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Follow Me, Little Fishers!

Empty nets, a try-again splash, a net full of fish, and Jesus says, “Follow me”

  • ☀️ Sunbeams
  • Week 5
  • 📅 Sunday, January 31, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

I can follow Jesus.

I can follow Jesus.

Study it yourself firstRead Matthew 4; Luke 4–5 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Matthew 4; Luke 4–5)
Know the chapters

This week’s chapters begin Jesus’s ministry. He fasts forty days in the wilderness and answers every temptation with scripture (Matthew 4:1–11). In Nazareth He reads from Isaiah that He was sent to heal and help (Luke 4:16–21). Then, by the Sea of Galilee, He calls Peter, Andrew, James and John, four fishermen, to follow Him (Matthew 4:18–22; Luke 5:1–11).

Luke tells it like a picture book: Peter fished all night and caught nothing. In the morning Jesus taught the crowd from Peter’s boat, then told him to go out deep and let down the nets. Peter was tired, but he said that because Jesus asked, he would do it (Luke 5:5). The nets filled so full they began to break, and friends in another boat came to help. Jesus said, “Follow me,” and the fishermen left their nets and followed Him right away (Matthew 4:19–20).

Your one tiny truth for today: I can follow Jesus. For a three-year-old, following Jesus means doing what He did: being kind, saying prayers, helping and sharing. Say the tiny truth again and again, and let them *feel* following by marching behind you like the fishermen walking behind Jesus.

Show Jesus with a picture, and read His words yourself; no child plays Jesus. The temptation story and fasting are simple extras if you have time.

Only have 5 minutes?

Bring a picture of Jesus if you can (or skip it and use the no-supplies versions). Tell the fishing story with your phone or tablet scenes (everyone rows, throws and pulls the net), say “Follow me” with a beckoning wave, play Follow Me March around the room, and end with, “I can follow Jesus. I know He loves you.”

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. Cut out the paper fish. On the back of about half of them, draw one simple picture: a heart (be kind), praying hands (pray), a smile (be happy), a hand (help).
  2. Bundle all the fish inside the blanket and tie or fold it closed like a full net. Put it under your chair.
  3. Tuck the picture of Jesus in your scriptures so you can pull it out in the story.
  4. Open this lesson in Teach Mode so the story pictures and the Sound Board waves are ready.

If your class is wild

  • Crying at the door? Let the parent stay a few minutes and hand the child a paper fish: “Will you be my fish helper?” A job helps a lot. If tears keep going, a parent can sit in the back.
  • Potty breaks: have another grown-up (a class helper or a parent) take the child; never be alone out of sight with a child. Keep going with everyone else.
  • Use “Row, row, row!” as your call-back all day: when you say it, everyone sits down and rows their pretend boat. It turns wanderers into sailors in two seconds.
  • Three-year-olds love to grab paper fish. Give each child just one at a time, and let them “swim” it back to the sea when they are done.
  • The fishermen followed right away. When a child comes quickly, cheer: “You followed right away, just like Peter!”

The 25-minute plan21 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

What’s in the Net?

2 min

A lumpy, mystery net full of fish gets little eyes curious before the story starts.

  1. Sit on the floor with the children. Pull out the bundled-up blanket and give it a little shake.
  2. SAY“Something is in my net! Is it a shoe? A banana? Let’s count and open it. One… two… three!”
  3. Open the blanket and let the paper fish spill out. Say: “Fish! So many fish!”
  4. Let each child hold one fish and make it swim in the air.
  5. SAY“Today we’ll meet fishermen who caught SO many fish. And then Jesus asked them to follow Him.”
🌪️ If everyone dives for the fish at once, say, “Fishermen sit in the boat!” and hand the fish out one at a time.

Class screen: 🐟 What’s in the net? · 1… 2… 3… · Fish!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A blanket, sheet or big bath towel for a fishing net, 10–15 paper fish (cut simple fish shapes from any paper; on the back of some, draw a tiny heart, praying hands or a smile)

Fishy Fingers

  1. Put your palms together and wiggle them like a swimming fish. Say: “What am I? A fish!”
  2. Everyone makes a fishy hand and swims it high, low, fast and slow.
  3. Then pretend to throw a big net and pull it in slowly. “Oof, it’s heavy! What did we catch? Fish!”
  4. SAY“Today we’ll meet fishermen who caught SO many fish. And then Jesus asked them to follow Him.”

