Joseph Smith--Matthew 1; Matthew 25; Mark 12-13; Luke 21 (May 27-June 2)

This week, we're going to attempt two things.

1. Joseph Smith--Matthew 1:22, 37. The suggested activity asks you to think about what it means to treasure up the word of God? And asks How can we do this as a family? Well, we've been trying to incorporate gospel lessons with our toddler in accordance to Come Follow Me. We read scriptures when he's awake and close by, though we don't force him to sit still for it or even listen. BUT, we want to be better. So, in our bedtime routine, which already includes reading books, we're incorporating reading a chapter from a Book of Mormon reader we have. We did it last night for the first time and it did not go very well, but we did it and I'm hoping as we try to be consistent that it will get better and maybe he'll even sit or be quiet for half of it tonight. For any who are interested and don't have a physical one with pictures to read with your toddler, we're using a print version of the one in the Gospel Library app. The "videos" I've linked to before are the ones from the New Testament one. The books are also pretty cheap. I don't know if it's my favorite, but it's more complete than some others and is good with the amount of pictures to scripture. HERE'S a link to the one we have from Deseret Book for $4.30.

2. Then the parable of the 10 virgins. Matthew 25:1-13. I don't think we're going to bother with trying to explain symbolism but it's one I want my son to be familiar with. We can tell the story briefly with the picture in the Come Follow Me manual and then attach "drops" to objects that can strengthen our testimony that are around the house. We'll go on a scavenger hunt and fill a "lamp" or probably a play teapot is what we have. I don't know if he'll understand why certain things give us drops, but it'll still give me an idea of where to put them and help familiarize my son with the story so we can go into more detail next time around. Examples of items to put them on from the manual include: scriptures, church clothes or a picture of the temple. Or a picture of Jesus Christ, if you have a bank for tithing (not everyone does) or church magazines if you have some- whatever you have lying around that is gospel related.

Videos: Gospel Library app -> children -> New Testament Stories: Chapters 45-48. The Widow's Mite; The Second Coming; The Ten Virgins and The Talents.

Matthew 21-23; Mark 11; Luke 19-20; John 12 (May 20-26)

This week I liked a lot of the family suggestions, but not when I thought of my toddler. We're going to do the 3rd one or something related to it. Matthew 21:12-17. It talks about the temple and how important it is to be reverent and respectful. We're going to sing "I Love to See the Temple" at bedtime and then just talk about being reverent and respectful in general this week.

Scripture videos: Gospel Library app, Children, New Testament videos: Chapter 44

Luke 12-17; John 11 (May 6-12)

So this week is a lot of parables.

Idea 1: Three parables talk about things that are lost (Luke 15). One is a sheep that is lost and the shepherd leaves the 99 to find the one. Another is the widow who lost a coin and searched the whole house and the last is the prodigal son who is metaphorically lost (I don't know if I can get my son to grasp this last one yet). We are going to play hide and seek with finding the person (the lost sheep). And my son loves treasure, so it will be really easy to play losing the coin and searching the whole house for it. The second will be easier to incorporate the story. The first one I'll probably have to say that we're all sheep and then say one wanders off and gets lost. (Then say to my son, "Go hide and pretend to be lost so we have to come find you.) Then I can say that we miss the one and go looking for our lost sheep.



Idea 2: In Luke 17:11-19 it talks about the 10 lepers who were healed and only one said thank you. The suggestion mentions singing "Count Your Blessings" so we'll incorporate that in with our lullabies for the week, and work on saying thank you for things.




Idea 3: watch the following video about Lazarus. (also found on lds.org called "Lazarus is Raised from the Dead"










Other videos for the week: Gospel Library App, Children, New Testament Stories, Chapter 36 (kinda just an intro for the three parables so I'm probably skipping it.), The First Parable, The Second Parable, The Third Parable, 37 and 43.

