Kindness Sharing time

Sharing time- Being Kind is Doing and Saying Nice Things to Others

July 2012 Week 2 Theme

Yesterday, I was walking and noticed some beautiful flowers.  Today, we are going to plant kindness seeds and grow love flowers. Just like we work with our hands to plant real seeds to grow into flowers, we can work with our hands to “plant seeds of good deeds” towards those around us. Sometimes we need tools or things that can help get the job done quicker or better like these shovels (show shovels) help us to plant seeds.  Tools of kindness could include a book that you are going to read your younger brother, or a duster to dust the house so mom doesn’t have to do it.  Sometimes, we, ourselves are the tools, by using our ears to listen to someone’s problems, to smile at someone, or give a hug.

Will real flowers grow if we don’t care for them?  No, they need water and someone to look after them.  The flowers need Heavenly Father and Jesus’ help to get enough light and sunshine. We grow with more love every time we are kind.

http://frontyardening.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/sunflower-seed.jpg?w=584  (Show picture of sunflower seed compared to sunflower)  Isn’t it amazing that a small thing like this seed can grow into something like a huge sunflower? We can do small and simple kind acts for other people and make a big difference in their life.  In Alma 37:6 we read, “By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.” So we are going to plant kindness seeds and discover ways that we can scatter kindness to others at home, school, church, neighborhood, or anywhere we go!!

(The questions are written on slips of paper and attached to heart seeds made out of construction paper. The Primary child will choose a seed, remove the question and help discuss the question on the back.) 

Kindness seed packet image taken from
http://www.juliabettencourt.com/printables/seedpackets/seeds1.png

(They will decide which labeled pot that the seed should be planted in. Example: if the question is about mom it would go in the “parents pot”, or if the question is about teachers it would be inserted in the “teacher’s pot”, etc.) 

(Then a child will insert the “kindness seed” into the designated pot which will fall into the attached Ziploc bag and then have a child will pretend to water the pot.) 
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Back of plant pot. The ziploc back is cut and the front is taped through the slit and attached to the other side. The pipe cleaner is taped to the bag

While pretending to water the plant, the instructor will push the pipe cleaner out of the opening of the pot symbolizing the plant growing.  

(When the pipe cleaner is fully extended, then take the sunshine ray that matches the pot’s label and read extra light from the Lord to help our love grow more.)

(Finally attach the paper flower on top of the pipe cleaner.)

(Paper flowers are made from folding tissue paper, cutting slits, wrapping them around a straw and taping the end to the straw.)

Flower pots were printed on brown construction paper and a red heart was cut from red construction paper. Taken from: http://www.superiorlabels.com/images/black_whiteclipart/clipart_by_lisa/flower/flowerpot1bw.jpg

The sky and clouds background for the planted pots was taken from: http://www.webdesign.org/img_articles/2801/21.gif

Questions attached to heart seeds and matching sunshine rays of light from the Lord:

FRIENDS- Your friend Zach seems sad today in Primary. What could you do to plant a kindness seed?

Light from the Lord (Sunshine ray labeled FRIENDS)- Ephesians 4:32- “And be ye kind one to another..." So be nice to your friends!

TEACHERS- Your Primary teacher is teaching a lesson and some of the children are being noisy. How could you plant a kindness seed?

Light from the Lord (Sunshine ray labeled TEACHERS)- Primary teachers love you and want you to be happy. (Have teachers sing: From “Teacher Do You Love me” CS, 178–79) “Oh yes, my child, I love you. My child, I’ll always care for you. And with the Savior as our guide, I’ll share the light I feel inside, And you will feel his love for you.” We can show respect and love back to our primary teachers and teachers at school too.

NEEDY- It is Christmas time and you know of a needy family that doesn’t have enough money to buy presents. What could you do to plant a kindness seed?

