Wondering how you can help your kids understand
just how powerful light is as a tool to chase away darkness?
Read on for 6 effective ways to give this lifetime skill to your children.
6 ideas to teach kids about how to divide light and dark
You recognize that learning to chase away darkness with light
is an important concept to sink deep into your children’s hearts.
But just how do you do that?
Here are six great ways.
Idea #1 – Sunflowers follow the light not the darkness
Sunflowers are extraordinary in several ways.
They grow in conditions where other plants would never survive.
They also do a beautiful slow-motion dance each day
as the young flowers follow the motion of the sun
and then reset each night to begin the process again the next morning.
Use this or another video of this process to help your children understand
that as they keep their faces and hearts turned to the light,
they will have survival power like the beautiful sunflowers.
They will be able to thrive under difficult circumstance.
What a great opportunity to show kids the power of light.
Idea #2 – Dark or light room obstacle course
Create an obstacle course with upturned chairs, tables, cushions or other items.
(Be careful of the children’s safety of course.)
Bring the children in and ask them if they would like to do the course with the light on
or off.
After they have finished the obstacle course take time to talk about how light
keeps us safe and helps us overcome difficult things.
This idea can help kids see how important light is in their lives.
Idea #3 – Pepper magic trick (pushing away the dark)
This scientifically based magic trick is a great way
to illustrate the truth that light chases away darkness.
After finishing the experiment,
talk with your kids about how strong light is
and how kids can use light as a tool to chase away the dark that seeps into their lives.
Talk about sources of light
and how they can use them to stay safe and know which way to go.
Idea #4 – Light and dark in your child’s life
Take a piece of paper and divide in into two halves.
Help your child write or draw things that intensify light in their lives on one side:
choosing the right, being kind, saying they are sorry, going to Primary etc.
On the other side help them list things that diminish light in their lives:
Saying unkind things, being selfish, some types of media etc.
Then ask you child to think about what things they want to do more of
and which things they want to do less of.
Compare this process to a dimmer switch for a light.
(If you have a dimmer switch in your home you can use it to demonstrate.)
The decisions we make determine which way the dial turns in our lives.
(this idea is from Dennis L. Largey’s speech found here)
Idea #5 – Teach kids the story of how God divided the light from the darkness
This beautiful, illustrated account of the creation
is the perfect way to show your kids how important separating light from dark was
to Heavenly Father as He created the earth.
Its a beautiful lesson we learn well in the Temple.
You can point out to your children that if it is important to Heavenly Father
then it is important to us too.
Separating light from darkness can lead to other successes, strengths
and opportunities in our lives.
Idea #6 – Bringing light into our lives takes effort
Show this eye catching clip of a motion generated bike light can
to lead to a discussion about how effort is required
to bring light into our lives.
***Bonus idea – Elder Vern P. Stanfill’s General Conference talk “Choose the Light”
Elder Stanfill’s story about his family’s adventure in a dark tunnel is the perfect parable to teach children this topic.
You can view the actual talk or go to the related video. (I like the talk best)
What ideas have you used to help your kids divide the light from the dark?
Let us know down in the comment area what success you have had.
what ideas have your used to teach your kids to divide light and dark?
I wish you every blessing as you work to strengthen your children.
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