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Jesus Helps Me When I’m Sad

A sad teddy who needs a hug, a gentle picture story about Jesus, and a wipe-away-the-tear motion

  • 🧸 Nursery
  • Week 41
  • 📅 Sunday, October 11, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

When I feel sad, Jesus can help me feel better.

I can wipe away a tear, say a prayer and remember that Jesus helps me.

Study it yourself firstRead Isaiah 50–57 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Isaiah 50–57)
Know the chapters

In Isaiah 50–57, Isaiah looks ahead to the Savior. Isaiah 53 describes Someone gentle and quiet “as a lamb” (53:7) who “hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows” (53:4). In the Book of Mormon, Abinadi quoted this chapter and taught that it is about Jesus Christ (Mosiah 14–15). Jesus took upon Himself our pains and sadness so He would know exactly how to help us (Alma 7:11–12), and then He rose again.

For toddlers, keep it to one feeling: when I’m sad, Jesus helps me. Leave out any talk of His suffering; that belongs to older children. Toddlers cry often and don’t yet have words for why. Naming the feeling for them (“You feel sad. Mommy went bye-bye.”) and showing what to do next (a hug, a deep breath, a little prayer) is real gospel help at eighteen months.

Isaiah also gives nursery a ready-made wake-up wiggle: “Awake, awake; put on thy strength” (52:1). The lesson is six minutes. The play-time ideas below repeat “Jesus helps me” through caring for teddies, bubbles, songs and snack, so the idea sinks in without anyone sitting still.

Only have 5 minutes?

Pull a teddy out of your bag and pretend it’s crying, then give it a hug. Swipe through the six-picture story on your phone or tablet, do the Awake, Awake wiggle, wipe a pretend tear and say “Jesus helps me!” and end with a picture of Jesus and “I know Jesus loves you.” For play time, pick three ideas below. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing”: you play the sad face yourself, 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. Tuck Sad Teddy into your bag so you can pull him out for the hook.
  2. Practice a gentle pretend cry (“Boo-hoo”) and a big smile. Keep the cry soft and silly so nobody gets upset for real.
  3. Sweep the floor with your eyes and hands for anything small. 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 motion: wipe a pretend tear off your cheek, then smile big, and say “Jesus helps me!” That’s the whole key phrase.

If your class is wild

  • Today may bring real tears. When a child cries, you are teaching the lesson: kneel down, name the feeling (“You feel sad”), offer a hug, and whisper, “Jesus helps you. Mommy will come back.”
  • Keep the pretend crying short and silly. If a little one looks worried when Teddy “cries,” hug Teddy right away and switch to a big smile.
  • Bubbles are for grown-up hands only. Blow them up high and away from faces, and wipe the floor when you’re done so nobody slips.
  • 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

Sad Teddy

1 min

A teddy who feels sad and then gets a hug shows toddlers, without any words they need to follow, that sad feelings can get better.

  1. Sit on the floor. Peek into your bag: “Who’s in here? Somebody is sad!”
  2. Pull out Teddy. Make a soft, silly cry for him: “Boo-hoo. Teddy feels sad.”
  3. SAY“What can we do? A hug!” Give Teddy a big hug. Let children pat or hug him too.
  4. Make Teddy wiggle happily: “Teddy feels better! Yay!”
  5. SAY“Today we learn Jesus helps us when we’re sad.”
🌪️ If children fight over Teddy, hold him on your lap and let everyone pat him at once: “Gentle pats. Teddy feels better!”

Class screen: 🧸 Teddy is sad. Hug!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A teddy bear or other soft stuffed animal (this is Sad Teddy)

Sad Face, Happy Face

  1. Sit on the floor. Cover your face with your hands and make a soft, silly cry: “Boo-hoo.”
  2. Peek out: “I feel sad. What can help me? A hug!” Hug yourself tight.
  3. Pop your hands away with a huge smile: “I feel better! Yay!”
  4. SAY“Today we learn Jesus helps us when we’re sad.”

Class screen: 😢 Sad face, happy face!

2. Story

Picture Story: Gentle Jesus Helps Me

2 min

Six pictures with one sentence and one action each let toddlers feel gentle, sad, prayerful and happy while they hear that Jesus helps them.