Matthew 16-17, Mark 8-9, Luke 9 (April 1-14)

Matthew 16:19 (13-19) and 17:1-9. I really like the talk the manual refers you to but without pictures my kid probably won't sit through the first few paragraphs of it. But if you want to talk about priesthood keys, have your child help you unlock things and then say our  Prophet has all the keys of heaven.

For me though i think I'm going to focus on "faith can move mountains" Matthew 17:20. we're going to make dirt mountains outside and take a spade and say, "this spade is like having faith in Jesus Christ. with faith we can move mountains" and then use the spade to move the "mountain". we might adapt and use mud but even if the dirt falls off the spade the fact still remains you can move the mountain.

gospel library app, children, new testament stories chapter 32, 33, and 34

Matthew 14-15; Mark 6-7; John 5-6 (March 25-31)

I'm sorry for any following this. Apparently my husband and I need to have a back-up plan in place and ready to go for busy Sundays. My husband's work sometimes involves Sunday performances, so one day I saw him briefly for Sacrament but other than that we were apart from 7 am til midnight.

Anyways, this week we decided the easiest thing is going to be re-enacting Jesus walking on water with Peter going out to join him during bath time (yes another bath time). My son already knows this story from my Mom who printed out a scene of water and then Jesus and Peter that you can put on a popsicle stick. If you like the popsicle stick idea better, the figures my Mom used can be found HERE. (or here if that doesn't work: https://www.lds.org/study/friend/2015/07/new-testament-scripture-figures-jesus-walks-on-water?lang=eng) I don't know where she found her lake scene that she cut a line through to pop the figures through, but my son likes playing with just her Jesus and Peter popsicle sticks.

The feeding the thousands with loaves of bread I might do on a small scale, but I don't know if my toddler will grasp the miracle of it yet. But we may break up the bread and share it for a snack.

Videos for the week are in the Gospel Library under Children and then New Testament Stories. Chapter 28, Chapter 29, Chapter 30, and Chapter 31

Matthew 13; Luke 8; 13 (March 18-24)

I know this is late. I'm sorry.

This week there are a lot of parables.

Idea 1: plant a seed and talk about how you need good dirt- no rocks, sun, and water to grow. Say how when we listen to things about Jesus it is like planting a seed and praying helps it grow. (Matthew 13: 3-8; 19-23)

2: Hide a treasure and find it. Talk about how important the gospel is and how this Church and knowing about Jesus Christ is a treasure. (Matthew 13: 44-46)

I don't think there's any videos in the gospel library app this week. Not in the New Testament Stories anyways.

Matthew 8-9 and Mark 2-5 (March 4-10)

This week we're going to have some fun with bath time. we have a toy boat but even without a toy boat you can make "waves". This correlates with Mark 4:35-41 where Jesus is asleep and a storm is raging and scares the apostles and Jesus says, "Peace, be still" and calms the waters. for us, to minimize water getting all over, we're going to do this at the end of bath time and drain a little water first. then we'll splash/ make waves and our toy boat will be afraid and then I'll say "stop. peace, be still" and we can watch the waves calm down. if I'm adventurous I might tell him as we're getting him out that if he's ever scared that Jesus can be with him and help him feel peace and comfort - and all will be alright.

The first idea also said to make a list of miracles mentioned and find pictures to discuss them. I would like to get a photo album from the dollar store and put together a Sunday book of pictures of his miracles. If I remember I'll post a link or something to the pictures i find so you dont "have to" find them yourself, but the manual said to access the Gospel art book in the app or online at: https://www.lds.org/media-library/images/category/new-testament-gospel-art-book?lang=eng&_r=1

Videos: Gospel library, children, new testament stories, chapters 21-25.

As a way of apology for last week - my son was sick, it was my birthday, my husband is a performer and was gone almost all Sunday and most of the days last week and then i got sick and our schedule was just messed up initially and we never got to it together. I didn't even do much personally... i glanced at it and saw sonething about prayer and just decided to pray more with my son last week. I'll go back and read it and do a post for any interested but that's my excuse