To help each child understand that following Heavenly Father’s plan, Jesus Christ created the day so we can work and play and the night so we can rest.

1. Prayerfully study Genesis 1:1, 3–5, 14–18; Helaman 14:1–13; and 3 Nephi 1:15–23.

2. Materials needed:

   1. A Bible and a Book of Mormon.

   2. Cutout 1-1, sun; cutout 1-2, moon; cutout 1-3, stars (similar cutouts can also be found in Primary Visual Aids Cutouts set 3).

   3. Picture 1-21, Samuel the Lamanite on the Wall (Gospel Art Picture Kit 314; 62370).

3. Make the necessary preparations for any Enrichment Activities you want to use.

Invite a child to give the opening prayer.

Choose some of these activities to use during the lesson.

1. Obtain a sheet of white paper and a half sheet of black or dark blue paper for each child. Glue the dark half sheet onto one side of the white paper to represent a day and night scene. Cut out small circles of paper to represent the sun and the moon, and help the children glue them in the correct places. Use gummed or cutout stars to add to the night scene. Write on each child’s paper I am thankful for the day and the night.

2. With the children, sing or say the words to “The World Is So Lovely” (Children’s Songbook, p. 233), “Because God Loves Me” (Children’s Songbook, p. 234), or the second verse of “The World Is So Big” (Children’s Songbook, p. 235). Do actions to “The World Is So Big” as indicated below:

   The world is so big and, oh, so round (form a large circle with arms),

   And in it God’s creations are found;

   Stars shining brightly through all the night (straighten and wiggle fingers),

   Sun in the day so warm and so bright (form a large circle with arms).

   The world is so big and, oh, so round.

   God loves us all; our blessings abound (grasp arms and hug self).

3. Sing “Fun to Do” (Children’s Songbook, p. 253), using the children’s suggestions for verses. Before singing each verse, ask the children whether the action they have suggested is done during the day or at night. Improvise actions as suggested by the words.

4. Make up a story about a brother and sister who were playing outdoors at the end of the day. Use names and situations the children in your class would be familiar with. Describe what the children did as they finished their day. Include details such as the sun beginning to set, their mother calling them to come in, and the children doing necessary chores, cleaning up, getting ready for dinner, helping wash dishes, getting ready for bed, hearing a bedtime story, and saying bedtime prayers. Describe how the brother and sister, other people, and birds, insects, and animals settle down and go to sleep.

   Help the children understand that during the night, we should close our eyes and sleep so our bodies can grow healthy and strong. This is part of Heavenly Father’s plan for us.

   Illustrate the story with cutout figures, or assign parts to the children and have them act out the story.

1. Show the cutout figures of the sun, moon, and stars. Ask the following questions:

   • Where do we see these things?

   • Do we see the sun at night?

   • Do we see the stars during the daytime?

     Explain that Heavenly Father had Jesus make the sun to give us light and keep us warm during the day and the moon and stars to give us light at night.

2. Help the children do the actions to the following verse while you say the words:

   God’s Creation

   God made the moon (make a circle with hands)

   And winking stars (open and close hands)

   And put them in the sky (reach up).

   He made the sun (make a circle with arms overhead)

   And trees (hold arms straight up)

   And flowers (cup hands)

   And little birds that fly (wave arms).

   (From Fascinating Finger Fun by Eleanor Doan. © 1951. Used by permission.)