Skip to main content

How to Prepare Your Kids for General Conference

lds.org
A few years ago, I wrote a post on how to prepare for general conference. Now that I have two kids, and after seeing great ideas online, I think it's time to share how to prepare your kids for general conference too!

1. Explain what general conference is.
Tell your kids the week before that instead of going to church the next Sunday, you will be staying home and watching the prophet and other church leaders speak to us about the gospel starting Saturday morning. Show them pictures of the First Presidency and other church leaders in the Friend or conference issue of the Ensign.

2. Put together activities for the kids.
Thanks to blogs and Pinterest, there is a plethora of activities for your children to do during conference, and most require little preparation. Here is a link-up to some great ideas. There are also activities on the Church website. Be sure to match the activity to your children's ages and likes and any goals you have in mind (ex: listening for certain topics, learning to recognize leaders, or simply being reverent). Get all the activities ready by Friday night so the kids have something to do as soon as conference starts.

3. Prepare the house for conference the days and nights before.
Have everyone do their chores and complete their homework. Clean up the area where you will watch conference and know when and how you will watch it. Do any food prep the night before so making breakfast and lunch is easy and doesn't cut into any conference time. Get everyone to bed early so you wake up and get ready in time for the morning sessions and no one is sleepy or grumpy. Make sure any children who still nap get rest between sessions.

4. Create a reverent environment conference morning.
Simply getting dressed in appropriate clothing and eating a good breakfast before conference starts will set a good mood for the rest of the day and help everyone be attentive and reverent. Avoid putting on the TV, a movie, or secular music. Instead, play Primary songs and other church music or watch any pre-conference programs to invite the Spirit. Continue to keep the Spirit in between and after sessions.

5. Talk about what you learned.
After conference is over discuss during dinner what you learned. Have the kids share their favorite talks, songs, or activities. Keep conference fresh in their minds the following months through the Friend and family home evening lessons.

You can find more ideas on how to prepare your kids for general conference on the Church website. Have a great general conference weekend!

Sharing Time: What do you do to prepare your kids for general conference?
Labels:

Comments

Anonymous said…

Your article is excellent.
General Conference can be fun and spiritual at the same time. Doing these activities will help the children learn about the gospel.
Constance
April 6, 2014 at 5:30 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Holy Grail

lds.org Ever wonder how the story of the Holy Grail began? Why people believed there was a cup from which they could drink and live forever? I did, and here is the answer. One day when Jesus was teaching the people, He said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. . . . I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and that bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. ( John 6:47, 51-54 ) The Jews' response shows they did not understand what Jesus meant. Then, before Jesus was crucified, He dined
4 comments
Read more

Family Home Evening for Babies

ldsclipart.com Family home evening can sometimes be a challenge because we don't know what to do. This is especially true for those of us with only a baby. There are plenty of ideas for single members, couples, and families, but I have yet to find good suggestions for planning a family home evening lesson for a baby (not yet in Nursery). So I compiled my own list: Read gospel-related board books. They are short and introduce common scripture stories in a very simple manner. Read the scriptures. Elder Bednar said , "Youth of all ages, even infants, can and do respond to the distinctive spirit of the Book of Mormon. Children may not understand all of the words and stories, but they certainly can feel the 'familiar spirit' described by Isaiah ( Isaiah 29:4 ; see also 2 Nephi 26:16 )." Sing Primary songs together. There is no better way to invite the Spirit, teach basic gospel principles, and prepare your baby for Nursery and Primary. Sing inte
6 comments
Read more

"Far above Rubies"

Certain TV shows and previews reminded me of a quote from Sister Margaret Nagauld : "Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity." We need to be classy women--women with manners, discipline, integrity, virtue, sincerity, and charity. Sister Nagauld isn't the only one to have said this: 1. "It is, unfortunately, all too easy to illustrate the confusion and distortion of womanhood in contemporary society. Immodest, immoral, intemperate women jam the airwaves, monopolize magazines, and slink across movie screens—all while being celebrated by the world
5 comments
Read more