Start with a prayer.
 Recite the Pledge of Allegiance and/or family motto.
 Song, "The Word of Wisdom"
 Scripture - Recite and Memorize Doctrine and Covenants 89:18
 

Close your eyes and picture a temple. What color is it? How big is it? Does it have any windows? Are there spires? How many?  You are like the temple. You are different from everyone else, but you, too, are a house for the Spirit of God (the Holy Ghost). The Apostle Paul said: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? … For the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” (1 Cor. 3:16–17.) Your body is a temple.  Temples are also places where Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father can come.

Just as you treat temples with respect, you should treat your own body with respect. You can do this by obeying the Word of Wisdom (see D&C 89), by dressing modestly, and by following the counsel of President Gordon B. Hinckley to “be clean” (see Friend, February 2001, page 25). One way to be clean is to not have tattoos. President Hinckley said, “A tattoo is graffiti on the temple of the body” (Ensign, November 2000, page 52). You should also keep your heart and mind clean by reading, listening to, and watching only “things that are pleasing to Heavenly Father”.  If you are clean in mind and body, you can receive great blessings because “the Lord hath said he dwelleth not in unholy temples, but in the hearts of the righteous doth he dwell” (Alma 34:36).

History - Share the story of how the Word of Wisdom came about.
 

Click to enlarge.

Snack - Banana ice. Peel several very ripe bananas, break them into 1-inch pieces, and freeze the pieces in a sealed plastic bag. Just before serving, whirl the pieces in the blender with a small amount of water or juice. Serve right away. Add berries for a different flavor or top with fruit or nuts.

Art - Painting with kitchen gadgets. Pour small amounts of tempera paint into shallow containers. Set out a variety of kitchen gadgets like a potato masher, a funnel, a spiral type whisk, a cookie cutter a tart pan and a measuring cup. Give the children pieces of paper. Let them take turns using the various gadgets to dip in the paint and press on their paper.



 Start with a prayer.
 Recite the Pledge of Allegiance and/or family motto.
 Song, "The Word of Wisdom"
 Scripture - Recite and Memorize Doctrine and Covenants 89:18
 

Discussion:

1. What can we do to help our bodies stay healthy?  (exercise, eat healthy, sleep, brush our teeth, take baths, wash our hands often)

2. What kinds of food help to keep us healthy? (fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, milk)

3. Is sleep important for our bodies?

4. Should we eat a lot of sweet foods and snacks? Why or why not? (cavities and they are not good for us)

5. What is your favorite food to eat??  

6. What is a fruit?

7. What is a vegetable?

Reading - Read any story about healthy living or healthy foods. Discuss the book.

Activity - One way to make nutrition fun is to use newspaper grocery ads. After you talk about the 4 food groups have the kids cut out their favorite foods from newspapers and magazines. Then let them write about their choices to show they understand each group's contents. They could also list things that are made from that product or other things made from the same basic contents. The class could also just cut out the names of products they like and have them draw the pictures on light colored construction paper for placemats. You could give each food group to a small group of kids and have them hunt together for food items in that group. They can then glue their selections on bulletin board paper and label them. That lets them make a bulletin board and all you have to do is supply the paper.  One other activity is to give each child a piece of construction paper with a letter of the alphabet and let them find any food or drink items that start with that letter. All pictures they find are glued on the paper. These can then be put in ABC order and made into a book. You keep the book so you can remember the activity. Take pictures of everything. It's much easier to remember because you have a visual.

Music - Sing the vegetable song to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star:

Carrots, peas and broccoli;
Vegetables are good for me.
For my snack and in my lunch;
Veggie sticks are great to munch.
Carrots, peas and broccoli;
Vegetables are good for me.
 

Restaurant: To play restaurant and chose healthy foods when eating out.

1. Make menus with pictures of vegetables and dinners from magazines.

2. Under each picture put the name of the item.

3. Set up a kitchen area and lots of play food to use to make dinners in their restaurant. Have them set the table with a plate cup and napkin.

4. Have them take turns being the waiter, cook, and customer.

Discuss - Read Daniel 1:17 to your children, and explain that Heavenly Father blessed them for taking care of their bodies.  Encourage your children to follow Daniel’s example when they are offered something that would be unhealthy for their bodies.  In addition to eating right, our bodies need exercise. 

 Start with a prayer.
 Recite the Pledge of Allegiance and/or family motto.
 Song, "The Word of Wisdom"
 Scripture - Recite and Memorize Doctrine and Covenants 89:18

Activity - Take some scotch tape and make six good sized squares on your floor.  Tape a piece of paper that has the words, "Fruits, Vegetables, Dairy, Meat and Grains and Other" written on it.  If your children can't read, draw a picture of each section.  Take all your pretend plastic food and have your children categorize each piece of food.

