a; Quickly I’ll Obey, Children’s Songbook page 197b; When We’re Helping, 198b; My Dad, Children’s Songbook page 211; Love is Spoken Here, Children’s Songbook page 190; The Dearest Names, Children’s Songbook page 208

Possible Materials: Superdaddy rockets; Figures of Nephi and his family; A picture of George Washington.


Preparation: If you are the father and it is your time to teach, watch this video, and reflect on fatherhood and the things discussed in the video, then tell your wife or oldest child that they get to teach instead! Begin with prayer. If you are the son, watch this video (Daughters, watch this one) and contemplate how your relationship with your father is going. Does it need some work? Read the suggested scriptures, including. Read through the lesson, including any links, and carefully select the most relevant material for your family. Children: Watch the videos of Nephi and George Washington as a boy. Older family members might also enjoy learning about Joseph Fielding Smith and Joseph F. Smith. Then ask a grownup to help you get the Superdaddy rockets ready.

Lesson:

Discuss how last week’s challenge went.

Introduction: Tell your family that Father’s Day is coming up. To help us get ready for Father’s Day, lets play a game and learn more about him! Hand each family member a “Superdaddy Rocket.” If they are younger, have them pre-assembled. Older family members can make them themselves. Then hand everyone a straw and go to a place that is open enough for papers to be flying around. Show your family members how to put their straws into the rocket pockets and then how to blow on the bottom of the straw and shoot it. The person that shot their straw the furthest gets to ask Daddy a question! Some questions could be what his favorite color or food is, if he has a favorite story from the scriptures or his mission or history, and what he wanted to be when he grew up. The list is endless. Make sure everyone has fun and has a turn to ask Dad a question. When you are done with the rockets, ask your family how we can show respect for our fathers.


From the Scriptures: Hold up the figures of Nephi’s family. Ask your family who the figures are. What does the family know about them? Hold up the figure of Lehi. Tell your family that Lehi was a righteous man, he was a prophet. Heavenly Father gave him lots of instructions and Lehi obeyed. Lehi had 4 sons while he lived in Jerusalem and Heavenly Father told him to take his family and leave. 2 sons, named Laman and Lemuel, did not want to obey! They complained and argued. 1 son, named Nephi, wanted to do everything Heavenly Father told his father to do. He trusted his father to know what was right, and he asked Heavenly Father to know things for himself. He told Sam (the other brother) how he felt and what he learned, and Sam obeyed his father, as well. How do you think Lehi felt about his sons’ choices? We show our fathers respect when we do what they ask without complaining.

From World History: Hold up a picture of George Washington. Ask your family if they know who it is. Tell your family that there is a story about George Washington as a boy that we often tell to talk about telling the truth. It wasn’t a true story, but has become a legend (which means an old story we tell over and over again). The story says that when George Washington was a boy, he got a hatchet for a present and he was so excited to play with it and chop with it. His dad had a favorite tree. A Cherry tree! one day, George Washington was playing with his hatchet and he was not paying attention to what he was doing, and he was chopping things without thinking about it, and he chopped down his dad’s favorite tree! George’s dad was very sad! He asked everyone what had happened to his tree. George said, “I cannot tell a lie! I chopped it down.” His dad was sad about losing his tree, but he told George that he would have been even sadder if George had not told the truth. We can show respect to our fathers by telling them the truth, even if it is hard or we are afraid we will get into trouble.