  1. Hold your phone or tablet up at their eye level. Everyone is a Little Lamb, a Feelings Face and Folded Arms.
  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. Keep the sad picture quick. Move straight on to folded arms and the big smile.
  4. If attention is gone before the end, jump to the last picture: “Jesus helps me!”
🌪️ 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: 🐑 Gentle Jesus story time!

3. Wiggle break

Awake, Awake!

1 min

Toddlers need to move after two minutes of anything, and Isaiah’s “Awake, awake” turns into a wake-up wiggle they’ll ask for again.

  1. SAY“Night-night!” Lie down or lay your head on your hands and pretend to snore.
  2. Pop up: “Awake, awake! Good morning!” Stretch your arms up high.
  3. Stomp your feet, clap your hands and make strong arms: “I’m strong!”
  4. Pretend to sleep again, then wake up again. Do it three or four times while they giggle.
  5. End by wiping a pretend tear and smiling: “Jesus helps me!” and sit down together.

Class screen: ☀️ Awake, awake! Good morning! · 😴 Sleep · ☀️ Wake up! · 👏 Clap · 💪 Strong!

4. Scripture

Our Little Verse: Isaiah 53:4

1 min

Three words and one 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: “he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.” Say: “That means Jesus helps us when we’re sad!”
  3. Wipe a pretend tear and smile. Say it together: “Jesus helps me!” Say it three times: a tiny whisper, a regular voice, a happy voice.
  4. Kneel by each child, wipe a pretend tear from your own cheek, smile, and say, “Jesus helps Ava.”

Class screen: 😊 Jesus helps me! · 😢 Wipe the tear · 😊 Smile!

5. Testimony

I Know Jesus Loves You

1 min

A quiet moment with a picture of the Savior helps each child feel loved and comforted.

  1. Lower your voice to a whisper. Hold up the picture of Jesus Christ. Say: “This is Jesus.” If He’s with children, point: “Jesus loves children!”
  2. Let each child look closely, point or gently pat the picture.
  3. SAY“I know Jesus loves you. He helps you when you’re sad.”
  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; one of Jesus with children is perfect (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 each child’s name as you touch their hand or wave: “Jesus loves you, Ava.”
  3. SAY“I know Jesus loves you. He helps you when you’re sad.”
  4. If your nursery has a prayer now, fold arms together while a grown-up says a short one.
6. Song

Stories of Jesus

2 minBONUS

If they’re still with you, a slow song while you look at a picture of Jesus is a calm, happy way to finish.

  1. Sit close together. Hold up the picture of Jesus or show the last story picture on your phone or tablet.
  2. Sing or hum “Tell Me the Stories of Jesus” (Children’s Songbook, 57) slowly while you rock side to side.
  3. At the end, wipe a pretend tear, smile and whisper: “Jesus helps me.”

Class screen: 🎵 Sing about Jesus

Story drama

Gentle Jesus Helps Me

Isaiah 53:4, 7; Mark 10:16 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • Little LambsEveryone! Say a soft “baa” and pet your own arm gently.
  • Feelings FacesEveryone! Make a sad face, wipe a pretend tear, then smile big.
  • Folded ArmsEveryone! Fold arms for a little prayer.

Scenes

  1. 🧔📜 Isaiah told about Jesus long ago.

    Long ago, the prophet Isaiah told everyone about Jesus.

    🎬 Everyone opens their hands like a book.

  2. 🐑🤍 Jesus is gentle, like a little lamb.

    Isaiah said Jesus would be gentle and kind, like a soft little lamb.

    🎬 Everyone says a soft “baa” and pets their own arm gently: “Gentle, gentle.”

  3. 🤗🧒 Jesus held the little children.

    Jesus held the little children in His arms and blessed them.

    🎬 Everyone gives themselves a big hug. Grown-ups offer a gentle hug to any child who wants one.

  4. 😢 Sometimes we feel sad. Boo-hoo.

    Sometimes we feel sad, and we cry: boo-hoo.

    🎬 Everyone makes a sad face and rubs their eyes. Keep it quick and gentle.

  5. 🙏 We can fold our arms and pray.

    When we feel sad, we can fold our arms and say a prayer.

    🎬 Everyone folds their arms. Whisper: “Heavenly Father, please help me.”

  6. 😊❤️ Jesus helps me feel better!

    Jesus loves you, and He helps you feel better.

