We have been pretty bad at doing Family Home Evening the past few months because we haven't been able to figure out the balance between us doing something and including Aidan. In Relief Society the other week, we were asked to set some goals to improve our spirituality and other areas of life and I had this brilliant idea to come up with FHE ideas and lessons that we could include Aidan in. I just put a basic header with the topic of each lesson. We'll talk about what we can related to the subject and then do the activity. Some of these ideas are better for a younger toddler and others are for an older toddler. Those with an asterisk are for holidays and special occasions. I've hyper linked some of the ideas to their sources. All of the songs are from the Children's Songbook unless they say otherwise. PRAYER Song: A Child’s Prayer #12 Activity: Use the prayer puppet. Talk about how you’re supposed to pray and help your toddler say the closing prayer DAVID & GOLIATH Song: I Will Be Valiant #162 Activity: Tell the story of David & Goliath. Make paper rocks and throw them at Daddy. AMMON Song: Book of Mormon Stories #118 Activity: Have your toddler pretend to cut off arms. TOWER OF BABEL Song: Children All Over the World #16 Activity: Build a tall tower out of jenga blocks or marshmallows and toothpicks. ARTICLES OF FAITH Songs & Activity: Go through the Articles of Faith songs #122-132 FAMILY HISTORY Song: Family History #94 Activity: Go through pictures of grandparents, cousins and other family members and practice saying their names. MASTERPIECE MAKER Song: My Heavenly Father Loves Me #228 Activity: Watch Create (Mormon Message). Make things with PB Dough and snacks FAITH Song: Faith #96 Activity: Talk about how faith is like a seed and needs nourishment to grow. Plant a garden or indoor plant. ORGANIZE YOURSELVES Song: A Young Man Prepared #166 Activity: Sort objects by color, shape etc. GOSPEL ART KIT Song: I Want to Live the gospel #148 Activity: Have your toddler pick a picture and then talk about the picture and point out things and people they might recognize. FORTIFY OUR FAMILIES Song: Families Can be Together Forever #188 Activity: Have a Lego fort built. Knock it over and rebuild it. JESUS CHRIST Song: The Church of Jesus Christ #77 Activity: Print out The Story of Jesus Christ and have it ready to color and talk about. LEHI’S DREAM Song: The Iron Rod Hymn #274 Activity: Have a piece of string taped up around the house. Hold on to it and follow the string from room to room. REVERENCE Song: Reverence #27 Activity: Cut out the reverent child and talk about what it means to be reverent and why HEAVENLY FATHER Song: I Need my Heavenly Father #18 Activity: Trace your toddler’s body on butcher paper. Talk about how Heavenly Father has a body like us. KEEPING COMMANDMENTS Song: Keep the Commandments #146 Activity: Talk about how keeping the commandments keep us safe. Use toy animals and Legos to surround them and talk about how animals can’t get out into trouble because the fence keeps them safe. NOAH’S ARK Song: Follow the Prophet #110 Activity: Use the page from the quiet book to tell the story and name the animals. OBEDIENCE Song: Quickly I’ll Obey #197 Activity: Play Mother May I, Simon Says. Talk about how obedience to our parents keeps us happy and safe. LEHI’S JOURNEY Song: Nephi’s Courage #120 Activity: Set up a tent in the living room “Father dwelt in a tent” and read the story TEMPLES Song: I Love to See the Temple #95 Activity: Make Temples out of play dough. Activity #2: Go walk around the temple grounds USING OUR TALENTS Song: When grandpa Comes #201 Activity: Draw pictures for great-grandparents and grandparents HEALTH CARE Song: For Health & Strength #21 Activity: Put together Humanitarian Aid Kits. Help your toddler put objects in a bag. WORD OF WISDOM- HEALTH Song: Healthy Wealthy & Wise #280 Activity: Create and do an obstacle course together or practice physical activities (e.g. jumping, running) WORD OF WISDOM- FOOD Song: The Prophet Said to Plant a Garden #237 Activity: Eat and name healthy snacks FOLLOW THE PROPHET Song: Follow the Prophet #110 Activity: Popsicle stick puzzle with President Monson’s face GENTLENESS Song: I’m Trying to be Like Jesus Activity: Put your hand into a bag to guess and grab objects JESUS CALMS THE SEA Song: Tell Me the stories of Jesus #57 Activity: Create a tempest in a bottle JONAH & THE WHALE Song: The Books in the Old Testament #114 Activity: Eat Goldfish/Whales THE HOLY GHOST Song: The Still Small Voice #106 Activity: Play the Listen Game WISE MAN Song: The Wise Man & the Foolish Man #281 Activity: Teach the song and movements CHOICES Song: Choose the Right Hymn# 239 Activity: Play a game where you give them directions. You can have one parent be the good parent and the other give bad directions or just both direct them. BOOK OF MORMON Song: Book of Mormon Stories #118 Activity: Teach the song and movements MUSIC IN THE HOME Song: Pick various songs Activity: play piano, maracas, teach how to conduct etc. RAIN IN THE DESERT Song: Rain is falling all around #241 Activity: Make rain in the tub or over sink FISHER’S OF MEN Song: I Feel My Savior’s Love #74 Activity: Put peanut butter on celery and go fishing for goldfish on plate I SPY Song: Two Little Eyes #268 Activity: Create an I spy bag with object related to gospel or things your toddler recognizes NEPHI Song: Nephi’s Courage #120 Activity: Create floating boats and put them in the tub or go race them down a local stream MANNA Song: Follow the Prophet #110 Activity: Bake and eat bread LOVE THY NEIGHBOR Song: Love One Another #136 Activity: Heart Attack the neighbor’s House TITLE OF LIBERTY Song: The Books of the Book of Mormon #119 Activity: Create and wave around a homemade version of title of liberty. WORKING HARD Song: The Things I Do #170 Activity: Create a Toddler Chore Chart DANIEL & LION’S DEN Song: Keep the Commandments #110 Activity: Chase your toddler around like a lion. Maybe, have one parent protect them from the lions. THE ARMOR OF GOD Song: I Will be Valiant #162 Activity: Dress your toddler in armor using kitchen utensils, paper etc. GOLDEN PLATES Song: The Golden Plates #86 Activity: Color Foil on cardboard like plates. Activity #2: Put together puzzle of Joseph Smith ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES Song: Choose the Right Way #160 Activity: Dominos MISSIONARIES Song: I Hope they call me on a Mission #169 Activity: Dress up as a missionary. Color and make your own tag *EASTER Song: Easter Hosanna #68 Activity: Dye Easter Eggs Activity #2: Make Resurrection Cookies *RESURRECTION Song: On a Golden Springtime #89 Activity: Resurrection Easter Egg hunt *BIRTH OF JESUS Song: Samuel Tells of Baby Jesus #36 Activity: Act out the nativity *THANKSGIVING Song: Thanks to our Father #20 Activity: Trace hands and make turkeys *CHRISTMAS SYMBOLS Song: Have a Very Merry Christmas #51 Activity: Create a poster board with symbols of Christmas and have a cut out of each symbol. Have your toddler match the symbols as you talk about what they each mean. *YEAR IN REVIEW Song: A Happy Family #198 Activity: Look at pictures from the past year and organize them