From Church History: Now hold up a picture of Joseph Fielding Smith. Tell your family that Joseph Fielding Smith was the son of Joseph F. Smith, who was the son of Hyrum Smith (the brother of Joseph Smith). There would be a lot of pressure to be the son of a prophet! But Joseph Fielding Smith wanted to do all he could to be a good person. Have someone read the following from Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith:

When his father sent him a few dollars for necessities, he replied: “I shall be very careful of the means you send me. I do not spend anything unless I have a good reason for it.” He also told his father of his determination to learn and teach the gospel: “I am here to preach the gospel and I hope I will be able to do that well. … It is my desire to improve my mind and talents while I am here, that I may always be useful for something in life. … I want to be right on all things and nothing gives me more pleasure than to learn something about the gospel. My desire is to become acquainted with it and gain wisdom.”
President Joseph F. Smith wrote the following words of commendation in a letter to Elder Joseph Fielding Smith: “I like your spirit, I have faith in your integrity, and I have pleasure and satisfaction in you. I want you to cultivate wisdom and deliberate judgment and patience as well as the Holy Spirit and the love of God.”

The Life And Ministry of Joseph Fielding Smith, from Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith

One way we can show respect to our fathers is to live a life in which they are proud of us; A life that we utilize the principles that they have tried to instill on us. Joseph Fielding Smith did that from his mission all the way through to the death of his father, where he acted as a secretary for his father on many occasions.

Further Discussion:

What are some attributes you see in your father that you hope to cultivate? Is there a skill that he has that you would like to develop? Talk about these ideas with him and talk about what it will take to grow them.

Recent Conference talks to consider in your discussion: Click here for talks on fatherhood.

Challenge:

Make a special effort this week to do the things your father asks without complaining. Pay attention to his needs when he gets home and try to meet them. See if your relationship improves, and be prepared to report back to the family.


Giving due credit: as usual, I read and learned from the Sunbeams Manual Lesson 23 (Nursery Manual lesson 11), Gospel Principles Chapter 37, and the Family Home Evening Resource Manual Lesson 17 and lesson 21 (though I kinda hated both of them… they’re way too preachy for me and reminded me of why I hated FHE as a kid).

FHE

Honor our Mothers FHE

Keira

Purpose: To remind our families that listening, obeying and respecting our mothers is really what they want on Mother’s day.

**Special note: we understand and appreciate that not all families are the same! God loves all families that are trying their best. We have spent our own time as “not the typical family,” and want you to know we love and support you! If you don’t want to do this lesson, feel free to pick another one! You know what you need! **


Possible scriptures: ask your mother what her favorite scripture is!

Possible Songs: Home Can Be a Heaven on Earth, Hymn 298; Love at Home, Hymn 294 or 318; Love One Another, Hymn 308, Children’s Songbook page 136; Families Can Be Together Forever, Children’s Songbook page 188; Mother, I Love You, Children’s Songbook page 207; I Often Go walking, Children’s Songbook page 202; A Happy Family, Children’s Songbook page 198a; Quickly I’ll Obey, Children’s Songbook page 197b; When We’re Helping, 198b; Dearest Mother, I Love You, Children’s Songbook page 206b; Mother Dear, page 206a; My Mother Dear, Children’s Songbook 203; Mother, Tell Me the Story, Children’s songbook page 204; The Dearest Names, Children’s Songbook page 208

Possible Materials: the poem from the May 2010 Friend; colored paper, a pencil, straws, and a jar or vase; A picture of the 2000 stripling warriors; maps of Germany and Czechoslovakia during WWII (see below); A picture of Abigail Adams.


Preparation: If you are the mother and it is your time to teach, watch this video, and then tell your husband or oldest child that they get to teach instead! Begin with prayer. If you are the father, watch this video and consider if there is a way you can set the example and tone for your family. Read the suggested scriptures, Alma 53-57 (use the arrow on the right to go to the next chapter). Read through the lesson, including any links, and carefully select the most relevant material for your family. Children: Watch the video of the 2000 stripling warriors (I really like this one for younger kids, but it doesn’t tell as much of the story), and these 2 stories (one, two) about Elder Uchtdorf’s family fleeing German control. Then gather colored paper, a pencil, straws, and a jar or vase for the lesson.

Lesson:

Discuss how last week’s challenge went.