Class screen: 🐟 Make a fishy hand!

2. Story

Story: Nets Full of Fish

5 min

Every child is a fisherman, so following Jesus becomes something they do with their whole body.

  1. SAY“Everybody sit down in our boat. You are all fishermen!”
  2. Show each scene on your phone or tablet and read the one or two sentences. Hold up the picture of Jesus when He comes in.
  3. Do each action together. Go slowly and make it big.
  4. Tap the waves and splash sounds, or let the Wave Maker wiggle the blue towel.
  5. In scene 6, stand up and march in place. End by saying together: “I can follow Jesus!”
🌪️ If someone wanders off the “boat,” say, “Oh no, a fisherman fell in! Swim back to the boat!” and they usually paddle right back.
🔊 Sound Board (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🎣 Everyone is a fisherman! · Row · Throw · Pull!

3. Wiggle break

Row, Throw, Pull!

2 min

Burns energy by doing the story again with bigger and sillier moves.

  1. SAY“Let’s go fishing again!”
  2. Call the moves and do them together: “Row, row, row!” (arms row) “Throw the net!” (arms fling out) “Pull, pull, pull!” (lean back and tug).
  3. Try it fast, then slow, then super tiny, then super big.
  4. End with everyone flopping like fish, then lying still like sleepy fish.
🌪️ “Sleepy fish” at the end is your calm-down. Whisper, “Sleepy fish don’t make a sound…”

Class screen: 🚣 Row! Throw! Pull!

4. Scripture

Key Words: “Follow Me”

3 min

Jesus’s own words with a “come on” wave help the children remember that He invites them to follow Him.

  1. Hold up your scriptures. Say: “These words are in the Bible. Jesus said them to the fishermen.”
  2. Say it slowly with the motions: “He saith unto them” (hands around your mouth) “Follow me” (wave “come on,” then march in place).
  3. Say it together three ways: a whisper, a big fisherman voice, and a squeaky fish voice.
  4. SAY“Jesus says, ‘Follow me,’ to you too. I can follow Jesus!”

Class screen: 📖 “Follow me” · 📣 He saith unto them · 👋 Follow me

5. Game

Fishing for Ways to Follow

3 min

Every paper fish is a little way to follow Jesus, so each child gets to catch one and do it.

  1. Spread the blue towel on the floor and scatter the paper fish on it, picture side down.
  2. SAY“Fishermen, catch one fish!” Let one child at a time pick a fish and turn it over.
  3. If it has a picture, everyone does it: heart = hug yourself (be kind), praying hands = fold arms (pray), smile = big smile, hand = pretend to pick up toys (help).
  4. After each one, cheer: “That’s following Jesus!”
  5. If it’s a plain fish, everyone swims like fish, then the next child fishes.
🌪️ Waiting is hard at three. While one child fishes, everyone else rows their boat or swims their fishy hands.

Class screen: 🐟 Catch a fish! What’s on it? · ❤️ be kind · 🙏 pray · 🙂 smile · ✋ help

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: 10–15 paper fish (cut simple fish shapes from any paper; on the back of some, draw a tiny heart, praying hands or a smile), A blue towel, scarf or blanket for the sea

Fishy Freeze

  1. Open Freeze Dance. Everyone swims around like little fish while the music plays.
  2. When the music stops, everyone freezes. Say: “I caught you! Let’s follow Jesus!”
  3. Name one way and do it together: fold arms to pray, hug yourself to be kind, pretend to pick up toys to help, wave hello to a friend.
  4. Cheer, “That’s following Jesus!” and play 4 or 5 rounds.

Class screen: 🐟 Swim, freeze, follow Jesus!

🌪️ Keep the fish swimming slowly on the spot if your room is small.
6. Song

Follow Me March

2 min

A follow-the-leader song lets them practice following with their feet.

  1. SAY“Line up behind me like the fishermen who followed Jesus!”
  2. Sing “Do As I’m Doing” (Children’s Songbook, 276) as you march around the room. Change the moves: tiptoe, row, fish hands, arms folded.
  3. Finish back at your spot, sitting down very slowly.

Class screen: 👣 Follow me! Do what I do!

7. Talk it over

Who Can Follow Jesus?

2 min

Children look at Jesus and name, point or act one way they can follow Him.

