Giving Thanks to Heavenly Father

Topic:
We should express thanks to God for all the many things he gives us.

Preparation:
With older children you can have them find pictures of things they are thankful for from the materials listed below. You can also have older children help you make round sugar cookies and frosting.

Materials:

• Scriptures
• Children's Song Book
• Pictures of things we are thankful for. These can be pictures from the gospel art kit/book, primary visual aids cutouts, church magazines etc. You can also find pictures in the LDS image library.
• Sugar cookies and frosting (optional)

Song Suggestions:

• Thanks to Our Father (Children's Songbook, 20)
• A Song of Thanks (Children's Songbook, 20)
• For Health and Strength (Children's Songbook, 21)
• I Thank Thee, Dear Father verse 1 (Children's Songbook, 7)

Scripture:
D&C 59:7 ("Thou Shalt Thank the Lord they God in all things")

Lesson:
Tell your child(ren) that Heavenly Father has given us many blessings. Show the pictures you have gathered beforehand of things that we are thankful for. Have each member of the family take turns looking at a picture and saying what it is. Mention that all these pictures show things that Heavenly Father has given us. We can show our love for Him by saying "thank you". We often say "thank you" to Him in prayer.

Activity Ideas:
1) Remind your child(ren) that Heavenly Father has given us our bodies. Have your child(ren) stand and do the following activity verse with you. Do actions with the words.
Touch your eyes, touch your nose,
Touch your ears, touch your toes
Stretch your hands way up high,
Even higher, toward the sky.
Put your hands on your hair.
Sit down quietly on your chair.

2) Have your child(ren) stand and repeat and follow after you as you point to different body parts and say that you are thankful for them.

3) Have your child(ren) color a picture of something they are thankful for.

4) Walk around your house and have your child(ren) point out things they are thankful for.

Closing Remarks:
With younger children, have them practice saying "thank you". With older children remind them
the importance of saying thank you to Heavenly Father. Share your feelings of gratitude for Heavenly Father and Jesus and how you are so thankful for all that they have given you. Encourage your children to try to remember to say thank you for the things that we have when praying the next week.

Treat Time: Decorate a round sugar cookie to look like a face. While doing this, point out to your child(ren) that Heavenly Father gave us our faces and bodies and that we should be thankful for them.

Giving Thanks to Heavenly Father