Younger Primary Lesson Plan: 2 Samuel 11–12;1 Kings 3;6–9;11

Happy Opening

Hold up a small heart cut from paper and a picture of a temple. Smile and ask, “What do we do with our hearts? We love! What do we do at the temple? We feel close to Heavenly Father!”

Sing one verse of “I Love to See the Temple” (Children’s Songbook, 95) with very simple actions: point to eyes for “love to see,” make a roof with hands for “temple,” and fold arms for “inside my heart.”

Then say: “Today we will learn one big idea: Heavenly Father helps me choose the right and stay close to Him.”

Simple Scripture Story

Tell the story in two very short scenes.

Scene 1: Solomon asks for help. Show a picture of a king or hold a paper crown. Say, “Solomon was a king. The Lord said, ‘Ask what I shall give thee’ (1 Kings 3:5). Solomon did not ask for toys or gold. He asked for help to know right from wrong.”

Read this short scripture phrase:

“Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad” (1 Kings 3:9).

Ask: “What did Solomon ask for?” Let children answer: “Help,” “wisdom,” or “a good heart.”

Scene 2: Solomon built a temple. Show a temple picture. Say, “Solomon built a beautiful house for the Lord. He prayed that God would hear His people.”

Read this short phrase:

“That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day” (1 Kings 8:29).

Ask: “What is this house?” Answer together: “The temple!”

Connect back to opening: “We sang about the temple, and Solomon loved the Lord’s house too.”

Big Idea

Heavenly Father helps me choose the right and stay close to Him.

Repeat it several times during the lesson. Have children pat their hearts each time they say “stay close to Him.”

Wiggle and Learn Activities

Wisdom Crown Tap

What to do:

1. Let each child tap a paper crown or soft headband.
2. Say, “Solomon asked for wisdom!”
3. Children repeat: “Help me choose the right!”

Materials: paper crown or simple headband

What to say: “Just like Solomon, I can ask Heavenly Father for help.”

Connection: “We just heard about Solomon asking for an understanding heart. Now we can practice asking too.”

Choose the Right Walk

What to do:

1. Put two pictures on opposite sides of the room: one happy choice (helping, praying) and one wrong choice (hitting, grabbing).
2. Say a simple action: “Helping Mommy” or “Pushing a friend.”
3. Children walk to the right picture.

Materials: simple choice pictures

What to say: “Heavenly Father helps me choose the right and stay close to Him.”

Connection: “Solomon wanted to know good from bad. Now we are practicing that too.”

Build the Temple

What to do:

1. Give children blocks or paper rectangles.
2. Help them stack or place them to make a little temple.
3. When finished, have them fold arms and whisper, “This is the Lord’s house.”

Materials: blocks or cut paper rectangles, temple picture

What to say: “The temple helps us think about Heavenly Father and Jesus.”

Connection: “After Solomon asked for wisdom, he built a temple. Now we can build one too.”

Heart-to-Heaven Prayer Hands

What to do:

1. Give each child a paper heart.
2. Help them draw a smile, temple, or folded hands on it.
3. Lift the heart up high and say, “Heavenly Father hears me.”

Materials: paper hearts, crayons

What to say: “I can pray and stay close to Heavenly Father.”

Connection: “We built the temple, and now we remember that Solomon prayed there.”

Picture Time

Use a Gospel Art Book temple picture showing the temple or a temple image from this week’s materials.

Ask:

1. “What do you see in this picture?”
2. “How do you feel when you see the temple?”
3. “How can we stay close to Heavenly Father?”

Help children answer with simple ideas like pray, obey, help, and love.

Song and Actions

Sing “I Love to See the Temple” (Children’s Songbook, 95).

Simple actions:

• “I love to see”, point to eyes
• “the temple”, make a roof with hands
• “I’m going there someday”, walking fingers
• “I’ll prepare myself”, smooth shirt or fold hands
• “This is my sacred duty”, hands on heart

Remind them: “The temple helps us remember to choose the right.”

Jesus Loves Me Moment

Gather children close. Hold the paper heart again and say, “Solomon asked for help. Solomon built a temple. We can pray and choose the right too. Jesus loves us and helps us.”

Invite each child to finish one sentence:

• “I know Jesus loves me because…” or
• “I can be like Jesus when I…”

Take-Home Hug

This week, invite the children to say a little prayer when they need help choosing the right and then give someone at home a big hug.

Teacher Survival Tips

• Keep each activity very short, about 2 to 4 minutes. Little ones love quick changes.
• Let children repeat the big idea with motions to help them stay focused.
• If energy gets wild, pause and do “freeze like a temple statue” for five seconds before moving on.