    🎬 Everyone wipes away a pretend tear and smiles big: “Jesus helps me!”

Key verse

Isaiah 53:4 ↗
“he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows”
In kid words: Jesus helps me!
🙌 Wipe a pretend tear off your cheek with one finger, then smile big while you say all three words.

More verses

Isaiah 53:7 ↗
“he is brought as a lamb”
In kid words: Jesus is gentle, like a little lamb.
Isaiah 52:1 ↗
“Awake, awake; put on thy strength”
In kid words: Wake up! Stand up strong!
Isaiah 55:6 ↗
“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found”
In kid words: Look for Jesus! We find Him when we pray and sing.
Mark 10:16 ↗
“And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.”
In kid words: Jesus held the little children and blessed them.

Forehead Guess words8 words

  • 🧸 Teddy
  • 🐑 Lamb
  • 😢 Sad
  • 😊 Happy
  • 🙏 Pray
  • 🤗 Hug
  • 🧒 Children
  • ☀️ Sun
Clues for each word
  • Teddy: Soft and cuddly. Hug!
  • Lamb: Gentle and soft. Baa!
  • Sad: Boo-hoo. Wipe the tear.
  • Happy: A great big smile
  • Pray: Fold your arms
  • Hug: Squeeze someone you love
  • Children: Jesus held them close
  • Sun: Good morning! Wake up!
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown5 questions

  1. Which face is sad?
    • A. 😢 Sad
    • B. 😀 Happy
    Show answer

    ✅ A. 😢 Sad Boo-hoo. Wipe the tear. Jesus helps me!

  2. Who helps me when I’m sad?
    • A. 🧦 Socks
    • B. ❤️ Jesus
    Show answer

    ✅ B. ❤️ Jesus Wipe the tear and smile: Jesus helps me!

  3. Which one is gentle and soft?
    • A. 🐑 Lamb
    • B. 🌵 Cactus
    Show answer

    ✅ A. 🐑 Lamb Isaiah said Jesus is gentle, like a little lamb.

  4. Who did Jesus hold in His arms?
    • A. 🚚 Truck
    • B. 🧒 Children
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 🧒 Children Jesus held the little children and blessed them.

  5. What can I do when I’m sad?
    • A. 🙏 Pray
    • B. 🍌 Banana
    Show answer

    ✅ A. 🙏 Pray Fold your arms. Heavenly Father hears every prayer.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

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

    Sing it slowly while you look at a picture of Jesus with the children. Find it ↗

  • Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes Children’s Songbook, p. 275

    A wake-up song for Awake, Awake: touch, bend and giggle. Find it ↗

  • A Child’s Prayer Children’s Songbook, p. 12

    Hum it during Hug and Hum while arms are folded for a little prayer. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Wipe the Tear

When your little one feels sad this week, name the feeling, wipe the tear, give a hug and say “Jesus helps you.” Then fold arms together for a tiny prayer: “Heavenly Father, please help us feel better.”

Text the parents

Today in nursery we learned from Isaiah that Jesus helps us when we feel sad (Isaiah 53:4). We hugged a sad teddy, woke up with “Awake, awake!” and wiped away pretend tears while we said, “Jesus helps me!” Try it at home: next time your child cries, wipe the tear, hug, and say a tiny prayer 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 Feels Better · 10 min

  1. Set out the nursery’s dolls and stuffed animals and let children play however they like.
  2. Every few minutes, pick up a toy and make it cry softly: “Boo-hoo! Bunny is sad!” Ask: “What can we do?”
  3. Help children care for it: a hug, a pat, a rock, a blanket tucked around it. Say: “Bunny feels better! Jesus helps us when we’re sad, and we can help too.”
  4. Praise every gentle touch: “Gentle hands! Just like Jesus.”
  5. No dolls or stuffed animals? Care for a pretend kitten in your cupped hands, or let children “help” a grown-up who is pretending to be sad.

🧺 Helping Hands Push · 5 min

  1. Put a few soft toys in the laundry basket. Try to push it and say: “Oof! So heavy! Who can help me?”
  2. Let children push with you, slowly, across the carpet. Cheer: “We did it together! Helpers make it easy.”
  3. SAY“Isaiah said Jesus carries our sad feelings” (Isaiah 53:4). “He helps us like we helped the basket.”
  4. Safety: soft toys only in the basket, no riding in it, and a grown-up keeps one hand on the basket.
  5. No basket? Push a big pillow or a folded blanket across the floor together: “Heave-ho! Helpers!”

