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Shine, Little Light!

A peekaboo flashlight, a climb up the mountain, gentle hands, and twinkle fingers that won’t hide

  • 🧸 Nursery
  • Week 7
  • 📅 Sunday, February 14, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

When I am kind like Jesus, my little light shines.

I can use gentle hands and twinkle my fingers to show my light shining.

Study it yourself firstRead Matthew 5; Luke 6 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Matthew 5; Luke 6)
Know the chapters

This week Jesus goes up a mountain, sits down and teaches the people how to be truly happy: be meek, be merciful, be peacemakers (Matthew 5:1–9). Then He says, “Ye are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). Nobody lights a candle and hides it under a basket; they set it up high so it lights the whole house (Matthew 5:15). When people see our good works, they think of our Father in Heaven (Matthew 5:16).

For toddlers, the whole lesson is a peekaboo game with a light: hide it, then shine! Every gentle pat, hug and helping hand is “shine!” Toddlers can’t share yet and they grab toys all the time, so this is a perfect week to name gentle hands as shining. Show Jesus with a picture and read His words yourself; nobody plays Jesus.

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 mountain, the peekaboo light and the twinkle fingers for the rest of nursery.

Only have 5 minutes?

Bring a flashlight, a bowl and a picture of Jesus. Hide the light under the bowl and play peekaboo, swipe through the six-picture story on your phone or tablet, climb the pretend mountain, twinkle your fingers while you say “I can shine!” and end with “I know Jesus loves you.” For play time, pick three ideas below. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing”: your twinkle fingers become the light, 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. Put the flashlight under the upside-down bowl in your bag. Check that it works and that the battery cover is screwed or taped shut.
  2. Open the Sound Board on your phone or tablet and find the magic, ding and bells buttons. Turn the volume low.
  3. 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.
  4. Decide with the other adult who leads the lesson and who greets and comforts at the door. There are always two adults in nursery.
  5. Practice the key motion: twinkle your fingers up high while you say “I can shine!” Then practice peekaboo: hands over your face, then pop open into twinkle fingers.

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.
  • Catch them shining. Every time a toddler pats gently, hands you a toy or helps pick up, twinkle your fingers and say, “You’re shining!” Praise is louder than correction at this age.
  • When someone grabs a toy, don’t lecture. Kneel down, show gentle hands on your own arm and say, “Gentle hands shine.” Then offer the grabber a different toy.
  • The flashlight stays in grown-up hands, and never shine it in eyes. Button batteries and small batteries are dangerous if swallowed, so put it up high when you’re done.

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

Where’s the Light?

1 min

A peekaboo light pulls scattered toddlers toward you and plays out the lesson: don’t hide your light, let it shine.

  1. Sit on the floor. Turn the flashlight on and cover it with the upside-down bowl. Whisper: “Shhh… where’s the light?”
  2. Lift the bowl a tiny bit so a little glow peeks out: “Ooh! Something’s in there!” Little ones will come to see.
  3. Lift the bowl all the way: “Peekaboo! A light!” Shine it on the floor or the ceiling, never in eyes. Tap magic on the Sound Board.
  4. SAY“Don’t hide the light! Let it shine! Jesus says you are a light!”
  5. Turn the flashlight off and put it up high.
🌪️ If they grab for the flashlight, turn it off, hide it behind your back, and do peekaboo with twinkle fingers instead.
🔊 Sound Board (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🔦 Peekaboo! A light!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A small LED flashlight with a screwed-shut battery cover, plus a plastic bowl or small basket to hide it under (grown-up hands only)

Peekaboo Twinkle

  1. Sit on the floor. Hide your hands behind your back. Whisper: “Shhh… where’s the light?”
  2. Peek one finger out: “Ooh! Something’s there!” Little ones will come to see.
  3. Pop both hands out, twinkling your fingers: “Peekaboo! A light!” Tap magic on the Sound Board.
  4. SAY“Don’t hide the light! Let it shine! Jesus says you are a light!”

Class screen: ✨ Peekaboo! Twinkle, twinkle!

2. Story

Picture Story: Jesus on the Mountain

2 min

Six pictures with one sentence and one action each let toddlers climb the mountain, show gentle hands and pop open their little lights.

