I Have a Body
To help each child appreciate and respect his or her physical body.
Invite a child to give the opening prayer.
Simon Says
Play “Simon Says” by giving commands of things the body can do, such as “Simon says, ‘Stand on one foot’” or “Simon says, ‘Wave your right hand.’” As long as the command is preceded by the phrase “Simon says,” the children should obey. If you leave off that phrase, they should not obey the command. After a few minutes, discuss with the children all the wonderful things our bodies can do. Remind them of the things our bodies are constantly doing that we don’t even have to think about, like breathing, pumping blood through our veins, healing illnesses, sending messages from the brain to nerve endings, and so on.
Heavenly Father planned for each of us to have a physical body
When we lived in heaven with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, we did not have physical bodies. We were spirits. We needed to come to earth to get physical bodies. Heavenly Father planned for us to be born on earth and have earthly parents to take care of us.
Who planned for us to come to earth to get bodies and have families?
Activity
Have the children stand and copy your actions as you explain that our bodies are from the tops of our heads (touch head) to the tips of our toes (touch toes). Our faces (smile) and our fingers (wiggle fingers) are all parts of our bodies. Have the children turn around once and sit down.
Our bodies can do many things. Each part of the body has a special job to do.
What can you do with your eyes?
What can you do with your ears?
What can you do with your mouth?
What can you do with your hands?
What can you do with your feet?
Activity
Have the children stand and do the following action verse:
I Have a Wonderful Body
I have a wonderful body (touch hands to chest)
That Heavenly Father planned for me.
He gave me ears so I might hear (cup hand around ear)
And eyes that I might see (point to eyes).
I have two hands that I can clap (clap hands),
Two feet that turn around (turn around).
When I want to, I can touch
My toes down on the ground (bend over and touch toes).
When I think about my body (put finger to head),
The best part of it is (sit down quietly)
That Heavenly Father planned it
To look very much like his.
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want us to take care of our bodies
Our bodies are so important, Heavenly Father and Jesus have given us rules to help us take care of our bodies and keep them strong and healthy. These rules are called the
Show a copy of the Doctrine and Covenants. The Word of Wisdom is written in this book of scripture. In D&C 89 we learn about the Word of Wisdom.
Joseph Smith started a school for men in the Church. In this school, Joseph and other Church leaders taught each other about the priesthood, the scriptures and other things. The school was to help the men prepare for Church leadership and missionary service.
Many of the men smoked pipes or cigars, which filled the room with smoke. Some of the men chewed tobacco and spit on the floor, making it very dirty.
Emma Smith
, Joseph’s wife, cleaned the room after each meeting. She and Joseph became concerned about the men’s use of tobacco and if it was healthy. Joseph wondered if people should smoke or chew tobacco.
Joseph prayed to Heavenly Father and got an answer to his prayers. Jesus gave him the Word of Wisdom. Jesus said that some people want others to do things that are bad for their bodies. In the Word of Wisdom, Jesus told the Saints about things that are bad for their bodies. He also told them about things that are good for their bodies.
Jesus said alcohol is not good for people. They should not have drinks with alcohol in them. Alcohol should be used only outside of the body.
Jesus said tobacco is not good for people. They should not smoke cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. They should not chew tobacco.
Jesus said the Saints should not drink hot drinks such as tea and coffee. These drinks are not good for the body.
Jesus said people should not eat too much meat.
The Lord said grains are good for the body. Some grains are wheat, rice, corn, and oats.
Fruits and vegetables are also good for the body.
Jesus promised great blessings to those who obey the Word of Wisdom.
Our bodies will be stronger and healthier than if we did not obey it.
Our minds will also be healthier, and we will receive wisdom and treasures of knowledge.
The Word of Wisdom is given to help us keep our bodies healthy and strong and that we are happier when we obey its guidelines.
