FHE - Christmas Lights

Tonight, we plan to visit Hastings Ranch to admire the Christmas lights.

Family Home Evening - Being Thankful

Family Home Evening Lesson
Being Thankful

Opening Song: "Christmas Bells" (Children's Songbook #54)
Opening Prayer: Tyler

Lesson: Being Thankful

What are we Thankful for?
(family, church, friends, house, etc.)

Some people don't have those things in their life. We are very fortunate to have been blessed with these things.

Reminder that even though Christmastime brings presents, we should be show our thanks for everything we already have.

How do we say Thank You?
(say prayers, be kind to others, share)

Activity: Create Gratitude Chains (1 inch strips of green and red paper - write things you are thankful for and chain them together)

Closing Song: "Christmas Bells" (Children's Songbook #54)
Closing Prayer: Arthur

FHE - Christmas Carols

This week for FHE, we sang some of our favorite Christmas Carols.

FHE - Christmas Star

Family Home Evening Lesson
Christmas Star

Opening Song: "Christmas Bells" (Children's Songbook #54)
Opening Prayer: Tyler

Lesson: The Christmas Star

Look outside and see how the stars can provide light in the night.
Tell the story of Jesus' birth and how a very bright star was in the sky. This let the whole world know that the Savior was born. It also helped the 3 Wise Men know where to find Jesus. The Star is a very important part of Christmas because it reminds us of that night.

Activity: Decorate Christmas Tree

Closing Song: "Christmas Bells" (Children's Songbook #54)
Closing Prayer: Arthur

FHE - Disneyland

This week's FHE was spent at Disneyland.

FHE - Baptism

Family Home Evening Lesson
Baptism

Opening Song: "Baptism" (Children's Song Book #100)

Opening Prayer: Tyler

Lesson: Mom

Baptism

Show pictures of Baptism (GAK 208 and GAK 601)

When we are 8 years old, we can be baptized into Heavenly Father's church. Baptism cleans us from all of our sins so that we can live with Heavenly Father again.

Do you want to live with Heavenly Father?

If we do bad things and are unclean, we cannot live with him. So, we need to be baptized to make sure we are good boys and girls.

Dirt Lesson - have everyone put their hands into dirt and then have them put their hands in clean water to represent the cleansing that takes place when we are baptized.

Closing Song: "Baptism" (Children's Song Book #100)
Closing Prayer: Dad

Activity: Bake Pumpkin Bread

FHE - Prayer

Family Home Evening Lesson
Prayer

Opening Song: "A Prayer Song" (Children's Song Book #22a)

Opening Prayer: Dad

Lesson: Mom

Prayer

1. If we want to talk to Grandma and Grandpa, what do we do? (call them on the phone)

2. How do we talk to Heavenly Father? (pray)

3. Who was Dad just talking to when he said a prayer? (Heavenly Father)

Show Young Boy Praying picture (GAK 605)

What is this boy doing?

Who is he talking to?

What do you think he is saying?

We can talk to Heavenly Father any time we want. If we need something, we can always pray and ask Heavenly Father for it.

Tell Daniel in the Lion's Den Story and show picture (GAK 117)

Activity: What's Missing game - put several items on a tray. Allow everyone to look at the objects. Have everyone close their eyes and remove one object. Everyone tries to figure out what is missing from the tray.

Closing Song: "A Prayer Song" (Children's Song Book #22a)
Closing Prayer: Tyler

This idea adapted from Primary 1 Lesson 4

FHE - Joseph Smith

Family Home Evening Lesson
Joseph Smith

Opening Song: "Follow the Prophet" (Children's Song Book #110)
Opening Prayer: Tyler

Lesson: Dad

Who is Joseph Smith?

Show Joseph picture josephsmithconferenceloc.byu.edu

Who is Joseph Smith? He founded our church and was the first president.

He didn't know which church to go to when he was a boy, so he prayed one day in the sacred grove. As answer to his prayers, he found out that there was no true church and that he was to restore the truthful church to the earth. He would receive revelation to bring the Book of Mormon to the people.

Show Grove picture grove.

Closing Song: “The Sacred Grove” (Children’s Song Book # 87)

Closing Prayer: Mom

Activity: Game

FHE - What is the Temple

Family Home Evening Lesson
What is the Temple

Opening Song: "I Love to See the Temple" (Children's Song Book #95)

Opening Prayer: Dad

Lesson: Mom

What is the Temple

Show temple picture (GAK 502)

Discuss the beauty of the temples, pointing out the spires, windows, and doors. Explain that on an outside wall of each temple are the words The House of the Lord. Members of the Church go to the temple to learn about Heavenly Father and Jesus and their love for us.

Explain that if they keep Heavenly Father’s commandments, they can go to the temple when they are older. Explain that in the temple we make special promises to Heavenly Father to obey his commandments. We can also be married in the temple, and we can be baptized for people who weren’t baptized while they lived on the earth.

Have the children hold up three fingers and repeat three things they can do in the temple when they are older:

“In the temple I can make special promises to Heavenly Father.”

“In the temple I can be married.”

“In the temple I can be baptized for others.”

Activity: Turkey Foam Kit

Closing Song: “When We’re Helping” (Children’s Song Book # 198b)

Closing Prayer: Tyler

This idea adapted from Primary 1 Lesson 26

FHE - I Can Be a Helper

Family Home Evening Lesson
“I Can Be a Helper”

Opening Song: “I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus” (Children’s Song Book # 78)

Opening Prayer: Dad

Lesson: Mom

“I Can Be a Helper”

Story: The Little Red Hen

Activity: Carving and decorating Pumpkins, preparing seeds for toasting

Closing Song: “When We’re Helping” (Children’s Song Book # 198b)

Closing Prayer: Tyler

This idea came from http://nataliesfhespot.blogspot.com

FHE - We Love our Prophet

Family Home Evening Lesson
We Love Our Prophet

Opening Song: “Stand for the Right” (Children’s Song Book # 159)

Opening Prayer: Dad

Lesson: Mom

We Love Our Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley
Show Picture of President Hinckley
Ask: “Who is this?” Talk about what our Prophet means to you.

Coloring Page: Color Picture of Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley

President Hinckley teaches us. He as given us 6 “B’s” he wants us to follow.
Be grateful. Say thank you when people are nice and help you. Also remember to thank Heavenly Father every day.
Be smart. Keep learning. Try to learn new things each day.
Be clean. Keep our minds and bodies clean.
Be true. Follow what our Church leaders teach us always be a good example.
Be humble. Being meek and humble keeps us teachable.
Be prayerful. Go to your Father In Heaven for guidance and help.

Sing: “Latter-day Prophets” (Children’s Song Book # 134)

Activity: Color and Hang the “6 Be’s Poster”

Closing Song: “Seek the Lord Early” (Children’s Song Book # 108)

Closing Prayer: Tyler

Treat: Muddy Buddies (recipe found on Chex cereal box)

This idea came from http://nataliesfhespot.blogspot.com

New Blog

Family Home Evening is a time each week that we get together as a family to learn good principles and have fun. Our church recommends that we hold FHE once a week. We have not been very good at this, and have made a family goal to be more consistent.

I am hoping posting our ideas to a blog will inspire us to be better. I am not a creative person, so most of these ideas will probably come from other places on the internet. I will try to reference those sources as much as possible.

Because we have a highly energetic 3 year old, and an inquisitive toddler, these lessons are pretty basic. Feel free to use our ideas and contribute your own!