The Enrichment Cottage

by: Stacy (taterhopp)

I’m the Midweek Enrichment Leader in our ward. We’ve got about 20 groups going currently. We have 3 different FHE groups right now. I just sent a sign-up sheet around to see who would be interested in packet swaps and the response was wonderful.

We’ve got about 10-12 sisters in each group. Everybody makes the same packet for each member of the group, then they get together and exchange each other’s packets and at the end of the evening, they each have 10-12 different themed packets. Here’s the instruction sheet I give each member. I ask one sister in each group to be the “group leader”. She’s in charge of getting everybody together initially, then setting a time limit to get packets done, keeping tabs on progress, then getting everybody back together to exchange packets. It works out really well.

“FHE Packets”
Packet Contents:

1. The group leader keeps a list of people and packet theme they are working on, so as not to duplicate.

2. Family Home Evening packets must contain song, scripture, lesson, story, pictures, game and treat idea.

3. The entire packet should go in a 10″x 13″ manila clasp envelope with the name of the lesson on the top of the outside. Also put your name on the bottom so we know who made it.

4. Any copies of games, pictures, etc, must be on cardstock and laminated! The cardstock can be white or colored, and you may do any coloring with markers, pencils or crayons. It must then be laminated to preserve and protect the paper.

5. You must also enclose a black and white original of the lesson and ideas
so if we want to make more copies in the future we have the original to do so.

6. Any material to be used (i.e., string, buttons, Popsicle sticks) that can
be enclosed in the folder should be included so that the whole packet is ready to open and use. If there are materials that cannot be put in the folder (i.e., a tennis shoe, a glass of water, food) a list should be made on the outside of the folder of the materials needed to be added for the packet to be complete.

Lesson Ideas:

Christmas Tithing Laws
Thanksgiving Priesthood Blessings Gratitude
Mother’s Day Being a Peacemaker Charity
Father’s Day Follow the Prophet Faith
Easter Word of Wisdom Kindness
4th of July Lehi’s Vision Modesty
24th of July Opposition in all things Sharing
Gift of Holy Ghost Missionary Work Caring
Articles of Faith, 0ne per person The Second Coming Scriptures
10 Commandments, one per person The Sabbath Day Cooperation
Family Preparedness Music Appreciation Testimonies
Prophets Stories from the B of M, pick one Honesty
Book of Mormon Heroes The Sacrament Happiness
David & Goliath Love at Home Reverence
Making Choices Loving our Neighbors Hard Work
Daniel & Lion’s Den Building Self-Esteem Example
1st Vision Courageous Pioneers Integrity
Prodigal Son Forgiveness Cleanliness
2,000 Warriors Obedience _____________
Anti-Nephi Lehies Prayer _____________
Service Jesus is Heavenly Father’s Son _____________
Baptism First Aid _____________
Abinadi Families _____________
Temple Marriage I Am A Child of God _____________
Manners Being Responsible _____________

by: Susan Muir
Gilbert, AZ

Our theme was on Improving Family Home Evening. We asked one sister to talk about FHE for families with young children, a sister whose children are out of the house to talk about home evenings for older children and an older sister to talk about having home evenings when you are older. Then we had a sister talk about using music in FHE.

The first sister talked about using prepared material that can be ordered and prepared or FHEs that are prepared through organizing a group of sisters to each prepare several copies of the same lesson and sharing them with each other. She also gave several websites for ideas for home evenings. This was her handout.

Family Home Evening Ideas from the Internet

www.deseretbook.com has a complete FHE lesson that you can download. It can be found under the “Mormon Life” section of the website and then under “family home evening.” Archived lessons can be found there as well.

http://deseretbook.com/mormon-
There are kits you can purchase from Hatch Patch Creations. They have
the outline, lesson, activity, pictures, song, refreshment recipe to go with lesson, etc. They are $5.00 each, but if you order in larger quantities at the same time, they end up being $3 a piece. The company is family owned and operated out of Evanston, WY. You may
contact them at 303-745-9707.

http://www.hatchpatchcreations.com/

www.lds.org , go to the Home and Family link

www.mormonshare.com/fhe/ Family home evening clipart, games, planning tools, FHE in a jar

www.homeandholidays.com/home-familyhomeevening.html Lessons on some earlier conference talks, FHE ideas for families with young children or older children, ideas for couples and singles, activities, games, and links to lessons at other sites.

www.theideadoor.com/FHE.html Links to lessons based on family proclamation, lessons on being prepared, lessons on President Hinkley’s 6 Be’s and many more

http://lds.about.com/library/bl/fhe/blfheactivities.htm

http://lds.about.com/od/familynight/

http://lds.about.com/od/familyhomeeveninggames/ Links to game ideas

http://www.ohanasoftware.com/?sec=ldswc&page=fhe Lessons on family history

http://www.fastq.com/%7Ejbpratt/lds/resources/index.html

http://lds.about.com/od/familyhomeeveninggames/

http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/2013.asp Links to family home evenings for a year, flannel board stories, Strength of the Youth lessons, FHE in a can and many other lessons.

http://higherthoughts.acucore.com/family.html

The second sister gave a list of lesson ideas for older children. I ended up without the handout, but she mentioned lessons on etiquette, missionary preparation, car maintenance. She said that they memorized all the verses of many of the hymns even some of the lesser used ones.

The third sister told about organizing a FHE for the older people in the ward. They just hold it once a month so that those involved can be involved with their own grown children’s families the other months.

The fourth sister talked about the importance of music in bringing the spirit in the home for FHE. She encouraged us to play music games as part of FHE. For example, she through out a word that you might find in a hymn and you were to sing a line from a hymn that had that word in it. She encouraged us to teach our children the songs they need to know for the primary program in the fall. She also talked about Gladys Knight and the choir group that she has formed and how she encourages us a LDS people to recognize that our church is a worldwide church and to become familiar with music from other cultures. She played a song that Gladys Knight wrote and sang that is on the CD that is out in the Deseret Bookstore. It was the last song and was her testimony of the Savior. It was very moving.

We set up they cultural hall with lower lights, moved the couches, chairs, tables and plants from the foyers into the hall. Brought the RS room cushioned chairs in and set them up in a half circle facing the end of the hall to give a more comfortable home feeling. One of my board members called about 8 sisters to set up displays that showed something that they did or do as a family for FHE. We put the long table in the back with FHE treats brought by the sisters and then put the tables ( the small tables that are in each classroom) with the FHE displays on either side of the food table, so that the sisters could look at them and chat while they were eating.

We also set a table up to display the midweek activity that will be next week. At the midweek, we are making family home evening assignment boards- a choice of two, or they can sign up for a FHE lesson that they can color and cut out while the other sisters are making their boards.

We got good feedback on everything. The only problem seemed to be that we got a lot of no-bake cookies on the treat table, so there wasn’t a lot of variety.