  1. Hold up the picture of Jesus. Say: “Jesus asked the fishermen to follow Him. He wants you to follow Him too!”
  2. Ask the questions one at a time. Any answer, even a point or a nod, gets a smile and a “Yes!”
💬 Ask the class
  • What did the fishermen catch?
  • Who said, “Follow me”? Point to Jesus!
  • Can you show me how to be kind like Jesus?
  • Can you fold your arms for a prayer?

Class screen: 👣 I can follow Jesus!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A picture of Jesus (from the Gospel Library app printed out, a Friend magazine, or the meetinghouse library)

Following Feet

  1. SAY“Jesus asked the fishermen to follow Him. He wants you to follow Him too!”
  2. Everyone pats their feet: “These are my following feet!”
  3. Ask the questions one at a time. Any answer, even a point or a nod, gets a smile and a “Yes!”

Class screen: 👣 These are my following feet!

8. Testimony

Quiet Fishermen

2 min

A calm, loving moment where the teacher shares a simple testimony of Jesus.

  1. SAY“Fishermen, let’s put our boats away and be very quiet. Fold your arms.”
  2. In a soft voice, say: “Jesus loves you. He wants you to follow Him. I know that is true.”
  3. Name each child: “Mia, you can follow Jesus. Sam, you can follow Jesus.” (Use your own class names.)
  4. Say a short closing prayer, or help a child fold their arms while you say it.

Class screen: 🤫 I can follow Jesus.

9. Game

Fishing Picture Quiz

3 minBONUS

Picture questions review the story, and every child gets to point.

  1. Open Scripture Showdown. Read each question and point to each picture.
  2. Children point to the right picture or call it out. No teams needed: everyone wins.
  3. Cheer with a splash after every answer.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🎣 Point to the right picture!

10. Game

Mystery Picture: What’s Hiding?

3 minBONUS

A slow reveal keeps them guessing and names things from the story.

  1. Open Mystery Picture. Say: “Something from our story is hiding! Let’s take the squares away.”
  2. Remove one square each time a child does a fisherman move (row, throw or pull).
  3. When they guess, act it out: fish = swim, boat = row, net = pull, feet = march.
🧩 Mystery Picture (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: ❓ What’s hiding?

Story drama

Nets Full of Fish

Luke 5:1–11; Matthew 4:18–22 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • Everyone: FishermenRow the boat, throw the net, pull it in, then march behind the teacher when Jesus says, “Follow me.”
  • Net HelpersTwo children hold the corners of the blanket net and pull it in when it is full of fish.
  • Wave MakerWiggles the blue towel sea (or taps the Sound Board waves) when the teacher nods.

Scenes

  1. 🌙 Fishing all night… no fish!

    Peter and his friends were fishermen. They fished all night long, but they didn’t catch even one fish.

    🎬 Throw your net… pull it in… it’s empty! Shrug your shoulders: “No fish!”

  2. ☀️ Morning! Jesus came to the sea

    In the morning, Jesus came to the sea. Lots of people came to hear Him teach.

    🎬 Wave hello to Jesus! (Point to His picture.)

  3. 🚣 Jesus sat in Peter’s boat

    Jesus sat in Peter’s boat and taught the people. Then He told Peter to go out to the deep water and let down the nets.

    🎬 Sit down and row, row, row your boat.

  4. 🥅 Peter tried again

    Peter was tired. But he said he would do it, because Jesus asked. He let down the net again.

    🎬 Throw your net way out… splash!

  5. 🐟 So many fish!

    Fish, fish, and more fish! The net was so full it started to break. Friends came in another boat to help.

    🎬 Pull, pull, pull! It’s so heavy! Now flop like happy fish.

  6. 👣 “Follow me,” said Jesus

    Jesus said, “Follow me.” Peter and his friends left their nets and followed Jesus right away.

    🎬 Stand up and march in place behind the teacher.

  7. 🙂 I can follow Jesus too!

    We can follow Jesus too. We can be kind, say prayers and help, just like Jesus.

    🎬 Say together: “I can follow Jesus!”

Key verse

Matthew 4:19 ↗
“he saith unto them, Follow me”
In kid words: Jesus said to the fishermen, “Follow me.”
🙌 “He saith unto them” = cup your hands around your mouth like you’re calling across the water · “Follow me” = wave your hand toward you, “come on!”, then march in place.

More verses

Matthew 4:20 ↗
“And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.”
In kid words: The fishermen put down their nets and followed Jesus right away.
Luke 5:5 ↗
“nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net”
In kid words: Peter was tired, but he said, “You asked, so I will do it.”
Luke 5:10 ↗
“Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not”
In kid words: Jesus told Peter, “Don’t be afraid.”