  1. Hold your phone or tablet up at their eye level. Everyone is a Mountain Climber, a Gentle Hand and a Little Light.
  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 peekaboo picture, go slow: hands over your face… wait… “Shine!” They’ll want it again, so do it again.
  4. If attention is gone before the end, jump to the last picture and twinkle: “You shine!”
🌪️ 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 on the mountain!

3. Wiggle break

Up the Mountain, Shine!

1 min

Toddlers need to move after two minutes of anything, and climbing, sliding and shining acts out the story with their whole bodies.

  1. SAY“Stand up! Let’s climb the mountain!” Climb in place, reaching hand over hand: “Up, up, up!”
  2. At the top, stretch tall on tiptoes: “We made it!” Then slide down to a crouch: “Wheee!”
  3. Hide your face, then pop up with twinkle fingers: “Shine!” Do it again and again while they giggle.
  4. Pat your arm gently: “Gentle hands.” Sit down together.

Class screen: ✨ Climb, slide, hide, SHINE! · ⛰️ Climb up · 🛝 Slide down · 🙈 Hide · ✨ Shine!

4. Scripture

Our Little Verse: Matthew 5:14

1 min

Four words and one twinkle, 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: “Ye are the light.” Point to the children: “Jesus says you are a light!”
  3. Twinkle your fingers up high and say it together: “I can shine!” Say it three times: a tiny whisper, a regular voice, a happy voice.
  4. Kneel by each child, twinkle your fingers near them, and say: “Ella can shine!”

Class screen: ✨ I can shine! · ✨ Twinkle up high!

5. Testimony

I Know Jesus Loves You

1 min

A quiet moment with a picture of the Savior helps each child feel loved by the Jesus who calls them a light.

  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 is kind. When you are kind, you shine. 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 is kind. When you are kind, you shine. 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

Gentle, Kind and Shining

2 minBONUS

If they’re still with you, a slow kindness song with gentle pats is a calm, happy way to finish.

  1. Sit close together. Sing “Kindness Begins with Me” (Children’s Songbook, 145) slowly.
  2. While you sing, pat your own arm gently, then pat a stuffed animal or give a soft high five to anyone who wants one.
  3. At the end, twinkle your fingers up high: “Kind hands shine!”

Class screen: 🤲 Gentle hands shine!

Story drama

Jesus Teaches on the Mountain

Matthew 5:1–16 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • Mountain ClimbersEveryone! Climb with your hands, one over the other: up, up, up!
  • Gentle HandsEveryone! Pat your own arm softly and smile.
  • Little LightsEveryone! Hide your face with your hands, then pop them open into twinkle fingers: “Shine!”

Scenes

  1. ⛰️ Jesus walked up a big mountain.

    Jesus walked up a big, big mountain.

    🎬 Climb with your hands, one over the other: “Up, up, up!” Grown-ups climb too, so little ones can copy.

  2. 👂 Everyone sat down to listen.

    Lots of people sat down to listen to Jesus.

    🎬 Sit down and cup a hand by your ear. Whisper: “Shhh… listen.”

  3. 🤲 Jesus taught us to be kind.

    Jesus taught the people to be kind and gentle.

    🎬 Pat your own arm softly: “Gentle hands.” Then give yourself a hug.

  4. ✨ You are a light!

    Jesus said, “Ye are the light of the world.” That means you!

    🎬 Twinkle your fingers up high: “Shine!”

  5. 🥣 Don’t hide your light! Peekaboo!

    Nobody hides a light under a bowl. Peekaboo, shine!

    🎬 Cover your face with your hands, then pop them open into twinkle fingers: “Peekaboo! Shine!”

  6. ☀️ When I’m kind, I shine!

    When you give hugs and use gentle hands, your little light shines!

    🎬 Twinkle your fingers. Point to each child gently: “Ella shines!”

Key verse

Matthew 5:14 ↗
“Ye are the light”
In kid words: I can shine!
🙌 Point gently to a friend on “Ye are,” then twinkle your fingers up high on “the light.” Keep twinkling while you say “I can shine!”