Light from the Lord (Sunshine ray labeled NEEDY)- D&C 38:35 “And they shall look to the poor and the needy, and administer to their relief that they shall not suffer...” We need to be kind and help those in need. Those that are sick, grandparents, elderly and others in need.  They may struggle with doing things that are easy for us to do.  

PARENTS- Your mom seems really tired and there is still a lot of laundry that needs to be folded. How could you plant a kindness seed?

Light from the Lord (Sunshine ray labeled PARENTS)- Mosiah 13:20 ^“Honor thy father and thy mother...” Honoring and showing respect to our parents is showing kindness.

NEIGHBORS- Your neighbor is moving next week to go to a new job. His house must be packed up quickly. What could you do to plant a kindness seed?

Light from the Lord (Sunshine ray labeled NEIGHBORS)- D&C 59:6 “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Treat others like you want to be treated.  You could go and help them pack.

ANIMALS- Your cousins find a dog in the neighborhood and begin to chase him and pull his tail. What kindness seed could you plant?

Light from the Lord (Sunshine ray labeled ANIMALS, could paraphrase story for time) Tall trees grew along the side of the road where he walked the cows. Spencer W. Kimball noticed that there were many little birds in those trees. When he saw the birds, he was tempted to shoot them to show what a good shot he was. But then he remembered a song that he sang in Primary. It said, “Don’t kill the little birds. … The earth is God’s Estate, and he provideth food for small as well as great.” Spencer thought of those words that he sang. He decided that the birds were important to Heavenly Father, and it was not right to kill them. So he was always careful to shoot his slingshot where he would not hit any birds (see Conference Report, Apr. 1978, p. 71; or Ensign, May 1978, p. 47). http://www.lds.org/manual/primary-1/lesson-35?lang=eng&query="love+animals" Lesson 35 in Primary 1 p. 115 “I Can be Kind to Animals”

SIBLINGS- Your little brother is playing with a puzzle and is getting frustrated because he is unable to complete it. What kindness seed could you plant?

Light from the Lord (Sunshine ray labeled SIBLINGS) 2 Peter 1:7- “And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.” When we show our brothers and sisters kindness, it helps us become like Heavenly Father.

NONMEMBERS- You tell a nonmember friend at school about your fun activity day girls’ activity last week. She seems interested. How could you plant a kindness seed?

Light from the Lord (Sunshine ray labeled NONMEMBERS)-“Reaching out to others is one way you can share the gospel every day. Each time you tell the truth, are helpful and kind to your friends, or live the gospel standards, you are sharing the gospel. When you do these things, you are planting tiny seeds of the gospel in people’s hearts. Some of those seeds may someday grow into beautiful, strong testimonies of the gospel.” http://www.lds.org/liahona/2009/08/reach-out-to-others?lang=eng&query="share+the+gospel" Reach Out to Others, Thomas S. Monson. Liahona August 2009

(This could be a handout idea with a challenge. Attach the poem to packet of kindness jelly belly seeds for them to eat one everytime they plant a kindness seed?)

My family is a garden,
A place where we can grow.
Our garden is for people,
Not plants grown in a row.
We’re growing love and patience.
We’re growing kindness, too.
We’ve planted seeds of service
For things we all can do.
Politeness grows inside us;
We’re sharing more each day.
Our smiles are growing bigger—
Like the hugs we give away.
We can tell that we are growing
The seeds of love and cheer—
We fill our home with sunshine
And feel our Savior near. http://www.lds.org/churchmagazines/2002/Jun2002Friend.pdf  Elaine Champion, 2002 June Friend


I challenge you to plant kindness seeds this week, to your family, friends, teachers, neighbors and nonmembers. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

You can find a copy of the file named "kindness flower pot" at my Skydrive: https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=976904c8bfc9a79e&sc=documents&id=976904C8BFC9A79E%21105)

Rachel Crosby was kind enough to create a printable PDF to go with the lesson that can be found at http://c586449.r49.cf2.rackcdn.com/Seeds%20of%20Kindness%20Lesson_rc.pdf Thanks!!!