Attention Activity: (See manual) I pulled out the visuals from the Plan of Salvation (from last week) to remind the children of what we had learned. I had them help me put them on the board in the proper order.
I reminded them that our choices here on earth determine whether we get to return to live with our Father in Heaven or not. But even though we may feel we're here alone, Heavenly Father is there for us, and we can communicate with Him through prayer.
Activity Selection: I again wanted to guide the lesson through a specific order, so had the children choose numbered cards in order.
(Other ways that you could pre-determine the order, besides numbering... Put a color schedule on the board and have them choose the matching color; Or, a schedule with pictures, and have them choose the matching picture. All of these options will work on developmentally appropriate cognitive skills.)
1. When we should pray - Building on the manual (We can pray to Heavenly Father), I wanted to have children identify the many opportunities we can and should pray. Instead of using the pictures identified in the manual, I wanted to show more opportunities to pray. I printed out this page from the Friend (found on Sugardoodle) on cardstock, and cut out the pictures. The children took turns picking a card and identifying what it was.
2. How we should pray (physical) - (See manual: Jesus Christ taught us to pray to Heavenly Father.) I considered using these pictures found on Sugardoodle, but opted to use our class stuffed monkey instead, to model how we should pray. I had the monkey do silly things and have the children tell me what the monkey should do to get ready for prayer. We discussed sitting still, folding our arms, bowing our heads, closing our eyes, keeping our mouths quiet (unless we are the one saying the prayer), and listening carefully. (We did not sing the song, though it would be a good thing to include.)
3. How we should pray (verbal) - Continuing with that section in the manual, we then discussed what we should say in our prayers. (I should have used some visuals or some other way to engage the children for this, but didn't. Having a discussion without some attention getter is a struggle. I will definitely address this next time I teach it!) But we quickly discussed how we begin a prayer, say what we're thankful for, ask for blessings, and then close.
I then pulled out a bean bag and threw to each child one at a time, asking them what they are thankful for. With each response, I would tell them that is something they could thank Heavenly Father for in their prayers.
4. Review - We then reviewed how to pray (both the physical and verbal) using a file folder game created by Kimberly Bourne, found on Etsy (for $2.50). I had printed it on card stock, laminated it, and used Velcro for the pieces. (I considered also printing copies out on plain paper, as I had done with the similar activity last week, but these pieces were more intricate, and I didn't want to cut so many out. Besides, I had enough Take-Homes for the week.) I placed the laminated pieces on the table in front of the children. As we reviewed, they took turns picking out the correct pieces for the file folder game.
5. Daniel in the lion's den - I then told the story of Daniel in the lion's den. I had looked for visuals for the story, but hadn't found any that I really liked. I did like some visuals by Keeping Life Creative on Teachers Pay Teachers (I really love Pam's amazing talents!), but they were part of a larger set for $8.50, and I didn't want to pay that much... though I probably will purchase it at some point.
Instead I used a book, "The Beginner's Bible: Daniel and the Lions" by Zonderkidz. I didn't read the story, but instead told the story in my own words, but used the book visuals.
Take-homes:
Lion: Thank you to Katie Evans on Sugardoodle, for finding this activity on LDS.org. I loved the general idea, but wanted something more specific to what we had covered in class. So I found a clip art image of a lion that would work, and I put together my own handout reviewing how to pray. I used a brass fastener to connect the pieces.
I considered doing prayer rocks, also, but felt that it would be too much.
Coloring sheet: I again used the black and white poster from Sunday Savers. But there are typically some good coloring sheets posted on Sugardoodle that you could use instead.
Story during snack: I used a story called "This Little Prayer of Mine" by Anthony DeStefano. Another option is "Does God Hear My Prayer?" by August Gold.
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