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Jesus Loves Everyone

A swishy water bottle, a long walk to a well, a kind hello, and big-circle arms for the whole world

  • 🧸 Nursery
  • Week 6
  • 📅 Sunday, February 7, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Heavenly Father and Jesus love everyone, and that means me.

I can make big-circle arms and remember that Heavenly Father and Jesus love everyone, even me.

Study it yourself firstRead John 2–4 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (John 2–4)
Know the chapters

John 2–4 has Jesus turning water into wine, teaching Nicodemus, and telling us why He came: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16). Then Jesus, tired from walking, sits by a well in Samaria. A woman comes for water, and Jesus kindly asks her for a drink (John 4:7). Many people wouldn’t talk to someone from her land, but Jesus did. He told her about “living water,” His love and gospel that never run out. She ran to tell her town, “Come, see” (John 4:29).

For toddlers, the whole lesson is one warm feeling: everyone is loved, and that means me. Water is something they know with their hands, and big-circle arms (“the whole world!”) followed by a hug is something they can do over and over. Point to every child, every picture, every doll: “Jesus loves you!” Show Jesus with a picture and read His words yourself; nobody plays Jesus or Heavenly Father.

Don’t expect sitting, sharing or answers. Toddlers learn by copying you, so do every motion big and happy, and move on the moment eyes wander. The lesson is six minutes; the play-time ideas below bring back the water, the kind hello and the big-circle arms for the rest of nursery.

Only have 5 minutes?

Bring a clear water bottle with the lid on tight and a picture of Jesus. Shake the bottle for the “swish, swish” surprise, swipe through the six-picture story on your phone or tablet, walk to the pretend well, make big-circle arms while you say “Heavenly Father loves everyone!” and end with “I know Jesus loves you.” For play time, pick three ideas below. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing”: your cupped hands scoop the water, and your phone or tablet shows the pictures.

What to bring7 items

Tick what you have. Forgot something? Every step that needs a supply has a no-supplies version in the plan below.

Before class

  1. Keep the water bottle in your bag until the hook. Check that the lid is on tight.
  2. If you make sensory bottles, glue and tape each lid shut at home the night before, and check them again before class.
  3. Open the Sound Board on your phone or tablet and find the splash, march, heartbeat and bells buttons. Turn the volume low.
  4. Sweep the floor with your eyes and hands for anything small. Quick test: if it fits through a toilet-paper tube, it’s a choking hazard and goes up high or away.
  5. Decide with the other adult who leads the lesson and who greets and comforts at the door. Practice the key motion: a giant circle with your arms (“the whole world!”), then a hug.

If your class is wild

  • Tears at drop-off are normal. Let the other adult hold the crying child near the fun and say softly, “Mommy will come back. You’re safe here.” A quick, happy goodbye works better than sneaking a parent out.
  • Say every child’s name today, again and again: “Jesus loves Ella! Jesus loves Sam!” Hearing their own name is what makes “everyone” mean “me.”
  • Water bottles stay closed and in grown-up hands. Wipe up any drip right away; wet floors and toddlers don’t mix.
  • Follow your ward’s policy for diapers and potty trips, and never leave one adult alone with the class or go off alone with one child.

The 25-minute plan6 min + bonus

Bonus steps are for when you have extra time. Steps that mention Teach Mode, the Sound Board or other class games refer to the Gospel Sparks app; on the web you can play Forehead Guess and Scripture Showdown from this page.

1. Hook

Swish, Swish! What’s Inside?

1 min

A sound and a shake pull scattered toddlers toward you and bring the story’s water into the room.

  1. Sit on the floor with the bottle hidden behind your back. Shake it and whisper: “Shhh… what’s that sound?”
  2. Shake it again: “Swish, swish!” Little ones will come to see.
  3. Bring it out slowly: “Peekaboo! Water!” Let each child touch the bottle while you hold it.
  4. SAY“Jesus was thirsty. He went to get water, and He met a lady. Let’s see!”
  5. Put the bottle up high.
🌪️ If they grab for the bottle, put it behind your back and play the “swish” sound with your voice instead. Peekaboo still works.

Class screen: 💧 Swish, swish! Water!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A clear plastic water bottle, half full of water, lid screwed on tight (a grown-up holds it)

Scoop the Water

  1. Sit on the floor. Tap splash on the Sound Board and whisper: “Shhh… what’s that? Water!”
  2. Cup your hands and scoop pretend water from the floor. Pretend to take a big sip: “Slurp! Ahh!”
  3. Let each child scoop and sip with you.
  4. SAY“Jesus was thirsty. He went to get water, and He met a lady. Let’s see!”

Class screen: 🤲 Scoop! Slurp! Ahh!

2. Story

Picture Story: Jesus at the Well

2 min

Six pictures with one sentence and one action each let toddlers walk the long way, carry the jar and wave hello while they hear that Jesus loves everyone.