🎵 Wake-Up Wiggles · 5 min

  1. Sing “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” (Children’s Songbook, 275), slowly the first time and faster the second. Toddlers will touch whatever they can reach, and that’s perfect.
  2. Play Awake, Awake again: snore, then pop up: “Good morning!” Say: “Isaiah said ‘Awake, awake!’” (Isaiah 52:1).
  3. Tap Freeze Dance on your phone or tablet. When the music stops, everyone freezes with a big smile.
  4. Don’t know a tune? Play it once in the Gospel Library app, or just chant “Wake up, wake up!” while you wiggle.

🍎 Happy Tummy 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.
  3. Fold arms. A grown-up says a short blessing: “Thank you for our snack.”
  4. Talk about feelings while they munch: “Are you hungry? Snack helps! Are you happy? Smile!” Make a happy face and let them copy.
  5. SAY“When we feel sad, Jesus helps us feel better. Heavenly Father gives us good food too.”
  6. No snack today? Have a pretend snack: crunch pretend crackers, rub happy tummies, and say thank you to Heavenly Father.

🖍️ Sad-to-Glad Plates · 8 min

  1. Draw a big smiley face on each paper plate with a crayon, or draw a row of smiley faces on a big sheet of paper.
  2. Give each child one chunky washable crayon to scribble color all over their happy face. Say: “Happy face! Jesus helps us feel happy.”
  3. Write each child’s name on their plate for parents to see at pickup.
  4. Safety: chunky crayons only. Skip stickers, glitter, pom-poms and marker caps (small parts). Count the crayons back into the box.
  5. No plates or crayons? Open Draw & Guess on your phone or tablet and draw a big smile together with a child’s finger while you hold your phone or tablet.

🫧 Bubble Breaths · 5 min

  1. A grown-up blows bubbles up high and away from faces. Let children reach, chase and pop them.
  2. Blow slowly and say: “Big breath in… and slowly out.” When we feel sad, a big slow breath helps us feel calm.
  3. SAY“When I feel sad, I can take a big breath, say a prayer, and Jesus helps me.”
  4. Safety: grown-up hands only on the bottle and wand; bubble soap is not for mouths or eyes. Wipe the floor afterward so nobody slips. Skip bubbles if your ward’s policy says no.
  5. No bubbles? Blow pretend bubbles through a circle made with your fingers, and pop them with pointer fingers: “Pop! Pop!”

🖼️ Picture Walk: Jesus and the Children · 5 min

  1. Sit on the floor with a child or two in your lap. Hold the picture of Jesus Christ, or swipe back through today’s story pictures on your phone or tablet.
  2. Point and name: “Jesus! Children! Jesus loves the children.” Ask: “Where’s Jesus?” and let them point.
  3. Play Peekaboo Jesus: hide the picture behind your back, then bring it out: “There’s Jesus! Isaiah said to look for Him” (Isaiah 55:6).
  4. Finish with a hug: “Jesus helps me.”
  5. Picture walks are for whoever wants to come. If a child drifts off, let them go.

😴 Hug and Hum · 4 min

  1. Spread out the blanket. Children may lie down, sit or climb into a lap. Nobody has to.
  2. Hum “A Child’s Prayer” (Children’s Songbook, 12) softly and pat backs gently.
  3. Fold arms and whisper a tiny prayer together: “Heavenly Father, thank you for Jesus. Amen.”
  4. Whisper each child’s name: “Jesus helps you, Ava.”
  5. Upset child? Hold them, rock side to side and walk to the window together. Calm comes before learning.

👋 Happy-to-See-You Goodbye · 5 min

  1. Five minutes before the end, say: “Teddy is tired. Let’s help the toys go to bed!” Put toys in their bins together.
  2. Sit together one more time. Wipe a pretend tear and smile: “Jesus helps me!”
  3. When each parent comes, name the feeling: “You’re so happy to see Daddy!” Some toddlers cry at pickup because they’re tired; that’s normal too.
  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 one happy moment about their child.
  5. Kids still waiting? Play Teddy Feels Better again. 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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