Introduction: read the poem from the May 2010 Friend to your family. Then trace each family member’s hands and cut them out (help little ones!). Glue or tape them to a straw like a flower and place them in a jar or vase for your mother. You could consider making other flowers, as well, but for younger families, a handprint will be plenty!


From the Scriptures: Hold up the picture of the 2000 Stripling warriors. Ask your family if they know who these young men are. Tell them that when the people that had believed Ammon were baptized they decided to bury their weapons so they could show Heavenly Father that they were ready to keep his commandments. They moved to live closer to the Nephites. Then, the Nephites were being attacked and the people of Ammon (called Anti-Nephi-Lehites) felt bad that they could not help protect the people. They were ready to break their promise in order to keep their friends safe. The Nephites did not want them to break their promise! But then their young sons stood and said that they had not made the same promise as their parents and that they would help protect their parents and their friends, the Nephites. They were very valiant and fought bravely. Heavenly Father protected them. Read Alma 56:45-48. Tell your family that they honored their mothers by remembering Heavenly Father and His promises, like their mothers had taught them. We honor our mother by doing as she teaches us, too.

From Church History: Hold up a map of Europe during WWII (older families might find this video map cool, but it’s way too long for younger families. Otherwise this is a good one showing Czechoslovakia, and showing the difference between East and West Germany. Tell your family that Dieter F. Uchtdorf, one of our twelve Apostles used to live in Germany, and was a little child during the time of the war. He and his family had to flee to different countries 2 different times! Point to the map and show were Czechoslovakia is. Then point to West Germany, and again to East Germany. Elder Uchtdorf often reflects on his mother and how she handled these hard times. Read the beginning of the talk “The Infinite Power of Hope,” and think about how life would have been like for this family. If Elder Uchtdorf’s mother was still alive, how do you think she would appreciate the lessons that her son shares with us each and every conference. Knowing what we know about his family history makes his message of hope and guidance all the more potent. We can honor our mothers by knowing and sharing her stories.

From World History: Hold up a picture of Abigail Adams. Tell your family that Abigail Adams was an important figure in the Early United States. She was the wife of the second president and the mother of the 5th president. Upon her death, John Quincy Adams proclaimed (paraphrasing scripture) that he hoped he could live just as good of a life as she did in his diary. He said, “There is not a virtue that can abide in the female heart, but it was the ornament of hers.” He later became president of the united states. We can show love and respect to our mother by recognizing all she does for us!

Further Discussion:

What are some other ways we can honor our mother? Discuss this topic among your family.

Recent Conference talks to consider in your discussion: Click here for talks on motherhood.

Challenge:

Ask your mother to place the vase in a spot that the family can see it throughout the week and remember that the best gift they can give her isn’t a handprint, but to listen, obey, and love her.


Giving due credit: as usual, I read and learned from the Sunbeams Manual Lesson 23 (Nursery Manual lesson 11), Gospel Principles Chapter 37, and the Family Home Evening Resource Manual Lesson 17 and lesson 21 (though I kinda hated both of them… they’re way too preachy for me and reminded me of why I hated FHE as a kid).

FHE

He Lives! Easter FHE

Keira

Purpose: To help each member of the family focus on the Savior this Easter and remember that through the resurrection, we can return to our bodies and live forever.


Possible scriptures: Any in Matthew 21-28, Mark 11, 14-16, Luke 19-20, 22-24, or John 12-13, 18-20 (the triangles on the right will allow you to go to the next chapter); Guide to the scriptures on the Atonement; 1 Ne. 11:32–33; 2 Ne. 2:7; 2 Nephi 9:6–26;  Alma 7:11–13; Alma 11:41–45; any verse or verses from Alma 40 or 41; Doctrine & Covenants 19:16–19; any verse or verses from 1 Corinthians 15 (there are quite a few well-known verses in this chapter); Article of Faith #3 

Possible Songs: All Creatures of Our God and King, Hymn 62; Christ the Lord is Risen Today, Hymn 200; He is Risen!, Hymn 199; I Believe in Christ, Hymn 134; I know That My Redeemer Lives, Hymn 136; My Redeemer Lives, Hymn 135; He Sent His Son, Children’s Songbook page 34; On a Golden Springtime, Children’s Songbook page 88; Jesus Has Risen, Children’s Songbook page 70; Easter Hosanna, Children’s Songbook page 68; To Think about Jesus, Children’s Songbook page 71

Possible Materials: Empty plastic eggs. The rest will vary depending on what works for your family.