  1. Hold your phone or tablet up at their eye level. Everyone is a Long-Way Walker, a Water Carrier and a Big Circle Hugger.
  2. Read the one sentence, then do the action big so they can copy you. Don’t wait for everyone to join; the joiners will come.
  3. On the hello picture, wave to each child by name: “Hi, Ella! Jesus was kind!”
  4. If attention is gone before the end, jump to the last picture and make big-circle arms: “Jesus loves everyone!”
🌪️ Let a child who won’t stop moving tap your phone or tablet to change the picture (with your hand on it too). A job beats a battle.

Class screen: 🪣 Jesus at the well!

3. Wiggle break

Walk to the Well

1 min

Toddlers need to move after two minutes of anything, and walking, pulling and sipping acts out the story with their whole bodies.

  1. SAY“Stand up! Let’s walk to the well!” Tap march on the Sound Board.
  2. Walk in place: fast, then slow and tired: “Phew!”
  3. Drop a pretend bucket down the well: “Splash!” Pull it up hand over hand: “Pull, pull, heavy!”
  4. Take a pretend sip: “Ahh!” Then make big-circle arms: “Jesus loves everyone!” and sit down together.
🔊 Sound Board (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🚶 Walk, splash, pull, ahh! · 🚶 Walk · 💦 Splash · 💪 Pull · 😋 Ahh!

4. Scripture

Our Little Verse: John 3:16

1 min

Five words and one big motion, said many times, is how a toddler carries a scripture home.

  1. Hold up your scriptures. Say: “This is the Bible. It tells about Jesus.”
  2. Read slowly: “God so loved the world.” Say: “That means Heavenly Father loves everyone!”
  3. Point up, hug, then make big-circle arms and say it together: “Heavenly Father loves everyone!” Say it three times: a tiny whisper, a regular voice, a happy voice.
  4. Kneel by each child, make a small circle around them with your arms, and say: “Heavenly Father loves Ella. Jesus loves Ella too!”

Class screen: 🌍 Heavenly Father loves everyone! · 👆 Point up · 🤗 Hug · 🌍 Big circle!

5. Testimony

I Know Jesus Loves You

1 min

A quiet moment with a picture of the Savior helps each child feel that “everyone” includes them.

  1. Lower your voice to a whisper. Hold up the picture of Jesus Christ. Say: “This is Jesus.”
  2. Let each child look closely, point or gently pat the picture.
  3. SAY“Jesus loves everyone. I know Jesus loves you.”
  4. If your nursery has a prayer now, fold arms together while a grown-up says a short one.

Class screen: ❤️ Jesus loves you!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A picture of Jesus Christ (from your meetinghouse library, a Friend magazine, or home)

  1. Lower your voice to a whisper. Put your hand on your heart and say: “Let’s think about Jesus.”
  2. Whisper: “Jesus loves you,” as you touch each child’s hand or wave to them.
  3. SAY“Jesus loves everyone. I know Jesus loves you.”
  4. If your nursery has a prayer now, fold arms together while a grown-up says a short one.
6. Song

Love Everyone Circle

2 minBONUS

If they’re still with you, a slow circle song with waves to each friend is a calm, happy way to finish.

  1. Sit in a little circle (a wobbly circle is fine). Sing “Jesus Said Love Everyone” (Children’s Songbook, 61) slowly.
  2. While you sing, wave to each child one by one and say their name softly between lines.
  3. At the end, make big-circle arms and hug: “Jesus loves everyone!”

Class screen: 👋 Wave to every friend!

Story drama

Jesus at the Well

John 4:5–30, 39–42 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • Long-Way WalkersEveryone! Pat your legs like walking feet, then say “Phew!” and wipe your forehead.
  • Water CarriersEveryone! Hold a pretend jar on your shoulder and walk carefully.
  • Big Circle HuggersEveryone! Make a giant circle with your arms, then give yourself a hug.

Scenes

  1. 🚶 Jesus walked a long, long way.

    Jesus walked a long, long way, and He was tired and thirsty.

    🎬 Pat your legs like walking feet, then wipe your forehead: “Phew!” Grown-ups do it too, so little ones can copy.

  2. 🪣 Jesus sat by a well.

    Jesus sat down by a well, a deep hole with water at the bottom.

    🎬 Sit down and peek over the edge of a pretend well. Call down softly: “Hel-lo-o!”

  3. 🏺 A lady came to get water.

    A lady came with her jar to get water from the well.

    🎬 Hold a pretend jar on your shoulder and sway carefully.

  4. 👋 Jesus said hello. He was kind!

    Some people wouldn’t talk to her, but Jesus talked to her kindly.

    🎬 Wave hello and give a big smile to a friend.

  5. 🏃‍♀️ She ran to tell everyone!

    The lady was so happy that she ran to tell everyone about Jesus.

