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

“When children are criticized or spoken to in a negative way, they often feel inadequate or rejected. They may try to gain attention by disturbing other children or otherwise misbehaving. On the other hand, positive comments will help them understand that you expect the best from them. Recognize the good things they do, and ignore minor problems. As you do so, they will begin to feel that they are accepted, loved, and understood” Teaching, No Greater Call, p. 80.

Materials needed: “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” book by Eric Carle, any hand puppet, a sock puppet for each child (glue googly eyes on and decorate if you’d like) Art kit picture 1-43, a dog leash, a scarf.

Read “Brown Bear.” After reviewing the book, ask, ” What can your eyes see?”

Heavenly Father gave us two eyes.  What do our eyes do?

I have a puppet that has two little eyes. Can you see them? She is going to come around and touch your two little eyes and count, “One, two.”

Use the puppet to sing “Two Little Eyes” from Children’s Songbook, p. 268:

Two little eyes that blink, blink, blink.

Two little eyes that see.

Head and shoulders and knees and toes

and many more things make me.

Tra la la la la lala

Two little eyes that see

Two little eyes that blink, blink, blink

And many more thing make me.

Repeat the song a few times. I’ve got a puppet for each of you (hand them out). Can you put it on and find the two little eyes? Let’s have our puppets sing the song again.

Take their puppets outside to play “Eye Spy.” Discuss how we use our eyes to see so many things.  How grateful we are that Heavenly Father gave us our eyes!  After, take turns playing hide and seek outside.

Back inside, be sure to take back the sock puppets so they aren’t a distraction. Tell them they will get them when it’s time to go home. Sometimes, there are people whose eyes don’t work. They are blind. Tell story of Jesus with blind man, using the picture 1-43.

Do you know any blind people? Do any of them have a guide dog?  We’re going to pretend to be blind and have a guide dog (tie a scarf around a child’s eyes and have another child get down on their hands and knees). Hook a dog leash (or clip on something—like a heavy-duty paper clip—tied to a string) to the child’s shirt collar and have the “dog” lead the “blind” child around the classroom. Take turns. Talk about the trust the blind person has that the dog will keep them safe. Talk about how the dog must love his master to serve him so well.

Review how to walk down the hall quietly. Remind them to put on their “quiet shoes” and use their “indoor voices.” Tell them that we are going to use our eyes to see beautiful things from the life of Jesus. Walk them down the hall and stop in front of any hanging pictures framed on the walls. Ask the children what they see? Who is in the picture? What are they going? What colors do they see? Are there any animals? Etc.

Back in class: Bear testimony of the gift of sight from Heavenly Father.  We can thank him in our prayers for all the beautiful things we see each day. Challenge them to say how grateful they are that they can see when they say their prayers this week.