Coming to know our Saviour
Supplies:
- An envelope for each person in the family.
- Pens for each person in the family.
- Five pieces of paper with the names of five famous
people. - Something to write the ‘Name of Christ’ on to hang on your “Jesus Tree”.
- Twigs for your “Jesus Tree” and a container to hold the twigs.
- Living Christ.
- Song from the garden “Man with Many Names”.
- Easter journals for the kids to record this journey in.
- A repentance box-any box or container that you can put your repented of ‘sins’.
Activity 1:
Pass out an envelope to everyone in the room. Ask them to put one of their hairs in the envelope, close the envelope and put some identifying mark in the corner of the envelope. After everyone has done that, ask them to pass the envelope up to you. Mix the envelopes up and then pass them around again asking everyone to open the envelope and try guessing which person the strand of hair belongs to. Tell them to write the name of who they think it is on the front of the envelope and pass it on to the next person. After everyone has had a chance to look in each envelope, have the kids retrieve their own envelopes and tell the family the number of right guesses written on their envelope.
Ask your kids :
Explain “Just as it is hard to know someone by looking at a strand of hair, we can’t know our Savior by just looking at a small part of him. The desire to know our Savior is the most important aspect of our faith. This Easter Season we want to work together as a family to better know our Savior.
Ask your kids :
- Was it easy to correctly match the hair to the correct person?
- What was hard about this activity?
- How is this game like getting to know Jesus?
Explain “Just as it is hard to know someone by looking at a strand of hair, we can’t know our Savior by just looking at a small part of him. The desire to know our Savior is the most important aspect of our faith. This Easter Season we want to work together as a family to better know our Savior.
Activity 2: (You will need five pieces of paper with the names of 5 famous people written on them-one needs to be the name of Jesus)
Place five pieces of paper face-down scattered around the room. Ask five people to stand beside a paper and pick it up. Tell them to read the name of the person on the paper to themselves without letting anyone see the name on the paper. Have the kids with the papers take turns answering these questions without stating the persons name. Make sure the ones with the name of Jesus goes last.
- How would your living conditions, friends, and the activities you do in your free time change if you had a close relationship with the person on your paper?
- Would you want your parents to know of this relationship? Why or why not?
- Would you want to become more like this person? Why or why not?
- After everyone has answered , ask the kids to try guessing the names on the plate. Ask:
- How is knowing about a person different than having a close relationship with them?
- How do we come to know Jesus?
- How do we know if we know Jesus?
- How does Knowing Jesus change our lives?
- Read the “Living Christ” and discuss it.
- Listen to the song “Man with Many Names” from the garden and discuss
- Ask each of your kids to look over the list of ‘names’ used for Christ and ask them to choose one they want to study. Have them make a dove with the name they choose on (or write the name on a picture of Christ or on a blown egg) and have them hang their ‘Christ ornament’ on the “Jesus Tree”
Give each of your kids a Easter journal and have them read 2 Nephi 25:21-26. Record their findings and thoughts this scripture and the devotional.
Repentance Box(?)
Now is a good time to talk to your kids about how one of the greatest gifts that the Savior has given us is the opportunity to repent of our sins so that we may be made clean and return back to him. Bring out a box and tell the kids that during the Easter season you want them to be aware of the sins that they commit and need to repent of. After they have repented, they need to write down their sins on a piece of paper and stick it in the “repentance box”. Tell them that nobody will read their sins and at the end of the Easter season you will burn them all-symbolizing that they are no more!
Activity:
Making a Jesus Easter Tree:
Gather a few twigs from your yard and put them in a vase or container that can firmly hold them in place
This is your Peace Tree. Each day you will make a dove with a name of Christ on it or print out a picture of Christ with one of his names on it. Be sure to take time to discuss the meaning of each of the names
Gather a few twigs from your yard and put them in a vase or container that can firmly hold them in place
This is your Peace Tree. Each day you will make a dove with a name of Christ on it or print out a picture of Christ with one of his names on it. Be sure to take time to discuss the meaning of each of the names
You can also make clay dove to put on your tree!
Recipe for the Dove Clay:
1 c. cornstarch
2 c. baking soda
1 1/4 c. cold water
1 c. cornstarch
2 c. baking soda
1 1/4 c. cold water