I know my post for this week's Sharing Time is really really late. I'm really sorry, but I kind of procrastinated and now it's already Saturday! I am actually doing Sharing Time tomorrow (and I am just preparing it today, I'm being a total slacker!) and I was planning on doing something like this:
Jr. Primary
I really liked the idea of 'Helping Hands' in the outline and wanted to incorporate that with my Sharing Time. I thought of beginning my Sharing Time with the idea I shared for Week 1 & 2:
Idea #1: from Elizabeth Ricks, “The Master Served,” Friend, Sep 2007
**I thought this was a really cute idea.
Enter the Primary room wearing an apron and carrying a serving tray covered with a napkin. Tell the children you want to serve them and share with them. Before showing them what you have for them, invite them to look up Galatians 5:13–14. Help them underline the words “by love serve one another” and “thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
On the tray have different scripture references, pictures of service, or quotes from stories you will later tell. You might have small cups with a scripture reference written on the outside, a picture of service on a plate, or quotes taped to silverware. After the children have selected an item and looked at it or read it, ask them to share what they have learned by trading papers with someone else. Continue trading several times.
-Tell stories of service. You might consider using some stories that have appeared in the Friend from President Thomas S. Monson, First Counselor in the First Presidency, such as the story of Uncle Elias in “Happy Homes” (Oct. 2001, 2), the story of the yellow and gray bird in “The Canary with the Best Song” (Aug. 2005, 2), and his own story in “Love” (Feb. 2002, 2).
Have the children sing, “I’m trying to be like Jesus” or another song about Service.
-Another idea: Like above, have a scripture reference, a picture or a name of a story on each item. Also have a question prepared for each scripture, picture or story. Invite a child to come up and pick and item from the tray.
Example: A child picks the cup and on the cup is the scripture reference ‘Mosiah 2:17’. Have the child read it aloud. Then ask him the question that goes with that scripture: Who are we also serving when we serve others? God
Another child comes up to the front and chooses the plate. On the plate is a picture of a band-aid or a little boy/girl who is hurt or crying. Show the picture to the child and then read a scenario ‘As you were walking home from school today you saw a little boy/girl who fell off their bike and hurt their knee. Their knees are bloody and they are crying, what could you do?
After the game: "Remind the children that in the story of the good Samaritan, Jesus taught us to serve others. Show pictures of children who need help. Consider using pictures from the Primary manual picture packets. Invite children to share how they could help in these situations. Repeat the first half of Mosiah 2:17, and have the children repeat the second half."
(from Primary Outline)
Helping Hands: I know my Son loves to trace his hand, so I thought this would be great for Jr. Primary. Split the Primary children into groups and pass some paper around and have all the children trace their hand. Have a teacher write somewhere on the hand or paper 'Helping Hands'. Have the children in their group, discuss ways their family could use their 'helping hands' to serve other/their neighbors.
After the groups are finished discussing have a few children share how their family can use their 'helping hands'. Encourage the children to go home and share this lesson with their families.
Idea #2:
Before Primary cut-out some hand prints. On each handprint have a scenario of service or an act of service that the children can act out (you could also do both and maybe add some song for them to sing that have to do with service).
Post the hand prints all around the primary room. Ask the children if they notice anything different about the primary room today. There are hands all over the room.
Tell the children that these aren't just ordinary hands, these are helping hands. What do you think helping hands are?
Show the children the picture of the Good Samaritan. Remind the children that in the story of the good Samaritan, Jesus taught us to serve others. Then show pictures of children who need help. Ask the children, 'Do you think these children are in need of some helping hands?' Point at one of the pictures and ask one of the children how they could use their helping hands to help the child in the picture. After you have talked about the pictures repeat the first half of Mosiah 2:17, and have the children repeat the second half.
Helping Hands Game: Tell the children that today they are going to play the 'Helping Hands Game'. Explain that on each handprint is a scenario, an act of service, or a song about service.
Have the children take turns finding a handprint. Then have them answer or do what it says on the back of the handprint.
You could have a bulletin board or a chalkboard with the title 'Helping Hands'. Once a child has picked a handprint have them post it on the board.
If you have time split the children into groups and have them trace their own hands and have them discuss ways that their family could use their 'Helping Hands' to serve others.
Idea #3:
This is just a game idea:
Helping Hands beanbag toss: Have the children sit in a circle. Have the pianist play a song that the children know that has to do with service. As the pianist plays the song have the children pass around a beanbag. Have the pianist stop playing and whoever is holding the beanbag when the music stops must share a way that they can serve their neighbor.
Another idea: Or whoever has the beanbag when the music stops must act out an act of service. i.e- Shoveling Snow, Mowing the neighbor's yard, etc. Have a bucket with different acts of service that the children can act out.
Hand tracing: If tracing each child's hand will take too long just print out some handprints with the title 'Helping Hands'. Have each child think of a way they could serve and write it down for them. Have them take their 'Helping Hand' home and share it with their family.
Sr. Primary
For Senior Primary I was going to play my Service Cranium game that I shared a few weeks ago. I was going to begin my Sharing time with an idea above. Then for the game we would play Service Cranium.
I think my 2nd Idea that I shared for Jr. Primary would also work for Sr. Primary. You could even make that into a type of cranium game. Have different categories like:
Sing a Song, Scripture Search, Charade, Answer the Question.
Have different songs on service that the children have to sing, have different scriptures on service and a question that they have to answer, have them act out the service that is on the hand, and then have a scenario that they have to tell you what they would do (example: the neighbor's sidewalk is covered in snow, how could you use your helping hands to be of service to your neighbor?)
Handout Idea: I love the idea of filling some clear plastic gloves with some kind of treat. Then attach a little note that says "Be a service 'smartie'. I can use my helping hands by...."
If you don't have the clear plastic gloves, just fill up a little snack bag with some smarties and attach a little handprint note. Add the scripture Mosiah 2:17 to the note with a little message to the children about their 'Helping Hands'.
