The Behold Your Little Ones nursery manual is designed for children aged 18 months to 3 years, focusing on teaching basic gospel doctrines through simple, engaging lessons.
1.1 Purpose of the Nursery Class
The purpose of the nursery class is to help children aged 18 months to 3 years learn the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. It provides a safe, loving environment where children can develop a foundation of faith. Nursery leaders guide children in understanding basic doctrines, such as their identity as children of God and the love of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. The class fosters spiritual growth through simple lessons, visual aids, and engaging activities. Leaders are encouraged to pray for guidance and create meaningful experiences that nurture young children’s spirits and prepare them for future gospel learning.
1.2 Overview of the Manual Structure
The Behold Your Little Ones nursery manual is structured to guide leaders in teaching young children aged 18 months to 3 years. It begins with an introduction and a letter to parents, followed by four core lessons: “I Am a Child of God,” “Heavenly Father Has a Plan for Me,” “I Can Pray to Heavenly Father,” and “Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ Love Me.” Each lesson includes age-appropriate activities, visual aids, and interactive elements to engage children. The manual also provides guidance for nursery leaders and additional resources, ensuring a comprehensive and organized approach to gospel teaching.
The Nursery Class Purpose
The nursery class purpose is to help children learn the restored gospel and create a safe, loving environment for spiritual growth and development.
2.1 Helping Children Learn the Restored Gospel
The nursery class focuses on teaching children basic gospel truths, such as their divine identity and Heavenly Father’s plan. Simple, engaging activities like songs, stories, and prayer help children develop faith and understanding. Nursery leaders use visual aids and repetition to reinforce these concepts, creating a foundation for future learning. The manual emphasizes the importance of gospel-centered play and meaningful interactions, ensuring children feel loved and secure as they begin their spiritual journey.
2.2 Creating a Safe and Loving Environment
A safe and loving environment is crucial for young children to feel secure and valued. Nursery leaders are encouraged to create a nurturing atmosphere where children can explore, play, and learn. Prayer, gentle guidance, and positive interactions help build trust and confidence. The manual emphasizes the importance of leaders’ examples in demonstrating love and patience. Activities are designed to promote emotional well-being and social skills, ensuring each child feels cherished and supported as they grow spiritually and socially.
Core Lessons for Nursery-Age Children
The manual provides core lessons tailored for children aged 18 months to 3 years, focusing on foundational gospel principles. These lessons help young children understand their divine identity and Heavenly Father’s love through simple, engaging activities and visual aids.
3.1 Lesson 1: I Am a Child of God
This lesson introduces young children to the fundamental truth that they are children of God. Using simple language and engaging visuals, it helps them understand their divine identity and feel loved by Heavenly Father. Activities include singing songs like “I Am a Child of God” and discussing how they can show love for Him. The lesson emphasizes their unique worth and encourages them to share their feelings about being special to God.
3.2 Lesson 2: Heavenly Father Has a Plan for Me
This lesson teaches children about Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness, helping them understand their purpose on Earth. Activities include discussing premortal life, the importance of coming to Earth, and the role of Jesus Christ. Simple stories, songs, and visuals are used to explain these concepts in an age-appropriate way. The lesson emphasizes that Heavenly Father loves each child and has a special plan for them, helping them feel secure and valued. It also encourages children to make good choices and follow God’s plan.
3.3 Lesson 3: I Can Pray to Heavenly Father
This lesson introduces young children to the concept of prayer, teaching them that they can communicate with Heavenly Father. Simple, repetitive prayers are encouraged to help children feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and feelings. Activities include role-playing prayer scenarios, singing songs about prayer, and using visual aids to demonstrate prayer’s importance. The lesson emphasizes that prayer is a way to show gratitude, ask for help, and feel close to Heavenly Father. Leaders are encouraged to model prayer and help children understand its purpose in their daily lives. This lesson fosters a spirit of reverence and communication with God.
