I KNOW GOD HEARS MY PRAYERS AND ANSWERS THEM

Lucky for me I had another opportunity to reiterate prayer in our lesson again this week. Since last week I was wishing so badly that I did the little paper bag boy, I decided to go ahead and do it this week. I used the print from this link for the boy and then I traced and edited him to make a girl one as well.

I love them so much!! But as it turns out I wasn't able to use them because one of my helpers brought a hand out (which I highly encourage), so I stuck these babies in our nursery cupboard to use on a rainy day.

Girl:



Boy:

New Music Leader

We have recently been blessed with receiving a new helper in our nursery class. She stays the whole time to provide extra helping hands, but her main responsibility is to be the music leader. She does singing time with the kids and she does such an amazing job!

Last week she came wearing an apron that had about 5 pockets on it. In each pocket she had a different prop (i.e. a smurf figurine, the glove made into the spider, happy/sad face, etc.) each kid got to pick a pocket and we sang the corresponding song. The kids responded really well to it, especially being able to feel the lumpy pockets and pulling out the anonymous prop.

Also, I wanted to make a note about the smurf that she brought. I thought it was such a clever idea. When the child selected the pocket with the smurf she pulled him out and asked the kids if he had a head and then showed them where his shoulders were, and his knees, and his toes. After giving them a brief explanation about him we all jumped up and sang Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes. I thought it was such a great idea for the kids to be able to associate each body part on a figurine as well as on themselves.

Lesson #3: I CAN PRAY TO HEAVENLY FATHER

There were a lot of great ideas for this lesson that I found on Sugardoodle. One that I was seriously contemplating doing, but decided it might be a bit too much for them (but am now sort of regretting not doing it) is this paper bag praying boy. I think it's so cute and think the kids really would have loved folding his arms and showing their parents how to be reverent during prayer.

*regret* ...dangit.

Instead, I resorted to the trusty manual and just used the handout from there again this week. It's a good handout and it goes right along with the song that the manual requests you sing (Pray In Faith from the Children's song book - I love it!) and we just drilled the kids over and over on each step.

Also, as the manual requested, I filled brown paper bags with items I'm thankful for and items that I pray for blessings for. Each kid got a turn to pick something out of the bags and we talked about why we pray for those things.

I also sent the kids home with a prayer rock with the Prayer Rock poem tied around it.

THE LITTLE PRAYER ROCK

I AM YOUR LITTLE PRAYER ROCK
AND THIS IS WHAT I'LL DO -
JUST PUT ME ON YOUR PILLOW
UNTIL THE DAY IS THROUGH
THEN TURN DOWN THE COVERS
AND CLIMB INTO YOUR BED
AND WHACK, YOUR LITTLE PRAYER ROCK
WILL HIT YOU ON YOUR HEAD,
SO THAT YOU WILL REMEMBER
AS THE DAY IS THROUGH
TO KNEEL AND SAY YOUR PRAYERS'
JUST AS YOU INTENDED TO.
WHEN YOU ARE ALL FINISHED
JUST DROP ME ON THE FLOOR.
I'LL STAY THERE ALL NIGHT LONG
TO GIVE YOU HELP ONCE MORE...
AT WAKING IN THE MORNING
CLUNK, I'LL STUB YOUR TOE
SO YOU WILL REMEMBER
YOUR MORNING PRAYERS BEFORE YOU GO.
NOW PUT ME ATOP YOUR PILLOW
WHEN YOUR BED IS MADE
AND YOUR CLEVER LITTLE PRAYER ROCK
WILL CONTINUE IN YOUR AID.
BECAUSE YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER
CARES AND LOVES YOU SO,
HE WANTS YOU TO REMEMBER
TO TALK TO HIM, YOU KNOW.

GOD HELPS ME TO ACHIEVE MY DREAMS

When I wrote up this month's schedule I had forgotten about scheduling in Stake Conference. I didn't actually register when it was until my husband, who is the Elder's Quorum President, came home from handing out fliers and inviting the less actives to our Stake Conference. I was working on making my handouts when he walked in the door and put the flier on the table. I felt stupid because I'd already spent 2-3 hours brainstorming, going to the store, and beginning to assemble my handouts, but I gladly welcomed the week off and tucked all of my half-way finished handouts into my nursery cupboard to use another time.

That being said, I obviously didn't give this lesson, but I will still write down what I had planned to use for a handout so I can refer back to it if I ever need to.

I often go to the dollar stores and browse around with the title of my lesson in mind just waiting for inspiration to come as to what to give the kids. This lesson was more difficult for me. I couldn't think of anything to give and I was regretting coming up with this lesson in the first place. Finally, after going down the same three isles for an hour, I decided I would give each of the kids ribbons. The dollar store had a bunch of different kinds of ribbons, i.e. "First Place", "Big Brother", "Over The Hill", but nothing that really applied. I decided I would just make my own and use glitter fabric pens to write "God helps me to achieve my dreams" on them.

I have them all cut out - I had just finished my last ones when my husband came in the door with his flier. They're not assembled or written on yet, but when I do get them done, I'll try to remember to come post a picture.

Lesson 2: HEAVENLY FATHER HAS A PLAN FOR ME

We did a lesson from the manual this time and we just did the hand out that went along with it in the manual.

We were also celebrating one of our kids' birthday and so I brought in mini cupcakes for the kids to eat during snack time along with some party hats for each of them to wear. We also had our birthday girl wear the birthday hat (shown in this post) and sang Happy Birthday to her during singing time. I will admit, the birthday hat was a bit of a pain. The kids all wanted a turn wearing it and the birthday girl wasn't too keen on wearing it herself so we might do something different for the next birthday.

February 2011 Lesson Schedule

Here is the lesson schedule we have planned for February:

February 6: Lesson #2 - Heavenly Father Has A Plan For Me
February 13: God Helps Me To Achieve My Dreams
February 20: Lesson #3 - I Can Pray To Heavenly Father
February 27: I Know God Hears My Prayers And Answers Them

HEAVENLY FATHER AND JESUS ARE MY FRIENDS

Of course, seeing as how this week's lesson is on having Heavenly Father and Jesus as friends I made each of the kids friendship bracelets.



Each kid's bracelet was custom with their favorite color of beads and their picture next to Jesus'.



They also had a picture of Jesus surrounded by little children to color. All of the kids loved their bracelets and loved running up to their parents to show them off. We didn't let them wear them until they went home and even then we had one break on us. Luckily I made extras.