Preparation: Begin with prayer. Address this lesson with enthusiasm and gratitude. Think about what you want to get out of the Easter season this year. Read the suggested scriptures. Read through the lesson, including any links, and carefully select the most relevant material for your family. Children: Think about what Easter is all about. Fill an Easter basket with your favorite things about Easter, then gather enough empty eggs for each member of your family. Then watch the videos about the week of Jesus’ death, including the triumphal entry, the Last Supper, Christ in Gethsemane, Christ on trial, Christ being crucified, and Christ risen again [Note to parents: for younger attention spans, pick the videos you deem most appropriate for your child or have them watch this very summarized version].

Lesson:

Discuss how last week’s challenge went.

Introduction: Pull out an Easter basket filled with commercial Easter items. Hand the family each an empty egg and ask them to find something that fits in the egg that makes them think about Easter. Make suggestions throughout about new birth and spring flowers starting to grow, or anything related to the Savior. The idea is to understand that each of these things has a place. When the family has regrouped, start with the youngest member of your family and ask each person what they found. Each selection is good, because it brings happy memories, even if it doesn’t focus on the Savior. Tell your family that Easter is all about Jesus! We celebrate the day that Jesus was resurrected. The last week of Jesus’ life, he did a lot to get ready to return to His Heavenly Father and to make it so that we could return, too. Tell your family that we are going to

From the Scriptures: Click here and pick the best Easter-themed activity for your family (sorry, I just didn’t want to clog up this whole post with options. I figure it’s hard enough to stay focused on so many words already!)

Further Discussion:

Ask the family why we celebrate at Easter time. The responses will turn towards focusing on Jesus, but get the family to think even deeper. Emphasize the word Celebrate. Easter is about Jesus’ death and all of the pain and agony he felt. Why, then, do we celebrate?  We celebrate Easter because Easter is about Jesus’ final triumph in that he overcame death, both spiritual and physical. Easter is Christ’s final victory! We celebrate Easter because of the Atonement! Explain to the family that the Atonement has two parts: the first part is when Christ suffered for the sins of the world in the Garden of Gethsemane. The second part came when he was resurrected after he died on the cross. Both sin and death are part of the mortal experiences we came to earth for; both were part of the plan for us to learn and progress. But both, without the atonement, would keep us stuck and unable to return back to Heavenly Father. 

Recent Conference talks to consider in your discussion:

Challenge:

Ask your family to think about the true reason we celebrate Easter this year by focusing on the events of the last week of his life. Give each family member back their egg and a picture of the Savior to set somewhere they will see it this week.


Giving due credit: as usual, I read and learned from the Sunbeams Manual Lesson 45 (Nursery Manual lesson 29), Gospel Principles Chapter 12, and the Family Home Evening Resource Manual Lesson 36.

FHE, Spiritual

Bringing Christ Back to Easter

Keira

Okay, okay. I Couldn’t pick one favorite Easter activity that fit every year, so I made a list of my favorites.

If you’re looking to focus on Holy Week, or more chronologically focused:

If you’re looking to focus on more of the symbols of Easter:

If you want a very thorough plan to focus on the Savior:

Scripture figures to tell the story of the Resurection:

Kids Need Play

Make an Ornament

Keira

Dear Reader,

I wasn’t going to post this because it wasn’t even my idea, it was my sister-in-law’s. But since my toddlers have been puking the past few days, they weren’t really in the mood to do anything but snuggle this week. So, here’s an old activity (obviously, since it’s a Christmas one) to tide us over to feeling better.

