Pioneers

There are lots of Pioneer activities out there, but these were the ones we researched and thought were best for toddlers and preschoolers. Hope you enjoy!

We spread quilts out on the floor and started our Family Home Evening there.

Gathering Activity: The kids built log cabins out of Lincoln Logs while they waited for us to get all of the materials together (and while I hid the scavenger hunt clues).

Musical Game and Lesson : I printed out the Pioneer Flannel Board Pieces from the Friend and wrote the names of pioneer songs on the back of each one. I placed them in a basket. The children took turns choosing one out. We talked about what the children in the picture were doing and then listened to the song. We listened for things that the Pioneers did and then talked about them after each song. We used our Children's Songs CD to sing along with or just listen to the songs because not all of them were familiar to my little ones. (or Daddy). We marched to Pioneer Children Sang as the Walked, and played a pushing and pulling game to The Handcart Song. Andrew heard a guitar in one, and pulled his out to play along.



Songs we used were in the Children's Song Book pages 216-222.



Scavenger Hunt: We used the Pioneer Treasure Hunt from the Friend magazine. The kids had a lot of fun hunting for the clues and learned fun facts about the Pioneers along the way.



Games: We played some pioneer games together including Horseshoes and Button, Button, Who has the Button. (That one was a little harder for my 2 year old, but he eventually got the hang of it with some help).



Snack: We made Johnny Cake (very similar to cornbread) together in the afternoon and ate it for Family Home Evening treat with homemade butter the boys also made. The picture of them jumping around is of them shaking the butter. They also tried (and LOVED) some beef jerky.



Craft:Tin Punch Art: This was my kids favorite! Take a pie tin and draw a design upon it with a sharpie using dots. (looks like a dot to dot) Then with CLOSE supervision, allow the children to use a mallet and nail to punch out the dots. My two year old was even able to do this, and they both felt so grown-up. We had a grown-up per child helping.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

Attention Activity: PREPARATION: Print off 9 lamb pictures and write one word on each of the sheep from the memory verse Psalms 23 "The Lord is My Shepherd, I shall not want." Number the sheep 1-9 in order so that they will be easy for your little ones to arrange. Hide the sheep with word #5 with "SHEPHERD" printed on it.



Ask the family to help put your little sheep in a row in order. When they realize that one is missing, ask them what we should do? (Hopefully they will answer look for it).

Seek for the sheep together and then finish the verse. Read it together several times until everyone has it memorized.

Scripture Story: Tell the children that you are going to read a story together about a lost sheep that Jesus told. Read Luke 15:4-6 together and explain that the Lord says that we are all His sheep and that if we are lost He will find us. That we are all important to Him, even though there are many of us on Earth. We counted together to 100 and talked about how one little sheep might not seem like a lot, but that all are important to Heavenly Father. We talked together about how Heavenly Father has asked us to help Him look after each other here on Earth. We discussed ways we can be shepherds and explained a little about why Mommy and Daddy go Home and Visiting Teaching.


Game: We played hide and go seek together. When Daddy found the Lost sheep, he picked them up and carried them on his shoulders like a shepherd carrying the sheep. There was lots of giggling.



Service: After our lesson, we carried a treat to share with a family Daddy home teaches.