Sunbeam Lesson #8 “I Am Thankful For the Day and the Night.”

***Note: Please read the post called “10 Lesson Helps” found under “Primary Lesson Listings” before reviewing any of my Sunbeam lesson plan ideas.

“When we study the scriptures regularly and diligently, earnestly seeking guidance from the Spirit, we will be receptive to enlightenment about how to prepare lessons. We will also be prepared to receive and follow promptings from the Spirit while we teach. As we ‘treasure up in [our]minds continually the words of life,…it shall be given [us] in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man'” (D&C 84:85). Teaching, No Greater Call, p. 14

Materials needed: large blanket, flashlight, a children’s scripture picture book, a stick or wand with a star on the end, printed (or drawn) pictures of the moon and sun.

I’m thinking of something special and I’ll give you hints (clues)

It makes us feel warm on the outside

It is big and round and yellow

It is up in the sky

Sometimes it hides behind a cloud or a mountain

It comes up in the morning to make it daytime. (The sun!)

I have a song about the sun. Let’s all stand up and do the actions.  

Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun, (arms in a circle above head)

Please shine down on me. (open up arms slowly down to sides)

Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun, (arms in a circle above head)

Hiding behind a tree (hands in front of face)

These little children are asking you (point to self)

To please come out so we can play with you (beckon with hand)

Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun, (arms in a circle above head)

Please shine down on me. (open up arms slowly down to sides)

 

Repeat a few times until the children are familiar with it.

 

Sit back down. Who made the sun? (Heavenly Father).  Why did He create the sun?

It tells us when to wake up in the morning and so we can see outside. 

It makes all the flowers and gardens and trees grow.

(Hold up a picture of a sun).  When the sun shines, we call it “day”

(Hold up the moon).  When the sun goes away and the moon is up in the sky, we call that “night”

When we wake up in the morning, we can do many things while the sun shines.

What can we do in the morning?  (get responses: eat our breakfast, get dressed, play, go to church, clean our house).

Let’s sing a song. We’ll walk in a circle and act these out while we sing. 

(sing to the Tune “Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush”)

“This is the way we eat our breakfast…so early in Monday morning.” Repeat with other actions. Each time, end with the next day of the week. On Sunday say, “This is the way we go to church…so early Sunday morning.”

Now we are tired.  Let’s pretend it is time to go to sleep. The moon and stars have come out. (Put out a big blanket. Turn out the lights if you can). When I touch you with my “Star” wand, you will lie down on the blanket. Let’s listen to a bedtime story about the sun and the moon. (Tell the story from the scriptures when Jesus was born and the Nephites couldn’t see him because they lived far away. But they knew it happened because Heavenly Father showed a sign in the sky by having the sun stay up for 3 days and the moon didn’t come out to make it night). Be sure to bear testimony that Christ was born and He is the Light of the World. He made the sun, moon and stars so we can remember Him every time we look at the sky.

Why do we go to sleep? (get responses). Before we go to sleep, we always say our prayers. Have all the children kneel down on a blanket with their arms folded. Ask each child if they say their prayers before they go to sleep. Have each child say their own bedtime prayer (help when needed). Sometimes we listen to quiet music when we go to sleep. I’m going to play some beautiful music while you pretend to be sleeping (play some soft Primary songs from the CD or sing some yourself).

Turn the lights back on and have children sit up on the blanket. Let’s see how good you are at knowing what we do during the day (hold up sun picture) and the night (moon picture).  Hold up one or the other and say, “Moon. Go to sleep” and children lie down, or “Sun. Wake up” and have children sit up again. Repeat a few times. Let each child come up and hold the pictures it if they are interested. Tape the moon picture up high on a wall.

When it it night time, our moms or dads tuck us into bed. I hope you all stay in bed and close your eyes and go to sleep. I hope you are not like little monkeys who get out of bed and jump around. Do the fingerplay: “5 Little Monkeys” and repeat as desired.

Who has ever gone camping? (get response). When we camp, we are outside where we can see the moon and stars at night. Heavenly Father and Jesus created them. It is so beautiful. Let’s pretend it’s night outside and it gets dark.  We’ll put our blanket over a table and pretend it is our tent. Let’s get under the blanket and turn on a flashlight. We’ll use the flashlight to see the moon (Shine it on the moon picture up on the wall. Use it to read the children a story from a children’s scripture picture book).

Dismiss children back to their chairs.

When you do good things, you are like a star shining brightly. Other people see you and want to be with you because you are so happy. There is a song that says, “I can do and say happy things each day for I know Heavenly  Father loves me.”  I hope you can shine brightly like a star for others to see.  When I sing this song, will you make “stars” with your hands? (move fingers in and out). I will lead you with my “Star” singing wand. Sing “I Am Like A Star” (Children’s Songbook, p. 163). Let each child come up and “lead” others with the wand.

Review lesson objectives: Who made the sun? Who made the moon? When the sun it out, it is called ________________. When the  moon is out, it is called _________________. Before we go to bed, we say our prayers. This week, I want you to remember to say your prayers and your mom or dad can help you. I will ask you next week if you remembered to say your prayers.