My sister-in-law went to the store and got clear plastic ornaments, tissue paper, and pom poms in Christmas colors. then she just let the kids fill them however they wanted. They all had a blast! It was a great activity for working on pincer grasp, that was for sure. And it was a good sensory activity, as well.

When we were done, we all ate cookies and donuts and the kids ran to go play. My toddlers kept trying to put the ornaments on her tree instead of realizing they could bring them home!

Anyway, sorry so short, and that it’s after Christmas, but fingers crossed this bug passes quickly and no one else gets it!

Keira at searchforseven.com
FHE

Three Kings Day FHE

Keira

Purpose: to celebrate with your family by extending the spirit of Christmas and looking closer at symbolism and the story of the Magi

A little explanation as to why I include this holiday in my FHE lessons: I know that in American culture, especially American Latter-day Saint culture, we don’t often celebrate Epiphany or Three Kings Day, or Twelfth Night or the twelfth day of Christmas, but I personally think that’s a real shame. Christmas gets all lumped together and muddled with festivities and rushing and the story gets lost. People are forgetting that Jesus was a toddler by the time the wise men found him. Plus, there is so much symbolism and divine intervention that gets overlooked because of the magnitude of the Nativity. Plus, I’m just not ready to put everything away after the holiday. Two parts exhaustion and one part post-holiday sadness. (cue Michael McLean’s song about taking the tree down)

For us, personally, most of our traditions come from Spain, but I highly suggest you look into how you would like to celebrate this holiday and adapt it to fit your heritage or lifestyle.


Possible scriptures: Job 34:2-4, 34 (see also Proverbs 8:33-34; Proverbs 13:1; Proverbs 14:16-17; Proverbs 19:20-21; James 3:13); Proverbs 9:8-10; Proverbs 13:20; Jeremiah 29:12-13; Matthew 7:7-8 (see also Luke 11:9-10, 1 Nephi 10:19, 3 Nephi 14:7-8, Doctrine and Covenants 88:63); Matthew 7:24-27 (see also 3 Nephi 14:24-27); Helaman 16:13-14; Doctrine and Covenants 58:26-27;

Possible Songs: “With Wondering Awe,” Hymns 210 ; “Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful,” Hymns 202; “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” Hymns 214; “Mary’s Lullaby,” Children’s songbook 45; “Stars Were Gleaming,” Children’s Songbook 37 (second verse); “We Three Kings of Orient Are,” written by John Henry Hopkins Jr. (here’s a kid-friendly version with lyrics if you need).

Possible Materials: Three Kings Bread (Roscón de Reyes); small, Christ-centered gifts for each kid; Gold, Frankinsense, and Myrrh would be amazing! But not necessary; a small sock and pencils and paper for your family.


Preparation: Begin with prayer. In order to even know where to start, you may have to study a little about this holiday. I found this site incredibly informative and I pray the post never gets taken down because it’s the best information I’ve seen on the holiday in regards to members of The Church. I suggest starting your study there. Read the suggested scriptures, as well as Matthew 2. Read through the lesson, including any links, and carefully select the most relevant material for your family. Make Three Kings Bread for your family (I’m sorry I can’t share my recipe. It was given to me and it wouldn’t be right to share someone else’s recipe). Make sure it has a little surprise inside but keep kids and choking hazards in mind (and how much cake will need to be eaten in order for someone to get the prize). Children: Watch this video about the wise men. Get some help from a grownup to make Three Kings Bread.

Lesson:

Discuss how last week’s challenge went.

Introduction: As a family, sit together and enjoy Three Kings Bread. While your family is eating, discuss what they know about the wise men that came to visit Jesus. The importance here is spending time together. It is in creating tradition with loved ones. You could talk about heritage and cultural differences, but don’t let it overshadow the time together. Celebrate and laugh as the “prize” is found! Based on where in the world you get your information, either the prize winner is the “King for the year,” the one that has to buy or make the bread for next year, the one that will have good luck. For our family, we have the winner get the stocking we use later in the lesson and pass out the papers.

