Sunday, September 5, 2010

Primary Talks

I recently had my 7 year old give this talk.  He loved it and will probably remember it for the rest of his life!

Have child lay down on a large sheet of butcher paper and trace his/her body.  Have child cut out their body and draw two eyes and a happy mouth.  Write in the center of the chest "Holy Ghost", then under that write in red bold letters "Truth."

TALK:  (Tape outline of child's body to pulpit, or have an adult/or sibling hold next to pulpit)

When I am 8 I will be baptized.
Then I will have the gift of the HOLY GHOST.
I am glad because the HOLY GHOST helps us to know what is true.
When I come to church I get warm feelings inside.
This is the HOLY GHOST telling me when things are true.
I’m glad that I belong to the true church here on this earth.
Heavenly Father loves us very much.
He gave us the HOLY GHOST to protect and guide us as back to him someday.
I will always trust that warm fuzzy feeling I get inside because I
Know that the HOLY GHOST is guiding me back to Heavenly Father.

(When talk is over, tape this outline on the wall in his bedroom.  Every night at bedtime before prayer,  you can talk about the Holy Ghost and how it feels to have him close.  This will help your child recognize and know Him.

Opening Exercises Ideas

I like it when the children learn to bring their own set of scriptures to primary.  As a presidency, we made a little set of picture scriptures with important stories and pictures photocopied.  They were placed in a photo album and given to the children.  Once given to the children, we knew every child had a copy of the scriptures.  If the children brought these or their actual scriptures to primary, a bead was placed in a jar.  (The children can place the bead in the jar, or the counselor as they sang the song "Scripture Power".  Once the jar was full, a treat was brought in.  Usually, rice krispy treats.

Miscellaneous - Gifts / Birthdays / Handouts

A substitute teacher in primary can receive this small but very well received thank you:

Helpers in Primary receive a individually wrapped "life savor" that had a note stapled to it saying "Life Saver". 

Activity Day Helps

I did this years ago.  It is on "SERVICE".

In primary opening exercises, have  an adult walk in in a trench coat, hat and dark glasses.  Pre-recorded on a tape recorder, play the music to Mission Impossible, or have someone play it on the piano.  (One finger)

Have the adult introduce him as a secret agent then announce the secret service activity day.  Tell the children that if they see the secret agent at the acitvity he might have a treat for them.  (At the activity, he sneaks around and if they find him, he hands them a starburst from his pocket.)  Secret agent hands out invitations and leaves.

Make up secret service brief cases by folding over a black piece of large construction paper.  You can even cut out a handle if you want.  These are handed out at the beginning of the activity as someone give a short talk on servie, with a story.  Then you explain to the children what they will be doing.  Divide the children in 5 groups.  They will receive a small slip of paper at each station that they will leave as a note that someone has had secret service preformed for them.  Children rotate to 5 stations.

Primary activity:

There are 5 stations that you have an adult supervise.

1. Set the Table.  Draw on a piece of paper how a properly set table should look.  Then have the children set the table on the drawing with plastic dinnerware.  Then have the children break into two groups and race from one end of a room over to a table with the placemat, set the table and run back for the next child to run down and set the table till all the kids have had a turn at the race.  (When children are properly trained how to perform this act of service, they are given the coupon with a picture of a table setting on it and the words written, "You have been secret serviced.")  Have children place coupon in their secret service briefcase.

Instruct the children that when child has preformed this secret service duty at home, he leaves the coupon to show secret service has been preformed.

2.  Give a flower - Make paper flowers out of tissue paper with stem and tape a coupon on flower marked "You have been secret serviced".  Tape flower onto briefcase.

Instruct chidren to secretly leave the flower in a spot that someone that they love will find.

3.  Organize shoes -  Tell children that closets can become a mess with shoes.  How nice it would be to find all your shoes have been matched and found neatly placed in a row.  Have the children divide into two group.  Have the children run to a pile of shoes, find  a match and run back and place the shoes in a row.  Then slap hands with the next child and he/she does the same.

Instruct children to secretly organize a family members shoes in their closet and leave a secret service coupon.

4.  Make a bed - bring in a small toddler bed.  Instruct the children how to make a bed including sheets, changing pillow casee, placing pillows, and straightening cover.

Instruct children to secretly made a family members bed and leave a secret service coupon (with picture of bed and words written "You have been secret serviced" on top of the newly made bed.  Give each child an opportunity to make bed, or if it is a large group.  Have several children participate at one time.

5.  Wash/vaccume car - On this station you give the coupon first.   Instruct a child how to properly wash and vaccume car.  All the kids (all 5 stations) do this last station at once.  Children wear baithing suits.  Children wash their leaders cars.  Each child responsible for their teachers car.  (service to the teacher).  Once child has been properly instructed on how to wash a car (Make sure they vaccume first because of the water!) tell them they can was the car of their dad or mom and leave the secret service coupon on the dash of the car.

At the end of the activity, serve a treat.  Remember to have the secret service secretly pop his head out.  If the kids find him, he hands them one starburst from his pocket.
(You can make up your own stations like "dust", "cookies to a neighbor", "letter to a loved one/missionary/bishop", etc.  The possibilities are endless.

Enjoy!

Sharing Time Helps

Primary Secretary Helps

Singing Time Ideas