    🎬 Run in place with fast little feet. Wave: “Come, see!”

  6. 🌍 Jesus loves everyone! Jesus loves you!

    Jesus loves everyone, and that means you!

    🎬 Make big-circle arms, then give yourself a hug. Point to each child: “Jesus loves Ella!”

Key verse

John 3:16 ↗
“God so loved the world”
In kid words: Heavenly Father loves everyone!
🙌 Point up on “Heavenly Father,” give yourself a hug on “loves,” and make a giant circle with your arms on “everyone!”

More verses

John 4:7 ↗
“Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.”
In kid words: Jesus kindly asked the lady for a drink of water.
John 4:29 ↗
“Come, see a man”
In kid words: The lady said, “Come and see Jesus!”

Forehead Guess words8 words

  • 💧 Water
  • 🪣 Well
  • 🏺 Jar
  • 🚶 Walk
  • 🌍 World
  • ❤️ Heart
  • 👋 Wave
  • 🥛 Cup
Clues for each word
  • Water: Swish, swish! We drink it.
  • Well: A deep hole with water at the bottom
  • Jar: The lady carried water in it
  • Walk: Jesus walked a long, long way.
  • World: Big-circle arms! Everyone lives here.
  • Heart: Love! Jesus loves you.
  • Wave: Hello, friend!
  • Cup: Sip, sip! Jesus asked for a drink.
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown5 questions

  1. Where did Jesus sit down?
    • A. 🎢 Slide
    • B. 🪣 Well
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 🪣 Well Hel-lo-o! Jesus sat by a deep well.

  2. What was in the well?
    • A. 💧 Water
    • B. 🍪 Cookies
    Show answer

    ✅ A. 💧 Water Swish, swish! Cool water to drink.

  3. Was Jesus kind to the lady?
    • A. 😊 Yes!
    • B. 😠 No
    Show answer

    ✅ A. 😊 Yes! Wave and smile! Jesus talked to her kindly.

  4. Who does Jesus love?
    • A. 🌍 Everyone!
    • B. 🙅 Nobody
    Show answer

    ✅ A. 🌍 Everyone! Big-circle arms! Jesus loves everyone, and that means you.

  5. Which one means love?
    • A. 🥾 Boot
    • B. ❤️ Heart
    Show answer

    ✅ B. ❤️ Heart Hug! Heavenly Father and Jesus love you.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • Jesus Said Love Everyone Children’s Songbook, p. 61

    Sing it slowly in a wobbly circle and wave to every friend by name. Find it ↗

  • I Feel My Savior’s Love Children’s Songbook, p. 74

    Hum it during Love Pats Rest while you pat backs to a slow heartbeat. Find it ↗

  • I Am a Child of God Children’s Songbook, p. 2

    Every child in the room is loved by Heavenly Father; sing it for the Big Circle Dance. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Big-Circle Arms at Home

This week, look at family photos with your little one. For each person, make big-circle arms and say, “Jesus loves Grandma! Jesus loves Baby!” Finish with your child: “Jesus loves you!” and a hug.

Text the parents

Today in nursery we learned that Jesus was kind to a lady at a well and that Heavenly Father and Jesus love everyone (John 3:16; John 4:7). We walked a long way to a pretend well, waved hello, and made big-circle arms while we said, “Heavenly Father loves everyone!” Try it at home: make big-circle arms and see if your child copies you, then say, “And that means you!”

📝 After class

What worked? Who needs a check-in this week? Jot it here on a printed copy, or in the app’s private class notes.

Nursery play time

The lesson is short on purpose. Fill the rest of nursery with these: pick what fits your little ones today.

🧸 Everybody Gets a Drink · 10 min

  1. Set out the nursery’s dolls, stuffed animals and play kitchen or toy cups. Let children play however they like.
  2. Every few minutes, say: “Uh-oh, everybody is thirsty! Let’s give everyone a drink!” Help children give a pretend drink to every doll and animal.
  3. Check that nobody is left out: “Did Bear get a drink? Did Dolly? Yes! Everyone!” Say: “Jesus loves everyone!”
  4. Make big-circle arms together, then back to free play until everyone is thirsty again.
  5. No toy cups? Cupped hands work: scoop pretend water and give each toy a sip.

🎵 Big Circle Dance · 5 min

  1. Stand in a circle with the other adult across from you. Hold hands with anyone who wants to; the rest just walk along.
  2. Sing “I Am a Child of God” (Children’s Songbook, 2) while you walk slowly around. Stop and make big-circle arms: “Heavenly Father loves everyone!”
  3. Sing “Jesus Said Love Everyone” (Children’s Songbook, 61) and wave to each friend as you pass.
  4. Tap Freeze Dance on your phone or tablet. When the music stops, everyone freezes and waves to a friend: “Hi! Jesus loves you!”
  5. Don’t know a tune? Play it once in the Gospel Library app, or just chant “Round and round, Jesus loves everyone!”