3.4 Lesson 4: Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ Love Me
This lesson teaches children that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love them deeply. Activities include sharing stories of Jesus’s love, singing songs like “I Am Loved,” and creating crafts that represent divine love. Leaders use simple language and visual aids to help children understand this concept. The lesson emphasizes feeling secure in God’s love and fostering a sense of trust in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. It encourages children to express their feelings of love and gratitude through prayer and actions, reinforcing the idea of their divine worth and the eternal nature of God’s love for them. This lesson helps children feel cherished and secure in their relationship with God.
Teaching Methods and Activities
Engage children with visual aids, crafts, and activities that promote learning and fun. These methods help little ones understand gospel principles through interactive and creative experiences.
4.1 Using Visual Aids and Pictures
Visual aids and pictures are essential tools in teaching nursery-age children. They help capture young attention spans and simplify complex gospel concepts into understandable images. Pictures of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and familiar gospel scenes create a relatable environment for learning. The manual includes colorful visuals and activity pages designed to engage children and reinforce lessons. Posters and coloring pages are particularly effective, as they allow children to interact with the material creatively. These visual elements make abstract ideas tangible, helping little ones build a foundation of faith and understanding through sights they can recognize and relate to.
4.2 Incorporating Crafts and Coloring Pages
Crafts and coloring pages are invaluable in engaging young children and reinforcing gospel lessons. These activities allow children to express creativity while learning about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Simple crafts, such as making prayer rocks or family pictures, help children remember key concepts. Coloring pages with gospel themes provide a calming, focused way for children to internalize lessons. These activities are designed to be age-appropriate and easy to execute, ensuring nursery leaders can facilitate meaningful experiences. They complement visual aids and stories, offering a hands-on approach to learning and fostering a love for gospel principles from an early age.
Guidance for Nursery Leaders
Nursery leaders should pray for guidance, create a safe and loving atmosphere, and lead children in simple, age-appropriate prayers and activities.
5.1 Praying for Guidance
Prayer is a foundational element for nursery leaders, providing divine guidance in teaching young children. Leaders are encouraged to seek inspiration to create a nurturing environment where children can feel loved and secure. By praying for guidance, leaders can effectively meet the spiritual and emotional needs of the children, ensuring lessons are meaningful and engaging.
Prayer also helps leaders remain attentive to the unique needs of each child, fostering a sense of unity and purpose in the nursery class. Regular prayer strengthens leaders’ abilities to teach and care for the children, aligning their efforts with the manual’s goals.
5.2 Leading Children in Prayer
Leading children in prayer is a sacred responsibility that helps them develop a relationship with Heavenly Father. Nursery leaders should encourage children to participate in simple, heartfelt prayers. Typically, a child leads the prayer with gentle guidance from an adult if needed. This practice fosters a spirit of reverence and teaches children the importance of communicating with God. Prayers should be brief, age-appropriate, and focused on gratitude and basic gospel principles. Leading children in prayer helps them feel secure and loved, while also reinforcing their understanding of Heavenly Father’s love and presence in their lives.
Additional Resources
The manual offers training videos, downloadable materials, and Family Home Evening ideas to supplement lessons and activities, enriching the nursery experience for leaders and children alike.
6.1 Training Videos and Downloads
The manual provides access to training videos and downloadable resources to aid nursery leaders. These videos demonstrate effective teaching methods and activities for young children. Downloads include lesson plans, visual aids, and activity sheets. Leaders can access these materials to prepare engaging lessons. The resources are designed to support the structured and interactive approach of the manual. They offer practical tools to enhance teaching and ensure a nurturing environment for children. These additional materials are available online, making it convenient for leaders to access and utilize them effectively in their nursery classes.
6.2 Family Home Evening Ideas
The manual provides ideas for Family Home Evening (FHE) that align with nursery lessons. Activities include simple songs, stories, and crafts to reinforce gospel teachings at home. Parents can use lesson plans to create engaging FHE experiences, helping children feel loved and safe. The manual’s structured approach ensures consistency between nursery and home learning. These ideas strengthen family bonds and deepen children’s understanding of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father’s love. The resources are designed to be adaptable, making it easy for families to implement meaningful FHE lessons together.