Activity: Working Together

Learn to build unity by working with others to get a job done (see Mosiah 18:21).

Use the following activity to show how working together can make a task easier.

• Challenge children to carry an item such as a book, ball, or shoe a certain distance without using their hands. For example, tell them to carry a book across the room and back using only their knee or elbow.
• Next, have the children repeat the activity with a partner. Show each pair how they can hold the item between them (front of knee to front of knee or elbow to elbow, for example).
• Try repeating the activity with different partners or different items.
  • For one round, consider using a heavier item that might take more than one pair to carry.
  • You could try adding obstacles such as curves or steps to the path.
  • Consider turning the activity into a timed or relay race.

Talk about how working together made the job easier than doing it alone.

Please adapt activities as necessary to ensure all individuals are able to participate, belong, and contribute.

• If you do not have space for the partner activity, consider having children work in pairs or teams to build or assemble something together, as in the following examples:
  • Give each child different pieces of a puzzle, and invite them to work together to assemble it.
  • Give each child a different art or craft supply. For example, one child might receive paint, one might receive brushes, and another might receive paper. You could even give different colors of paint to different children. Invite them to try to create something on their own first, and then have them see what they can create when they work together.
• Service idea: After the team activity, work as a group to do a larger task to help someone, such as cleaning, doing yard work, or assembling items for people in need.

Encourage children to talk about how what they are learning can help them and others grow closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Discussions can take place before, during, or after the activity and should last just a few minutes. You could ask questions like the following:

• What does working together teach us about being part of the “body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:27)?
• How can you be more Christlike by working together in your families? at school? at church?
• How can choosing to work with Jesus Christ by helping in His work and inviting Him into our lives make our lives better?