Each family prayer, each episode of family scripture study, and each family home evening is a brushstroke on the canvas of our souls. No one event may appear to be very impressive or memorable. But just as the yellow and gold and brown strokes of paint complement each other and produce an impressive masterpiece, so our consistency in doing seemingly small things can lead to significant spiritual results. “Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great” Consistency is a key principle as we lay the foundation of a great work in our individual lives and as we become more diligent and concerned in our own homes. – David Bednar, October 2009
Parents must bring light and truth into their homes by one family prayer, one scripture study session, one family home evening, one book read aloud, one song, and one family meal at a time. They know that the influence of righteous, conscientious, persistent, daily parenting is among the most powerful and sustaining forces for good in the world. The health of any society, the happiness of its people, their prosperity, and their peace all find common roots in the teaching of children in the home. – L. Tom Perry, April 2010
Websites:
http:// friend.lds.org
Coloring Pages
Play Games
Art contest
Writing contest- for Pioneer day (due June 15)
Scripture Radio Story Series
Make Flannel Board stories from the pictures available
http://lds.org
Mormon Channel that has various things to listen to.
Take talks and see how you can implement them into your family activities
Download talks or music for the travel
U Tube Mormon Messages –
Talk about what is learned from the message
Share it with a friend-then explain what it means to you
Make your own message for family home evening
Non- Digital Activities:
Act out Scripture Stories
Dress up as the characters
Make a Puppet show
Let it be a fun activity for the kids and help them understand the principles of the story
Keep a regular routine of Scripture Study-
Once in a while do it at a different place like the top of a mountain or by a special stream. Etc.
Let all the kids take turns reading so that everyone is involved.
Write down what you have learned in your readings.
Write testimony in a Book of Mormon and take with you to give away when you are on vacation.
Memorize a favorite scripture or hymn and recite it every morning or night.
For Young Children- don’t forget the scripture readers.
Help everyone keep a journal of the spiritual things that happened to them everyday or maybe every week.
Work on family scrapbooks. If they are simple even young children can help
Take a picture everyday of what you have done and record how you feel. It helps increase the closeness of the family.
Have a quiet time every afternoon. [see also # 8 for additional ideas- you could do one on each day of the week]
Listen to church music
Read the scriptures on your own or another inspiring book
Write in your journal
Write Letters to loved ones that are far away.
Provident Living
Let the older children figure out what the family needs to be prepared and help organize it and plan how to accomplish it.
Plant a Garden then work together and share testimonies as you are in the garden.
Let them have their own plot to take care of.
Make it fun and interesting and make sure they understand that all things in nature come from God.
Service – children learn to love others by serving them.
Have a secret service in your family- like you might at Christmas time with a special activity after you have filled a chart with happy faces.
Do a Chore for yourself and one for each member of the family. Especially good for young children.
Let them plan a service project for the family to help someone else. (These are most effective when they can see the fruit of their labors and when they are really serving other people)
A grandparent
A neighbor
A community group-( Be selective with the age and temperament of your children but remember they are more resilient than you think)
Retirement Home
Shelter- Women’s or Homeless (remember you will not actually be able to go to the women’s shelter but they always need items to help)
Hospitals
Schools
Prison
Humanitarian- This is always needed and you can call Salt Lake to see what they need the most. If you choose to do this you might want to let the kids help earn the money to pay for it.
For older families you might consider a service vacation.
Have Sunday Round Robins- (Set up Sunday Stations that the kids can rotate with various activities. This idea came from the LDSLiving Magazine.)
Listening Station (age appropriate)
Joseph Smith Dramatization
Primary Music and Hymns
Scripture Stories, Scripture Scouts
Homemade Tapes
John Bytheway
Reading Station
Friend, New Era, Ensign Magazines
Illustrated Stories from Scriptures
Scriptures
Writing Station
Paper to write or draw what grateful for or what learned in Church that day.
Stickers, pencils etc.
Booklets to make or draw in
Journals
Letter writing supplies
letters to grandma
thank you notes
Christmas cards
Surprise Station
Craft from Friend
DVD to watch
Play a family game
Go on a walk together
Customize for a holiday
Expand one of the other stations for special occasion.