Game - 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. Suggest that the children express gratitude in their prayers to Heavenly Father for the great gift of their physical bodies. Encourage the children to show their gratitude for their physical bodies by following the Word of Wisdom.

Math - Serving sizes are important in calculating the amounts of fruits and vegetables that add up to 5 a Day.

For this activity, you will need:

1, 1/2, and 1/4 cup measuring cups
Various foods to measure
For 100% juice -- water (or juice)
For leafy greens -- any green leaves (outer lettuce leaves)
For dried fruit -- use raisins
For canned fruit -- any canned fruit chunks (pineapple)
For cooked vegetable -- shredded carrots, canned peas
Everyday objects representing the amounts of 1, 1/2, and 1/4 cups

1. Show your children the different size measuring cups (1 cup, 1/2 cup, and 1/4 cup), and the foods they will be measuring.
2. Determine which foods should be placed into which measuring cup to make 1 serving. For instance.

Use the 1 cup to measure 1 serving of leafy greens
Use the 1/4 cup to measure 1 serving of dried fruit -- raisins
Use the 1/2 cup to show 1 serving of a canned fruit or cooked vegetable
Use a 1 cup liquid measuring cup to measure 3/4 cup juice (or water)

3. Fill each measuring cup with the appropriate fruit or vegetable.
4. Discuss with your children the fact that fruits and vegetables, do not take the shape of the container, but juice (a liquid) does.
5. Show everyday objects representing 1 cup, 1/2 cup, and 1/4 cup to which they can relate. (Small box of raisins, milk carton, small juice glass that holds 6 oz.)

Give your children measuring cups of 1 cup, 1/2 cup, and 1/4 cup. Have them answer the following questions or if they are younger, help them by testing equivalents using raisins, water, or whatever you have around your house.

1. How many 1/2 cups = 1 cup? _______

2. How many 1/4 cups = 1 cup? _______

3. How many 1/4 cups = 1/2 cup? _______

4. How many 1 cups = 2 cups? _______

5. How many 1/4 cups = 2 cups? _______

6. How many 1/2 cups = 2 1/2 cups? _______

7. How much is a handful of raisins? ______

8. If a handful of raisins is one serving, how many servings would 2 handfuls be? _______

Lunch Idea - Stone Soup.  Read the story STONE SOUP (rent from your local library if you don't have this book) to the children and then together, make stone soup. While the soup is cooking read the story to the children again. When the soup is ready serve for lunch. (Here are some different activity plans for Stone Soup - Idea 1, Idea 2 - scroll down to "Stone Soup" (#21) and click on the Kindergarten Lesson Plan)



 Start with a prayer.
 Recite the Pledge of Allegiance and/or family motto.
 Song, "The Word of Wisdom"
 Scripture - Recite and Memorize Doctrine and Covenants 89:18

Today's focus - Exercise

Discuss - Ask your children if they know where their heart is.  Show them that their hearts are located in the middle of their chests. Ask them to take their right hand and place it over their heart (show them location). See if they can feel the rhythm of their heart beating.   Explain that the heart is the main muscle of the body. It has a very important job. It must pump blood to all the different body parts. Ask children if they know what happens to their heart when they run, jump, or skip or exercise in another way. Build on the children’s responses by explaining that when they exercise, their hearts get a workout. When they exercise, their muscles need more blood, so their hearts must pump faster and work harder. This pumping action of the heart is called the heartbeat or rate. 

Science - Tell your children you are going to show them how their heart will beat faster after

- Bird: Running, flapping. Increases arm and leg strength.

Song - Sing the song, "For Health and Strength"

For health and strength
and daily food
we praise thy name,
O Lord.

Optional - You could go on a little hike (at a park or in the mountains) and bring your water bottles and snack mix with you.



 Start with a prayer.
 Recite the Pledge of Allegiance and/or family motto.
 Song, "The Word of Wisdom"
 Scripture - Recite and Memorize Doctrine and Covenants 89:18

Today's Focus - Brushing your teeth

Hands on - Practice brushing and flossing your teeth.  You'll need an empty egg carton, an unused toothbrush and floss.  Turn the egg carton upside down.  Explain that the egg carton sections represent your teeth.  Encourage your child to use the toothbrush and floss to practice brushing and flossing their teeth.

Science - What NOT brushing your teeth will get you!  You'll need two clear cups, 2 eggs, vinegar, cola, toothbrush, toothpaste, and a magnifying glass.  Soak an egg in a cup of cola and a second one in vinegar. Overnight the eggs will turn brown and the other one will lose it's shell. The cola one can show what happens if you don't brush (It will come off with a toothbrush and toothpaste) The second one shows that if the acid continually builds up in your mouth, it will decalcify, just like the egg.

Snack - Apples Smiles.  You'll need a knife, apple, peanut butter, and mini marshmallows.  Cut the apple into wedges. Take two pieces and smear peanut butter on them. Place the mini marshmallows in the peanut butter to represent teeth. Now put the two wedges together for a toothy smile.

