Today I have a list of 5 family temple activities you can do at home with kids, teenagers, even just you and your spouse. These activities are a great way to “bring the temple home.”
Regular temple activities remind your kids of the importance of the temple.
By carving out some time for the temple in your regular family life, you make it easier to take those temple trips. Whether you are teaching your children the importance of temple time, reminding your teens of the blessings they can receive by spending time in the temple, or helping yourself reconnect with your own covenants, you can’t go wrong by giving a little more time to this sacred place.
Here are some fun ways to make the temple a regular part of your family activities:
1. Temple Building Contests!
I’m sure, when you were little, you built temples out of sugar cubes or marshmallows. Your kids would love to try that out! Hold a family contest to see you can build the best/tallest/most realistic temple. Choose a catagory.
Other supplies you could build a temple out of:
- Cotton balls and hot glue
- Shaved ice/snow
- blocks
- dominos
- sugar cubes
- marshmallows and toothpicks
- graham crackers or gingerbread (think gingerbread house style)
- paper (maybe more fun with teens who have used paper construction before – this could be technical and very detailed if you want!)
- Popsicle sticks – another fun technical one for teens
Share photos of your temples with me on instagram! Tag @gardnerlaneshop. I’d love to see your creations!
2. Share a favorite temple story
Sharing temple stories is a great way to make the temple expereince real for our little ones. Since they haven’t been inside, the temple can seem mysterious, but by sharing our experiences with them, it becomes more tangible to them.
Remember to talk about your temple experiences in a reverent way. Temple experiences can be sacred and we need to remember that when we share them. Use the spirit to help you decide which stories are appropriate to share with your family.
Talking more about your feelings or spiritual experiences involving your ancestors or those for whom your doing temple work for are good things to think about sharing. Discussing the details of the covenants and ceremonies performed are to be kept within the temple. If you don’t know what should be kept sacred, refer to the temple preparation guide book. Things discussed here may and should be discussed in your home.
3. Look at temple photos
I don’t know about you, but my kids love photos! Family slideshows are always fun, but they also make a great temple activity.
If you have some photos of the temples on your phones, you can make a folder for temple pictures of you and your family and watch them as a slide show to remember the times you’ve spent there.
Another great place to look at temple photos is the Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ website. I love looking at these photos and they have some for each temple around the world! You and your family might enjoy seeing the different temples from the different countries.
This website also has temple updates, so you can check back here often to see what’s going on in the temple construction world.
4. Read some temple books
Reading together is always a favorite family activity of mine. Reading about the temple is something that can become a special temple activity for you and your family. Here’s some books you might like!
Have you heard of Latter Day Baby? They have some adorable board books, here is their temple book, Temples Around the World.
If you have teens, this might be a good one to read together, or to let them read on their own. Youth and the Temple can be purchased at Deseret Book.
Another Deseret Book to look for, for your own personal reading is Covenant Keepers. I haven’t read this one, but I have heard great things about it. I will be *adding to cart.*
5. Sign Up for 10 Ways to Attend the Temple at Home
The last family temple activity is simple; sign up for my free 10 Ways to Attend the Temple at Home. It’s a 10 day email course, with a new idea each day sent to your inbox.
Activities include things involving family history work, making your home a little more peaceful, or relearning your temple covenants. Most days can easily be done as a family.
The great thing is, you don’t have to do them all in the 10 days. You can spread them out, use them as family home evening nights or as a “temple trip” day if you haven’t been able to attend in awhile.
Sign up and you will get you an introduction to the email course right away!
Which temple activity will you do with your family?
I hope some of these ideas spoke to you and that you were able to find something that will work for you and your family, no matter what kind of dynamic you have; newly weds, small kids, teens, empty nesting.
I’d love to hear what you decide to do and how it works for you! Leave me a comment and let’s chat about your experience!
Don’t forget to follow on me instagram for temple illustrations and family history ideas!