More verses

Matthew 5:16 ↗
“Let your light so shine before men”
In kid words: Let your little light shine!
Matthew 5:9 ↗
“Blessed are the peacemakers”
In kid words: Gentle hands help friends be happy.

Forehead Guess words8 words

  • 💡 Light
  • ⛰️ Mountain
  • ☀️ Sun
  • 🥣 Bowl
  • 🔦 Flashlight
  • ⭐ Star
  • 🤗 Hug
  • 🏠 House
Clues for each word
  • Light: Shine! Don’t hide it.
  • Mountain: Up, up, up! Jesus taught there.
  • Sun: Big and bright in the sky
  • Bowl: Don’t hide your light under it!
  • Flashlight: Click! A light in your hand
  • Star: Twinkle, twinkle, up in the night
  • Hug: Kind and gentle. Shine!
  • House: Lights in the windows shine for everyone
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown4 questions

  1. Where did Jesus teach?
    • A. ⛰️ Mountain
    • B. 🛁 Bathtub
    Show answer

    ✅ A. ⛰️ Mountain Up, up, up! Jesus sat on a mountain to teach.

  2. Should we hide the light?
    • A. 🙈 Hide it
    • B. ✨ Shine it!
    Show answer

    ✅ B. ✨ Shine it! Peekaboo, shine! Don’t hide your little light.

  3. Which one shines?
    • A. ☀️ Sun
    • B. 🪨 Rock
    Show answer

    ✅ A. ☀️ Sun Twinkle! The sun shines, and you can shine too.

  4. Which hands are gentle?
    • A. 👊 Bonk!
    • B. 🤲 Soft pats
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 🤲 Soft pats Pat, pat. Gentle hands make your light shine!

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • Kindness Begins with Me Children’s Songbook, p. 145

    A short, gentle song for patting softly and practicing kind hands. Find it ↗

  • My Heavenly Father Loves Me Children’s Songbook, p. 228

    Hum it slowly during Twinkle Rest, or on the sunshine picture walk; Heavenly Father made the sunlight. Find it ↗

  • I’m Trying to Be like Jesus Children’s Songbook, p. 78

    Sing it for the Twinkle Parade: we shine when we are kind like Jesus. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Catch Them Shining

This week, every time your little one pats gently, gives a hug or helps, twinkle your fingers and say, “You’re shining! Jesus says you are a light!” Play peekaboo with a flashlight under a bowl at bedtime.

Text the parents

Today in nursery we learned that Jesus said, “Ye are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). We climbed a pretend mountain, practiced gentle hands, played peekaboo with a light, and twinkled our fingers while we said, “I can shine!” Try it at home: when your child is gentle or kind, twinkle your fingers and say, “You’re shining!”

📝 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.

🧸 Shining Helpers Play · 10 min

  1. Set out the nursery’s dolls, stuffed animals, blocks and trucks. Let children play however they like.
  2. Watch for shining moments: a gentle pat, a toy handed to a friend, a block put in the bin. Each time, twinkle your fingers and say, “You’re shining!”
  3. Every few minutes, tap ding on the Sound Board and say: “Shine time! Who can help Bear?” Help a child give Bear a hug or a blanket.
  4. SAY“Jesus says you are a light. Kind hands shine!” Then back to free play.
  5. Grabbing and toy fights are normal at this age. Offer a second toy, and say “Gentle hands shine” instead of “share.”

🎵 Twinkle Parade · 5 min

  1. Stand up and hold your twinkle fingers up high: “Let’s be little lights!” The other adult walks at the back of the line.
  2. Sing “I’m Trying to Be like Jesus” (Children’s Songbook, 78) while you parade slowly around the room with twinkle fingers.
  3. Stop at a “mountain” (a big cushion or the corner) and climb in place: “Up, up, up!” Then twinkle: “Shine!”
  4. Tap Freeze Dance on your phone or tablet. When the music stops, everyone hides their face. When it starts: “Peekaboo! Shine!”
  5. Don’t know a tune? Play it once in the Gospel Library app, or just chant “Twinkle, twinkle, I can shine!”

