17

I Will Share

Introduction for the Teacher

To prepare yourself spiritually to teach this lesson, please read and ponder the following:

True followers of Jesus Christ have always been known for their willingness to share what they have with others (see, for example, Acts 2:44–45; Mosiah 18:28; 4 Nephi 1:3). By sharing our blessings with those in need, we acknowledge that these blessings come from God, and we show our love for all of His children.

Preparation

Bring a simple object that you can use to demonstrate sharing (you could also use an object in the nursery classroom, such as a toy or a book).

Learning Activities

Begin with a gathering activity. For ideas, see page 3.

Prayer

Invite a child to give the opening prayer.

Song

Sing or say the words to the chorus of “I’m Trying to Be like Jesus” (Children’s Songbook, 78–79) and do the actions below. Invite the children to join you.

Love one another as Jesus loves you. (hug self and turn from side to side)

Try to show kindness in all that you do. (nod head up and down)

Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought, (hug self and turn from side to side)

For these are the things Jesus taught. (nod head up and down)

Tell the children that Heavenly Father wants us to be kind to one another. Explain that when we share, we are being kind.

Demonstration

Tell the children you are going to practice sharing. Show them how to share by saying, “I will share” as you give the other nursery leader the object you have brought. Emphasize the happiness that sharing brings. Invite the children to say, “I will share.”

Pictures

Show the first picture on page 74. Point to the girl on the left and tell the children that this girl has a doll that she loves to play with; when her friend comes to play, the girl says, “I will share my doll with you.” Point out that they are both happy. Invite the children to say, “I will share.”

Show the second picture on page 74. Point to the boy on the right and tell the children that this boy loves to play with his toys; when his friend comes to play, the boy says, “I will share my toys with you.” Explain that now they are both happy. Invite the children to say, “I will share.”

Song

Sing or say the following words to “Fun to Do” (Children’s Songbook, 253) while you pretend to share with the children. Invite the children to join you.

Sharing with you is fun to do,

Fun to do, to do, to do!

Sharing with you is fun to do,

To do, to do, to do!

Conclusion

Tell the children about the happiness you feel when you share. Explain that Heavenly Father also feels happy when we share.

Prayer

Invite a child to give the closing prayer.

Teaching Tips

Sharing is often hard for young children. They will learn from your example. During the lesson and throughout the nursery class, show them how you share and then let them practice doing it. (See Teaching, No Greater Call, 168.) If they are reluctant, simply show them again, without forcing them to share.

Optional Activities

Preparation

• For the illustration activity: Copy the illustration on page 75 for each child.

  

  I Will Share

  I will share smiles.

  I will share food.

  I will share books.

  I will share toys.

  I will share crayons.

• For the cube game: Copy and cut out the illustration on page 75. Color if desired. Fold along the dotted lines, and tape or glue the tabs to make a cube.

Illustration

Display the illustration on page 75 and give each child a copy of the illustration. Point to the picture of the smiling boy and explain that we can share our smiles. Invite the children to point to the smiling boy on their copies. Repeat for the other illustrations.

Cube Game

Roll the cube you made. Have the children do some simple actions to go with the picture on the top of the cube. Then invite the children to say with you, “I will share my [smiles, toys, food, and so on].” When the side with only the words “I Will Share” comes up, have the children clap their hands and say, “I will share.” Repeat until each child has had a turn rolling the cube.

Activity Verse

Recite the following activity verse and invite the children to join you:

I want to follow Jesus,

Be kind and loving too. (hug self)

I’ll share my smiles; (point to mouth and smile)

I’ll share my toys. (pretend to give away a toy)

That’s what He’d have me do.

Teaching Tips

Making copies: If you don’t have access to a copy machine, you can place a plain sheet of paper over the illustrations and trace them with a pencil or pen. Don’t worry about tracing all of the details; just trace the outlines and enough detail to identify the illustrations.

Cube game: If you have many children in your nursery class, you may want to roll the cube yourself each time rather than having the children take turns.

Activity verses: Children enjoy poems and songs with simple actions. You can use Church-approved activity verses to help children feel welcome, get ready to pray, learn gospel principles, or participate in a lesson.