Notice: All forms on this site will be temporarily unavailable from 7 p.m. (Mountain Time) November 16 until 4 a.m. on November 17th due to maintenance. You will not be able to complete a form to request a resource or information. We apologize for any inconvenience. Thank you for your patience.
Prep
0 Minutes
Activity
5 Minutes
Lessons
3 Minutes
Total Time:
Materials
Ingredients for a meal, items to pack in your child’s lunch.
Overiew
Love is an action, not just something we feel all the time. Teach your child about all the ways they can show love (and learn how they like to receive love) while packing their lunch or preparing a meal together.
Step 1
Step 1
Set-Up
Decide if you’re going to play this game while packing your child’s lunch or preparing dinner. Set out all the ingredients you’ll need for the activity before you begin.
Say: Let’s talk about love! There are SO many different ways you can show you love someone, and one of the most popular ways is by giving gifts. It feels great to get a gift from someone you love, doesn’t it?
But love isn’t just about things. Love is when someone shows up to help you, they choose to care about you, and they respect you. These things are priceless and can’t be bought.
Step 2
Step 2
Show Love
Say: Now, I want you to pretend this lunchbox/pot/pan is you. Each item we put in is one specific way you like to be shown love. (If your child is struggling, share one of your own examples.)
Examples for your child:
- When your parent shows up to your sports game
- When your parent makes your favorite meal
- Receiving hand-written letters
- Watching TV together
- Playing together
Every time you name a way you receive love, we’ll put an item in the lunchbox/add an ingredient in the recipe. I can’t place anything inside until you tell me a specific thing that would make you feel loved by someone else. I care about how you receive love, and I want to show you I love you how you receive it best.
Step 3
Step 3
Praise & Prayer
When you finish the recipe, remind your child that love is an action.
Say: Even though we can say we “feel” love, at the end of the day, love is an action. It’s a choice. All those things you mentioned were actions someone else did to show they loved you. When someone does something kind or thoughtful, they are choosing to love us.
Feeling love is a wonderful thing, but it’s not magic. It doesn’t just happen. Jesus didn’t just tell us He loves us — He chose to die on the cross so we can have a relationship with God.
Share the hope of God’s Word and pray together with your child.
Scripture Verse
“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us…”
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus! He showed us how much He loved us by giving up His life to save us. Help us to feel Your love every day and to show our love to ourselves and others through our actions, too. In Jesus’ name, amen.
