November 2013 Sharing Time: Gratitude for Blessings

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This sharing time will remind the children of their many blessings and help them think of ways to show their gratitude.

Preparation: Make a poster with a simple picture of an empty basket. Cut out 10 leaf shapes from colorful paper. Write a blessing on each of the leaves, such as Home, Family, Church, Jesus Christ, Bodies, Food, Clothing, Scriptures, Being Healed, the World. Place the poster in the front of the room. Bring some tape and a bean bag. Tape the leaves to the bottom of some of the children’s chairs.

Presentation: Show the empty basket to the children. Tell them you are going to fill it with blessings. Ask the children to look under their chairs and see if they have a leaf. Have the children who found them raise their hand, call on them one at a time to bring their leaf to the front. Have them tell the others what blessing is on their leaf and then have tape it to the basket poster.

Show the children how full and beautiful their “blessing basket” is now. Help them understand that all these blessings and many others come from the Lord. Explain that we should thank Heavenly Father for all our blessings. 

Help the children understand that there are things they can DO to show gratitude for their blessings. (Examples: Family—be kind, share, help each other with chores. Clothing—give clothes to those in need. Food—donate to food banks or relief funds.)

Give the bean bag to a child and turn your back. Have the children pass the bean bag from one child to another. When you turn around, ask the child holding the bean bag to share one way they can show gratitude to Heavenly Father. Continue playing the bean bag passing game until many of the children have had a chance to share an idea.

Express your testimony. Have the children sing songs to help reinforce these concepts such as “I Thank Thee, Dear Father” (Children’s Songbook, 7), “Can a Little Child like Me?” (CS, 9), “Children All Over the World” (CS, 16),  and “For Thy Bounteous Blessings” (CS, 21).

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