Forehead Guess words12 words

  • 🐟 Fish
  • 🚣 Boat
  • 🥅 Net
  • 🌊 Sea
  • 🎣 Fisherman
  • 🧔 Peter
  • 🌙 Moon
  • ☀️ Sun
  • 👣 Feet
  • ❤️ Heart
  • 📖 Scriptures
  • 🍞 Bread
Clues for each word
  • Fish: Swims in the sea
  • Boat: Peter sat in it and rowed
  • Net: Fishermen catch fish with it
  • Sea: Lots of water with waves
  • Fisherman: Peter’s job
  • Peter: He tried again when Jesus asked
  • Moon: Up in the sky all night
  • Sun: Comes up in the morning
  • Feet: We follow with them
  • Heart: Be kind like Jesus
  • Scriptures: The holy book with the story
  • Bread: Yummy food made from wheat
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown7 questions

  1. What did the fishermen want to catch?
    • A. 🐟 Fish
    • B. 🐶 Puppies
    Show answer

    ✅ A. 🐟 Fish Fish! Let’s swim our fishy hands.

  2. What do fishermen catch fish with?
    • A. 🧦 A sock
    • B. 🥅 A net
    • C. 🥄 A spoon
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 🥅 A net A big net! Throw it out… splash!

  3. Where did Jesus sit to teach?
    • A. 🚗 In a car
    • B. 🚣 In a boat
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 🚣 In a boat Jesus sat in Peter’s boat. Row, row, row!

  4. When Jesus said try again, how many fish?
    • A. 🐟🐟🐟 So many!
    • B. 🚫 None
    Show answer

    ✅ A. 🐟🐟🐟 So many! So many fish the net started to break!

  5. Who said, “Follow me”?
    • A. 🐸 A frog
    • B. 🦆 A duck
    • C. 🙂 Jesus
    Show answer

    ✅ C. 🙂 Jesus Jesus said, “Follow me,” and the fishermen followed Him.

  6. What do we follow with?
    • A. 👃 Our nose
    • B. 👣 Our feet
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 👣 Our feet Our following feet! March, march, march.

  7. Which one is following Jesus?
    • A. 😠 Grabbing toys
    • B. ❤️ Being kind
    Show answer

    ✅ B. ❤️ Being kind Being kind is following Jesus!

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

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

    A follow-the-leader song for marching like the fishermen who followed Jesus. Find it ↗

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

    Sing or hum the chorus: following Jesus means trying to be like Him. Find it ↗

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

    A gentle song to start class as the children sit in the boat. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Following Feet

Play follow the leader at home. When a grown-up says, “Follow me!” march behind them. Then do one thing Jesus would do: give a hug, say a prayer, or help pick up.

Text the parents

Today in Sunbeams we learned that Jesus helped Peter catch so many fish the net started to break, and then said, “Follow me.” Our tiny truth: I can follow Jesus. Ask your child: “What did the fishermen catch?” Then play follow the leader and talk about one way to be kind like Jesus.

📝 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.

Got extra time?

🍞 Bread or Rock? · 3 min

  1. Hold up a slice of bread and a small rock (or just point to pictures in the air). Say: “Which one can we eat? Bread!”
  2. SAY“Jesus was very hungry. Satan wanted Him to do a wrong thing and turn rocks into bread. Jesus said no! He chose the right.” (Matthew 4:3–4)
  3. Play Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down: “Sharing a toy?” 👍 “Hitting?” 👎 “Saying sorry?” 👍 Say: “I can choose the right like Jesus!”

🩹 Jesus Helps Everyone · 2 min

  1. SAY“Jesus read in the scriptures that He came to help and heal people” (Luke 4:18).
  2. Pretend a teddy bear or your own arm has an owie. Everyone gives it a gentle pat and a pretend bandage.
  3. SAY“Jesus helps us when we are sad or hurt. He loves us!”

🙏 Close to Heavenly Father · 2 min

  1. SAY“Before Jesus taught, He went without food for a long time to be close to Heavenly Father. That is called fasting” (Matthew 4:1–2).
  2. SAY“When you’re bigger, you can fast too. Right now, you can be close to Heavenly Father when you pray.”
  3. Everyone folds arms. Say a short prayer together, one little phrase at a time for the children to repeat.

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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