Calendar & Chart Activity

Activities that Fulfill the Purposes of the Sabbath

Preparation

• Items needed: tape, four different pages of stickers, thin binder, page protectors.
• Use this Microsoft Word activity in the lesson, or print and cut out the Calendar Activity Items. Tape the two pieces of the calendar together. Tape the calendar onto the back of a cookie sheet or on a display board. Tape the small pictures around the calendar.
• Print the Things to Do on Sunday Activity. Put the pages in page protectors. Put the pages in the binder. Put a different sticker on each page. Put the sticker pages with the chart.
• Note: Images on the Spencer W. Kimball quote are from the LDS Media Library-Children’s Primary Songbook

Presentation

 Spencer W. Kimball said that the Sabbath “is not a day of recreation and amusements.” He also said that abstinence from work and recreation is important but insufficient. The Sabbath calls for constructive thoughts and acts.

Click on image to see larger version

Activity

Have the family members take turns choosing a picture and placing it on the calendar. Ask them to put the things that fulfill the purposes of the Sabbath on the Sunday squares and put the other things on one of the weekday squares. Before posting a picture tell them to ask themselves the question, “Does it bring me closer to Heavenly Father, increase my spiritual strength, or rest my body?”

Point out all the days on the calendar that the family has for themselves to do their work, sports, and recreation. Point out the one day of the week that is the Lord’s.

Show to the family the four pages of “Things to Do on Sunday.”  Explain that there are many wonderful things we can do on the Sabbath that fulfill the purposes of the Sabbath.

Point out that each page has a sticker on it. Write the family members names on the chart. Explain that family members get to put a matching sticker on their Sunday square each time they do something from that page. They must do one item from each page before they can begin again. (Make more copies of the chart when needed)

Put the binder in a “Sunday Box.” Fill the box with things that fulfill the purposes of the Sabbath and keep it holy such as gospel and scriptural videos, puzzles, games, books to read, coloring books, etc.  (You may want to make it a box of things they only get to use on Sunday.)