July Sharing Time: Create a Family
by Shauna Gibby

This sharing time will help the children find ways to strengthen their family relationships and share them with their family.

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Preparation: Using the Visual Aids Cutouts (sets 1 and 2), pictures from the Friend magazine, or pictures from clothing catalogs, create some simple puppets by mounting the pictures on heavy paper and attaching a craft stick to the bottom. Create puppets representing a father, a mother, various aged children, and grandparents.

Cut from heavy paper several simple paper doll shapes (like a gingerbread man) for each child. Gather crayons, craft sticks, and masking tape.

Presentation: Show the children the family puppets. Explain that every family member is important. Families can be happy when everyone is kind and helpful. Invite a few children to come forward and, using the puppets, role play some family interactions (see suggestions below).

• Mother calls the children in to read the scriptures.

• Two children want to play with the same toy.

• The family takes a treat and visits a grandparent.

• Father asks a child to help with Family Home Evening by teaching a song or playing a game.

• Mother is setting the table and needs some helpers.

• The family works together to plan a family vacation.

• The son wants to play with friends, but Father has asked him to mow the lawn.

As appropriate, sing songs to reinforce the concepts being taught, such as “Quickly I’ll Obey,” (CS, 197), “Family Night,” (CS, 195), “Family Prayer,” (CS, 189), and “Love is Spoken Here,” (CS, 190).

Give each child enough paper dolls to create a puppet family. Let them color their dolls to represent their family members. Attach a craft stick to the back of each doll with masking tape.

Bear your testimony of the importance of families and encourage the children to take their puppets home to use in a Family Home Evening lesson.

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