NEW TESTAMENT 2023 KIDS CFM ACTIVITY PRINTABLES BUNDLE (JAN - JUNE & JULY-DEC)
This Come Follow Me 2023 Kids Activity Book for Families & LDS Primary gives you simple, easy Come Follow Me printables for church and home.
With activity suggestions for every week of the month (Jan-June), you'll always have something quick and easy to give your kiddos to further engage them in the lessons each week while giving them plenty of variety* and fun while learning!
(42+ PGS of fun for Jan-Jun & lots more July-Dec! - Get when you join the printables library).
Hello and welcome to LDS Primary Printables. I'm so excited you are here! LDS Primary Printables provides Come Follow Me, Gospel Topics, Primary Events, and Primary Singing Time Resources for Families, Primary Teachers and Primary Music Leaders.
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Heavenly Father will forgive me as I forgive others.
Matthew 18:15 - God to the offended.
* Tell the parable of the unmerciful servant (see Matthew 18:23–35) - use the folder game as you go through the story. What does this parable teach us about Jesus Christ? What does it teach us about how to treat others? Explain that when someone is unkind or unfair, we will probably feel angry or sad at first. But forgiveness means we can feel peace again. When we forgive someone, we decide not to be angry with them anymore. (Help the children understand that if someone is being unkind or unfair to them, that forgiving doesn't mean letting people hurt us and that they should ask their parents or another trusted adult for help, but it means letting go of those hurt feelings and wanting what's best for the ones that hurt us. Help them understand if we do not forgive, we will continue to feel hurt or angry, and we will not be happy. We need to forgive others so we can be happy.
* Ask the kids: "What should we do when someone does something that we don’t like or that makes us feel hurt or angry?" (We should forgive them.) Write I forgive you on the board, and tell the children that these words can help turn sad hearts into happy ones. Draw a sad heart face on the board, and share some examples of children forgiving one another - use the forgiving hearts printable** in the CFM 2023 Kids Activity Bundle (Jan-June) - in the printables library. After each forgiving example, invite a child to change the sad heart face to a happy one.
**Let a child choose one of the LEFT heart piece and read (or you read). Take the matching color (the RIGHT side of the heart) and read. Discuss whether or not the child in the situation showed forgiveness. If it was an example of forgiving, let a child put the heart pieces together. (If teaching in church class, tape hearts to the board). If it wasn't an example of forgiving, tape the heart pieces to the board but leave them APART. Ask the children what the child could do to show forgiveness. Reinforce that when we don't forgive and we stay mad and angry, we hurt our own hearts and progression, often even more than others.
* Sing with the children a song about forgiveness, such as “Help Me, Dear Father” (Children’s Songbook, 99). Share your testimony that Heavenly Father will help us forgive others.
* Parable of Unmerciful Servant: Explain that the king or lord represents Heavenly Father, the servant represents us, and the fellow servant represents those who have wronged us. Ask the children questions like “What does this story teach about how we should treat others? When have you found it hard to forgive someone? How did you let go of those hurt feelings? (See help with forgiving hearts in the Forgiving Folder Game). When have you needed to be forgiven for a wrong choice?”
* Show the video “Forgive Every One Their Trespasses: The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org) to help the children visualize this parable (and/or use the parable folder game).
* Write on the board the multiplication problem 70 × 7, and help the children solve it. Ask someone to read Matthew 18:21–22, and explain that Jesus used this number to teach us that we should always forgive.
* Ask the children to help you think of a few situations where someone might need to forgive another person (see forgiving hearts in the CFM 2023 Kids Activity Bundle Jan-June - available in the printables library). Invite the children to act out how they would show forgiveness in those situations.
* Sing with the children a song about forgiveness, such as “Help Me, Dear Father” (Children’s Songbook, 99). Help the children understand what the song teaches us about forgiving others. Music Game: Let kids play "Help Me Dear Father Spot It" and find the pictures that match each song phrase.
Jesus taught me to see all people as my neighbors and love them.
I can love and serve others, especially those in need.
How can we be like the good Samaritan?
The parable of the good Samaritan can show children who our neighbors are and how we should treat them. Think of ways you can inspire the children to “go, and do … likewise” (Luke 10:37). How are we sometimes like the different people in the parable? How is the Savior like the good Samaritan? How can we be like the good Samaritan? Ask each child, “Who is your neighbor?” Summarize the account in Luke 10:25–37, and share how Jesus answered that question. What did Jesus teach about how we should treat our neighbors?
Write a few examples of situations where someone would need help, and hide the papers around the room. Ask the children to find the papers. Read the situations, and invite the children to share how they could show kindness to the person in that situation. (Or use the Good Samaritan BAND-AID craft and ask make each band-aid situation into a question and ask the kids how they could show kindness to the person in that situation, i.e. what's written on the band-aid) then after they answer, add the band-aid to the person page).
Sing with the children a song about kindness, such as “Jesus Said Love Everyone” or “Kindness Begins with Me” (Children’s Songbook, 61, 145). Help the children think of a few ways they show love and kindness to others. They could also draw pictures of themselves doing these things.
You might consider singing together a hymn or children’s song that supports the truths in this parable. One example is “Lord, I Would Follow Thee” (Hymns, no. 220), but there are many others (ex: A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief). Family members might enjoy finding a hymn or song and explaining how it relates to the parable.
Why would Jesus want us to become like a little child? What attributes do children have that we can develop to become more Christlike? (see Mosiah 3:19).
Let us become like little children by fully applying the Atonement of Christ in our lives and trusting in our Savior who makes us pure, clean, and innocent.
(See LDS Living post on this HERE and a great BYU speech HERE), see excerpt below.
Yes, children are almost perpetually in motion, but in this we learn some valuable lessons. They seek new experiences, they have no pretense or scorn or condescension or pride. They are natural and warm and outgoing. They are excited about the smallest things, and as such, captivate our attention....
Is it ever difficult to fit spiritual things into your family’s schedule? The story of Mary and Martha could inspire a family council or home evening about how to do this better. As a family, you could make a list of ways to choose “that good part” (Luke 10:42).
As a family examine how you spend your time (together and individually)—even on good things. Is there something more “needful” (verse 42) that deserves more of your attention?
Make a chart on a poster board or board:
DAILY TO DO'S HOW I USE MY FREE TIME
Eating Technology
School / Work Play with friends
Homework Extra Curricular Activities
... ...
... ...
Where is service? Prayer? Scripture study?
Emphasize small acts can be found daily to bring us closer to each other and closer to Christ.
Illustrate that choosing the good part means putting God first then the rest will still fit and fall into place. Illustrate this with a jar object lesson:
Add all the "other stuff" first (sand) then small pebbles bouncy balls, golf balls, bigger rocks.
It won't all fit.
Dump out and this time ad the "big stuff" (important stuff - prayer, service, scripture study, et.) then add the smaller sand and pebbles. (Should fit now. Test ahead of time to make sure you've got it working).