🍊 Sunshine Snack · 10 min

  1. Check allergies and your ward’s snack policy 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. Round crackers look like little suns.
  3. Fold arms. A grown-up says a short blessing: “Thank you for our snack and the sunshine.”
  4. Hold up a round cracker: “It looks like the sun! Heavenly Father made the sun to shine.”
  5. Help each child hand one cracker to a grown-up, who says, “Thank you! You’re shining!” and hands it right back.
  6. No snack today? Have a pretend picnic: make sun circles with your fingers, pretend to munch, and say thank you to Heavenly Father.

🏘️ Lights on the Hill · 8 min

  1. Tape a big sheet of paper to the table or floor. Draw one big hill, and on top of it a few simple square houses with big square windows.
  2. SAY“Jesus said a city on a hill can’t be hid” (Matthew 5:14). “Let’s turn on the lights!”
  3. Give each child one chunky yellow or orange washable crayon. Every scribble in a window turns a light on: “Click! Shine!”
  4. Write each child’s name by their scribbles 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, draw a house, and help each child finger-scribble light in the windows while you hold your phone or tablet.

⛰️ Pillow Mountain · 5 min

  1. Lay 2–3 couch cushions or bed pillows flat on the carpet in a low pile: “This is a mountain! Jesus went up a mountain to teach” (Matthew 5:1).
  2. Let children crawl up and over the mountain on hands and knees: “Up, up, up!” At the top, sit and twinkle your fingers: “Shine!”
  3. Slide or crawl down the other side: “Wheee!” Then sit at the bottom, cup a hand by your ear and whisper: “Shhh… listen to Jesus.”
  4. Take turns as long as they’re having fun. Say: “Jesus says you are a light!”
  5. Safety: crawling only (standing on cushions makes toddlers slip), one child on the mountain at a time, and one adult kneels right beside it. No cushions? Climb a pretend mountain with your hands, then slide down to a crouch: “Wheee!”

🤲 Gentle Hands for Teddy · 5 min

  1. Sit on the floor with the soft stuffed animals or baby dolls. Say: “Teddy is sad. Let’s use gentle hands.”
  2. Show a soft pat on Teddy’s back and let each child try: “Pat, pat. Gentle!”
  3. Give Teddy a soft hug, a pretend blanket, a gentle rock-a-bye: “You helped Teddy! You’re shining!”
  4. SAY“Jesus said to be kind and help friends be happy. Gentle hands shine!”
  5. No stuffed animals? Practice gentle pats on your own arm, then give soft high fives to anyone who wants one.

🖼️ Picture Walk: Where’s the Light? · 5 min

  1. Carry a child or two, or hold hands, and walk slowly around the nursery room looking for light.
  2. Point: “Look! The ceiling light! Shine!” “Look! Sunshine in the window!” Twinkle your fingers at each one.
  3. Sit down and swipe back through today’s story pictures on your phone or tablet. Ask: “Where’s the light?” and let them point.
  4. Finish at a picture of Jesus Christ. Say: “Jesus says you are a light,” and twinkle your fingers.
  5. Stay in the nursery room with both adults. If a child drifts off, let them go; picture walks are for whoever wants to come.

😴 Twinkle Rest · 4 min

  1. Spread out a blanket. Children may lie down, sit or climb into a lap. Nobody has to.
  2. If it’s safe, turn off one set of room lights (never total darkness). Lay the white towel over the flashlight for a soft, glowing night light, and keep it by a grown-up.
  3. Hum “My Heavenly Father Loves Me” (Children’s Songbook, 228) softly while you twinkle your fingers slowly above them like stars.
  4. Whisper each child’s name: “Jesus loves you, Ella. You shine.”
  5. Upset child? Hold them, rock side to side and walk to the window together. Calm comes before learning.

👋 Shine On Goodbye · 5 min

  1. Five minutes before the end, tap ding on the Sound Board: “Shining helpers, toys go home!” Put the toys in their bins together, and say “You’re shining!” for every toy.
  2. Sit together one more time. Hide your faces, then pop open twinkle fingers: “I can shine!”
  3. Hand each child only to their own parent or guardian, as your ward’s policy says. Give a twinkle-finger high five and say: “Keep shining at home!”
  4. Share today’s family note from the app with parents, and tell them one kind, shining moment from their child.
  5. Kids still waiting? Keep them busy with Gentle Hands for Teddy 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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