Craft - Healthy Foods Place Mat.  You'll need vegetables, paint and paper.  Cut different fruits and vegetables in half (do this early so they dry a bit) let the kids dip them in different colors of paint and stamp them on a piece of construction paper.  When they are dry cover them with contact paper or laminate for a cute good foods place mat!

Journal - Have the children record or draw everything they eat today. 
 

Field Trip Idea - Go to your local grocery store.  You could have them do the following activity or do the Word of Wisdom Activity.

• Have students compare prices of fresh, canned, and frozen fruits and vegetables. (Strawberries, Peaches, Peas, Green Beans, Asparagus, Corn, etc.)
• Have students choose the fruits and vegetables from a grocery list as if it is their responsibility to pick them up in the store. Have them calculate the money it will cost if they are shopping for a family of 2, 3, or 4. Compare prices of fresh, canned, frozen and dried fruits and vegetables.
• Have a group calculate the cost of a fruit salad to feed the whole class. Have them choose the fruits to go into the salad based on which fruits are in the class store.
• Have a group calculate the cost for a fruit and/or vegetable snack for the entire class.
• Have a group of buyers who practice giving correct amounts of money for the fruits and vegetables and who must stay within a given budget.
• Have a group of sellers who must provide the buyers with the correct amount of change.
• Have a group of students weigh various numbers of servings of dried fruits. How much more do 6 servings of raisins weigh than 2 servings?
 

Web sites recommended by Angie Christensen - THANK YOU!!!

Ideas shared by Janetta Graham - THANK YOU!!!

Helps from the Friend:

• Good Choices by Julie Wardell p. 27

• Funstuf: Word of Wisdom Hidden Message June 2005 p. 23

• Funstuf: Word of Wisdom Picture Puzzler by Kimberley Webb

• Funstuf: Scripture Garden August 2004 p. 13

Activities related to Nutrition:

• Cut out pictures from magazines to make a collage of healthy foods (glue or paste onto construction paper)

• Cut out pictures from magazines and categorize them (i.e. fruits, vegetables, meat and poultry, bread and grains, milk and cheese, sweets)

• Write as many foods for each letter of the alphabet in a given amount of time (like Scattergories)

• Classify foods by color, shape, texture, smell

• Have a partner blindfold yourself and try to guess what you are smelling (or tasting)

• Graph your families favorites foods on a bar graph...what is the most popular food?  What's the least favorite?

• Where does our food come from?  (trees, plants, in the ground, vine, bush, animals, processed/manmade, etc.)

• Visit a local dairy farm to discover where milk comes from.

• Plant a garden to watch the process of food growing.  What do you need in order to grow plants? (air, sunlight, water). 

• Write in a journal what you eat each day for a week.  Does writing down what you eat change your habits in any way?

• Read the Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.  Discuss why the caterpillar got sick.  Can this happen to our bodies if we eat too much of the wrong things?

• Create "funny foods".  Imagine your food to me something else.  Broccoli is like a tree.  Oranges are like balls. Can you create your own creature using food? 

• Create a food menu for a week or month.  Make sure to have "5 a Day" (5 fruits and vegetables each day).

• Match pictures of foods with the words written on index cards.  What does the food begin with? (Can take pictures out of magazines, grocery ad, or personal drawings) 

• Read the labels on your food.  What information do you find?

• What is a serving?  (depends on the type of food)

• How many calories are recommended for me?  (men, women, and children all have different caloric amounts).

Activities related to exercise:

• Create an exercise program as a family or as individuals.  Exercise 30 minutes a day.  Activities could include: riding your bike, running, jogging, roller blading, jump roping, swimming, playing soccer/baseball/football, etc.  Do something different each day if you choose.

• Time yourself running, jogging, swimming, etc.  Each time you do that activity see if you improve in your time.

• Experiment: which foods help you to have more energy?  Healthy foods?  Sweets? Do sweets make a difference in how you feel while exercising? Compare and see which is best.

• Draw a picture of your favorite exercise activity.

Learning about your body:

• Learn the different parts of your body (arms, legs, elbows, knees, shoulders, etc.). 

• Learn different body parts in another language (Spanish, French, German)

• Learn what different bones are called.

• Learn what different muscles are called. 

• What are the five senses? (touch, smell, taste, feel, see)

• Did you know you can feel different tastes in different parts of your tongue?  Where do you taste sour?  Sweet?

• How is our body like a temple? Does this effect what we put into our bodies and how we treat them?

Songs related to Word of Wisdom: (found in the Children's Songbook)
 

For Health and Strength p. 21 (round)

Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise p. 280

Lord Gave Me a Temple p. 153

The Prophet Said to Plant a Garden p. 237

The Word of Wisdom p. 154

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes p. 175 (I think...that's off the top of my head)