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ Want Us to Be Healthy and Strong
Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar took the Israelites, which were God’s people into slavery. The King wanted some of the very best Israelites slaves to come and live in his household and become helpers to the king. Among all the Israelites slaves who were chosen, were four boys: Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
The king’s plan was to eventually use the young slaves in his service. A whole group of slaves were taken to a palace were they could be taught all the laws of Babylon and other knowledge for three years. He told his servants to take care of them; the king had big plans for these young men. He gave the boys to eat the king’s meat
and wine to drink
. This is what the king thought was the best food and drink. There was a problem with this…when Moses was Israel’s prophet, the Lord gave the children of Israel a law that told them what to eat and drink. The food the king wanted Daniel and his friends to eat was against the Lord’s law. In our day we have a law of health that has been revealed to us called the Word of Wisdom. Do you see the problem that Daniel and his friends had? They were given the king’s meat and wine, but if they ate it they would be breaking God’s law.
The man who was in charge of the boys, who was the king’s chief officer
, understood why the boys didn’t want to eat the king’s food, but he was also afraid of the king. He could just image that if in three years, the king saw that the boys he was in charge of, were not as strong and handsome as the rest of the other young men, he would lose his head. He knew that the king would kill him! He told Daniel
this and that he was worried about disobeying the king. Daniel suggested a 10-day trial period. The four boys would eat vegetables
and grains and drink water instead of the king’s meat and wine. If the boys became weaker after the ten days then they would eat what the king wanted them to eat. The king’s chief officer decided that is would be ok to try it. After the ten days the boys were very healthy and very strong. If he wanted the boys to be strong and healthy it was the best idea to let them eat vegetables and grain.
After the three years the king gave the all the boys a test. God gave them “knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom.” Daniel1:17. Daniel also had the ability to understand visions and dreams. The four young men, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were not only the best students, but they were also smarter than the great scholars of Babylon.
Encourage the children to follow Daniel’s example when they are offered something that would be unhealthy for their bodies.
What did Daniel do when the king told him to eat things that were not good for him?
How were Daniel and his friends blessed for following Heavenly Father’s rules about what to eat?
What healthy foods do you eat?
Why should you eat healthy food?
How do you feel when you eat foods that are good for you?
We also need to do other things to keep our bodies healthy and strong.
What is this child doing?
Why is it important to exercise our bodies?
What are some other ways we can exercise our bodies?
Put your hands together on one side of your face and close your eyes as if you were sleeping.
What am I pretending to do?
Why is it important to get the right amount of sleep?
Pretend you are washing your hands.
What am I pretending to do?
When should we wash our hands?
When should we take a bath?
When should we brush our teeth?
Why do we need to be clean?
Discuss other important health rules, such as dressing properly for all kinds of weather, practicing good safety habits, and getting fresh air.
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want us to protect our bodies
Heavenly Father and Jesus want us to protect our bodies from harm and injuries. Ask the children about dangers they might encounter, using the following questions or making up your own:
What could happen if you play with matches?
What could happen if you play in the street or around cars?
What could happen if you aren’t careful with sharp things such as knives and scissors?
Why do we wear seat belts when we ride in a car?
We need to protect our bodies. We should not do things that are dangerous to our bodies and might hurt them. Heavenly Father and Jesus want us to feel safe and happy. They want us to take care of our bodies so we will be healthy.
Activity
Place two bags, glue the muscle man
on one and the other glue
the garbage can on the floor or table. Display the pictures of food and drink. Let the children take turns selecting a picture of a food. Allow them to decide in which bag each food belongs. Discuss which foods will help their bodies grow strong and healthy.
Coloring Page
Have the children color the “I am thankful for my body” coloring page.
Testimony
Share your feelings of gratitude for your physical body. Express your gratitude that the children are taking care of their bodies so they can be healthy and strong.
Invite a child to say the closing prayer.
There are 3 options with the lessons. The first one is a color PDF of the full lesson, all the pictures, scriptures and art projects with the watermark removed.
The next options is all the pictures in Black and White
The 3rd option is a PowerPoint with all the pictures and scriptures that you can pull up on your device. It is like having a digital copy. It eliminates the printing and the cutting out. This makes the lesson easier come Sunday morning.
All three options are now included in a zip drive that will immediately be emailed to you for $2.75. You can pick and choose from all three options to make your lesson just right for you!
OR buy Lessons 16-20 for $12.50
Please use the lesson free of charge. I am only charging for the visual aids which take a considerable amount of time to create. The art work is mine and my son’s original drawing. Thank you for your help as I try to continue to be a stay at home mom of four boys.
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