🥤 Thank-You Sips · 10 min

  1. Today is fast Sunday: check allergies, your ward’s snack policy and each parent’s wishes first. Wipe every child’s hands, and yours, before snack.
  2. Everyone sits to eat, with an adult watching. Skip choking foods for this age: no popcorn, nuts, whole grapes, hard candy or chunks of raw carrot.
  3. Fold arms. A grown-up says a short blessing: “Thank you for our snack and our water.”
  4. Pour a little water in each cup. Say: “Jesus was thirsty at the well. The lady got water. Ahh!” Take a sip together.
  5. Talk while they munch: “Does Jesus love Mia? Yes! Does Jesus love Sam? Yes! Jesus loves everyone!”
  6. No snack today? Have a pretend picnic: scoop pretend water from a pretend well, sip, say “Ahh!” and say thank you to Heavenly Father.

🖍️ Hearts for Everyone · 8 min

  1. Tape a big sheet of paper to the table or floor. Draw one big heart for each child and one for each grown-up.
  2. Give each child one chunky washable crayon. Help them scribble in a heart: “A heart for you! Jesus loves you!”
  3. Then scribble in the grown-ups’ hearts together: “Jesus loves Sister Jones too! He loves everyone!”
  4. Write each child’s name in their heart and hang the picture by the door for parents to see.
  5. Safety: chunky crayons only. Skip stickers, glitter, pom-poms and marker caps (small parts). Count the crayons back into the box.
  6. No paper or crayons? Open Draw & Guess on your phone or tablet and let each child finger-paint a heart while you hold your phone or tablet.

🫧 Swishy Water Bottles · 5 min

  1. Sit on the floor and roll a sensory bottle to a child: “Swish, swish! Water!”
  2. Let them shake, roll and look through it. Say: “Jesus got water from a well. The lady did too.”
  3. Hold a bottle up to the window light: “Look, it sparkles! Heavenly Father made water.”
  4. Safety: lids glued and taped shut, clear plastic only (never glass), and an adult checks every bottle for leaks before and after. Wipe any drip right away.
  5. No bottles? Play “Swish, Swish” with your voice: sway side to side like water in a bottle, then scoop and sip pretend water.

🪣 Walk to the Well Game · 5 min

  1. Put the laundry basket at one side of the room: “This is the well!” Give each child a big plastic cup, or a soft toy to carry.
  2. Walk together across the room to the well: “Walk, walk, a long, long way!”
  3. Drop the cup or toy in: “Splash!” Then lift it out and carry it back: “Heavy! Careful!”
  4. Wave at a friend when you get back: “Hi, friend! Jesus loves you!” Do it again as long as they’re having fun.
  5. No basket? A chair or a spot on the carpet is the well. Pretend-drop a bucket and pull, pull, pull it up.

🪞 Picture Walk: Who Does Jesus Love? · 5 min

  1. Sit on the floor with a child or two in your lap. Look at family or ward photos, or swipe through today’s story pictures on your phone or tablet.
  2. Point to each person and ask: “Does Jesus love her?” Answer together: “Yes!”
  3. Hold up the unbreakable mirror. Say: “Who’s that? Does Jesus love you?” Big smile: “Yes! Jesus loves you!”
  4. Finish at a picture of Jesus Christ and make big-circle arms: “Jesus loves everyone!”
  5. No mirror or photos? Point to each friend in the room and ask, “Does Jesus love Sam?” Stay in the nursery room with both adults.

😴 Love Pats Rest · 4 min

  1. Spread out a blanket. Children may lie down, sit or climb into a lap. Nobody has to.
  2. Tap heartbeat on the Sound Board with the volume low. Pat backs or tummies gently to the beat.
  3. Hum “I Feel My Savior’s Love” (Children’s Songbook, 74) softly.
  4. Whisper each child’s name: “Jesus loves you, Ella.”
  5. Upset child? Hold them, rock side to side and walk to the window together. Calm comes before learning.

👋 “Come, See!” Goodbye · 5 min

  1. Five minutes before the end, tap march on the Sound Board: “Toys walk home!” Put the toys in their bins together.
  2. Sit together one more time. Make big-circle arms: “Heavenly Father loves everyone!” Then a hug.
  3. When a parent comes, help their child show them the heart picture, like the lady at the well who said, “Come, see!”
  4. Hand each child only to their own parent or guardian, as your ward’s policy says. Share today’s family note from the app, and tell them one happy moment about their child.
  5. Kids still waiting? Keep them busy with the Swishy Water Bottles or a picture book. Both adults stay until every child is picked up.

Sources

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, the Bible used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tap or click a reference to open it in Gospel Library. Start with the official Come, Follow Me manual; these ideas are here to help it come alive.

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