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Peace, Be Still

A peekaboo boat, whooshing wind, splashing waves, and three quiet words that make everything calm

  • 🧸 Nursery
  • Week 9
  • 📅 Sunday, February 28, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Jesus helps me feel calm.

I can hold up my hand, whisper “Peace, be still,” and remember that Jesus helps me feel calm.

Study it yourself firstRead Matthew 8; Mark 2–4; Luke 7 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Matthew 8; Mark 2–4; Luke 7)
Know the chapters

This week’s chapters are full of Jesus helping people. He heals a man with leprosy, in Matthew 8:1–4. Four friends lower a man through a roof to Jesus, in Mark 2:1–12. He forgives a woman who comes to Him in tears, in Luke 7:36–50. One evening on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus falls asleep on a pillow in the boat. A great storm comes, and His frightened disciples wake Him. He says to the wind and the sea, “Peace, be still.” The wind stops and everything is calm. That’s Mark 4:35–41.

For toddlers, the whole lesson is a feeling. We go from wild and windy to quiet and calm. Kids this age have real fears, like loud noises, the dark and goodbyes at the nursery door. They don’t need to hear that nothing scary will happen. They need to feel, again and again, that Jesus loves them and helps them feel calm. Hold up your hand, whisper “Peace, be still,” and freeze. Do it all day long.

Keep the storm pretend and silly. Keep the calm part slow and cozy. Don’t expect sitting, sharing or answers. A toddler who wanders off is still listening. Nobody plays Jesus. You read His words in a soft, sure voice, and everyone freezes. The lesson takes six minutes, and the play-time ideas repeat the same idea.

Only have 5 minutes?

Grab a toy boat, or fold a paper one, and a picture of Jesus. Pop the boat out from behind your back for peekaboo. Swipe through the six-picture story on your phone or tablet. Do the storm-and-freeze wiggle. Hold up your hand and whisper “Peace, be still.” End with a quiet testimony. For play time, pick three ideas below. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing.” Your hands become the boat, and your phone or tablet shows the pictures.

What to bring6 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. Hide the boat in your bag until the opening.
  2. Open the Sound Board on your phone or tablet and find the waves, wind and bells buttons. Keep the volume low. Skip thunder, since big booms scare little ones.
  3. Check the floor for anything small. If it fits through a toilet-paper tube, put it up high or away.
  4. Bringing a storm bottle? Glue and tape the lid the night before. Squeeze it over the sink to check for leaks.
  5. Decide with the other adult who leads and who greets. Practice the key motion: hold up one palm, whisper “Peace, be still,” lower it slowly and freeze.

If your class is wild

  • Tears at drop-off are normal and usually pass in a few minutes. Let the other adult hold the crying child near the fun. They can whisper, “Peace, be still. Mommy will come back.” A quick, happy goodbye beats sneaking out.
  • The storm can get loud fast, and that’s fine for a few seconds. Then hold up your hand, drop to a whisper and freeze. Toddlers copy a whisper far better than they obey “Be quiet!”
  • Nobody has to sit. Lead from the floor at their level and keep going. Wanderers still hear you, and they often copy the motions from across the room.
  • Follow your ward’s policy for diapers and potty trips. Never leave one adult alone with the class, and never 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

Peekaboo Boat

1 min

Soft wave sounds and a boat popping out from behind your back pull scattered toddlers toward you and set the scene on the water.

  1. Sit on the floor with the boat behind your back. Tap waves on the Sound Board and whisper, “Shhh… what’s that? Water!”
  2. SAY“I have something that floats on the water…”
  3. Pop it out: “Peekaboo! A boat!” Rock it on your knees: “Rock, rock, rock. Let’s all be boats!”
  4. Rock side to side together, then put the boat up high.
  5. SAY“Today Jesus and His friends go on a boat!”
🌪️ If they grab for the boat, let one child hold it with you while everyone rocks. Then the boat rests up high.
🔊 Sound Board (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: ⛵ Peekaboo! A boat!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A toy boat, or a paper boat folded from a whole sheet of paper (big, with no small parts)

Hand Boat

  1. Sit on the floor. Tap waves on the Sound Board and whisper, “Shhh… what’s that? Water!”
  2. Cover your eyes. Then cup your hands together like a little boat: “Peekaboo! A boat!”
  3. Rock your hand boat side to side, then rock your whole body.
  4. SAY“Rock, rock, rock. Let’s all be boats!”
  5. SAY“Today Jesus and His friends go on a boat!”

