I really enjoy the month of February. First of all, it is short. Only 28 days! It is full of hearts, cupids, and candy! Yum. And, it is one month closer to Spring. Hallelujah! I also love that we get to celebrate random acts of kindness. There are few things that bring more happiness in life than service. This month’s Family Night lesson and activity are centered around service. I put together a fun printable to get your family in the spirit of serving–Secret Service style!
Lesson:
To start, discuss with your family the importance of service.
What is service? Service is helping others who need assistance. When we love others, we want to help them. Love is more than a feeling. Love is action. We show our love by the things that we do.
How can we serve? We can serve in big or small ways. Talk to your family about ways that you can serve each other in your own home.
The Savior, Jesus Christ, was the perfect example of service. During His life, he healed the sick, comforted the weary, blessed multitudes of people, performed miracles, and ultimately gave His life to save us all. He did this because he loves us so much.
We can help show our appreciation for Jesus Christ and His sacrifice by continuing His example of service.
Activity
It’s time to make service fun with Mission Possible! It is possible to find ways to serve each and every day. Give your family the assignment to have a week of service. Hand out the Mission Possible cards that you can print here. The front of the card explains the purpose of the Mission. Make sure each of your family members chooses to accept the challenge. Read through the cards together and talk about possible “Targets” in your area that might be in need of some extra love. Help younger kids think of ideas that they can carry out on their own. It is fun to make the service secret. Being sneaky makes it so much more exciting!
These files are designed to print double sided. The Top Secret page is on the front and the Confidential Report is on the back. You can fit two on each printed page. Cut them out along the lines.
Secret Service Members can keep track of their progress each day by filling out the report on the back of the card. Encourage your family to set goals and record their experiences on the mission card. After the week is complete, talk about the results. Make sure to point out how your family members felt when they were performing their acts of kindness and service. Was there a difference in your home that week? Did they notice an increase in love?
Game
Get in the secret service mode with a fun game of hide and go seek. This classic group game is one of my children’s favorite indoor activities. Finding the perfect hiding place and keeping quiet is good practice for being a service spy. My kids especially love playing this game when their daddy joins in on the fun. When the whole family plays together, there is love at home!
Craft
Get your fingerprints ready! Fingerprinting has been used to solve crimes for over a century. Each finger print is unique. Leave your own finger print mark by using an ink pad and a piece of paper (I didn’t have an ink pad handy, so I used some water color paints.). You are now part of the kindness Secret Service group! Our special unit is about spreading kindness instead of solving crimes. So, turn your finger print images into doodles! Be creative. Experiment making hearts, animals, or silly objects. You can turn it into a nice card or picture for a friend and give it as one of your acts of kindness. Fingerprint doodling is a lot of fun!
Treat
Donuts are a perfect treat for this Secret Service activity! All Secret Agents like donuts right? Pick some up at your local bakery and enjoy the soft sweet goodness of donuts and remember to spread kindness throughout the week.
Conclusion
Being part of the Secret Service team is pretty awesome. Use this week to train your family to be experts at service! Conclude with the scripture, “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God.”
If you need more Family Night lesson ideas, try the following:
We Are All Unique – A Family Night Lesson Inspired by Snowflakes
Teaching Prayer Pretzels for Family Night
Sunday FUNday Family Night Lesson
I love this idea! My kids are ages 2, 4, and 6 and I have been trying to think of ways to get them involved with service. This is such a neat idea to get them excited about serving and teaching them what it is all about.
this idea is absolutely the cutest thing ever!!! … how do i print the printable???
Melanie-
There’s now a link to download the printable via Box.com (you just need a free account with Box). Or you can right-click the image, save to your desktop and print from there. I hope that helps!