A Month for Family Service
November 21, 2018
The November Friend showcases some great examples of service (see “Chalk Service” and “Thanks and Giving”). Get in on the fun by doing your own family service project. Here are four simple ideas for service you can do with kids of any age:
- Send encouragement and love. Write or draw cards to missionaries in your family and/or ward.
- Express gratitude. Bake your favorite Christmas cookies and take them to special teachers, neighbors, or friends that have blessed your family’s life. Make sure to tell them thank you for their positive influence in-person or in a card.
- Give gifts to others. Find a gift drive in your community. Go to the store as a family and pick out a present for someone in need. Let kids help wrap it.
- Spread holiday cheer. Practice a few of your favorite Christmas carols. Then go carol at a nursing home or around your neighborhood.
Getting to Know Our Women Leaders
November 14, 2018
The November Friend includes women leader cards that are similar to the prophet and apostles chart we gave you earlier this year. Here are five fun ways you could use these cards to get to know our women leaders better!
- Glue the cards to paper and turn them face-down, then play a matching game.
- Each day for nine days, read about one of the leaders, covering the facts with pictures as you go along.
- Read through the information about each leader and circle the things your family also likes to do—or anything else you have in common with that leader.
- Glue the pictures and facts together to make cards. Take turns choosing a card. If you could ask that leader one question, what would you ask?
- Go to gc.ChurchofJesusChrist.org and find which leaders spoke during general conference last month. What do you remember from their talks?
What ideas do you have for helping children recognize and appreciate our Church leaders? Please share them with us at friend@ChurchofJesusChrist.org!
Getting to Know Our Women Leaders
November 14, 2018
The November Friend includes women leader cards that are similar to the prophet and apostles chart we gave you earlier this year. Here are five fun ways you could use these cards to get to know our women leaders better!
- Glue the cards to paper and turn them face-down, then play a matching game.
- Each day for nine days, read about one of the leaders, covering the facts with pictures as you go along.
- Read through the information about each leader and circle the things your family also likes to do—or anything else you have in common with that leader.
- Glue the pictures and facts together to make cards. Take turns choosing a card. If you could ask that leader one question, what would you ask?
- Go to gc.ChurchofJesusChrist.org and find which leaders spoke during general conference last month. What do you remember from their talks?
What ideas do you have for helping children recognize and appreciate our Church leaders? Please share them with us at friend@ChurchofJesusChrist.org!
Teaching Scripture Stories to Young Children
By Jess Larsen Ward
November 6, 2018
If you’re looking for exciting stories about bravery, heroism, and adventure to share with your children, start with the scriptures! Scripture stories can help children internalize gospel truths that will guide them long after you’ve closed the book.
Here are some ideas for teaching scripture stories to young children:
- Tell a scripture bedtime story. You could use illustrated stories from past issues of Friend Junior.
- Have your child act out scripture stories as you narrate. Use basic costumes to add to the fun. You could also use toys, puppets, or scripture figures to tell the story. (To print scripture figures, go to lessonhelps.ChurchofJesusChrist.org and click on the category “Scripture Figures.”)
- Pick a special word when telling the story. Point to your child whenever that word comes up, and let your child say the word to help tell the story.
- Have your child choose a picture from the Gospel Art Book (available at store.ChurchofJesusChrist.org or at medialibrary.ChurchofJesusChrist.org) and tell them that scripture story while they eat breakfast or lunch.