Class screen: 🤲 Peekaboo! A hand boat!

2. Story

Picture Story: Jesus Calms the Storm

2 min

Six pictures with one sentence and one action each let toddlers feel the rocking, the storm and the sudden calm while they hear that Jesus helps.

  1. Hold your phone or tablet at their eye level. Everyone gets to be a Rocking Boat, a Wind Blower and a Splashy Wave.
  2. Read the one sentence, then do the action big so they can copy you. Let the storm be noisy for a few seconds.
  3. On the “Peace, be still” picture, whisper, hold up your hand and freeze. Wait for the quiet. It’s the best moment of the lesson.
  4. Losing them before the end? Jump to the last picture: “Jesus helps me feel calm.”
🌪️ Got a child who won’t stop moving? Let them tap your phone or tablet to change the picture, with your hand on it too. A job beats a battle.

Class screen: 🌊 Whoosh! Splash! Shhh…

3. Wiggle break

Storm and Freeze

1 min

Toddlers need to move after two minutes of anything, and going from wild to still over and over is the whole story in their bodies.

  1. SAY“Stand up! Let’s be the storm!”
  2. Wave your arms and blow: “Whoosh!” Roll your arms and bounce: “Splash, splash!”
  3. Hold up your hand and whisper, “Peace, be still.” Everyone freezes like a statue.
  4. Whisper-count to three, then call out, “Storm again!” Go three or four times while they giggle.
  5. Finish frozen and quiet. Sit down slowly together: “Jesus helps me feel calm.”
🔊 Sound Board (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: ✋ Whoosh! Splash! Freeze! · 💨 Whoosh · 🌊 Splash · ✋ Freeze!

4. Scripture

Our Little Verse: Mark 4:39

1 min

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

  1. Hold up your scriptures.
  2. SAY“This is the Bible. It tells about Jesus. Listen!”
  3. Read slowly and softly: “Peace, be still.”
  4. SAY“Jesus said that, and the storm stopped!”
  5. Hold up your hand, lower it slowly and whisper “Peace, be still” three times, each one quieter. Then hold up each child’s hand: “Peace, be still, Ella.”

Class screen: ✋ Peace, be still. · ✋ Hand up, then freeze

5. Testimony

I Know Jesus Loves You

1 min

A quiet moment with a picture of the Savior lets each child feel the calm the story promised.

  1. Stay in your whisper voice and hold up the picture of Jesus Christ.
  2. SAY“This is Jesus.”
  3. Let each child look closely, point or gently pat the picture.
  4. SAY“I know Jesus loves you. When you feel scared, Jesus can help you feel calm.”
  5. If your nursery has a prayer now, fold arms 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. Stay in your whisper voice and put your hand on your heart.
  2. SAY“Let’s think about Jesus.”
  3. Touch each child’s hand or wave, and whisper, “Jesus loves you.”
  4. SAY“I know Jesus loves you. When you feel scared, Jesus can help you feel calm.”
  5. If your nursery has a prayer now, fold arms while a grown-up says a short one.
6. Song

Rocking Boat Song

2 minBONUS

If they’re still with you, a slow song while everyone rocks like a boat on calm water is a peaceful way to finish.

  1. SAY“Let’s sit close together. The storm is gone. Let’s rock on the calm water.”
  2. Sing “Tell Me the Stories of Jesus,” Children’s Songbook page 57, slowly while you all rock side to side.
  3. Finish very still. Whisper, “Peace, be still.”

Class screen: ⛵ Rock on calm water

The story

Jesus Calms the Storm

Mark 4:35–41 ↗

Optional helpers

  • Rocking BoatsEveryone! Sit and rock side to side like a boat.
  • Wind BlowersEveryone! Blow and wave your arms: whoosh!
  • Splashy WavesEveryone! Roll your arms up and down: splash, splash!

Scenes

  1. ⛵ Jesus and His friends got in a boat.

    Jesus and His friends got in a boat to go across the sea.

    🙌 Rock side to side like a boat.

  2. 😴 Jesus went to sleep on a pillow.

    Jesus was tired, so He went to sleep on a pillow in the boat.

    🙌 Hands together under your cheek like a pillow: “Shhh.”

  3. 💨🌊 Whoosh! Splash! A big storm!

    Then the wind went whoosh, and the waves went splash!

    🙌 Wave your arms for the wind and waves: “Whoosh! Splash!”

  4. 😟 His friends were scared. They woke Jesus.

    His friends felt scared, so they woke Jesus up and asked for help.

