My Lesson Plan: Heavenly Father's Plan for Us

Preparing lessons for nursery can be an existential experience. You brainstorm and work and all of your efforts will barely register. Still, I like lessons because they can be lively and fun. And nursery lessons are all like Nephi says, plain and precious teachings.

The Purpose of Sunday's Lesson: Heavenly Father's Plan for Us as stated in the primary manual is:
To help each child understand that we lived with Heavenly Father as spirit children before we came to earth and that we can live with him again after this life.

Okay, how do you teach that to a two year old? I don't even know if they know what a plan is. So that's where I think I'm going to start. Here's my plan:

I'm going to try to mention this earlier to prep them but I'm going to ask, Does nursery have a plan? Yes, nursery does have a plan. When we come to nursery first we sing don't we? Then what do we do? We pray? After that? We have snack? Then what do we do? We play? Then what do we do? We do a lesson. In nursery we have a plan, we know what we're going to do.

Do you know how else has a plan? (Pull out picture of Heavenly Father) Heavenly Father!
Heavenly Father has a plan for each one of us. He has a plan for ... point out kids who are not paying attention by saying their name. Heavenly has a plan for each one of us.
Do you know what his plan for us is? His plan is for us to come to earth to get a body and be alive.

Here I'm going to run through the circle diagram.
I hold up blue circle: We lived in the pre-mortal existence with Heavenly Father who loved us.
I'll let one kid come up and tape the circle to the wall
Hold up Earth Circle: Heavenly Father and Jesus made the earth and sent us to live on it with our families.
Let another child stick up the Earth circle on the wall after the blue circle
Hold up yellow circle: After we live on Earth Heavenly Father wants us to come back and live with him because he loves us so much!
Let another kid put up the yellow circle. If I'm feeling ambitious I might make the yellow circle into a sun but that's a big if. I'm not crafty.

Heavenly Father sent us to earth to get a body and be alive. Are you alive? Do you have a body? What about this doll (as mentioned in the primary manual) is she alive? No. But you're alive aren't you? You can jump up and down (have kids jump) and spin around (kids spin) because you are alive just like Heavenly Father wanted. Is being alive fun? Yes. Heavenly Father loves us so much that he sent us to be alive with our families.

Time for the Special Guest visitor, my bearded brother in law with my 8 month old niece as suggested in the Primary Manual.
Look it's a daddy and a baby! Can you see the baby? Does she have a body? Does her daddy love her? Heavenly Father sent this baby to be with a family because he loves her! He sent you to your family because he loves you! Talk about the baby as long as they're interested...

Do you know what? Heavenly Father wants us to come back to live with him because he loves us so much. But first he wants to grow up big and strong. He wants us to learn to become more like him. Pull out "Daddy Shoes" my husband's size 12s should do nicely. I'm going to let the kids try on the shoes and walk around in while I talk about how they can grow up big and strong like Heavenly Father wants.

After the shoes we're going to have an activity with the circles. I think I'll cut out the circles and let the kids glue them onto another piece of paper with glue sticks or make a mobile with them with string and cardboard.

What you think? What are my chances of this lesson being successful? I think the baby and the "daddy shoes" are going to be a hit. I'm also thinking I might check out the book Swimmy by Leo Lionni to read to who ever wants to listen during play time because in the story Swimmy has a plan.

If you have any other ideas I am ALL ears!