Fieldtrips: (To make a Fieldtrip more meaningful, you need to prepare ahead of time for what you will see or do there. For Example: at the SLC Cemetery you could have the kids look up some information about each of the prophets and have them tell about each of the prophets at their grave site. You will also need a map of the cemetery where the prophets are buried.) Any Activity can be a spiritual activity.
Museum of Church History and Art (Mon. through Fri.: 9:00 am to 9:00 pm Sat. and Sun. 10:00 am to 7:00 pm, free)
Church History Library-(Mon,Tues,Wed, Fri: 9:00am to 5:00 p.m.; Thurs 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, Sat 9:00am to 2:00 pm, free) Not for young children but through the website they do have an overland database of pioneers that came to Utah.
Family History Library- (probably not for really young children)
does have a small display on the second floor
Tell the conversion story of one of your ancestors then find a map of where they lived.
This is the Place Heritage Park (Mon- Sat 9am-5 pm; Sun 11am-4pm, Adults $9.00, children $7.00 for the summer, thisistheplace.org)
Pioneer Memorial Museum- Closed for Renovations Check website to see if open yet and for related DUP Museums (dupinternational.org)
Emigration Canyon to see the wagon ruts
Temple Square go to lds.org for more information and available programs
Visitor Centers and Tabernacle
Garden Tours
Church Office Building, Relief Society Building, etc.
Welfare Square Tours- 801-240-4872 call to schedule
Humanitarian Tours - weekday tours available 10 am to 3 pm or call 801-240-5954
Social Hall Heritage Museum (Mon-Fri 10am to 9pm; Sat 10am-7pm free)
Beehive House (Mon-Sat 9am-9pm, free)
Salt Lake City Cemetery ( to see the graves of prophets, 200 “N”Street, SLC, 8 am to dusk, 801-596-5020 Can pick up a map at 4th Ave and N Street during business hours, Dept of Public Services, Parks Division, slcgov.com)
Mormon Pioneer Memorial (Brigham Young Gravesite-140 E 1st Ave SLC)
Conference Center(opened Daily 9am to 9 pm, tours available 9am to 8 pm)
Museum of Peoples and Cultures (at BYU)
Park City Family Tree Center (531 Historic Main Street, Park City Utah, Mon-Sat 10am to 9pm, Sun 1pm to 7pm)
Cove Fort (8 am to Sunset April to October, 9 am to Sunset October to April, Cove Fort Days- the first Friday and Saturday in August)
St. George Activities-
Jacob Hamblin Home
Brigham Young Winter Home
Pine Valley Chapel (really in Pine Valley outside of St. George, 11 am to 5 pm, summer hours, lds.org)
St. George Tabernacle and Temple Visitors Center.
Sunrise/sunset hike (don’t forget the flashlights)
Mormon Miracle Pageant (Manti, June 17-19, 22-26, go to lds.org for more information
Castle Valley pageant (Utah, Castle Dale July 29-31, Aug 3-7, Only on even years, go to lds.org for more information
Martin Harris Pageant (only available on odd years)
Other Church History sites (Nauvoo, Martin’s Cove, Kirtland, Independence, etc.)
Any family related sites- including grave yards or old family homes.
Moyle Park in Alpine, See the movie of John Moyle and the temple and then go to park.
Pick a fun activity to do and relate it to a spiritual thing. Example-
Go to the Jordan River and float boats and read/talk about the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River.
Go to Timpanogus Cave and at the Edge where there are walls talk about Samuel the Lamanite and how he felt to be up on the wall and preaching. Pretend that all the trees are people trying to hurt him.
Float in the Great Salt Lake and relate to how righteousness involves giving so you don’t get stagnate or how the pioneers came in the valley and felt about not being able to use the lake for water and how much work it is to be righteous.
Go to the movie on Joseph Smith at the JS Building and then go buy a picture of Joseph Smith or church history to hang in their room. Bear testimony of Joseph Smith.
Go Fishing and talk about how you have to be still to feel the Holy Ghost like you have to be still to catch a fish or about the stories of Jesus being a fisher of men.
Go to the Hansen Planetarium and talk about the creation.
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