    🙌 Hug yourself tight and say together, “Help!”

  5. ✋ “Peace, be still.” Shhh…

    Jesus said to the wind and the waves, “Peace, be still,” and everything got quiet.

    🙌 Hold up one hand, palm out. Lower it slowly and freeze.

  6. ❤️ Jesus helps me feel calm.

    When I feel scared, Jesus can help me feel calm too.

    🙌 Hand on your heart. Take one slow, big breath together.

Key verse

Mark 4:39 ↗
“Peace, be still”
In kid words: Peace, be still. Shhh…
🙌 Hold up one hand, palm out like a gentle stop sign, then lower it slowly and freeze while you whisper the words.

More verses

Mark 4:38 ↗
“asleep on a pillow”
In kid words: Jesus went to sleep on a pillow in the boat.
Mark 4:41 ↗
“even the wind and the sea obey him”
In kid words: Even the wind and the water listen to Jesus.
Mark 2:5 ↗
“When Jesus saw their faith”
In kid words: Four friends carried their friend to Jesus.

Forehead Guess words8 words

  • ⛵ Boat
  • 😴 Pillow
  • 💨 Wind
  • 🌊 Waves
  • 🐟 Fish
  • 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Friends
  • 🤗 Hug
  • 🌧️ Storm
Clues for each word
  • Boat: Floats on the water. Rock, rock!
  • Pillow: Jesus slept on one in the boat
  • Wind: Whoosh! Wave your arms.
  • Waves: Splash, splash! Roll your arms.
  • Fish: Swims in the sea
  • Friends: Jesus had friends in the boat
  • Hug: Squeeze when you feel scared
  • Storm: Whoosh! Splash! Then Jesus made it calm.
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown5 questions

  1. Which one floats on the water?
    • A. ⛵ Boat
    • B. 🍪 Cookie
    Show answer

    ✅ A. ⛵ Boat Rock, rock! Jesus and His friends rode in a boat.

  2. Which one goes whoosh?
    • A. 🐢 Turtle
    • B. 💨 Wind
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 💨 Wind Whoosh! Wave your arms like the wind.

  3. Where did Jesus sleep?
    • A. 😴 On a pillow
    • B. 🌳 In a tree
    Show answer

    ✅ A. 😴 On a pillow Shhh! Jesus slept on a pillow in the boat.

  4. Who made the storm stop?
    • A. 🐸 Frog
    • B. ❤️ Jesus
    Show answer

    ✅ B. ❤️ Jesus Jesus said, “Peace, be still,” and it got quiet.

  5. Which one is quiet and still?
    • A. 🥁 Drum
    • B. 🤫 Shhh
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 🤫 Shhh Hand up, freeze, shhh… just like the calm sea.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • Tell Me the Stories of Jesus Children’s Songbook, p. 57

    Sing it slowly while everyone rocks like a boat on calm water. Find it ↗

  • Do As I’m Doing Children’s Songbook, p. 276

    Toddlers copy you: rocking boats, whooshing wind, splashing waves and a big freeze. Find it ↗

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

    Hum it softly during Sleepy Pillow Rest. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Peace, Be Still at Home

When your little one is scared or upset, hold up your hand and whisper, “Peace, be still.” Take one slow breath together. Say, “Jesus helps us feel calm.”

Text the parents

Today in nursery we heard how Jesus calmed a storm, in Mark 4:35–41. We rocked like boats, whooshed like the wind and splashed like waves. Then we froze and whispered, “Peace, be still.” Try it at home. When your child is scared or upset, hold up your hand and whisper the words. Take a slow breath together.

📝 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.

🧸 Teddy’s Boat Ride · 10 min

  1. Spread the blue blanket on the floor for the sea. Put a few stuffed animals in the laundry basket boat. Let kids play.
  2. Help kids push the basket slowly across the sea: “Rock, rock, rock. Teddy is going across the sea!”
  3. Tap wind on the Sound Board: “Uh-oh, a storm!” Wiggle the blanket edges gently to make waves.
  4. Hold up your hand and whisper, “Peace, be still.” Stop the waves and the sound: “All calm! Jesus helps Teddy feel calm.”
  5. Toys ride in the basket, kids don’t. Nobody pulls the blanket while someone stands on it. No blanket? Use the rug and a box.

