Guest Author - Alice Rienzo


Now it is time to put what we learned in Nursery Leader Basics together.

The ideas presented here are neither endorsed nor approved by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The lesson manual should be used as your main source of information.

However, I recognize a need to help new leaders feel comfortable in their new calling. The following suggestions can also be utilize by seasoned leaders who might need something more once in a while.

The week before:
Take a picture of each nursery child and his/her parent(s) hugging the child. Have these available for next week.
Obtain an inflatable globe (if possible)
Print out your schedule to post in a visible area.
Obtain a box of tissues (if you don’t have one already).
Select music you will play next week. It could be classical or church approved selections.
Obtain a CD or cassette player for your music.
If you plan to use the sippy cup idea (you might be able to get them at the $1 store), then prepare these ahead of time.
Snacks and napkins
Tempera Paint

Set up:
Set the mood – select calming music to play softly in the background.
Select a few toys available for play, and put the rest away. Each child should have a toy or a set of toys available for play. Toddlers are quiet content to sit beside his/her friend, but will usually play alone.
Prepare the snack and water.
Do you have tissues available for runny noses?
Do you have a Sunday helper sign posted?
Is you schedule posted in a visible location?
Organize your lesson materials in the order you will use them.
Take a deep breath; you are ready.

Nursery Lesson 6: Heavenly Father and Jesus Love Me

Materials:
Inflatable globe (if one is not available, use a photo or a regular globe)
Suggested pictures in the manual
Bible and a Book of Mormon
Mirror

Opening
Help one of the children offer a prayer. The child could be your Sunday helper if he/she is willing. Pass out snacks, water, and napkins. As soon as everyone is settled, begin the lesson. Be enthusiastic.

Lesson
Show the First Vision picture and ask the children if they know who is in the picture. If they do not respond, tell them who is in the picture.

Show the globe and tell the children that Heavenly Father and Jesus made the earth so that we could learn and grow. They created many things on earth that would make us happy like family, flowers, trees, animals.

Tell them that Jesus loved children. Show picture 1-19, Christ and the Children. Ask the children what they see in the picture. Explain to them that even though Jesus was very busy, and so many people needed him, he always made time for the children because he loved them so much, just as he loves you. Hold up a mirror for each child to see his/her reflection. While they are admiring themselves, name all the things about the child that Jesus loves.

Bear your testimony.

Activity
Using the pictures you took last week, create a hide and seek booklet. For each page, you will need 2 pieces of paper or cardstock. One of those will have a window cut, so that you can still open and close it. Help each child glue his/her picture to the back of the window and then glue the two pieces of paper together. Write on the front, “Jesus Loves (name of child)”

You can stop there or you can make another page for the child’s handprint using the instructions above.

Another craft you could make for the classroom is a book for the children to look at each week. Make one page for each child, using the picture activity above. Then, staple or string the pages together. Create a cover page.

Songs
Use the suggested songs provided in the manual. Always be sure to include classroom favorites!

Table Time
This would be a good time to turn on your soothing music. This week, allow the children to play with Play dough. Encourage them to make people shapes. Have fun with this activity.

Closing Prayer