Family Home Evening Department
Family Home Evening is the center of an LDS family's week. It's a time when families come together to explore the gospel, have fun, and build a sense of unity. The articles below show how to carry out various aspects of the event or how to teach the lessons. There are also a growing number of lessons. These aren't instant lessons in most cases. They usually offer suggestions to help you build a lesson for your family's special needs.
How-to Articles
Family Home Evening for Singles tips for spending Mondays alone but not lonely.
How to have family home evening with toddlers
Family Home Evenings for Part-Member Families (Keeping the tradition in a non-religious way.)
Reading Scriptures With Toddlers: Even a toddler can learn to reverently hold scriptures and to learn to "read" them during Family Home Evenings.
Flannel Boards in Family Home Evening: They're inexpensive to make and provide numerous ways to teach.
How to Have a Family Puppet Show
Puppets and Puppet Theaters: Learn to make these fun teaching tools for use in Family Home Evening. Part 2 will teach you how to use them in your lessons and even how to teach your children to put on a show.
Telling Pattern Stories: These are the easiest kinds of stories to tell. They repeat essential elements again and again, so they are simple to learn. Give your children the gift of a story told from memory.
Telling Scripture Stories: A simply told story has the power to influence your family's feelings about the scriptures.
Non-Competitive Games: Although written for Primary teachers, this article will show you how to create games where everyone wins.
Lesson Plans
Christmas!
Mary and Joseph: Year 3 of my Nativity FHE series. Mary and Joseph accepted a tremendously challenging calling from God when they agreed to serve as parent and guardian for the Savior. This lesson encourages us to follow their example and face our challenges with a strong spirit and courage.
The Shepherds at the First Christmas: The first lesson in my annual Nativity FHE series. (I write only one or two a year, so this will take some time to complete.)
In Wisdom They Came: First in a two-part Family Home Evening on the Wise Men. The first is a factual study of them and the second is the spiritual application of making a journey to the Savior. Part of the Nativity FHE series.
Walk in the Light: The second of two family home evening lessons on the Wise Men. This lesson presents a spiritual application concerning our own invitation to go to the Savior. Based on a talk by Betty Jo N. Jepsen.
My Family's Gifts to Me: What qualities have family members passed on to each other? A simple lesson in appreciating what our families give us. Particularly good for Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings.
Other FHE Lessons
Preparing a Toddler for a New Sibling: A FHE lesson
Love Each Other Better. Simple preparation, meant for older children, teens and adults. This lesson on charity is based on a talk given at Oct. 2003 conference in the Relief Society Meeting.
Count Your Blessings: Requires minimal preparation and can be used as a Sunday activity.
How You Became a Family: This one is for the most dedicated family historian, since it takes quite a bit of preparation.
Teaching Teens About Choices: This can also be taught to elementary school children with adaptations.
The Dreaded Dress Standards: Are you struggling to teach your children modesty? This family home evening prepares teenagers to change their wardrobes.