🎵 Wind, Waves, Freeze! · 5 min

  1. Sing “Do As I’m Doing,” Children’s Songbook page 276. Lead rocking boats, whooshing wind arms and splashing waves.
  2. Tap Freeze Dance on your phone or tablet and dance like a stormy sea. When the music stops, whisper, “Peace, be still!” Everyone freezes.
  3. Sit down and sing “Tell Me the Stories of Jesus,” Children’s Songbook page 57, slowly. Rock gently.
  4. Don’t know a tune? Play it once in the Gospel Library app. Or just chant “Whoosh, splash, freeze!” while you move.

🥤 Still-Water Snack · 10 min

  1. Check allergies and your ward’s snack policy first. Wipe every child’s hands, and yours.
  2. Everyone sits to eat while an adult watches. Skip popcorn, nuts, whole grapes, hard candy and raw carrot chunks.
  3. Fold arms for a short blessing. Pour a little water in each cup: “Still and calm, like the sea after Jesus spoke.” Take a quiet sip.
  4. As they munch, ask, “Jesus went on a boat with His friends. Who are your friends?” Name each child: “Ella is here!”
  5. No snack today? Rock in a pretend boat, munch pretend crackers and say thank you to Heavenly Father.

🖌️ Water-Paint Waves · 8 min

  1. Lay dark construction paper down. Dip a big brush in a little water and paint wavy lines: “Splash, splash! Big waves!”
  2. Give each child a brush and help them dip and paint. Every stroke is a wave.
  3. Watch the water dry and fade: “The waves are going away! Peace, be still. All calm!” Then paint more.
  4. A grown-up holds the water cup and keeps brushes out of mouths. Wipe up drips right away so nobody slips.
  5. No paper? Finger-paint waves in Draw & Guess on your phone or tablet, then tap clear: “All calm!”

🌊 Storm in a Bottle · 5 min

  1. Sit in a circle and shake the storm bottle: “Whoosh! Splash! A storm!” Let each child shake it with your hands around theirs.
  2. Set it on the floor. Hold up your hand and whisper, “Peace, be still.” Watch the water slow down together.
  3. SAY“Jesus made the storm calm. He helps us feel calm too.”
  4. Check the lid before every turn, and put it away if it ever leaks. A grown-up stays with it, then puts it up high.
  5. No bottle? Tap waves on the Sound Board. Pat the floor fast, then slow… slower… still. Whisper, “Peace, be still.”

🤝 Carry Teddy to Jesus · 5 min

  1. Prop the picture of Jesus low against a wall across the room. Lay a teddy in the middle of a blanket.
  2. Tell them, “Some friends carried their friend to Jesus.” That’s Mark 2:1–5.
  3. Help each child hold an edge, with a grown-up at each end. Walk slowly to the picture: “We’re helping our friend get to Jesus!”
  4. Set teddy down by the picture and cheer quietly: “Jesus loves Teddy! Jesus loves you!”
  5. Only toys ride in the blanket. No blanket or picture? Carry teddy together to the window: “Jesus loves Teddy!”

🖼️ Picture Walk: Boats and Water · 5 min

  1. Sit with a child or two in your lap. Swipe through today’s story pictures, or open a book about boats or fish.
  2. Name one thing in each picture: “Boat! Rock, rock.” Ask, “Where are the waves?” and let them point.
  3. On the “Peace, be still” picture, hold up your hand and whisper the words together.
  4. Finish at a picture of Jesus Christ: “Jesus helps me feel calm.”
  5. Both adults stay in the nursery room. If a child drifts off, let them go.

😴 Sleepy Pillow Rest · 4 min

  1. Spread out a blanket and a pillow or two, like the pillow in Mark 4:38. Kids can lie down, sit or climb into a lap.
  2. Tell them, “Jesus slept on a pillow in the boat.” Play soft waves on the Sound Board with the volume low.
  3. Hum “I Feel My Savior’s Love,” Children’s Songbook page 74. Rock gently side to side like a calm boat.
  4. Whisper each child’s name: “Jesus loves you, Sam. Peace, be still.”
  5. Upset child? Hold them, rock side to side and walk to the window together. Calm comes before learning.

👋 Calm-Sea Goodbye · 5 min

  1. Five minutes before the end, tap wind: “A storm is coming! Let’s get the toys safe!” Clean up together.
  2. Turn the sound off. Hold up your hand and whisper, “Peace, be still.” Everyone freezes.
  3. Tap Noise Meter on your phone or tablet: “Can we be as quiet as the calm sea?” Whisper and watch the meter stay low.
  4. Hand each child only to their own parent or guardian. Show the parent the hand-up motion, and share the family note.
  5. Kids still waiting? Rock in a pretend boat or shake the storm bottle once more. 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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