From the Scriptures: Read all of Matthew 2. As a family, discuss why it is important to know this part of the Christmas story. Talk about how it differs from regular Christmas tradition. By the time the wise men found Jesus, he was no longer a little newborn. Mary and Joseph lived in a house!

Discuss the importance of revelation in keeping Jesus safe. What would have happened if the wise men hadn’t followed revelation? And Joseph? We can be protected by the same power that protected Jesus.

An important similitude exists in the ethnicity of the wise men. Although there is much discussion as to the actual origins of these magi, historians agree that they were not of Jewish descent. they weren’t Israelites. And yet they received revelation and guidance because of their desire and their studies. In the scriptures we are assured that anyone that seeks Christ will find him. The fact that the wise men found Christ, and recognized Him as their king, is proof of this. How Can we seek him? What steps do we need to take?

Further Discussion:

Have family members take turns reading We Three Kings from the December 2009 New Era and Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh from the December 2016 New Era. Discuss the symbolism and divine significance of the gifts given. What do we learn about the wise men that we may not have known before?

Read Epiphany, a fireside talk given at BYU by James E Faust. How has God guided willing people who seek Him all throughout history? How does it make you feel knowing that God has His hand in His work and in our lives?

Recent Conference talks to consider in your discussion: A Faithful Search Rewarded, by Elder Patricio M. Giuffra; Pure Truth, Pure Doctrine, and Pure Revelation by President Russel M. Nelson; The Faith to Ask and then Act, by Henry B. Eyering; The Things of My Soul, by Ronald A. Rasband; Ask, Seek, Knock, by Milton Camargo

Challenge:

If this is the first year you have done this activity, pull out a small Christmas sock. Explain that the wise men gave gifts to the Savior. We can give Jesus a birthday present, too! He doesn’t ask for us to give him frankincense or myrrh, but clean hands and a pure heart. Ask each member of the family to think of something they would like to give Jesus this year and to write it on the paper and place it in the sock. This is meant to be private, unless the person wants to share, so have them write their names on the outside, maybe even offer to tape them closed or provide envelopes.

At our house, we pack up Christmas on January 6th, so once everyone’s written their gift, it’s time to pack up Christmas, so it’s nice and easy to make sure the sock gets with the Christmas decorations or supplies. If you pack up your Christmas earlier, make an extra effort to make sure the Christmas sock gets put away correctly and safely so that you can find it in a year.

If this is not the first year you have done this activity, hand out last year’s “gifts” to the individual members of the family, as well as a piece of paper and pen or pencil. Give everyone time to reflect on last year’s gift and write a new gift to add to the sock. Ask your family to reflect upon their gift that they wanted to give to Jesus last year and be prepared to share their thoughts on how they did and how they’ve grown since last year.

Kids Need Play

Coffee Filter Trees

Summer

Dear Readers,

We had some coffee filters lying around and I decided to use them for this really cute craft.

The skills this craft works on is coloring in the lines, pencil grip, and scissor skills.

To do this craft you need coffee filters, markers, something to decorate the tree with, a piece of paper for trunk and one for what you glue the project to as well as glue.

Using the marker color the coffee filters with marker. An option you can do is to dip the filter in water. This will change the look slightly. If you do this though it will add time to your craft. Ours took forever to dry, all night and the rest of the next day.

Whether you dip in water or not the next step will be to glue both the filters (folded into tree shapes) onto the stem and paper you are using for the background.

The final step is to add your decorations to the tree. We used some jewel stickers we had lying around but you can use pom poms, other stickers or whatever else you decide to use.

My girls liked this activity, but grew impatient waiting for it to dry. I think dipping it into water added an extra step that wasn’t necessary, but you live and learn.

Have fun and experiment!